2014 Kia Sorento
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 987 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 3rd highest complaint count among 23 Sorento model years with reports.
Of the 2014 reports, 23 involved a crash and 46 involved a fire. 24 people were injured and 1 person died.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Service brakes, hydraulic, antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip, control unit/modulePark outsideSep 25, 2023
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2010-2019 Borrego, 2014-2016 Cadenza, 2010-2013 Forte, Forte Koup, Sportage, 2015-2018 K900, 2011-2015 Optima, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, Soul, 2012-2017 Rio, 2011-2014 Sorento, and 2010-2011 Rondo vehicles. The Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) may experience an electrical short, which can result in an engine compartment fire while parked or driving.
An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the HECU fuse, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed November 14, 2023. Owner notification letters were mailed March 29, 2024 through June 18, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC284.
Campaign 23V652000 on NHTSA.gov
Service brakes, hydraulic, antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip, control unit/modulePark outsideMay 10, 2021
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Optima and 2014-2015 Sorento vehicles previously recalled under recall 20V-519. Brake fluid may leak inside the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU), possibly resulting in an electrical short.
An electrical short in the HECU increases the risk of a fire while parked or driving.
Owners are advised to park outside and away from other vehicles and structures until the recall repair is completed. Dealers will install a new multi-fuse, and inspect the HECU for leaks, replacing the HECU if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 2, 2021. This recall supersedes previous NHTSA recall number 20V-519. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC212.
Campaign 21V331000 on NHTSA.gov
Service brakes, hydraulic, antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip, control unit/modulePark outsideAug 27, 2020
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Optima and 2014-2015 Sorento vehicles. Brake fluid may leak inside the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU), possibly resulting in an electrical short.
If the HECU short circuits, there is an increased risk of an engine compartment fire.
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the HECU for leaking brake fluid and replace the HECU if necessary, free of charge. Owners are advised to park outside and away from other vehicles and structures until the recall repair is completed. The recall began October 20, 2020. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC197.
Campaign 20V519000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, hoses, lines/piping, and fittingsDec 19, 2018
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2011-2017 Optima, 2012-2017 Sorento and 2011-2018 Sportage vehicles that previously received an engine replacement under recall number 17V-224, warranty, or the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) Product Improvement Campaign. The high pressure fuel pipe that connects to the fuel pump outlet may have been damaged, misaligned or improperly torqued during the engine replacement procedure, possibly causing a fuel leak.
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
Kia has notified owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the fuel pipe, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 17, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC172.
Campaign 18V907000 on NHTSA.gov
Engine and engine cooling, engineMar 31, 2017
Kia Motor Company (Kia) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Optima, 2012-2014 Sorento and 2011-2013 Sportage vehicles. Machining errors during the engine manufacturing process may cause premature bearing wear within the engine.
Bearing wear may result in the engine seizing, increasing the risk of a crash.
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine assembly, and replace the engine if necessary, free of charge. The recall began June 20, 2017. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC147.
Campaign 17V224000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, axle assembly, axle shaftAug 13, 2013
Kia Motors Corp. is recalling certain model year 2014 front wheel drive Sorento vehicles manufactured January 7, 2013, through March 12, 2013; and equipped with 2.4 liter engines. Due to a manufacturing issue, the right front axle shaft may fracture.
A fractured front axle may result in a loss of power to the wheels. Additionally, if the vehicle is parked without the parking brake applied, it may roll away. Either condition increases the risk of a crash.
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front axle shaft assembly, free of charge. The recall began on September 9, 2013. Owners may contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542 . Kia's recall number is SC099.
Campaign 13V356000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: engine
406 reports, newest first. Show all
Engine, Apr 11, 2024
BLOWN HEAD GASKRT DUE TO HEADBOLTS BOLTS STRIPPING UNDER NORMAL WEAR AND TEAR, 116,000 MI.
