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: steering
97 reports, newest first. Show all
Steering, Mar 22, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the steering wheel seized upon depression of the accelerator pedal without warning. The contact stated that the failure did not occur while turning the steering wheel but rather while driving straight. The contact had taken the vehicle to the dealer on three separate occasions and was recently informed that the failure was normal vehicle operation. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was 59,000. The VIN was not available.
Steering, Mar 7, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost power steering assist intermittently. The vehicle was still drivable during the failure. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer however, the mechanic was unable to retrieve a fault code. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but offered no assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 50,000.
Steering, Electrical system, Feb 28, 2022
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle lost power steering assist and seized without warning. The contact was able to safely guide the vehicle off the roadway. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that there was a mechanical defect in the steering assembly and had to be addressed by a dealer. The contact drove the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the battery and a faulty ball joint replaced. The dealer stated that the failure was not due to the steering. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.
Steering, Feb 19, 2022
The electronic steering "sticks" and makes it necessary to force the steering wheel to make driving corrections. This in turns causes an oversteer situation and a safety issue. The vehicle is difficult to keep lane control. New tires, alignment, and a TSB software upgrade by Kia service did nothing to correct the problem. Kia determined (15 Feb 2022) the vehicle needed the electronic steering column replaced. The Kia service rep stated my factory and extented warranty will not cover the cost of repairs. The problem has been intermittent for over 2 years and getting worse. My research indicates many owners having the same issue with this vehicle.
Steering, Feb 12, 2022
While driving at highway speeds steering is sticky or notching when trying to direct car in a curve, lane change in a right or left direction. Takes excessive pressure to get steering to move in any direction. Brought to dealer while under warranty, dealer said they could not replicate problem. safety issue causes you to over correct to get steering wheel to move.
Steering, Feb 7, 2022
The steering seems to stick or click at various speeds.
Steering, Jan 17, 2022
I am the owner of the 2017 KIA Sorento, which I purchased new. When I first contacted the NHTSA, I stated within the last few months that after driving the vehicle the highway or expressway for an extended period (approximately 60 mins to 90 mins), the steering wheel would bind when turning on the road to change lanes or maintain the vehicle on the road. This binding occurs in the turning position without warning. I'm concerned the steering will lock, which will result in a bad accident. I initially took the car to the dealership (Gunther KIA), where I purchased the vehicle. The service adviser told him because the steering wheel has electronic components, the problem could occur when the battery needed replacement. I agreed to have the battery replaced; however, the binding of the steering wheel re-occurred. After the second failure, I returned the car to the dealership's service dept. At the advice of their technicians, they performed a software update on the vehicle. Unfortunately, a couple of days after the second repair, the same failure recurred for the third time. Once again, I took the car back to the dealership, where a case was filed and opened; however, the dealership could not diagnose or duplicate the failure after a few days in their possession. At one point, the master adviser (Randy Rosario) at the dealership told me that he had the same experience with his own Sorrento. And he learned to deal with it and said I should learn to deal with it because the dealership would not give me a new vehicle. I replied by stating that I didn't want a new car; I wanted my car fixed because I feared for my safety and the safety of my family and grandchildren. The adviser also mentioned that a recall should happen, but the manufacturer has never issued one. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. As a result, the vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 43,490 Fortunately, during the week of January 10th, 2022, I once again called the dealers
Steering, Dec 10, 2021
While driving 40mph+, steering appears to "stick" and driver has to make a more forceful jerk with the steering wheel to "unstick" the steering. Driver ends up over compensating for stuck steering and is jerking the car on the road. Steering appears to not "stick" as much when going under 40mph. Steering sticks more often going around bends or small turns on the open road.
Steering, Nov 3, 2021
The contact owns a 2017 KIA Sorento, which he purchased new. The contact stated within the last few months that after driving the vehicle the highway or expressway for an extended period (approximately 60 mins to 90 mins), the steering wheel would bind when turning on the road to change lanes or maintain the vehicle on the road. This binding occurs in the turning position without warning. The contact had initially taken the car to the dealership (Gunther KIA), where he purchased the vehicle as new. The service adviser told him because the steering wheel has electronic components, the problem could occur when the battery needed replacement. The contact agreed to have the battery replaced; however, the binding of the steering wheel re-occurred. After the second failure, the vehicle was returned to the dealership’s service dept. They performed a software update on the car. Unfortunately, a couple of days after the second repair, the same failure recurred for the third time. The contact had taken the vehicle back to the dealership, where a case was filed and opened; however, after a few days in their possession, the dealership could not diagnose or duplicate the failure. At one point, the master adviser at the dealership told the contact that he himself had the same experience with his own Sorrento. And he learned to deal with it and said to the contact (car owner) should learn to deal with it because the dealership would not give him a new vehicle. The contact replied by stating that he didn’t want a new car; he wanted his car fixed because he fears for his family’s, and grandchildren’s safety. The adviser also mentioned that a recall should happen, but the manufacturer has never issued one. The manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. As a result, the vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 43,490.
