2015 Kia Sorento
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 750 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 7th highest complaint count among 23 Sorento model years with reports.
Of the 2015 reports, 20 involved a crash and 14 involved a fire. 24 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
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
Representative owner complaints: engine
364 reports, newest first. Show all
Electrical system, Air bags, Engine, Jun 19, 2022
My car first off is a LEMON Kia has dragged me along from the beginning. My engine was replaced due to a smoke fire no flames they have yet to take blame for it and had my car for a month in the shop and wouldn't tell me anything they still don't admit it was a car fire but I know it was I had witnesses trying to pull me out of the vehicle which I had towed to kia. Before that happened I took it in twice letting them know I had shortage problems with my lights turning off and bulbs going out over and over with the headlights it happen one time at night at a speed of 70mph they told me to change the blub that was the problem treated me like I was crazy I've been pulled over for one headlight and officers told me to sue and trade or turn in my vehicle it was a lemon. I knew nothing about lemon laws until it was to late and Kia knew exactly what to say to keep me at bay for almost two years now I'm still having issues and no carlot will take it as a trade due to fire hazard issues and they don't want the risk and I have 4 recalls on this year. It was the worst year for kids. I bought this SUV new planning to take trips I have yet to take one trip with my family because we're afraid . Kia could have taken it back and gave us a year newer to make our troubles go away but instead have avoided the situation and drag it out as my fault my vehicle has lost value and if resold all the things will pull up and I don't feel safe selling this to another family so I am stuck I paid $35,000 for this vehicle they should have taken it back now the airbag light is on doesn't go off it's a recall I found out so another safety hazards I have a newborn baby I'm due in September I can't risk anymore time with what this vehicle has been said to do last week in Oregon just the city next to me the same year kia caught fire I have the pictures thank goodness no one got hurt it was a horrible scene. I have leaking of some sort that has damaged my driveway and I have low oil all the time
Engine and engine cooling, Jun 16, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal however, the vehicle failed to respond; instead, the vehicle gradually lost forward momentum and decelerated. The contact pulled off the highway. The contact turned off the vehicle and attempted to restart the vehicle however, the vehicle failed to restart. The contact opened the hood and smelled a burning odor. The contact checked the oil dipstick and saw that the dipstick was dry. The contact had recently had an oil change performed. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 186,000.
Engine, Jun 9, 2022
This car goes into "limp mode" with no warning. You will be driving along and all of a sudden, you lose power. So, you can go from 55mph down to 28mph with no warning that this is going to happen. It just does. The engine in this vehicle was junk when it came off of the line, due to sub par metal used in the engine bearings. Knock sensor has been replaced to no avail. Harness has been replaced twice. At this time it's been at my local dealership for over 3 weeks and they still haven't diagnosed the problem this time. This vehicle isn't safe.
Service brakes, Hydraulic, Engine, May 27, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle overheated and the wheels were shaking. The vehicle also experienced brake failure. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer and diagnosed with engine failure. The engine was replaced. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V331000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulics). The approximate failure mileage was 70,000.
Engine, May 16, 2022
As I was driving 85mph, I received a kick back on the vehicle and couldn't drive more than 60mph. Took it to the nearst KIA dealership and their service technician stated I was out of oil. I was due for an oil change but was only over 200 mile at most from my previous oil change 5,000 miles ago. I had the vehicle towed to the KIA dealership where they perform all my service and maintenance work. They came to the conclusion that the oil was being burned through the engine and the only repair was a new engine. No lights ever came on on the dashboard to let me know that there was a problem with my vehicle.
Engine, May 6, 2022
I was driving and engine started to loose power and knocking. Pulled over and discovered that no oil was in the engine. Oil has always been changed every 4000 miles. No oil meter warning displayed on the dashboard.
Engine, May 5, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving approximately 51 MPH, the vehicle experienced a rod bearing failure. There were no warning lights illuminated; however, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 127,000.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Apr 26, 2022
10/2021 Drove to store (about 20 minutes). Shopped for about 1 hour. Started to leave parking area and enter ramp to highway when the engine stopped. Everything went off. No warning. No check engine light, no maintenance light, nothing. I was able to steer back into the parking area. Put car in park and waited about 4-5 minutes. Started the car (it started without a problem) and began driving in the parking lot. when it began hesitating and feeling as if it would stall again. there was a gas station next to the parking area. pulled in & filled tank (tank was 1/2 full) and just barely pulled into a parking spot in front of gas station convenience store. Got towed to our local garage. They changed the oil and checked external systems and thought it was working fine. When my husband picked the car up it was still hesitating and almost stalling on the way home. Next, took it to local Kia dealer. Same situation. Couldn't find anything, said it drove fine for them. Same thing happened to my husband on the way home. Stalling in traffic. Having to restart the car in an intersection. Very dangerous. Brought back to dealer and they said it would cost $600-1000 to diagnose. Then it might cost $5000 - $10,000 to fix (replace or rebuild the engine). I reached out to Kia Customer Service but they did not offer any solutions other than to talk to the dealership in question. We are at a stand-still and have not been able to drive the car since October 2021.
