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, Oct 3, 2025
1) My vehicle incurred catastrophic engine failure. The engine stopped running suddenly. It does not crank over. It is available for inspection. It does not run. 2) I am thankful that no one was injured and that the vehicle did not catch fire. 3) There is a safety-related defect in certain 2017 Kia Sorento vehicles. 4) My vehicle was towed to the house and has not been inspected. 5) There were no signs of leaking oil or oil burning. No dashboard lights came on to signal overheating or low oil level. No check engine light ever appeared.
Engine, Oct 1, 2025
Prior to the below incident, my vehicle was driving normally. Oil levels were normal, and there were no warning lights. In June 2025, I was driving on [XXX] during morning rush hour. As I approached a traffic light at the end of this 3-lane expressway, the engine suddenly stalled. I rolled up to the red light. When safe to do so, I left the vehicle to stand on the side of the road so as not to get hit. I had the car towed to a local repair facility. Repair shop looked at the vehicle and determined that the engine was seized. They then checked for TSB's and discovered that Kia had, in some instances, extended the warranty to 180,000 miles and 15 years. My vehicle had 142,000 miles. I then had my car towed to the closest Kia dealer in Hickory, NC. The dealer initially indicated it was possible my car would be covered by the extended warranty, but they needed to run pressure tests to determine the cause of the engine seizure. Over the next 2 weeks, I called the dealer repeatedly, but they had no update for me. After about 2 weeks, they told me that my vehicle would not be covered by the extended warranty, and a new engine would cost me $15,000. I then called Kia Customer Care, and the representative told me there was nothing they could do. I asked about an appeals process and was told there is none. After I returned from vacation in early August, the Kia dealer contacted me and requested that I pick up my vehicle. I drove to the dealer and called a tow truck to bring it to my home. I rented cars at my own expense from the time of the engine failure until I bought a new car in mid-August. Shortly thereafter, I arranged to sell the Kia to a used car dealer for $1,500, far less than I would have received with a healthy engine. At that point, I needed to get the car out of my garage. While cleaning out the car the night before it was to be picked up, I opened the hood and found that the engine had been left disassembled with parts lying all over the place. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine, Oct 1, 2025
Engine burns oil excessively and Kia has this marked as a known issue. The oil is leaking inside the engine around the pistons and into the combustion chamber. Because the engine is direct injection, it now has to go through a combustion cleaning every time this happens at $700 a pop plus diagnostics which makes it over $900 every time this happens. Happens so often that it won't even get to the milage for an actual oil change to be due. Kia refuses to do anything until the connecting rod or connecting rod bearing fails and I have a complete engine failure. I feel like that is very dangerous and could cause serious harm to myself or others if I have an engine failure and cause an accident.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Sep 24, 2025
I came to this website because it was suggested to me to look for a recall. While there is an active recall with my car, the interesting part to me is the fact that the issues I'm having with my car match a recall for the same model as mine, just a different spec. To me that seems odd, I'd have the same type issues... I was wondering how to get this examined.
Engine and engine cooling, Sep 23, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that three days after purchasing the vehicle, the contact checked the oil level and noticed that the oil level was two quarts low. The contact checked the oil constantly after one thousand miles and noticed that the oil level was low. The vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. Most recently, while the contact was driving at slow speeds, the vehicle jerked, and the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact was attempting to overtake a US Postal Service truck when the vehicle failed to accelerate and stalled. The contact was able to coast to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with knock sensor failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.
Engine, Sep 22, 2025
On July 25th when I started my car , 2017 Kia Sorento, to leave work, it made a horrible knocking noise when it was starting, but once it started the noise stopped, no alert lights came on, so I drove it home 7 miles and parked it for the weekend. When my husband and I took it out again on Monday, July 28th, we had driven under 10 miles and gotten up to 70 miles an hour on the toll/express road, the check engine light started flashing as the power produced by the engine drastically declined and acceleration seemed capped or limited. We were able to safely exit the toll road without causing or being involved in an accident. We drove it 6 more miles home and parked it. A week later we had it toed to a Kia mechanic who confirmed that the engine had been using oil, had metal shavings in the oil and the rod bearing had failed. The engine would have to be replaced. Once the engine was replaced, it was determined that the turbo had also failed on the impeller side and would have to be replaced. We did not take it to a dealer. We had both components replaced by a Kia mechanic at our own cost.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Sep 21, 2025
It’s been a month since I did an oil change. However, while I was driving the car, I heard a noise like the engine had no oil in it. I stopped and after 15 minutes I checked the engine for oil when I discovered that the engine was empty. I then checked for a leak and there is no leak detected. I took it to a Valvoline to get an oil change. This is when I discovered that the engine is burning the oil. This is most likely to happen due to a manufacturing problem. I am submitting this complaint and would like to have an investigation done on that matter because it is a safety concern when a car keeps burning oil without any leak detection.