Steering, Oct 22, 2021
power steering sticks when driving causing you to constantly over correct to keep the car going in a straight line. This leads to erratic driving as you are weaving back and forth on the road to keep the car going straight. There are many complaints on the internet of this problem with most dealers saying they don't see a problem and others replacing the steering column.There should be a recall to fix this problem while under warranty, any problem with a cars steering down a road should be fixed as this is a safety issue.
Steering, Aug 13, 2021
This is an ongoing condition of the vehicle that my mechanics were unable to address. The steering wheel sticks in the straight ahead position and requires unexpected force to make small corrections to the car's direction. This mostly happens at highway speeds or at lower speeds on long straightaways. The mechanics informed me this was not an uncommon condition and suggested that I report it to Kia and to the NHTSA.
Steering, Jul 5, 2021
Steering is sticky and has play during highway speeds. Driver must constantly adjust to keep vehicle aligned. Power steering after sticking point over corrects vehicle. This is very dangerous.
Steering, Engine, Apr 6, 2021
ON SOME OCCASIONS THE STEERING WAS NOT SMOOTH, AS IF IT STUCK JUST A LITTLE AND I WOULD HAVE TO LIGHTLY JERK IT. THIS WAS ALWAYS HIGHWAY. THEN ABOUT A WEEK AGO MY OIL LIGHT FLICKERED AND I MEAN ONLY A SECOND AND THEN AGAIN ON THE WAY HOME. WHEN I CHECKED MY OIL, THERE WASN'T A DROP ON THE DIPSTICK AND IT LOOKED TO HAVE A LITTLE BURNT OIL ON VERY TIP. IT WAS ALSO VERY HARD TO GET THE OIL CAP ON TO ADD OIL. I HAD TO ADD 3 QUARTS! WHY DID MY OIL LIGHT COME ON BEFORE THIS AND WHY DID IT NOT STAY ON? MY CAR IS A 2017 KIA SORENTO AND HAS ONLY HAD MAINTENANCE AT THE DEALER WHERE IT WAS BOUGHT. I WAS SHOCKED WHEN I LOOKED ONLINE AND SAW THIS WAS AN ISSUE FOR YEARS. WHY ISNT SOMEONE MAKING KIA ACCOUNTABLE? I CANT AFFORD TO PAY UPFRONT FOR REPAIRS AND WHEN COURTS DECIDE YEARS LATER MAYBE WE'LL GET REIMBURSED, THEY DON'T WAIT ON THEIR PAYMENTS FOR THE VEHICLES.
Steering, Engine, Visibility/wiper, Feb 25, 2021
ENGINE BURNS UP OIL VERY QUICKLY WAY BEFORE 3,000 MILES AND THERE ARE NO ALERTS THAT THE OIL IS LOW. STEERING GETS "STUCK" AT TIMES FOR BRIEF AMOUNTS OF TIME AND NEEDS TO BE READJUSTED IN THE ROAD. THIS HAPPENS ON STRAIGHT HIGHWAYS AND IN CURVE. WINDSHIELD WIPER FLUID FUNCTION DOES NOT WORK.
Steering, Jan 20, 2021
WHILE THE VEHICLE IS IN MOTION A RED WARNING LIGHT APPEARS IN THE SHAPE OF A STEERING WHEEL AND THE STEERING BECOMES VERY STIFF. THIS HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY AFTER PUTTING IT TO GEAR AND DRIVING FORWARD OR BACKING OUT AND IT HAS ALSO HAPPENED WHILE HIGHWAY DRIVING. LUCKILY THESE INCIDENTS HAVE HAPPENED WHILE DRIVING STRAIGHT AND OCCURS FOR A SHORT DURATION. IT IS CONCERNING FROM A SAFETY STANDPOINT. I BROUGHT IT IN TO A KIA DEALERSHIP AND IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE ELECTRONICS IN THE STEERING COLUMN. THEY HAVE NO RECALL LISTED AND IT IS VERY EXPENSIVE TO REPLACE OUTSIDE THE 50K BASIC MILEAGE WARRANTY WHICH OURS IS SINCE WE TEND TO PUT A LOT OF HIGHWAY MILES ON OUR VEHICLE. IT ISN'T TOO MUCH OVER THOUGH AND WE TAKE VERY GOOD CARE OF IT. I WOULD FIND IT VERY HARD TO BELIEVE IT THAT IS CAUSED FROM WEAR AND TEAR BUT MORE LIKELY TO BE A MANUFACTURER DEFECT.