Engine, Apr 7, 2024
My 2014 kia sorento its knock sound from engine
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Apr 7, 2024
Multiple reports of; Codes P0171 System too lean bank 1 P0138 O2 sensor circuit high (b1s2) P0087 Fuel pressure too low P0036 B1S2 *** frequent fuel pump and fuel injector replacements/ services due to defects in the system. Causing major damage in other systems including engine.***
Electrical system, Engine, Mar 25, 2024
The HECU fuse in my Kia has the risk of starting an engine fire. It is currently part of a recall. I have checked this with your organization using my VIN number. I am unable to drive my vehicle due to the potential risk for me and passengers. This has made life extremely inconvenient. Even going to work has been difficult because I've had to rely on other modes of transportation. Kia has been unable to provide a replacement part, even though the recall was first announced over 6 months ago. I am unable to sell my vehicle because of this recall as well. We are expected to not use our vehicles but Kia is not providing a replacement part in any sort of a timely manner. They need to move their focus from the new vehicles to fixing these before someone is seriously injured.
Engine, Mar 22, 2024
Kia Dealers has diagnosed that vehicle has had a Catastrophic Engine Failure Was driving and vehicle just died almost got rear ended etc.... due to engine failure never received notices of this engine issue Start reading and it states at any giving time engine can seize At this point Kia dealer give me the round around there is a recall for engine failure it was checked by Kia dealer know no one can give me an straight answer and I need at least a rental vehicle until this gets solve and they don't want to honor that But they were real quick to call me to charge me $205 dollars for full diagnostic of vehicle
Engine, Mar 19, 2024
Engine failed on the road. Lost acceleration. Had it in dealer for knocking and loss of acceleration but found nothing. Dealer said drive until failure or warning lights. One Week later it failed on the freeway. Now dealer says blow bearing bolt/rod and engine will be $16,000 to replace. We have only ever serviced this car at Dealers and bought it new. Dealer says Engine is not covered but read this is a KNOWN issue with the engines.
Engine, Mar 16, 2024
While driving on the highway, I noticed my temperature gauge went all the way to hot, but then it went back to the middle. It did this 2 or 3 times before I reached my destination. On the way home, it did this, again. Except, the gauge went up to hot and stayed there when I was about 3 miles from home. Once the engine cooked, I checked for coolant and realized it was empty - as was my oil (even though I had an oil change in October). I refilled the oil and coolant only to have the coolant run out from the bottom of the engine. I took the car to a radiator repair shop and was told the from head gasket had blown. He said I would need a new engine. A second opinion yielded the same answer. The engine light never came on and the car never overheated. The car has approximately 116,000 miles.
Engine, Mar 14, 2024
The contact’s girlfriend owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the engine overheated. The contact pulled over and checked the vehicle. The coolant reservoir was low on coolant, the engine oil level was low, and there were metal shavings in the oil. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 77,842.
Power train, Engine, Mar 12, 2024
Car started overheating and was using excessive amounts of oil. When trying to run my heat the smell of the coolant was coming into the cabin in which myself and my children could have inhaled it. I took it to my local Kia dealership and was informed after diagnostics that it was leaking both oil and coolant from the same spot, the head gasket is leaking, and the cylinder head bolts are stripped. In all a whole engine replacement will need to be done on 3.3 V6 GDI Lambda Il
Engine, Mar 12, 2024
My car shows that it is running hot but there is no leaks. I took my car to the mechanic and changed the radiator and the thermostat thinking that was the problem get my car back and my car is still running hot so I take it back to the mechanic and he inspects my engine again and that's when he tells me that the screws in my engine are not tight like they are supposed to be and that at some point there was a recall for my car due to the engine over heating I tried calling kia and they weren't any help
Engine and engine cooling, Mar 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that his wife was not aware of any warning lights being illuminated. The driver was able to coast the vehicle off the highway. The driver attempted to restart the vehicle, but the vehicle failed to start. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and stated that there was no oil in the engine and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 112,000.
Engine, Mar 9, 2024
The kia Sorento has been very well serviced and maintained. On 3/8/24 while driving on the hwy the temperature began to rise. The vehicle was immediately pulled over and shut down. After letting the vehicle sit for approximately an hour to let engine cool my mechanic arrived and inspected it and found metal shavings in the oil and vehicle was started after inspection it is knocking. I've gone online to your website ran the VIN number and it says that this particular vehicle has no recall but this exact year model Sorento has had two different recalls on the same engine that I have in this vehicle for exactly what my vehicle just did. My vehicle only has 78,000 miles on it and I have all service records for it. I'm wanting to know why the other engines of the exact same year make model were recalled for exactly what my engine just did and this one wasn't the vehicle is long at a warranty and a used engine for this vehicle cost almost $4,000 I truly believe that this engine is defective just as the others were for there's no reason for this engine to do what it did with the service and maintenance that I maintain on the vehicle with only 78,000 miles. Any information or help you can give me for this inquiry would be greatly appreciated thank you for all you do.