Engine and engine cooling, Sep 4, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving 25-29 MPH uphill and approaching a stop sign, the vehicle began sputtering and struggling to accelerate. While at the stop sign, the vehicle started idling roughly with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer and was diagnosed and determined that the cylinders were filling with oil due to a gasket failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The failure caused the catalytic converter to be corrupted and needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that there was a Class Action Lawsuit for the issue, and there was an Extended Warranty coverage for the failure; however, because a specific fault code was not retrieved, the vehicle would not qualify for the repair, unless the engine seized. The contact was advised not to add oil to the engine to prevent the engine from seizing and to get the repair covered. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 95,500.
Engine, Sep 3, 2025
Engine seized with zero warning lights, cautions, check engine lights, or low/high indicators. It started knocking and was driven 3 miles to our mechanic who said it was a failed engine. I called the Kia dealer who recommended I tow or drive it to the dealer. ~3 miles from our house, less than a mile from the dealer the car lost all power. We had it towed. The service manager chastised me for not towing but also told me irregardless of how it arrived that the engine was no longer functional. It is out of warranty w/ 143,000 miles but without any indication of a problem how was I supposed to mitigate any risk. From the start of the knocking until the engine failed it was less than 6 miles. The mechanic had to put 3 quarts of oil in the car and it still failed on the way to the dealer. I get regular oil changes and have never been told it’s running low on oil. I’m asking that somebody please look into this issue. Thank you. R/ Aaron
Engine, Sep 2, 2025
This 2017 Kia Sorento with the 3.3L V6 Lambda II engine appears to have had possible rod bearing failure or connecting rod failure. This vehicle has 107,987 miles on it when the incident happened. 2 hours into a drive on the highway, the car began to sound like it had a possible exhaust leak, however this was followed shorty by knocking which prompted us to pull over and just as we made the shoulder as the engine quit and began to smoke heavily. Went to quickly open the hood and the smoke died down in about a minute. Most likely due to the oil hitting the exhaust from the hole the rod left in the block. There were no oil lights or other indications that anything was going to happen prior to this. The vehicle has been maintained meticulously with all maintenance items. This vehicle is available for inspection. Let me know if this needs to happen prior to KIA getting ahold of it. Our entire family was in the car (5 people including our dog) and we were at highway speeds when this happened. Fortunately we were able to get over just before the engine blew. Also fortunate enough to open the hood fast enough to get it cool before it started a fire. We are going to take it to the dealer for inspection, however both the dealership and Kia Customer Care said this is not currently under any warranty for engine failure. I have yet to inspect myself to take pictures from under the car, so no inspection has been thoroughly performed. As previously stated, there was no warning lights, the car did sound like it started to have an exhaust leak no more than a minute or two before the knocking started.
Engine, Aug 28, 2025
On 8/16/2025 my 2017 Kia Sorento experienced major engine failure which resulted in loss of power and severe engine misfiring. I submitted a warranty claim with full maintenance documentation to Kia cooperation but was denied coverage on 8/27/2025. This denial is improper because 1.The engine type is covered under recalls and/or the Kia Engine Class Action Settlement, which extends coverage to 15 years / 150,000 miles and my vehicle currently has 94423. 2.I complied with all maintenance requirements and have already provided numerous records. 3.Engine failure presents a serious safety hazard and has been widely reported.
Engine, Aug 27, 2025
Valves are knocking and rattling. Engine sometimes stalls out. The knocking and rattling will not go away. It is getting worse everyday to the point that I am scared to drive it because it will stall out on me somewhere and leave me stuck on the side of the road. Been doing this for a couple of months now.
