2017 Kia Sorento
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 804 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 6th highest complaint count among 23 Sorento model years with reports.
Of the 2017 reports, 13 involved a crash and 32 involved a fire. 17 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Trailer hitchesPark outsideSep 19, 2022
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Sorento, 2021-2022 Sorento Hybrid (HEV), 2022-2023 Sorento Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV), and 2017-2022 Sportage vehicles equipped with a tow hitch harness installed as original equipment, or purchased as an accessory through a Kia dealership. Debris and moisture accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (PCB) may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire.
A 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 inspect the vehicle, and, as necessary, replace the fuse and/or tow hitch harness module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 11, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC249.
Campaign 22V703000 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, engineSep 21, 2017
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017 Sorento vehicles equipped with 3.3L engines. The engine crankshaft may have been improperly heat treated and may fail.
If the crankshaft fails, the engine will stall, increasing the risk of a crash. A failed crankshaft also increases the risk of a fire.
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the crankshaft, and, as necessary, replace the engine sub assembly, free of charge. The recall began November 6, 2017. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC153.
Campaign 17V586000 on NHTSA.gov
Trailer hitchesNov 30, 2016
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Sorento vehicles manufactured October 27, 2014, to August 25, 2016, and 2017 Sportage vehicles manufactured December 10, 2015, to August 26, 2016. The affected vehicles are equipped with an accessory trailer hitch wiring harness that, due to a malfunction of the tow hitch module, may result in the trailer brake lights being constantly illuminated. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, " Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
If the trailer brake lights stay illuminated while being used, other drivers may be confused, increasing the risk of a crash.
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the trailer tow hitch harness, free of charge. The recall began January 18, 2017. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC142.
Campaign 16V862000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: engine
402 reports, newest first. Show all
Engine, Sep 15, 2022
Engine was burning oil very quickly. We were filling it with oil between oil changes which we always got on schedule. With any problems or warning from check engine light it shut down in the middle of the highway. Our mechanic checked it and said the engine it locked. I’ve only had it for 10 months and it only has 106k miles.
Engine, Sep 9, 2022
On Friday September 2nd 2022, the oil light on my 2017 Kia Sorento came on for a brief moment then quickly went off. Once I arrived at my destination, I checked my oil & found there to be little to no oil in the vehicle. I had to add several quarts of oil to the vehicle to even get a reading on the dip stick. The vehicle has had regular oil changes & there has been no indication of an issue with the oil prior to this. Upon further inspection there is a large amount of carbon buildup on the tailpipe indicating the vehicle is burning oil. I have left several messages with the service center at the Kia dealership where the vehicle was purchased & all service was completed to advise of the issue/bring the vehicle in, but have received no call back to date. I have also reached out to Kia corporate regarding the issue with no response.
Engine, Forward collision avoidance, Aug 31, 2022
Oil consumption is horrible, also there is never a warning light that tells you that the oil is low, you’ll just be driving and then the check engine light will come on and the car with start driving funny. It’s a dangerous situation because at any time your car could be out of oil and your engine could blow cause if harm or death to everyone in the vehicle and could possibly cause an accident.
Engine, Aug 20, 2022
Engine failure at approx. 94755 miles. Motor lost compression in no.3 cylinder while on interstate. Car was inspected by dealer.KIA customer service car was not eligible for warranty repair. Car was under warranty limits. Purchased car new
Engine, Aug 15, 2022
The KIA turned off while driving in traffic going to Louisiana. It just turned off while I was slowing down. The vehicle turned back on a few minutes later and continued to Louisiana. The steering wheel locked up while in Baton Rouge, LA and the red warning light came on after that. There were no warning lights prior to the vehicle turning off while driving nor when the power steering locked up. I took it to O’Reilly’s Auto Parts to have them put some power steering fluid in it. They could not do it because apparently it has an electric power steering system. The car would not start after that. All the warning lights came on. The rep at O'Reilly's said that since it is electrical, I would need to take it to the dealership because I should not be having these issues since I only had the vehicle for almost 3 months. The codes that came on when the rep put the machine on were: battery, starter, alternator, power steering. The oil had been changed on Tuesday, 08.09.2022. I already had to buy 2 tires as the tire shop stated the inside of the tires were already going bald. Which should not be happening either. The vehicle was left in Baton Rouge, LA as it was not drivable to return to Houston, Texas. I am going to make arrangements with CARMAX to tow the vehicle to their location in Baton Rouge, LA. According to CARMAX, there were no known issues when the vehicle was purchased nor were there any recalls. If there were no known issues, why am I having these issues now?
