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
750 reports, newest first.
Engine, Dec 27, 2024
Engine seized up. Apparently it is common with Kia engines
Exterior lighting, Dec 23, 2024
The lights dim way too quickly. HID basically is garbage. Major safety issue since most people can’t afford to be constantly replacing their headlight assemblies.
Structure, Dec 20, 2024
I HAVE THE SNOW WHITE PAINT, AND IT IS PEELING IN SEVERAL AREAS. HOOD, ROOF, AND SECTION THAT GOES FROM FENDER TO ROOF.
Steering, Dec 10, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal popping sound coming from the steering column. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the steering column became severely loose, and the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The vehicle was restarted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the contact was informed that the steering column might have failed and needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the mechanic had not completed a full diagnostic test on the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was 76,289.
Other or unspecified, Dec 9, 2024
Problem: exploding panoramic sunroof in KIA Sorento 2015 I was driving on a smooth, paved two-lane road in a rural area. No cars were nearby (thankfully). car Internal temp: 64. outside external temp: 64 (I specifically made note of this because I thought a temperature differential could explain the explosion, but my car has a digital readout of both temperatures, and they matched exactly.) Sunroof was closed at the time, and I was not trying to open/close it. When the sunroof exploded, I heard a deafening, "exploding" sound. Initially, I thought my car had been shot by a bullet, based on the sound. The loud noise caused me to swerve and quickly brake. Fortunately, there were no vehicles nearby with which I could collide due to my erratic reaction. I pulled to the side of the road and got out to look. Initially, I did not see any damage, but eventually, I climbed onto my seat and saw my sunroof had exploded up and outwards (indicating nothing had entered the car from the outside). Photo available. I was on a road which bisects two agricultural fields (no nearby objects could have fallen or been thrown on my sunroof to cause damage.) The cause remains unknown, but I can rule out foreign objects hitting my car and temperature differential. I drove the car to the KIA dealer and left it there for a week to have it repaired by KIA representatives. Repair invoice available. No other representatives inspected the car. There was no warning of anything - no lights, no message, no bell, just a sudden, incredibly loud noise. My canvas sun shield was closed at the time, and this prevented glass from making contact with my body, but there was a great deal of glass on the top of the sun shield.
Other or unspecified, Nov 30, 2024
The car is Snow White Pearl and the paint is delaminating from the car in a large area and is growing. There was no impact or damage to the affected area. This is on the exterior of the car on the passenger side pillar next to the windshield. This seems to be happen to a lot of Kia/Hyundais in that are white.
Engine, Nov 25, 2024
Was driving on the freeway and vehicle shut off doing 70 miles per hour. Had to pull over in the dark on the side of the freeway and car would not start. Has never had any problems with this before. I drive it to work and back everyday and no issues. It was very scary to sit on the side of the freeway for over two hours and 50 miles from home in the dark. I had to car the car towed to our home cost me almost 200.00. Mechanic looked at it and believes it is an engine failure. There are metal shavings in the oil. I can not drive my car it is in my driveway and will not stay on. Never had anything like this happen before. It is a 2015 with 106,000 miles.
Engine, Nov 14, 2024
March of 2022 the engine stalled out and found out due to coolant leaking from head gasget area. Put new engine in and July 2024 the new engine started stalling and knocking. No warning lights. In middle of busy traffic and died. Rod bearings failed and metal shavings appeared in engine. Need another engine but can't afford it. Dealership said its manufacturer problem. I know other kia engines were covered under the problem with rod bearing but ours wasn't. This should be included
Other or unspecified, Nov 9, 2024
Bought a 2015 Kia Sorento that is Pearl white. Got the car without any knowledge of the pearl white issues. For a beautiful color it is the worst paint job I have ever seen a manufacturer put out. The paint code is steadily flaking off and I'm finding new spots what seems to be daily now. My 2003 Tahoe paint job is holding up better than what my 2015 Kia paint job is. Kia needs to fix their crappy paint job it's hard to enjoy this color when it's flaking and won't even stay intact
Engine, Nov 3, 2024
My engine is using excessive amounts of oil. I am having to fill the engine with oil in between my 3000-mile oil changes. No oil is leaking in my driveway. I just started an oil consumption test with a dealer and after driving it 1000 miles I brought it back to them as they asked, and the engine oil level had dropped by almost 4 qt. But after making some calls with KIA regional they said they my car wouldn't have the engine replaced due to it not being in the recall. KIA knows there is a problem with their engines and will not fix the problem.
Steering, Oct 25, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 2- 4 MPH on a bumpy driveway, the front end of the vehicle and the steering started shuddering violently. Additionally, the contact had noticed that the steering wheel was abnormally loose, and there was significant play in the steering wheel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the contact was informed that the steering coupler had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.
Engine, Oct 22, 2024
While driving my 2015 Kia Sedona, was at a stop sign and began making a left turn. Half way thru the intersecion the vehicle just stopped running. I managed to get half off the 2-lane road, blocking half off the road with traffic coming both ways. I was there approximately 45 before the tow truck came to tow the car to the mechanic's shop where he confirmed the problem was a common problem with the 2015 Kia Sedona. There was absolutely no warning that the vehicle was going to become incapacitated, no warning lights or messages prior to the failure.
Engine, Oct 19, 2024
I was driving and it started to make a knocking noise thays when i saw the engine light come on then my car turned off. I took it to autozone and 2 sensors are bad. I went to pep boys and they said that it needs a engine replacement and it falls under the tsd dates. I called my Kia dealership and they said that they don't see any recalls on my vehicle.
