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: other or unspecified
147 reports, newest first. Show all
Other or unspecified, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Apr 20, 2024
While driving car it suddenly lost acceleration. RMP's wouldn't go above 1.5. Speed wouldn't go above 20MPH. Check engine light came on. Was going up a hill with lots of cars behind me and suddenly could barely move. Made it to an Advance Auto and they ran diagnosis on the check engine light and it came up with 2 different codes, relating to fuel system and crankshaft. When I got the vehicle to my local mechanic they saw the codes also, and that the car had gone through 4 quarts of oil. I wasn't at the mileage for an oil change yet, so not sure why oil was almost gone. Mechanic did and oil change and issue was still not fixed. Stating engine needs to be replaced. I have several other people with Kia's who have also recently expirenced massive oil consumption and engine dying. Car was running fine prior to just going into "limp" mode randomly. However I have had a battery issue with this vehicle since day one of purchase. I have been to several mechanics including a Kia dealership with no one being able to pinpoint what is draining the battery. I have had to replace the battery 6 times in 3 years, with my vehicle being dead every other day and sometime every day from Oct-Mar.
Other or unspecified, Apr 15, 2024
KIA SORENTO SNOW WHITE PAINT PEELING CHIPPING AND DELAMINATION. The paint on my 2014 Kia Sorento is experiencing peeling issues. 3 yrs ago I had to have my entire hood repainted, and just recently, and now the pillar on the driver's side is peeling. Very disappointing, esp since I only have 70K miles, and is garage-kept. I hope Kia does something about this. I even have the 100K miles warranty. Since this is an application issue which is a latent defect, and should be handled differently to my standard warranty.
Power train, Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Mar 30, 2024
Door Locks/Hatch Lock won’t unlock 95% off the time, using fob OR interior switch. Also won’t unlock automatically when vehicle is put into park. Mechanic looked it and after research, determined there’s a probable faulty/stuck Relay on the BCM. Not replaceable without removing the BCM and desoldering components or replacing the whole BCM. It’s unsafe as I’m unable to unlock the doors should I need to remove/evacuate someone or my pet, from the vehicle, in an emergency. Also unable to access back hatch area to retrieve anything for roadside concern (flares/cones, spare, tire iron, etc), leaving me potentially stranded on the dangerous roadside. I first noticed this concern about 2 months ago and there were no warning lights.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Mar 30, 2024
Doors cannot be locked and is very dangerous when driving with my family on the highway
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Mar 20, 2024
We have not had an incident BUT we were notified of this recall in Nov of 2023 and now as of March 2024 there is still no fix. If my car could “combust” at any moment why is it taking so long to come up with a fix? Doesn’t seem very safe….. Again, we have had no accidents but this is the only place I could find to fill out a complaint.
Structure, Other or unspecified, Mar 13, 2024
pearl white paint peeling off with less than 100k miles.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Mar 4, 2024
A recalled was made on September 25th about Kia Sorento for potential fire hazard in driving or parking but up till date the recalled parts are not available at Kia dealership to fix the recall issues. Given it's fire risk, am pleading if you can follow up to make sure this problem is rectify before people's lives are affected for "A stitch in time serves nine"
Other or unspecified, Feb 10, 2024, crash
2014 Kia Sorento was very very slowly being driven into a residential garage. Suddenly the car accelerated although the car was being driven very slowly. Driver hit brake hard. Car rammed into the garage wall creating a very large hole. Objects in front of the wall prevented worse damage. The car itself had only dust from drywall and a few minor scratches.There were no warnings prior to the failure. The driver's safety was at risk. This is 2/10/2024. The local KIA dealer cannot inspect the vehicle until late this coming week. I am afraid to drive this car. We have had it services regularly by KIA thru out the warranty and beyond.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Back over prevention, Feb 1, 2024, fire
While driving at night, the instrument panel gauges and lights behind it faded away and all gauges went to 0, RPM, Gas, speedometer, temp, mileage all stopped working all at once. The headlights dimmed to almost nothing. After stopping, it was discovered that a rear sensor was basically melted off after being on fire from the inside. It put a hole right through the sensor and exposed the wire. It basically turned the sensor to ash and you can see the melted wires inside slightly poking out of the hole it melted. The radio and clock still work, so it didnt affect everything. The lights that come on when opening and closing the door were basically stuck on unless turned off manually when the car is off. (Turned off door light feature) Took me a few to figure that out. After checking fuses, the Module 3 was blown. Tried to replace the fuse but it keeps blowing because I cant currently do anything with the damaged sensor. A Kia repair guy wanted to change all the wiring, sensors, and instrument panel, costing thousands of dollars I don't have. After checking the Kia forums, this same exact issue has happened to multiple people with the 2014 Kia Sorento. If this has happened to multiple of the same vehicle, Kia should be responsible to fix it or replace the vehicle! Its dangerous! It was raining, but my car could have stayed on fire. I almost drove off the road when everything was shutting off and my headlights dimmed to nothing. The car still drives fine, so I got home, but it was hard to see and I had no idea of the speed of the vehicle. And the Kia guy said it could still catch fire again so I will have to fix it before driving it much more. I dont have the money for this or for a new car and my job is literally in my car! Check the Kia forums about the other issues and complaints, as again, this happened to multiple people and its all the same issue. Kia needs to fix this since it costs so much to fix and before someone burns up in a fire!