Engine, Mar 6, 2024
This is regarding recall #23V652.The manufacturer has failed or is unable to remedy this safety recall since 09/25/2023 in a timely manner. This put myself and family member at risks everytime we operate the vehicle. KIA advised us to park it afar to avoid fire hazard. However, my car has already been broken in once so I am too traumatized to park it far away from my house. This is a serious safety concern that should be promptly addressed.
Engine, Mar 5, 2024
Engine lost power. Analysis indicates the catalytic converters failed and need replacement. The engine and catalytic converters were replaced June 2022. This power loss occurred on major interstate, which could have resulted in death or serious injury. Defective products still being used. Per the dealer, the replaced parts have a warranty of 12 months or 12,000 miles. They know these issues exist and persist, putting lives at risk. We did have an engine light come on a few moments before the engine failed.
Engine, Feb 22, 2024
My car was at Kia for a key fob issue. A day later the engine started ticking. I’m told I need a new engine. My car had no issues. I want to know if it can be related to this recall or if my car should’ve been recalled for the 2017 engine recall sc147. I am not convinced that they didn’t cause this when they had it as it started the next day it was driven. They will not take responsibility for it of course.
Power train, Engine, Feb 5, 2024
Was driving on highway when suddenly the vehicle lost power and couldn't maintain speed. Once stopped smoke came out from under hood which turned out to be from coolant. Had car towed to independent shop where it was determined that the engine head gasket/s are bad and engine head bolts and block. Fix is it needs a new engine. Always had maintenance done at dealer and this happened just out of warranty 106k miles.
Electrical system, Engine, Feb 3, 2024
I received a recall notice from Kia dated 11/14/2023. The notice said that the HECU hydraulic electronic control unit could short circuit and catch the car on fire whether driving or parked. They suggest parking away from anything that could catch fire. There is currently no remedy for this serious safety issue. It has been 3 months already and there is no time line for a remedy. They offer no options such as a loaner car to help mitigate the risk to personal safety while driving this car. I would like to have some interim solution until there can be a remedy of this serious safety risk. This is an unacceptable safety risk. Thank you for your time and attention. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine, Feb 2, 2024
Engine died with no sign. Was told engine had no oil
Engine and engine cooling, Jan 30, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the speed odometer was inoperable, and the vehicle did not accelerate as intended. In addition, the contact stated that while stopped at a stop sign, the vehicle stalled and lost motive power. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that after attempting to start the vehicle several times, the vehicle started and operated without failure. The contact stated that the vehicle displayed no issues for several days however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed crank shaft position sensor. The contact was informed that the crank shaft position sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 147,000.
Engine, Jan 19, 2024
No lights went on the dash. N warning that the engine was damaged. Now 2 mechanics have agreed that the engine is bad Just got the car used from dealer in March and no one knew anything about it. I’m devastated
Engine, Jan 19, 2024
Engine seized while driving. Had to be completely replaced.
Engine, Jan 18, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the contact heard an abnormal ticking sound. The contact was able to pull over safely. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined there was a hole in the engine block. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that the repairs were not covered under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 103,000. The VIN was not available.
Engine, Jan 17, 2024
With no warning the Kia suddenly started shaking and shuddering and white smoke started coming out of the exhaust while driving down the freeway. There were no symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. Took it to a mechanic and he said the car has a blown head gasket. A second mechanic confirmed the diagnosis.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Engine, Jan 16, 2024, fire
Kia smelled of electrical burning/fire after driving. burning smell permeated into dwelling. Notified KIA Customer Care Center at 1 (800) 333 4542. Case [XXX] initiated day of engine burning/fire [XXX]. No response from Kia. Called to inquire on update January 16th, 2024. Spoke with Mary. Mary had no update. Asked to speak with her manager, She transferred me and call dropped. Unprofessional conduct with life-threatening Kia engine bomb sitting in my driveway. Initiated complaint on Kia's website and another case number was generated - [XXX]. Tried calling back to no avail. Call dropped five times. Initiated this NHTSA complaint immediately after last call dropped by Kia. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine, Jan 12, 2024
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine compartment, and the vehicle then lost motive power. The contact was able to coast to the shoulder of the roadway; however, the vehicle failed to restart. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 162,000.