Engine, Aug 25, 2025, fire
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at 20 MPH, the contact heard a clicking and banging sound coming from the engine. The contact mentioned that while looking through the front driver's side mirror, she noticed smoke coming from the engine. Several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact pulled over to the right side of the road, turned the vehicle off and then exited the vehicle and opened the hood of the vehicle and noticed flames coming from the engine. No injuries were sustained. No medical attention. The contact dialed 911, but there was no police report filed. The fire chief showed up at the scene and extinguished the fire. The vehicle was not destroyed. The vehicle was towed to a collision center. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened a case. The approximate failure mileage was 105,000.
Engine, Aug 19, 2025
Engine seized Kia denied warranty extension b/c of maintenance records changed oil myself had 3 years of receipts for oil and filters
Engine, Aug 18, 2025
I was driving and out of no where the battery light pop up and than car turns off on in the middle of traffic.. surprisingly there was no accident it was scary I had my two babies in the car with me. There’s no recall it’s a safety hazard ..
Engine, Aug 18, 2025
I don’t understand how my 2017 Kia sorento doesn’t have a recall on its engine. I bought the car in cash and 1 month the car doesn’t want to start.. I don’t understand I wasted money… I need engine replaced and don’t have $10000
Engine and engine cooling, Aug 14, 2025
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that on several occasions, while checking the engine oil level, after driving 600 miles, the dipstick indicated that the engine oil level was extremely low. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and the contact was informed to monitor the oil level to determine if the engine was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact stated that the engine was flushed twice. The contact stated that the symptoms of oil consumption were mild, but the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the same dealer where it was diagnosed, and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.
Engine, Aug 12, 2025
The engine locked up. The engine only had 80,000 miles. The car stopped in the middle of traffic. The dealership refused to take responsibility. KIA also declined warning coverage. I had to pay to replace the engine.
Engine, Aug 12, 2025
My 2017 Kia Sorento has developed intermittent safety-related engine issues that have resulted in loss of acceleration and stalling. December 2024: After a two-hour drive, the vehicle stalled and would not restart. Roadside assistance confirmed the engine oil level was low, despite no external leaks. After approximately two hours, the vehicle restarted. [XXX]: After driving about 30 minutes and parking for 10–20 minutes, the engine started with loud rumbling/knocking noises, and the accelerator was unresponsive. The problem resolved only after shutting the car off and restarting. Video is available. The Kia dealer performed a rod bearing test which passed, but the symptoms match early failure stages of the known Theta II engine defect covered under Kia’s lifetime warranty (PI1802 settlement). Kia attributes the issue to “low oil” as a maintenance problem, but the oil consumption appears to be internal and abnormal. This defect creates a serious safety risk because it causes sudden loss of power, which could lead to an accident if it occurs while driving in traffic. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine, Aug 11, 2025
Motor uses 6 guarts of oil in 3000 miles. No leaks. The dealer has done the oil consumption test. And it failed every time. Kia denied claim to replace engine. They stated that it passed the bearing test. This is crap.
Engine, Aug 11, 2025
Bought the car last month had it put on a diagnostic machine 2 times took a trip lasted one week now it's in the shop days bad motor engine light came on @ parked it right then they told me that it ended a engine it run perfect then it wasn't it is a 2017 Kia Sorento it's only 8 yrs old is there any manufacturer warranty or coverage of any kind for that yr it ran really good for a minute then it wasn't it's still in shop being looked @ I have exstended warranty. They want me to pay 2.700 for tear down @ they can't say if they fix it then after I'm outa pocket I had to leave it in another state I seen online recalls on that make yr @ model can you give advice thanks
Engine, Aug 6, 2025
We purchased a 2017 Kia Sorrento AWD 3.3L V6 153,000 on May 9 2025. We made our 2nd payment on July 11th & on July 17th @5am we went and filled it up and got on the highway to head to work. We didn't even drive ½ a mile when all of a sudden it lost all power at 73mph. No warning lights nothing. Dash said "key fob not in vehicle". We had it towed to Kia which cost almost $350 for them to call & tell us we need a new engine. No codes nothing. Also almost $200 for them to diagnose that. And that it will cost over 10k to fix. We paid under 10k to begin with. They are saying it isn't covered under any warranty. It's our only vehicle that we can drive in winter. We literally had the Kia just over 2 months.
Engine, Aug 4, 2025
Unknown Engine stopped in the middle of driving. The engine has a bad bearing. Caused the starter wire to be burned so can’t start vehicle what so ever. Chunks of metal in the oil.
Engine, Aug 3, 2025
Oil consumption
Other or unspecified, Engine, Aug 1, 2025
Oil consumption