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, Aug 21, 2022
We have 2014 Kia Sorento SLX V6 GDI with 110,000 miles. My daughter was driving and suddenly, the engine started to-make some noise and the Kia broke down and stopped in the middle of a busy highway. She was able to coast to the side of the road and the engined died. The engine starts but there is many clicking noises inside the engine. My mechanic says the engine failed and the car needs a new engine. I asked the Kia NJ dealer and they said the recall is only for the 4 cylinders, and that my car is not covered. The dealer said they'll fix it for $7,000. What a scam!! As I read all the complaints, our Kia V6 engine had that same issues everyone is complaining about. There are many complains with the V6 engine around 100k miles, not just the 4 cylinder. Why didnt the settlement include ALL engines that fail for the same reason, bad manufacturing. What can we do have Kia take this issue seriously? How can I force Kia to replace the bad engines? What can I do ??
Engine, Aug 11, 2022
Was driving down the road and my car started to make a weird nise then just shut off. Was ot able to get it to run after.
Engine, Aug 2, 2022
My son was driving, heard a knocking noise. The engine ceased and he lost steering. Luckily he avoided an accident. A recall is out on 2014 Kia Sorento with 2.4L engines. My car is a 3.3L DOHC 24v. No recall but plenty of complaints. My mechanic told me I need a new engine. i left a message with Battleground Kia last week with no response. The engine and power steering lights were on after the incident
Power train, Engine, Forward collision avoidance, Jul 30, 2022
Bought this vehicle on 10/18/2017 it had 93,675 miles on it. As soon as it reached 100K it began to burn oil extremely quickly!!! It needs a new Engine, which KIA should have to replace!!!
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Jul 29, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated upon starting the vehicle and depressing the accelerator pedal, the engine emitted abnormal rattling sounds. The contact noticed smoke coming out of the exhaust. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated upon verifying the engine oil level, he noticed that it was significantly low. The contact refilled oil in the vehicle. However, the oil level was significantly lower two days later. The contact was able to drive the vehicle. However, the failure had been reoccurring and the vehicle was overheating. The contact an independent mechanic diagnosed that oil was leaking through the engine and out of the exhaust pipe. The contact diagnosed that the failure was associated to Kia Technical Service Bulletin Number: SC147. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
Engine and engine cooling, Jul 26, 2022
The contact's wife owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while his wife was at a complete stop, the vehicle stalled upon the depression of the accelerator pedal with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact also stated that an abnormal knocking sound was coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that his wife and daughter were able to push the vehicle into an abandoned parking lot and the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The mechanic discovered that the vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V224000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was then towed to the dealer where it remained in their possession unrepaired. The contact notified the manufacturer and was informed that the recall would not be honored. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 166,000.
Engine, Jul 25, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the oil warning light illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle consumed an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact stated that 3 quarts of oil needed to be added every 500 miles. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the dealer could not duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 51,000.
Engine, Jul 22, 2022
Total engine failed at 105000 miles. Rod Bearing Failure is what was the diagnosis. We were complaining since 38000 miles of the engine not sounding right and each time a technician certified by Kia told us that nothing was wrong. It seized up while after a brief stop on the side of a road. Kid and wife were in the car and were able to coast it back to the side of the road out of traffic. Total engine replacement is required and this same type of issue is on the 4 cylinder model of this engine that has been recalled, but not 6 cylinder model.
Engine, Jul 18, 2022
wasnt notified about recall of hecu til 3 days ago.had Engine replaced due to recall.now my catalytic converters are shot and they want me to pay for them .with all the recalls on parts it was there stuff that caused problems
Engine, Jul 15, 2022
This vehicle has a GDI motor which causes the oil to burn.
Engine, Jun 28, 2022
1.engine top end knock worn components , oil consumption , loss of power , dies at idle , it is available for inspection the issue is being inspected by an independent service center. no warning icons were present at failure or prior to failure, all fluids were at operating levels. unit had to be retrieved and towed 90 miles to repair facility. 2. brake lights intermittent bulbs have been replaced multiple times sockets are scorched unit has been to dealer multiple times for this issue without lasting resolution.
Engine, Jun 20, 2022
My wife started to drive the car to lunch and it began to hesitate, jump and lurch. Inspection by a licensed mechanic revealed that the connecting rod in cylinder four came apart and the piston cracked the engine block. This is the same 3.3L V6 engine that Kia has numerous recalls on, affecting over 600,000 vehicles. Although our particular VIN is not listed, I feel this is related to the problems associated with this engine.
Engine, Jun 16, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The failure nearly caused a collision. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The dealer informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
Engine, May 20, 2022, fire
The contact owned a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle a fuel odor was present inside the cabin. Days later while the vehicle was parked with the engine idling smoke and flames were present coming from the engine compartment. The fire department was called to the scene and extinguished the flames. During the incident, the vehicle was destroyed. The cause of the failure was not determined. A police report was taken at the scene and the vehicle was towed away. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The contact indicated the vehicle was previously serviced under a recall in which the engine was replaced. No further information was available. The failure mileage was 124,000.
