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.
Steering, Feb 19, 2024, crash
Steering column separated while on cruise control at 70mph
Other or unspecified, Feb 12, 2024
2015 Kia Sorento LX has large pieces of paint chipping off from the driver and passenger side pillars (between front and side windows). It started as a few small areas, but now when it rains large pieces of paint blow off and stick to the drivers side & passenger side window while I'm driving. I've seen many other Kia's with the same Snow White Pearl color which have the same area of paint chipped. Is this an issue which is covered by Kia since it is so common? I have a new spot starting to chip on the passenger side door (added to the attached pics). This started about a year ago with a few small chips, but the pieces that come off now are getting larger. We had a full week of rain last week and I can see many large areas which are ready to come off and will do so next time I drive, esp in the rain. If the hood starts chipping and large paint chips were to blow on my front window during the rain that could be a big issue.
Engine, Feb 12, 2024
•The engine of my 2015 Kia Sorento experienced a catastrophic failure, leading to a loss of power and abnormal sounds while driving. It is available for inspection upon request. •The sudden failure of the engine posed a significant safety risk to both me and others on the road. Without any warning lamps or messages, this malfunction could have led to a complete loss of control over the vehicle, endangering lives, particularly if I had been driving at high speeds on the highway. •Yes, the issue has been confirmed by the Courtesy Kia service center in Messa, where the vehicle was inspected and diagnosed with a crashed engine requiring replacement. •While the vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, it has undergone evaluation by the authorized dealer service center, Courtesy Kia in Messa. They told me that they have contacted manufacturer and that they declined any support because I am second owner and therefore their engine warranty only covers 60000 miles. •No warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms were present prior to the engine failure. Despite diligently maintaining the vehicle and conducting regular services, there were no indications of any issues until the sudden loss of power and abnormal sounds occurred while driving. Even upon towing my car home and parking the vehicle at garage, no warning lights were illuminated, further highlighting the unexpected nature of the malfunction.
Engine, Feb 11, 2024
On Sunday 2-4-2024, at ~2-3am, my daughter & her boyfriend were driving her 2015 Kia Sorento on I69 near Fishers IN (67 miles from their home) when the engine rod bearings failed. Driving at interstate speeds, they immediately pulled over to the shoulder. If traffic had been bad, this could have caused a deadly accident. This created an emergency roadside service issue. Fortunately, my daughter's boyfriend was with her to help her through this anxious & traumatic event. It took a couple hours (in freezing cold weather) for them to figure out what to do. They called us (her parents) at 5am for assistance. They eventually got a tow truck to tow the car back to our hometown's Kia dealer for service. On the next business day, the Kia Dealer diagnosed the problem as a blown rod bearing; the engine was locked up. Cost to repair will be ~$5900 plus a $589 towing charge. Quotes are included with this complaint. After some research, I discovered that faulty rod bearings is a HUGE problem on mid-2010's Sorento 2.4L engines. The internet is full of customer complaints on this. In addition, there is even a Theta II Class Action Lawsuit on this. The problem is THAT pervasive. I have contacted Kia Customer Service (Irvine, CA) and the Kia Theta II Customer Service group. They explained that because they obliged by conditions of the Theta II lawsuit, which, for them was two mailings to DMV registered owners in summer 2018 & summer 2019 requesting owners to install an ECU software upgrade (followed by a 3rd mailing by the lawsuit handling firm: Epiq), that their liability on this matter is covered. The previous owner did not open or see these letters. So this upgrade was not done on this car. To me, Kia/Hyundai acted in BAD FAITH not to continue with mailings (once every 6 months) to all DMV registered owners UNTIL all registered cars had dwindled to very low numbers (<10% of initial sales). Therefore, I think they are STILL liable for this safety & traumatic issue.
Other or unspecified, Feb 10, 2024
I was told to submit a claim with you all by others facing the same issue with paint. I have had this car for nearly 3 years and am missing more and more paint every day. It’s missing on the hood as long as driver pillar. Kia told me there’s nothing they can do. I see Kia’s like mine all the time with the same issue.
Structure, Feb 10, 2024
Paint stated flaking significantly at 79k miles. It has gotten out of control and we keep this garaged and hardly drive it. I have read other Kia owners dealing with the same issue. It's not normal wear and tear with the paint. It's large chunks of paint coming off.
Structure, Feb 6, 2024
Paint flaking in large pieces off the car around the windscreen and roof.
Exterior lighting, Other or unspecified, Feb 5, 2024
Low beams have completely gone out and will not work. High beams and all other lights work fine. Car Burns oil regularly. 2 quarts every 2 weeks is required now ro operate the car. I have only had the car since 2020.
Engine, Jan 31, 2024
Car shut down driving down the road and spun a bearing.
Structure, Jan 26, 2024
My suv has paint that is peeling off of the suv that is not due to damage or something external to the paints surface. The color is pearl white and has been documented by many owners of cars Kia's with the pearl white paint color. The location on the passenger side a pillar is also a common starting point for this paint issue.
Service brakes, Jan 24, 2024
rear brake lights stay on while car is running. Go off when car shut off
Engine, Jan 23, 2024
Manufacturer failed to honor repair of seriously damaged engine due to a faulty distribution in oil causing a major engine failure. KIA USA Manufacturer is currently under massive lawsuits due to this issue and which involved the model we purchased. Vehicle has very low mileage of 85085 and should be covered under the manufacturer's warranty of 100,000 miles. Manufacturer claims they declined our claim because we failed to attend to a massive genetic form mailed to all owners in 2018. As a consumer we are simply asking they honor the warranty and replace and/or fully repair the damaged engine in our family SUV.