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)
Other or unspecified, Jan 13, 2024
UNKNOWN. I have taken my Sorento twice back to the dealership and they won’t fix recall til something happens
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Dec 21, 2023
The engine light keeps coming on and off. I had a recall notice but an took the kia to kia dealership but they said they don't have the repair parts. Since recall was issued no repairs yet an it's posing a threat to me an my family using it. If I park the car without using it as kia instructed how I my going to go to job since that's the only car I have? Please can issue recall be fix immediately to avoid further harm to users? When should I take the kia to dealership for the recall to be fixed?
Other or unspecified, Nov 29, 2023
We are concerned that a recall notice was filed on this vehicle over two months ago for a severe issue, and there are no parts available or any other remedy available. This poses a huge safety risk for the manufacturer to allow these vehicles to be operated with this knowledge and no timeframe for repair
Other or unspecified, Sep 26, 2023
The pearl white paint is coming off the car from just driving the car. It started at 75k miles and now the car is rusting because of it. This white paint is discontinued now but what about the car they used the paint on. It's like this on the hood, sides of the window and the top of the car.
Vehicle speed control, Other or unspecified, Engine, Sep 23, 2023
Car was traveling from Atlanta and the speed odometer on the car showed it was dropping then knock noise pull over then I made to exit and check oil Guage the sensor lights never showed when I had picked up the person house I took to said it was crank sensor and started it heard knocking sound and I call NHTSA reported incident and was giving a claim number haven't heard anything since I no its recall on engine cause I had received paperwork that it was and also saw report on news
Other or unspecified, Sep 19, 2023
Catalytic Converter is out and is needing replacement. Dealership offered me $600 off which I accepted, so total repair cost will be $2650 out the door. Problem is the part is on back order until "TBD". Dealership and Kia Consumer Complaints can not give an ETA on when part is supposed to come in. Apparently there is a long list of backorders in Florida and Georgia. Kia is unwilling to work with consumers to cover either a loaner car or the part. If the part was in stock, I would have no issue. Issue is Kia requires this part to be repaired, but not only do they not have in stock, they can't even give me an estimate of when I could possibly get my car back. Their resolution is to have the consumer pay for their own rental car at $45/day until further notice, or I should explore my options for a trade in. If they're doing business this way and not valuing their customer, why would I want to start over? Kia has conducted a recall on Kia Souls for the same issue on 4/15/2022, looks like they need to go ahead and recall the Sorento's as well as there are many consumers in my same situation. So sad that Kia will not work with their customers, they should have parts in stock or readily available to be shipped. And especially if there are many people on backorder, it seems like a growing problem and Kia should be prepared for the influx. As of today, 9/19/2023, Kia Consumer Complaints has stated they have escalated my part, but still can't give me an ETA or will not offer assistance for their short comings.
