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
987 reports, newest first.
Engine, May 8, 2023
The contact’s son owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while his son was driving 65 MPH, the vehicle shuddered, and the engine seized. The check engine and the low oil pressure warning lights were illuminated. The contact’s son was able to veer to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the engine had seized and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 91,089.
Structure, May 7, 2023
The paint is chipping significantly in the area on both sides of my windshield and starting to continue down into the rest of the car. I have a snow white car and my research has shown this make, model, year and color has been reported of having the same problems. It really affects the look of the car. This paint chipping has been going on for the last 5 years or so. I purchased this vehicle used but in 2014 and it is a 2014 so I've owned it for 9 years and it continues to get worse and worse.
Engine, May 5, 2023
The engine seized up. The issue may be due to a design problem with all Kia engines. Here's what the service technician at the Kia dealership told me: 1) There is a pin on the cam shaft that keeps it in place; 2) Over time it moves, and gets sheared off; 3) When the pin is sheared off, the cam shaft spins out of time; 4) That causes the valves to slam into the pistons and bends the valves; 5) After the valves are bent, the engine has no compression; 6) The engine needs to be replaced or the car needs to be junked. The service tech says he had seen it happen quite a bit with all Kia models. In other words, it's a design flaw. There are other ways to keep the cam shaft in place, which are used by other manufacturers.
Engine, May 5, 2023
In December of 2020 my vehicle stalled in the middle of turning. I lost all power and was not able to accelerate. After a tow to my mechanic no reason could be found and vehicle started and ran fine. No check engine or codes displayed. Then in July of 2021 same issue happened. I again had it towed to my mechanic who said it could be the timing but referred me over to my local dealership. At the dealership I was told it was the timing and spent over $4,000 to replace. Two days after picking my vehicle up there was oil all over my garage. Another trip to the dealer where they stated it was a faulty crankshaft seal and no big deal. A month later and I was still having issues. Prior to the work done by KIA I never had oil consumption issues. I was then told to do a combustion clean out which I did. Since then I have been dumping oil into the vehicle. fast forward to April of 2023. While on the interstate the vehicle began to shake and lost all power. After a very expensive tow home and to the dealer the diagnosis was engine failure that they are unable to tell from where specifically and again no check engine or codes displayed. I was quoted $10,000 for an engine replacement for a vehicle I still owed 4,500 on and is not worth as much as the engine
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
Engine, Apr 21, 2023
Was driving my kia sorrento and check engine light came car was acting as if it wasn't getting any gas took to autozone came bk with 2 codes and pulled out and my car basically powered down in the middle of the street a car almost ran into me...the police had to push my car down a waze so no one would hit me , my car won't start..battery was at good percentage...took it to the shop replaced starter and still nothing won't start..they figured out testing that engine was done for
Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Apr 19, 2023
Engine overheated with no warning, Heater failed, Coolant wouldn't go through the system, replaced the T-stat, and it still continued to overheat with no warning or indication. I was driving with my 2.5year old in the middle of a busy street during the evening. Took it to a repair shop and was told they found coolant in the combustion chamber, and failed head gasket. They had to R7R both cylinder heads, replace the head gaskets, head bolts, t-stat, crank seal, oil pan gasket, timing cover gaskets and seals, Fuel injector - o - rings, fuel seals, fuel pump. They had to rethread and repair the bolts because they stripped. This was all fixed after i had to pay, $7,000. There was no warning lamps messages except for the 1 time overheating.
Air bags, Structure, Apr 10, 2023
I have not had my car a year and the seatbelt light came on 2 days ago. I am keeping the services up and all of these things were supposedly passed during the inspection before I purchased my car. Also, the paint is peeling off the car. There are so many cars that has peeling paint when passing. Paint should not peel like that. I've never had this problem with any car I have purchased.
Structure, Apr 8, 2023
I own a 2014 Kia Sorento that the peeling is rapidly peeling off ( or what the body shops call Delamination ) . My paint began peeling in a tiny spot I thought was a chip from a rock but rapidly began peeling all over. The vehicle is hand wash and the peeling continues, any water pressure continues to peel the paint including natural weather rain conditions. Mileage of vehicle is 113,000. This is very upsetting as you can wash the vehicle weekly or as needed as it would in race the delamination.
Engine, Apr 4, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was a knocking sound coming from the engine. While accelerating, the knocking sound became louder. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was informed that the engine might have seized. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted but provided no additional assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.
Electrical system, Air bags, Apr 3, 2023
After my engine was replaced, due to recall, the airbag light has been on causing check engine light to stay on. In addition to the air bag light, shortly after tlairbag light issue, all other dashboards lights came on and remain on. All buttons and horn on steering wheel don't work. Since they replaced my engine, my AC has never worked again. When I got it back to Houston, it started smelling like was bad so I took to a mechanic. He said gas was spraying everywhere under the hood and I was lucky to be alive. Since the engine replacement it's been a disaster. All worked fine before engine went out and no lights were on.