Engine, Oct 15, 2024
What component or system failed or malfunctioned? The engine began leaking hot air bubbles into the cooling system, causing hot coolant to leak into the harness and parts of the car. Is it available for inspection upon request? No, the manufacturer has responded that it does not cover the warranty because it is in another country, although the brand is present there. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? When heating the system there is a risk of burst hoses or catastrophic damage to the systems when driving and therefore risk of explosion or fire. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by an independent dealer or service center? Yes, through an independent service center in the country where the vehicle is currently located. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Mechanical technicians state that it is a factory defect. Were there warning lights, messages or other symptoms of the problem before the failure and when did they first appear? No warnings, just hot coolant splashing onto the engine. Kia Sorento is a family vehicle, which we could not enjoy due to engine failures. Considering the timely maintenance, the brand must respond for the risk we ran by driving a vehicle with a catastrophic engine failure.
Structure, Sep 3, 2024
THE PAINT IS PEELING OFF VEHICLE "KIA SORENTO 2015 IALL OVER MY CAR, MY CAR COLOR IS: PEARL WHITE. IT IS JUST PEELING OFF ALL OF THE SUDDEN. I UNDERSTAND THIS IS HAPPENING ALL OVER THE WORLD TO KIA/HUNDAY CAR OWNERS, INCLUDING THE USA AND CANADA. EVEN THOUGH KIA HAS NOT ISSUE A RECALL FOR THIS PROBLEM, THEY KNOW IS HAPPENING. I NEED KIA TO BE RESPONSABLE AND PAID FOR FIXING THIS PROBLEM. i WILL NOT FILE A CLAIM IN MY CAR INSURANCE FOR THIS, BECAUSE I DID NOT CREATE THIS PROBLEM, KIA DID.
Engine, Aug 26, 2024
In 2020, we started noticing the smell of engine coolant and the continuous running of the engine fan after shutting the engine off. The temperature gage never indicated any issue. We took the vehicle to the dealer to address the issue. Upon inspecting the vehicle, it was determined that there was a failure of one of the engine block bolts, which cause the coolant to seep in to the engine block. The dealer stated the engine needed to be rebuilt, because the bock was not salvageable. We then contacted Kia to question the failure and were told that the repair was not covered, because of the milage on the vehicle. In 2024 we received a recall notice, which stated they were now taking responsibility for the repairs and all we needed to do was submit documents showing the repairs were made. We did so, two months ago, however after submitting the documents Kia has not given us a reimbursement or provided updates on the status of our claim.
Engine, Aug 22, 2024
With regular maintenance, at 138,000 miles my engine has a crack in the block and an inner oil leak that hadn't been previously detected during oil changes, which may have been a result of the check engine light that read camshaft issues just before it happened. All the other recalls and problems these kia engines have had I'm sure I'm not the only one with this issue.
Engine, Jul 26, 2024
The engine cut off while driving. The mechanic said the motor seized and needs $8k in repairs. Kia said I missed a software update that is needed in order to be eligible for an extended warranty and they denied the repairs. I never received notice that a software update was needed.
Exterior lighting, Jul 18, 2024
Overtime the low beam headlights have become very dim. The bulbs have always blown a lot but I have recently replaced both bulbs and they are still very dim. I ordered high powered LED bulbs and still the low beams are very dim. So dim you can barely see 10 feet in front of you when driving at night. I have to drive with the high beams on to see where I am going. Research online shows this is an issues with the projector type headlights on these vehicle but no recall is there. The headlight are over $600 to replace for an off brand set. Not something that should be going bad on a 2015 car.
Other or unspecified, Jul 12, 2024
The paint is peeling on the hood, A post and roof of the vehicle.
Steering, Engine, Jun 20, 2024
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the brakes locked up, the steering seized, and the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that there were several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact was barely able to pull off the highway. The contact was not able to restart the vehicle. The contact had the vehicle towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine had seized and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 106,000.
Engine, Jun 18, 2024
I previously reported an engine complained submitted on 9/14/2023, ID 11544548. My engine started knocking while I was driving on a major highway without any warning lights or indications. a claim to Kia was made as I was told by the Kia dealership I would need engine replacement however Kia offered no explanation as to why the engine failed nor any explanation or seemed to care one bit that I was on a major highway and this occurred without any warnings whatsoever. I understand there is current recall for some v4 engines of the sorento model I had and I firmly believe the 3.3L v6 engines should be investigated.
Electrical system, Engine, Jun 18, 2024
The engine started to sound weird and stopped in the middle of the road that couldve created an accident should there have been other vehicle iw as pregnant at that time We contacted kia and they wouldnt change the engine since we didnt replace the knock sensor but we never received the mail and they confirmed thag mail was not sent to us.
Service brakes, Hydraulic, Jun 18, 2024, fire
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that his vehicle had burst in flames while parked in his drive way. The contact called the fire department, however he was able to extinguish the flames using hand held extinguishers. The contact stated that the damage was contained to the front end of the vehicle, the engine compartment, the fire wall and the passenger front side. The fire department issued a report. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed and was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The contact had searched online and related the fire to NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V331000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) which was associated to his VIN. The failure mileage was approximately 155,000.
Engine, Jun 17, 2024
There is oil leaking into my coolant. I had it flushed, hoping it was just a fluke. Then noticed there was more oil getting into my coolant. I had the vehicle inspected again and they stated it was probably a blown head gasket, or a cracked head.