Engine, Aug 10, 2022
My car burns oil, like at least a quart or 2 per week, so much so that I had my oil changed and the engine blew not even 2 months later.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Aug 8, 2022
I think there is something wrong with engine I just changed oil with sythitic oil and drove it around at least 100miles and its done 3 quarts and there is no visuable leaks anywhere and also the radio does not work on any station
Engine, Aug 7, 2022
On June 15th, before our 2017 Sorento was due for an oil change, it completely ran out of oil and we were stranded on the side of the road. Our mechanic completely changed and filled the oil. I reached out to Kia Corporate twice, but they were of no assistance. Yesterday, on August 6th, the car was again low on oil. We have an appointment with Kia on Wednesday, August 10th to attempt to address this issue.
Engine, Aug 5, 2022
This engine in the vehicle has had excessive oil consumption between oil changes. It uses 3 quarts of oil between oil changes at every 3000 miles. Why even do an oil change if I’m putting 3 quarts in it every 3000 miles I could just swap filters and be done with it.
Engine, Aug 3, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving approximately 75 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power and started to decelerate. Additionally, the vehicle was shaking abnormally. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the roadway and park the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact restarted the vehicle after a while and drove to the nearest dealer for the vehicle to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 100,500.
Engine, Jul 28, 2022
The component that failed is the engine and yes it is available for inspection and has already been inspected by Geico insurance. The vehicle started losing power on a major highway and four adult lives were at risk when this occurred. We took an exit as the car was failing and it stopped completely in traffic on the exit ramp. Yes, the problem has been confirmed by Matthews Kia. Yes, the vehicle has been inspected by Geico insurance. Yes, the vehicle suddenly began to shake, and made very loud noises, we then rapidly lost power and the car stopped dead in the middle of traffic.
Engine, Jul 27, 2022
All my oil keep leaving out of my engine I only had the car since March I got the dealer oil change in May and I had to add oil twice in July I also had a Kia Sorento Pryor to this one and had the same problem there is ovisiouly some wrong with those engines I have seen other people complain about the same thing with the same vehicle in a Google search on that problem
Engine, Jul 14, 2022
Heavy oil consumption. I just changed my oil 3,500 miles ago and it burned through the whole thing. I am on a group on facebook where hundreds of kia and hyundai drivers have the same issue with a very similar engine. Many have even had big engine fires as a result. This is not a safe care to take your family in. My engine seized up as a result, so I am only a year into my car payments and it is a total loss. I am on a teacher's salary so I can't afford to fix it or get another car.
Engine, Jul 14, 2022
The engine was consuming a lot of oil. Lost 2-3 quarts in between oil changes. Kia did an oil consumption test and supposedly fixed the problem by cleaning out the gaskets. Kia told me that if this did not fix the problem they may need to replace the engine. I was told that the cleaning fixed the oil problem. Few months after, car started to loose oil again. Almost dry on oil change. Way before an oil change was due, car engine started shaking on the Highway. Brought it to closest oil changed shop and oil was completely dry. Mechanics at Kia told me that it was the spark plug. After they fixed the spark plug, they told me that there was a dead cylinder misfire and an internal engine failure. Since car had 72000 miles. It was not under warranty anymore. Engine needs to be replaced. Kia is not covering it.
Engine, Jul 14, 2022
Car was running fine no indicators on at all. Got on highway started shaking again no indicators on thought I was driving in uneven pavement at the time. Car started driving ok engine light then came on car started shaking and then stalled. Started it and luckily made it home. Car dealer said the engine was needing to be replaced. Extended warranty stated due to carbon deposit build up caused valve to burn so it will not be covered. This is a 2017 car under 100,000 miles and for the engine to go like this with me owning it for under 50k miles is absurd concerning and frustrating. I still have a loan and am out a car one that I thought would run longer!
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Engine, Jul 12, 2022
My car started running badly with a knocking noise at the start. The knocking noise got worse, I so pulled over and checked the oil and there was virtually no oil in the engine. I filled it with oil and the knocking continued and got worse as I drove it to the dealer for service. The engine failed before I could make it to the dealer. It now needs a new engine. The Car was serviced regularly. NO LOW OIL ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON TO NOTIFY ME OF LOW OIL. NO LEAK WAS DETECTED.
Engine, Jul 8, 2022
Loosing oil which will result in engine failure. Had an oil test done at the Kia Dealership and they said it lost 2.5 quarts of oil in 2925 miles and that is "operating as designed". Their Owner's manual says change the oil every 7500 miles. So by then I will be out of oil. Not sure how this is "operating as designed".
Engine, Jun 27, 2022
The oil burns very fast. I check the oil weekly and it's always low. There were no warning lamps or lights or anything to indicate that the oil was low.
