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, Sep 7, 2022
Driving through town on the way to take my daughter to school, the car suddenly lost power without warning. The engine seized and the car would no longer accelerate. There were no warning lights on the dash. The engine light came on after I was able to pull the car into a parking lot.
Air bags, Sep 5, 2022
Airbag sign came on my dashboard
Engine, Sep 2, 2022, fire
My Kia Sorento while parked in front of house caught fire and burned, Total loss.
Vehicle speed control, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Aug 26, 2022
I was driving and my car started acting like it was stalling out. I pulled over and put it in park and turned off the engine. I tried to restart, didnt restart. Let it sit a minute, and tried to restart again, it did. I drove straight back home about 2 miles away and didn't drive it further. There were no indicator lights on, so we had no idea what had just happened. My husband checked the oil, everything was ok. Drove it a few days later, was driving around just fine for about 30 minutes, then the same thing happened, I heard a clanking/stalling noise coming from the engine, and it was stalling out. Thankfully, I was able to pull over to a residential street and had to get it towed to my mechanic. Again, NO senor lights were on. My mechanic looked at it, and was baffled, because he said basically my engine is shot. I have always maintained my vehicle with oil changes, and tune-ups, and everything else, there were no indicator lights telling me something was wrong. I am completely upset and baffled at how my motor just stops working for no reason at all!
Engine, Other or unspecified, Aug 26, 2022
Use’s oil one quart every 1000 miles or less. 124.000 miles no smoke or leaks. Kia knows about it but no recall.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Aug 25, 2022
The oil in my car is disappearing biweekly. I have to fill my car up with oil almost every two week or it will make a horrible grinding noise in the engine. The oil isn’t leaking any where and I don’t think it’s burning because I don’t smell it when the car is running. I took it to my dealership where I get my oil changed they said they don’t know what the problem is and if I wanted it to be checked they were gonna charge me $700+ just to look and see why it’s disappearing. They then proceeded to tell me to let all of the oil drain and run the car until it dies and then put oil in it before it gets towed. This is a huge safety hazard because I have done some research and people who unknowingly had the same problem, had their engine catch on fire or their car would seize on them. I travel a lot and that would be a major hazard for people around me if my car were to catch fire or seize on the highway. There are no warning labels that will pop up to notify me my oil is low the grinding noise I hear in my engine is the only thing that lets me know I need to fill my car back up with oil. The oil disappearing started in October 2021 I have gone to two different mechanics and they told me they don’t know what is wrong unless they take apart the whole engine. I feel with as many people as I have read online about having the same issue there should be a way to know what is wrong without having to take apart the whole engine. I would opt to get a new car, but I am a college student and am currently paying on student loans so a new car is not an option right now for me.
Steering, Aug 24, 2022
The component that malfunctioned was the steering wheel. The steering wheel locked up while driving. The problem has not been reproduced by the dealer or independent service. We have taken in to the dealership 2 times already and they cannot find any error codes from the event. Therefore, they say the car has no issues. The problem has not been inspected by manufacture, police, insurance or others. There were no warning signs before it happened. There were small glitches that we noticed on the monitor prior to the incident occurring but no check engine lights turned on. When the event occurred all warning lights turned on and the computer system wanted to shut off the car while drive mode.
Structure, Other or unspecified, Aug 24, 2022
We have a 2014 Kia Sorento SLX Pearl white and the paint first started coming off in the front on the hood and bumper cover which we had repaired for a ridiculous amount of money. The body shop said it would be cheaper to just order a new bumper cover and paint it instead of stripping away all the paint on the old one and then painting due to the amount of labor hours required to do so. I have the bill. Then It started coming off around the door/pillar area on the driver side which we then paid again to have repaired. Now as of this week a large piece of pain has just peaked away around the size of a dollar bill on the passenger side pillar above where the door closes into. This is ridiculous that for no reason the paint is just coming off in large sections without any manipulation at all. If it's not fixed( whole vehicle being painted) the paint is just going to keep coming off until their is nothing but bare metal. I should not have to keep having all these place repaired and matched up each time more comes off. Kia should be responsible for getting this repaired.
Other or unspecified, Aug 22, 2022
1) After a period of approximately a month following an oil change I am losing oil. I constantly am having to replace / add oil. About a quart every 3000 to 3500 miles. I have been unable to detect any leaks nor do I think the head gasket is blown - no smoke in other words. Yes there is a oil low warning light that illuminates. and the other major issue is... 2) I have paint peeling off my car a 2014 Kia Sorento pearl white in color. It is peeling off the window angles on the front doors. I believe firemen refer to these as the A-posts. It is also peeling across the front top where the front windshield meets with the top of the cabin. It is also peeling across the front hood where the hood meets the grill. I have approximately 109k miles on the car at this writing.
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 ??
Structure, Aug 20, 2022
Several spots of paint peeling off of the vehicle, all mainly around the windshield area on the top and sides as well as a few spots on the hood
Structure, Aug 18, 2022
The paint is pealing around the front door pillars, on the hood and on top in the back of the car. The paint has started to bubble on both sides of the car just behind the back doors. In the attached pictures I try to point out several of them but not all. I have seen so many Kia's with the same peeling issues around town and online.
Other or unspecified, Aug 15, 2022
SNOW WHITE PEARL PAINT PEELING FROM LEFT AND RIGHT HINGE PILLARS.
Other or unspecified, Aug 13, 2022
The white paint on my car started with a tiny chip within the last year for no reason (there wasn’t a scratch or dent) and has turned into a large area above my windshield that is rusting. Repair and repainting will require removal of the windshield and thousands of dollars.
Other or unspecified, Aug 12, 2022
There is a latent defect in the paint from the manufacturer. It is available for inspection upon request. I first started noticing the paint falling off from the vehicle somewhere between 01/2019 and 04/2019. It has spread across considerable parts of the hood and is also starting to fall off in multiple other areas including the roof.
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.
Steering, Other or unspecified, Aug 5, 2022
I have taken my truck for repair for shacking/rattling when put truck on drive its more louder all they say they didnt find any issue what else can i do if they don't want to fix my truck.
Structure, Aug 3, 2022
2014 Kia Sorento in Snow White Pearl. PAINT FAILURE The paint is rapidly delaminating from the hood and rails, as well and new areas on the back of the vehicle. The bare metal is exposed. It is beginning to rust. This began in 2019 at around 80k miles. I've reported it to 3 different dealerships and all have dismissed my complaints, citing the expired factory warranty. This is a known issue and Kia is not addressing it.
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
Structure, Jul 31, 2022
The body is experiencing rapid delamination and paint pealing. The paint color is pearl white. The problem began in May 2019. At first, the roof began to peal and now the a-post is pealing on the driver's side. It leaves the bare metal exposed.
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!!!
Other or unspecified, Jul 29, 2022
Paint is peeling around front window. Sounds like this is happening a lot.
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.
Structure, Other or unspecified, Jul 28, 2022
Paint delamination at multiple locations from manufacturing defect(s) not man made or acts of nature damage
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.