Engine, Apr 24, 2022
I was driving down the highway going about 75-80 MPH, and my car started acting funny. No lights came on or smoking or anything to indicate something was wrong other then it acting funny. Pulled off the highway and my car died, had it towed (after waiting for awhile) got it towed to a AAA service center where they told me my engine was blown. Towed it back to Kansas (I was traveling on vacation when this happened and was 2.5 hours from home) to a kia dealership where now my car will not "throw the code" for the engine to be covered by warranty
Engine, Apr 18, 2022
Kia dealer confirmed that the engine is seized, like a bearing. Has been approved for engine replacement under warranty and previous class action settlements through Kia. We were traveling down the highway at 80MPH in the process of passing another vehicle when the engine suddenly seized. No warning before hand; no noise, no overheating, nothing. Car was running normally. No warning lights came on. We lost all acceleration power. We were able to navigate traffic to the side of the highway where the cars engine quit and would no longer start. 2 hours stuck on the highway with traffic zipping by at 80 MPH, $300 tow bill.
Engine, Apr 4, 2022
This product continually needs oil. The engine smells all the time as though it may be burning. I have spent hundreds of dollars on oil. It is not able to have consistent oil changes due to there often times being no oil in the veh to change. The low oil indicator never shows. Also, The brake lights are constantly blowing out. On one occasion A bulb burned into its housing and had to be pried out in order to replace it. I have complained to Kia to no avail. It’s stopped twice. Yesterday most recently. It started shaking and making a clinking noise and shut off. It’s being towed to the dealership. Kia is aware of the fire potential and has sent written directives on where not to park.
Engine, Mar 24, 2022
On March 11, 2022 I was driving my 2015 Kia Sorento when the engine died. I was driving on a major road when all of a sudden my brakes locked up and all the warning lights and sounds went on and my car stopped. If it would have happened on the highway I could have been seriously injured. The problem has been confirmed by a dealer and an independent garage both saying that my vehicle needs a new engine. It has been meticulously maintained. Prior to the engine failing there were no warning lights indicating any low oil or service engine lights. The dealership stated that it was not my fault. I contacted the Kia manufacturer and they said there is nothing they can do because it is over the 100,000 mile warranty. It only has 110,000 miles on the car.
Engine, Suspension, Mar 17, 2022
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Engine, it is currently available How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Absolutely Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? NO Car began making very loud noises, passenger felt parts dropping, car quit, a piece of a control arm was found on the ground.
Engine, Mar 17, 2022
CAR WAS SOUNDING FUNNY. HAD RECENTLY DID OIL CHANGE ABOUT A WEEK AGO. I TOOK CAR TO KIA AND THEY SAID I HAD RECALLS THAT NEEDED TO BE DONE. KIA DID ALL THE RECALLS ON MY CAR AND INSTALLED KNOCK SYSTEM. THEY CALLED ME TO PICK UP CAR AND THE CAR SHUT OFF OF THEM. CALLED KIA AND THEY FIRST APPROVED THE DEALER TO PURCHASE THE NEW ENGINE. THEY THEN SENT AN EMAIL DENYING THE PURCHASE OF A NEW ENGINE. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR SEVERAL WEEKS. THEY ARE SAYING ENGINE HAD FAILED WHEN CAR WENT TO DEALER BUT WHY WOULD THEY PERFORM WORK ON A CAR'S ENGINE THAT ALREADY FAILED. THEY ARE REFUSING TO FIX CAR.
Service brakes, Hydraulic, Engine, Mar 9, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V331000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the ABS and oil warning lights illuminated. The vehicle then lost motive power. Upon inspection, the contact noticed there was no oil in the oil reservoir. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with camshaft position sensor failure. The mechanic replaced camshaft position sensor; however, the failure recurred with a rattling sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer and diagnosed with engine damage and connecting rod failure. The dealer performed a Product Improvement Campaign: PI1802 (Knock Sensor Detection System - ECU Logic Improvement) software update. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and directed the contact to take the vehicle to a dealer. The manufacturer declined the engine replacement since the contact did not have the product improvement campaign software update prior to the failure. The failure mileage was 99,702.
Engine, Mar 9, 2022
The motor is doing a clicking noice. And Kia will not cover the motor since it had another recall that wasnt done in a timely matter. The car stoped in the middle of the freeway and would not move.
Engine, Feb 24, 2022
-Cylinder walls excessive engine oil consumption. My engine was replaced in June 2019 For my 2015 Kia Sorento. My vehicle presently and right before my 2019 engine replacement would drain oil, but no visible leaks. Smokey exhaust, and loud knocking sounds. Sludgy oil that regularly needs to be replaced. No horsepower or pick up to drive at normal speeds -Due to the oil depletion I was fearful of my vehicle catching fire. It recently stalled on the interstate. -Yes the problem was confirmed 2/24/2022. -Vehicle was inspected at Ed Voyles Kia dealership by a service technician -My vehicle was losing momentum. Multiple lights aluminated, as well as wacky battery issues. check engine light, oil light, battery light, ABS, Electronic Stability, Malfunction indicator, lights illuminated during vehicle failure. My oil light started in August 2021. It came off and on, even with regular oil changes. I took it to another Kia Dealership in October 2021. They did a diagnostic and said my engine was the culprit but that they could not warranty any repairs. I wasn't able to get an appointment with the original dealership that did my previous engine repairs, until February 10, 2022. I called the Kia corporate office several times for help.