Structure, Jan 14, 2024
Paint on ridge above driver side window began delaminating and completely eroded over a day. This happened while the car was parked without any rain or other impact.
Electrical system, Service brakes, Engine, Jan 14, 2024
Check engine light started coming on at about 39,000. miles took to local mechanic who preformed lots of repairs and called Kia for information concerning engine issue. Received notice of recall from Kia on the HECU -instructing me to park truck away from home due to fire. Check engine light back on again at 41,000 miles, took to dealership where they replaced the HECU and fuel pump and fuel lines. Picked up truck and noticed when braking the truck shook all over and seem to almost stall when taking off. Check engine was back on and the alert of the system telling me I had an engine failure. Took truck back next day, again repairs of the PVB valve was done. Someone drove the truck of 180 miles on a check engine light and unplugged the battery. Got truck back and within 10 minutes the check engine light was back on and the system telling me engine failure and truck was unsafe to drive. Truck now at another Kia dealership, after many conversation with Kia the representative instructed me to tell the dealership where the truck was that the truck had a recall (supposedly) fixed. Called the dealership now tells me there is no fix for the HECU issue and they can not tell me the truck is safe to drive. I have not had the truck for now 4 months and Kia doesn't know how to fix it. I have filed 4 cases against Kia, they have not offered me a rental car or loaner and they do not have any expected date for me to get the truck back. I have files but it won't let me upload them for the receipts/ information from Kia
Steering, Wheels, Jan 7, 2024
Rear Coupler parts. Yes it is available for inspection on request. My safety was put at risk, #1 the rear wheels lock when turning, and makes a horrendous noise whilst turning. I live in a snowy state so this is very dangerous to have wheels lock up and have tires shredded. This is my third set of wheels as we just figured out the issue (coupler) this could cause accidents and hurt/injure/cause serious bodily harm to others. I have tried reaching out to the dealership but they said it is out of warranty and the dealership gave an outrageous quote. They have not inspected it but it has been reported to them. The vehicle has been inspected by a mechanic and confirmed it is the coupler, while steering and shredding the tires. There were no lights or warning signals, it just happened while turning.
Structure, Jan 7, 2024
After review by local body shops, the paint/primer on the body of our Kia has been flaking off. This is s known issue by Kia for multiple years with multiple examples of various Kia vehicles with various color types. This is a concern as over time the raw metal will deteriorate, rust and cause further structural issues. The problem has been reviewed both by the manufacturer as well as multiple independent body shops as mentioned above. There were no warnings on the vehicle. The paint started to show cracks and then continuously started to chip and flake off the vehicle which is continues to do today.
Air bags, Jan 6, 2024
Turned the steering wheel to the right, and the airbag warning light came on. It’s a safety issue that needs to be addressed. If I’m ever in an accident will it deploy? This is ridiculous. Waiting to get an appointment with the dealership.
Engine, Dec 13, 2023
Car suddenly had a knocking sound, check engine light came on and as I was driving, the car loss power suddenly died and woudn't start back up. Mechanic diagnosed that head bolts came loose and damaged engine. Has been at mechanic since 11/27 with the engine being rebuilt. Aprox cost at $7,600.
Engine, Dec 11, 2023
While on the freeway, the engine started making a loud knocking sound and the car was losing power. No check engine light or other warning lights were illuminated. I exited, parked and later towed the car back to the Kia dealership and they said I needed a block (engine) replacement at a cost of over $10,000. I have performed all routine maintenance on this car at the dealership, so this is unacceptable. Luckily I was able to exit the freeway and was not in an accident because of this failure. My car had approximately 109,000 miles on it.
Engine, Dec 7, 2023
Sudden engine failure. Upon inspecting the vehicle Kia mechanic concluded engine failure is due to rod bearing wear, which isn't part of the engine failure recall. Thus customer is responsible for all expense in full.
Engine, Air bags, Seat belts, Dec 6, 2023
The contact's mother owns a 2015 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing an abnormal oil consumption. The contact stated that the vehicle consumed three quarts of oil after driving 367 miles. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the vehicle could be experiencing an internal oil leak. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where an oil consumption test was performed. The dealer informed the contact to come back after 300 miles. Additionally, the contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated, and the front passenger's side seat belt pretensioner failed to operate as intended. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.
Other or unspecified, Dec 5, 2023
I am unable to open the right rear door of my 2015 Kia Sorento from the outside. The child safety lock is engaged and thus I am unable to open that door from the inside. All other doors work correctly. This information has been confirmed by a Kia dealer service department.
Engine, Nov 30, 2023
The car has 106,000 miles, engine suddenly have knocking sound when started the engine then it will go away with no indicator of any issues. A week later, my wife was driving it and the knocking sound turns very loud and the car went into the limp mode and almost cause her to get into a car accident. We took the car to the Kia dealership and it was determined that the engine has a lower end rod knock due to bearing failure, the long block engine assembly needs to be replaced. I researched it and this is a commonly known issue for Kia's engine that already affected many other Kia owners.
Power train, Nov 23, 2023
Takes long to switch gears going up hill it’s like a delay I have to sometime switch it into manual to switch gears going uphill and even sometimes on flat ground
Engine, Nov 16, 2023
Car temp gauge would go up high and go back down. No check engine light when this would happen. Took to mechanic and found out the radiator and the engine head gasket needed to be replaced.