Steering, Dec 29, 2020
THE STEERING ON MY SORENTO EX FEELS 'STICKY' AND UNSAFE. WHENEVER DRIVING, WHETHER IN THE CITY, ON THE HIGHWAY, OR IN A NEIGHBORHOOD, IT FEELS AS THOUGH THE STEERING WHEEL IS CONSTANTLY GETTING STUCK FOR HALF OF A SECOND AND NEEDS CONSISTENT READJUSTMENT. THE PROBLEM IS ESPECIALLY EVIDENT WHEN DRIVING AROUND A TURN, BUT IT IS VERY NOTICEABLE EVEN WHILE DRIVING ON A STRAIGHT ROAD OR HIGHWAY.
Steering, Structure, Nov 8, 2020
STEERING IS STICKY, FORCING DRIVER TO ROTATE STEERING WHEEL IN AN EXAGGERATED WAY TO CORRECT THE ISSUE. DOOR HANDLE COVER ON PASSENGER REAR SIDE BROKE WITHIN 6 MONTHS OF OWNING THE CAR.
Steering, Nov 1, 2020
WHEN THE VEHICLE IS DRIVING STRAIGHT THE STEERING WILL FEEL LIKE IT HESITATES SLIGHT MOVEMENTS AND THEN RELEASES CAUSING ME TO OVER STEER. ALMOST LIKE THE ELECTRONIC STEERING IS INTERMITTENT. TO THE POINT WHERE I WILL END UP IN THE OTHER LANE SLIGHTLY AND CONTINUALLY HAVE TO COUNTER STEER THE VEHICLE.
Steering, Oct 27, 2020
STEERING WHEEL IS HARD TO TURN LEFT / RIGHT, IT FEELS LIKE ITS STUCK AND WILL NOT RELEASE FREE ,THEN YOU HAVE TO PULL IT BACK . ITS SCARES ME ON THE HIGHWAY. I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND THEY DIDN'T FIND ANYTHING WRONG. THIS FEELING GOES ON AND OFF
Steering, Aug 6, 2020
DRIVING DOWN INTERSTATE GOING AROUND AN ONRAMP AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKS UP , TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT COMES ON AND ANOTHER LIGHT COMES ON AND FEELS LIKE THERE IS NO POWER STEERING. I PULL OVER TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I TURN OFF THE VEHICLE FOR A FEW MINUTES AND TURN BACK ON WHILE CALLING THE DEALERSHIP AND IT RESETS THE LIGHTS AND CODES. I HAVE HAD THIS HAPPEN SINCE I HAVE BOUGHT THIS IN 2017. THE LAST 2 TIMES HAVE BEEN 1 MONTH APART. THIS WILL HAPPEN WHILE DRIVING AND IT IS A SAFETY ISSUE WHILE DRIVING STRAIGHT AND WHILE TURNING.
Steering, Jun 1, 2020
PURCHASED WITH ABOUT 17,000 MILES. ON WAY HOME FROM DEALER (70 MPH FLAT, MOSTLY STRAIGHT HIGHWAY) I NOTICED THAT THE STEERING WHEEL SEEMED TO GET STUCK WHEN IT HADN'T BEEN ADJUSTED FOR SEVERAL SECONDS, ALMOST AS IF THE POWER STEERING WOULD TURN OFF. AFTER USING QUITE A BIT OF FORCE TO TURN THE WHEEL, THE POWER STEERING SEEMED LIKE IT WOULD WAKE UP AGAIN, CAUSING ME TO OVER-CORRECT. AFTER I BECAME FAMILIAR WITH THE ISSUE ON THE HIGHWAY, I NOTICED IT WOULD ALSO HAPPEN AT SLOWER SPEEDS. THE DEALER SAID THEY ARE FAMILIAR WITH THE ISSUE AND ARE DOING A SERIES OF SOFTWARE UPDATES THAT THEY SAID WILL CORRECT THIS ISSUE. THEY ARE NOT REPLACING ANY EQUIPMENT. *TR
Steering, Apr 30, 2020
I PURCHASED I USED 2017 KIA SORENTO FWD IN SEPTEMBER OF 2019. THE VEHICLE IS GREAT EXCEPT THE MORE I DROVE IT, THE MORE I NOTICED THE STEERING WAS VERY SENSITIVE. IT HAS A STICK JUST AT THE TOP AS WELL. I FEEL THAT THIS CAN CAUSE A SAFETY ISSUE ESPECIALLY WHEN TAKING CURVES AS THE NEED TO CONSTANTLY ADJUST FEELS NECESSARY OR COULD CAUSE ON OVER CORRECTION WHILE DRIVING. THE MORE RESEARCH I DID, I HAVE FOUND MANY PEOPLE TO HAVE THIS SAME ISSUE WITH NO RECALL. IT IS AN ELECTRONIC PROBLEM IN THE STEERING COLUMN. I FEEL THAT KIA NEEDS TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE. THE PROBLEM WITH JUST HAVING THE STEERING COLUMN REPLACED IS THAT IT'S GOING TO BE THE SAME PART. THE NEED TO DESIGN A NEW ONE FOR SAFETY REASONS.