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Mar 25, 2023
Hi, I'm dealing with my Kia Sorento SX 2014, rpm and acceleration problems, for over two long years, sometimes shut off itself, some times codes shows up but no all the time, already changed spark plugs, High pressure fuel pump and the connector, two injectors, starter, MAP sensor, etc. My mechanic tell me today that I need to change the wiring harness, so everything is just guessing and spending crazy money, also the dealer don't know the exactly is the problem, already two years with this frustration and still don't know what to do, please I really need a very professional advice in this incredible situation, some of the codes that shows up, if I'm lucky are: P0087, P0506, P2096, P0300, P0301, P0302, P0303, P0304, P0305, P0306, P0133, P0137 and so... but right now all of these disappeared, I read in the NHTSA web site about the problems with engine and electric components reported with this car in this specific year and I'm really worry about my family and my safety while I'm driving this vehicle, please, please, please... I already went to many different mechanic experts (Including the Kia dealership) and still nobody knows what's producing this lack of acceleration in the engine at the time of starting and its subsequent shutdown. Odometer: 200,000 km Thank you, [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Engine, Mar 22, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle decelerated independently, and then failed to respond with the accelerator pedal depressed. The contact veered to the side of the road, and the engine started shaking and knocking. Additionally, the check engine and oil level warning lights remained illuminated. The vehicle was unable to restart and was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the crank shaft sensor needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the knocking sound persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.
Vehicle speed control, Engine, Mar 17, 2023
Doing speed limit of 70 lost power for no reason had 3 mo left 500 minutes from home on vacation towed home thank God was able to get off the free way .Tried getting Kia to fix said since it was 3 .3 engine not 4 cylinder the couldn't fix it.same problem metal in oil and on dip stick see now 2017 3.3 same problem someone going to get hurt or worse now I need a lawyer.left no car and disabled
Air bags, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Mar 17, 2023
I experienced a deceleration when I stepped on the gas pedal to accelerate on the interstate. I was going 65mph at the time. The emission control warning light came on so I pulled off the next exit and called the Kia dealer. I turned around and headed back to take it in for diagnostic service and repair when it started making noises so I pulled off onto an exit and the engine stopped shortly afterwards. I could turn the engine on but it would not go so I called AAA to have it towed to the dealer. The steering was difficult as well. The dealer said the engine needed to be replaced and the clock spring needed to be replaced (air bag warning light was on). This experience was dangerous and I was fortunate not to be in heavy traffic and in an area where there was a safe enough place to pull over. The car had 132,000 mi on it. The engine was replaced with a rebuilt 2014 engine but now the emissions control light just came on - not even a month has passed since replacement. I will take it in tomorrow for a diagnostic.
Structure, Mar 14, 2023
Delamination of body paint
Air bags, Wheels, Mar 13, 2023
Sensor lights came on detecting problems. 5/7/2022
Engine, Mar 13, 2023
While I was driving on the highway, my engine suffered a catastrophic failure without any warning. Luckily I was close enough to an exit so I was able to pull off to safety. When I stopped, fluids gushed out of the engine compartment and there was white smoke everywhere. One of the hoses to the engine had completely ruptured. I had the vehicle towed and have had it looked at by three different mechanics who came to the same conclusion - that the engine had seized and needed to be replaced, but they couldn't figure out what caused the failure.
Structure, Mar 6, 2023
The paint peeling is seriously dominate in PEARL WHITE and that needs to be addressed!! We have seen peeling in other colors as well. We want this to lead to a investigation.
Engine, Mar 2, 2023
The car has 107,000 miles on it, and has recently started making a strange noise and it died on 2 separate occasions. I took it to a mechanic, who thought it might need a new engine. I did a little online research and all of these engine problems for Kia Sorento's popped up. I took it to a Kia dealership, to get their view on it. They confirmed it needs a new engine, but that they don't know why. I have changed the oil regularly, and maintained the vehicle properly and I don't know how a car with that few of miles on it can need a new engine, without having an underlying issue.
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.
Power train, Feb 27, 2023
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the all-wheel drive (AWD) warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed, and the dealer stated that the all-wheel drive (AWD) switch was faulty. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 160,000.
Structure, Feb 25, 2023
Paint on the vehicle is delaminating. Starting on the hood an "A" pillars. It is the snow pearl color and is a wide spread problem.
Engine, Feb 25, 2023
Engine stalling. While driving to work about 45 minutes away my 2014 Kia Sorento stalled at a light. I put it in park, and it started right up. Coming home from work it stalled again after coming off the bridge in my town along with the check engine light on. Tried to start it and it would start and then stall and was idling really rough. Had it towed to my mechanic he said it was the VVT sensor according to the codes and that I had very little oil. My oil light would also come on way before the time to have the oil changed. He did an oil change and fixed the sensor $140.00 later after picking it up it stalled again on me 6 times. Left it at the mechanic again. $191.00 same codes told me the sensors in the engine had a lot of metal on them. They cleaned the sensors the drove my car for 20 miles no issues. Took my car to work the next day again 45 minutes away from home and it stalled again in the middle of the highway. Had it towed back to the mechanic which cost me $245.00 because with AAA I was already over the allowed miles and tows. If this car needs a new engine, I am not replacing it. Never again buying a Kia!! When I first bought the car a few years later I had received a recall notice about the engine and supposedly the dealership fixed the issue. I really don't think they did anything. Needless to say, I have already spent $450.00 on this car in a matter of 2 weeks. Let's see how much this last repair will be because it will be the last time I fix it. I will not be replacing the engine on this car. I can't afford that or to buy a new car at this time.
Power train, Engine, Feb 25, 2023
Engine locked up while driving. It just stalled when in motion. Now the engine will not turn over. Mechanic says it has to be replaced.