Engine, May 17, 2022
Driving around 55mph motor locked up pulled over to side of road motor would not turn over
Engine, May 13, 2022
We purchased the 2014 kia sorento from a private party on May 12, 2022 and had driven it less than an hour on the highway with the cruise control set when a chirping sound came from the engine, followed by a sound like that of a tiny machine gun and then a big BOOM that shook the entire car. The person following me lost sight of the car because of the huge cloud of amoke making visibility impossible and we almost caused an accident. I do not know if the engine had been replaced as part of the recall but we paid $7500 for the vehicle we drove less than an hour and narrowly missed causing an accident.
Engine, May 12, 2022
Kia Sorento SX Limited 2014 All maintenance done on time/early at Kia dealerships throughout history of ownership. Engine light came on with odd sounds. Took in immediately for repair to the Kia dealership. We have been informed that oil is leaking throughout engine system and cooling system which has also put wear and damage on the transmission. This causes a safety issue because it could cause a fire when driving. Upon further review many of the 2014 Sorentos have had this same issue with low mileage and have ended up catching fire. There was no warning or signs of anything going wrong it just happened. The light and sounds started the next day it was taken in and there was nothing we could do. We are having to sell the vehicle for parts so we can get a new vehicle. Service report is available.
Engine and engine cooling, May 3, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who informed him of an unknown module that needed to be replaced. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 138,000.
Engine, May 1, 2022
Although no warning light, we heard a slight knock with the engine over the course of a couple days, intermittently. Called the dealer to schedule appointment. Very next day knocking significantly louder and undriveable, so had towed. Engine now needs to be replaced at 135,000 miles. Not covering because oil changes done outside of dealership.
Electrical system, Service brakes, Engine, Apr 26, 2022, fire
On 2/15/22, I accelerated to pass another car while driving home from work. As soon as I accelerated, my car stopped running. I coasted to the next turnoff from a busy street (about 1 block) and stopped at the curb in a residential area. The control panel/dashboard was completely dark, then suddenly lit up again. I tried to start the car but couldn't because I was unable to depress the brake. I waited a few minutes and tried again and a small amount of smoke came out from under the hood. In a minute that went away. At this time, I was very near my house and walked home. When I got there I called the Kia dealership (local) and described what happened. They asked if there had been a 'check engine' or other warning message before this happened and I told them there had not been. I said I guess I would have to have the car towed in to them to see what was wrong. I was told they would call back. While waiting for someone to call back, I walked back to my car. (All of this took less than 10 - 12 minutes.) As I turned the corner I saw police cars and a firetruck where my car was parked. The fire had been put out and there was only a shell of the car left; the entire motor and everything inside was destroyed. Later, my insurance company declared it a total loss. A neighbor saw flames and had called the fire department. There was some damage to the neighbor's yard - grass and shrubbery. The police called a wrecking service to tow the car. It was later picked up by my insurance co. No one was injured, thankfully; but I can only imagine what would have happened if I had made it home and parked in my garage. The local Kia dealership never called back. I called a week or so after this happened and was told they would have someone call me and no one called (again).
Engine, Apr 13, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while his wife was driving and had come to a complete stop, the vehicle stalled upon depression of the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. His wife was able to restart the vehicle and pull off to the side of the roadway. The contact was called to the scene, where he was unable to restart the vehicle. Due to the failure, the contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a claim was filed; the claim was later denied. The vehicle had yet to be repaired and remained in the possession of the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.
Engine, Apr 10, 2022, fire
I purchased a 2014 Kia Sorento on March 15, 2022. On April 1, 2022, after 2 weeks of normal driving, I was driving the car to the Kia dealership for them to inspect the smell of gasoline fumes, and suddenly, the oil light and engine light turned on, so I pulled over. I saw smoke coming out of the engine so I ran out. Then flames appeared and engulfed the vehicle while I waited for firefighters to arrive. Luckily, no one was hurt. Insurance is currently investigating the cause.
Engine, Other or unspecified, Apr 9, 2022
104K miles and motor seized up. Engine oil is fine, all fluids and proper maintenance done. Motor begins ticking as soon as the car is put in drive. Per mechanic the motor is getting ready to blow. I expected more from this vehicle as it has been very properly maintained. No fluids leaked, just lost power and started the moaning and clicking noise.
Electrical system, Engine and engine cooling, Apr 4, 2022
My 2014 Kia Sorento needs immediate attention to the following issues. The issues are associated with “open campaigns”. Yet, my specific Kia Sorento isn’t included. I have a bearing wear issue which has made the vehicle unsafe to operate. The car frequently overheats and has a major coolant leak. (17v22400). Also, the high pressure fuel pipe has appeared numerous times on my Mobius Kia Nav system. (18v907000). In addition, my vehicle now has many electronics which are inoperable. For instance, the back up camera, the power windows and steering wheel controls. This could be a result of a hydraulic leak near the electronic controls.(20V51900) There’s an issue with the powertrain. In addition, the right front axle is loose. As a result there’s a considerable loss of power to the wheels. (13V35600).
Engine, Apr 4, 2022
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was informed that the engine bearing needing to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with 17V224000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 125,000. Consumer was unable to find a dealership to evaluate my engine and determine the source of failure. They have so many KIAs to assess and they have all said they are taking no more vehicles. Consumer did receive a limited warranty extension letter (on 7April22) to 150,000 miles for the oil pressure switch leaking. Vehicle has been losing oil for quite a while now.