Steering, Apr 14, 2020
STEERING BECOMES NOTCHY WHEN GOING STRAIGHT. AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS AND AROUND TOWN. PROBLEM IS OCCASIONAL, MAYBE ONCE A WEEK, BUT IS VERY DISTRESSING WHEN IT HAPPENS. THE CAR STARTS TO WANDER TO ONE SIDE OR THE OTHER AND WHEN I TRY TO SMOOTHLY CORRECT, THE STEERING WHEEL FEELS 'STUCK'. WITH A LITTLE EFFORT, IT RELEASES AND OVER CORRECTS. NOW I'M HEADING OFF THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD. EFFORT - OVER CORRECT - EFFORT - OVERCORRECT AND SO ON. NOT SURE IF THIS IS RELATED, BUT WHEN TURNING CORNERS IN TOWN, THE FRONT END SEEMS TO JUMP SEVERAL TIMES WHEN GASSING OUT OF THE TURN - MOST NOTABLE WHEN GOING UPHILL AND ON RIGHT TURNS. SOMETIMES CAN FEEL THE JUMP ( OR MAYBE A SLIP ) WHEN ACCELERATING STRAIGHT FROM A STOP. FEELS LIKE SOMETHING BINDING IN THE FRONT - LIKE IF YOU DRIVE A 4WD TRUCK ON DRY PAVEMENT WITH THE FRONT AXLE ENGAGED. CAR ONLY HAS 41,000 MI ON IT AND HAS BEEN DOING BOTH FOR OVER A YEAR. HAVE APPT TOMORROW AT KIA DEALER, BUT NOT TOO CONFIDENT THEY WILL BE ABLE TO REPLICATE THE NOTCHY STEERING, BUT SHOULD BE ABLE TO FEEL THE FRONT END JUMP. *TR
Steering, Feb 21, 2020
DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY THE STEERING WILL LOCK UP AND THEN YOU HAVE TO PULL IT BACK AND THEN IT WANTS TO GO THE OTHER WAY. HAVE TO FIGHT IT BAD WHEN IT'S WARN OR HOT OUTSIDE. HAVE REPORTED IT TO MY DEALER SHOP AND NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE BECAUSE THERE NO RECALL. COULD CASE ACCIDENT THEN WHO IS AT FAULT. KIA!!!
Steering, Feb 13, 2020
I BOUGHT THIS CAR A FEW WEEKS AGO, AND WHEN I TEST DROVE IT, I DID NOT FEEL WHAT I FEEL ALMOST ON A DAILY BASIS NOW. IT HAPPENS MORE SO WHEN GOING 40 MPH OR MORE AND CAN FEEL IT ON THE STRAIGHTAWAYS. THE STEERING WHEEL FEELS LIKE IT GETS LOCKED OR STUCK AND IT TAKES MORE FORCE TO STRAIGHTEN THE CAR OUT. I CAN NEVER GET THE CAR TO GO PERFECTLY STRAIGHT AS IT VEERS TO ONE SIDE OF THE LINE AND WHEN I TRY TO CORRECT IT, THE STICKINESS ALLOWS FOR IT TO OVER CORRECT WHICH CAUSES ME TO VEER TO THE OTHER SIDE. I AM CONSTANTLY TRYING TO KEEP MY CAR GOING STRAIGHT AND IT'S A STRUGGLE AND FRUSTRATING AND I FEEL LIKE I CAN NEVER HAVE JUST 1 HAND ON THE WHEEL. WE BOUGHT THIS CAR FOR THE 3 ROW SEATING AND LIKING TO TRAVEL WITH FAMILY AND A NEW BABY ON THE WAY. I FEEL LIKE THIS IS VERY UNSAFE AND NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT BUT WHEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER ALL WE GET BACK IS "CANNOT REPLICATE CUSTOMER COMPLAINT." SOME DAYS ARE BETTER THAN OTHERS, LIKE IT ENGAGES AND DISENGAGES. I HAVE HAD MY HUSBAND, MOM, DAD, AND MECHANIC FROM CARMAX ALL FEEL THE SAME THING AS I DO, SO I KNOW IT IS NOT JUST IN MY HEAD (AS I THOUGHT BEFORE WHEN I GOT IT BACK FROM KIA).