Engine, Jun 26, 2022
My vehicle has been consuming massive amounts of oil. My oil is completely OUT at around 2500 miles after a fresh oil change. There are no leaks or puddles on my garage floor and no warning indication on the dashboard. I became aware of the problem only after my mechanic did courtesy inspections after taking my car in to have tires replaced, headlight bulbs replaced, routine maintenance. This is unacceptable and can lead to significant engine problems and/or fire!
Power train, Engine, Jun 24, 2022
The oil light came on and started blinking. I checked the oil and it was full. I then called the Kia dealer and told them what was going on and the said it was a sensor. I needed to make appointment to get a new sensor but they had none and they were on back order. They would call me when it came in. I started seeing oil in garage under my car. I called The kia dealership back and they said just keep adding oil to it. 4 weeks after initial call the part came in. I took my car in to be fixed but it was more extensive than they were assuming. They had to order more parts and it took 2 more weeks. It turned out to be the Oil pressure switch that was leaking and spewing oil all over the engine. Could have been a disastrous situation. It cost me 1750.00. The car has 84,000 miles on it has been well taken care of and they didn’t cover it under any warranty.
Engine, Jun 20, 2022, fire
I left my home in Northern California and drove my 2017 KIA Sorento EX V6 AWD to work. No one was with me in the vehicle. There seemed to be a rattling sound in the engine when I started and drove the vehicle. There was no illuminated light on the dashboard to indicate a specific issue. I was planning to drop off the vehicle at the KIA Service Center-Roseville Automall after work. I just got off the freeway, when the Kia slowed down by itself. I was able to pull over to the right shoulder of the freeway and the KIA just completely stopped with faint sounds coming from the engine. I turned the car off. I stayed in the car and was about to call my auto insurance company when I smelled smoke. I stepped out, checked the Kia from outside, saw something dripping under the front of the car, and started to catch fire. I immediately stepped far from it and called 911. The fire got bigger and just burned the whole front. We had the KIA Sorento serviced in December 2021 for a leaky oil switch despite timely maintenance at the KIA Service Center through the years. The maintenance guy said we did not have to pay to resolve the leaky oil issue because of a recall warranty. We brought the KIA again for a regular maintenance service and brake pad repairs on 4/2/2022. Later on, we got a letter from the KIA Headquarters dated 4/7/2022 regarding 2014-2018 MY KIA Sorento 3.3 L Vehicle Oil Pressure Switch Leaking New Vehicle Limited Warranty Extension. Somewhere in the letter stated, “If oil is NOT leaking from the engine or the Engine Oil Pressure Warning Light DOES NOT remain illuminated after the engine is turned ON, you DO NOT need to bring your vehicle to a Kia dealership for the purpose of this warranty extension.” I thought the vehicle was in the clear already since it got serviced for the leaky oil in 12/2021 and completed its regular maintenance in 4/2022. Proof of service records,vehicle photos, KIA’s extended warranty letter for recall are all available.
Engine, Jun 20, 2022
High oil consumption. I'm burning 2 quarts of oil every 1000 miles.
Engine, Jun 13, 2022
I am requesting an investigation of a defect involving the oil pressure switch in my iKia Sorento vehicle engine. The oil pressure switch, a device which monitors engine oil pressure and illuminates a warning light when oil pressure is lost, is defective The defect results in an engine oil leak. The oil loss occurs without warning to the driver eventually leading to an engine stall and loss of motive power condition. This was brought to the attention of the technician that serviced my car several times. I was instructed to add some oil if I noticed it, but don’t fill it up. I was informed to let them take care of the liquid levels when I brought it in for the oil changes.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Jun 1, 2022
Car oil had not been changed but a month or two ago and only went on one 2-3 hour trip there and back after the oil was changed. Only stayed in town and went to regular grocery store and work after trip. Did not check oil due to not normally having it deplete fast. A month or so later oil deplited rapidly (this is an unknown part if it was fully the cars issue or if was the person who changed the oil.) Oil was lower than normal mainly noticed when car showed oil lamp light (was only blinking did not stay lit) and started halting and jerking when driving home. More oil was added and once that happened the check engine light came on. Car has jerked and been close to stalling when trying to drive to autostore for diagnostics. Since then the car is acting like it did not have oil added. Oil light is off but engine light blinks constantly. The halting and stalling is similar to the recall on other 2017 Kia Sorento's (with a 3.3 L engine) with the crankshaft being the problem. The halting and stalling can lead to an accident. No prior engine issues before this when the oil ran low.
Engine, May 28, 2022
My car is burning excessive oil. Recently had an oil change on May 9,2022. Oil light came on May 27,2022. There was literally no oil in the car. The remaining mileage that should have been left is 751 til the 3000 miles oil change. Prior to May 9th I had the oil changed early April.