Electrical system, Seats, Other or unspecified, Aug 6, 2023, fire
Well my boyfriend and I where getting the car straightened up swept out wiped down and cleaned up and drove it from one part of our yard to the other and we had to finish what we where doing before that so and hour or so later when my. Boy friend went to go finish the car he realized there was smoke coming from the driver's side and opened the front door and the whole front driver seat was on fire so we got it put out and then we realized we needed to get the car as far away from the house as we could as soon as we got the fire out so I found a lid to it on I had to push a release button under the shifter to move it outta park and stear it away from any other houses or objects so we did that and then the lights for the heated seats on the driver's side came on again without the key that I know of being in it or nothen and it just being on fire so we u plugged to battery and called kia and a town truck
Other or unspecified, Jul 28, 2023
I bought this 2014 kia sorento about 2 years ago from a small dealer. When I bought it there was minial peeling above my window on my hatch. When I bought my car it was already at 169,000. miles on it. In the last 6 months the paint has rapidly been peeling off on my doors and getting worse on the hatch. My car is currently at 205,866 miles. So in that time it started peeling off in 6 different areas. Over the winter when the first spot peeled we attempted to cover it up with a car paint in a panic afraid that it was going to rust. Although we noticed that the other spots where the paint is peeling and looks to be bare metal isn't even rusting. The thing is with these spots it wasn't starting with a chip then spreading. These spots were bubbling and then breaking and falling off while on the streets and the highway. We are very confused on why the paint is bubbling up then peeling off. After that inital tear in the bubble it continues to peel from there and get worse. Im afraid to was my car because the amount of the amount of paint that will come off. We also noticed that this wasn't the first time it has happend with my car. Like i said I bought it from a small dealer and after the right spot started peeling we started to take a clsoer look and we could see that some of the spots peeling have been previously covered up and resold. I just want my paint fixed for a mistake the manufaturer made.
Other or unspecified, Firerelated, Jun 22, 2023, fire
On January 8, 2023, my 2014 Kia Sorento burnt up. I was driving down the street when I could see smoke and smell something burning. I stopped the car and got out just in time. It exploded and totally burnt. I have a video but it will not upload.
Other or unspecified, May 9, 2023
Pearl white paint is chipping off in large sizes for over 2 years. Just found out this is a common problem with Kia certain years and this exact paint color
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Apr 29, 2023
I never received any letter from KIA about this recall. I recently found out about this recall when I entered my vehicle VIN on the NHTSA website because the ABS and stability control lights have been on since last week. I called Kia about this (North East Kia at White Plains, NY) on April 24, 2023, and reported this. They said that their system was down or something like that and that they couldn't check for any recalls for my vehicle. I told them about the report from NHTSA, they said it didn't matter because they still need to see it on their system. I pushed for an appointment with service, they gave me one for Friday, April 28, 2023, at 8:30 am. I went there on that date. Oscar (the person in charge of service) told me when I arrived that their system still was with some kind of issue and that they couldn't check my car until they see the recall on their system. So they didn't check my car. I showed him a picture with the ABS and stability control light on in my car. He said they couldn't do anything about it. He just told me that they will call me or email me when their system is back to normal. I am worried that something bad can happen to my car and KIA is not doing anything to fix this recall. Please, help with this. Thank you
Structure, Other or unspecified, Feb 27, 2023
Paint is delaminated and pealing off. Paint type Pearl Snow White. After researching online it seems this is happening to hundreds of 2014 Kia Sorentos.
Structure, Other or unspecified, Feb 3, 2023
Paint peeling on hood. Does not look like it came from a stone chip.
Other or unspecified, Feb 2, 2023
The paint (Snow White Pearl) on my Kia Sorento (2014) is peeling off of the drivers side door above window. Mileage of vehicle is 116000. Started on 2/1/23
Other or unspecified, Structure, Jan 31, 2023
The Snow white pearl paint on my 2014 Kia Sorento has started de-laminating and peeling. It became noticeable on the driver's side door post, which has peeled and grown to a substantial area since I first noticed it. Smaller areas can also be identified on the back bumper, the hood, and several other panels of the vehicle. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The problem has been confirmed by a certified body shop (Caliber Collision in Happy Valley Arizona). Please contact for additional details if needed. Attached photos are of the damage as of 1/30/2023. Paint condition continues to deteriorate and more photos will be available tracking the progression of the de-lamination.