Engine, Feb 22, 2022
I was commuting to work and without any warning, no lights at all, the whole front of the car starts violently vibrating and making all sorts of metallic banging noise. I had it taken to the local KIA dealership where they diagnosed it was the Crankshaft and Connecting Rod Bearings.
Engine, Feb 20, 2022
Driving to Lexington KY motor began knocking and lost power. Towed home had mechanic look at it found metal in oil pan, towed to KIA dealer and informed it needs new motor. KIA denying warranty because product improved wasn’t done. Having to replace motor out of pocket.
Engine, Feb 9, 2022
I engine light keeps coming on after taking my car in to have a diagnostic to pin point the issue with Southern Kia in Chesapeake, Va, 1300 S Military Hwy Chesapeake, VA 23320 (757) 424-6380. The report came back with a code for engine tube that was preventing the evaporation of gas to/from the engine. Less than 4 hours later after the repair the engine light came back on. I took the care back to Southern Kia in Chesapeake, Va, 1300 S Military Hwy Chesapeake, VA 23320 (757) 424-6380 and now they are saying it's something else with the engine. My car has been with Southern Kia in Chesapeake, Va, 1300 S Military Hwy Chesapeake, VA 23320 for three weeks and they are saying they are waiting KIA to give them guidance on the issue.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Feb 2, 2022
Engine shut off without warning while driving. My wife was driving and Was able to roll off road thankfully. She was on a very busy road and was in serious risk of injury along with the cars behind her. Did not start back up. Battery had power. Found out ENGINE FAILED! Verified by mechanic. Called Kia Corporate Customer Service number and was told the engine will not be repaired. 125,000 miles. No warning lights came on. This is absolutely wrong of Kia! Shame on them!
Engine, Feb 1, 2022
December 28, 2021 On Hwy 85 right next to Auburn, Alabama, on my way to Houston, Texas, I began to notice that as I accelerated with my 2015 KIA Sorento there was a sound as if my muffler had a hole in it. Within just a couple of minutes, the car wouldn’t accelerate well. I then pulled off the highway onto a ramp and at the intersection the oil indicator light lit up and then the engine light and then there was a rattling noise and then the car quit. I checked the oil and it was a little bit low….not much though. A passerby took me in his car to an auto parts store where I purchased two quarts of oil. I put in the oil and started the car. The oil indicator light was now no longer on but there was a little bit of a rattling sound or knocking sound. The passerby said he knew a mechanic that was just a quarter mile down the road at a full auto service shop and that he would follow me if I wanted to take the car there. It was very close so I drove there. As I got closer the rattling/knocking sound got a little louder and then as I was about ready to pull in to the shop the car shut off and wouldn’t turn on. I had the car pushed the rest of the way into the auto shop. The mechanics looked at it and said it was “locked up” and would need a whole new engine. One mechanic said that KIA engines sometimes do this with little to no warning. I was shocked. I had never had any problems with my 2015 Kia Sorento before. It had now 96,000 miles on it and I only really had to do the oil changes every four months or so. A few hours later I had it towed to the KIA dealership in Auburn and they looked at it and determined it needed a whole new engine and new starter. The price would be $9,700 dollars. The KIA service people mentioned a Theta Engine Class Action Lawsuit that I might be eligible for. I filed a claim and the website showed that my VIN indicated I was eligible for this claim. I have been told KIA will make a determination on the claim in 60 days.
Engine, Jan 31, 2022
Kia is refusing to replace my engine related to a product improvement issued in 2018. I never received a notice about the required product improvement. The vehicle simply failed while I was driving. I was luckily able to get to safety. There were no warning lamps or messages or symptoms. The vehicle has been inspected by Kia and a Kia dealer.
Engine, Jan 28, 2022
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at 10 MPH, he heard knocking sounds coming from the engine. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact continued to drive the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred while driving at 50 MPH and the vehicle stalled. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the engine seized and that the rod bearing might have failed. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in any recalls related to the failure. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The contact stated that he was able to start the vehicle, but he would still hear abnormal sounds coming from the engine. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V224000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened a case. The manufacturer also referred the contact to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 130,062.
Engine, Jan 25, 2022
Car continually trying to over-heat. Had to keep pulling to shoulder every 1/4 mile or so, and letting car cool down again. Mechanic diagnosed as a head gasket problem, but upon further research it looks like it may have actually warped the engine block itself. When mechanic calls around to multiple junkyards, found many 2015 kia sorentos, but no engines available due to the same problem. Vehicle is at approx 133,000 miles, and Kia is stating that the vehicle is not in the extended engine warranties effected by this problem (apparently happens more so in another model of kia, I believe they said Optima, but I didn't pay that close of attention since my car is a Sorento.)