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: other or unspecified
104 reports, newest first. Show all
Other or unspecified, Jun 17, 2022
My husband and I were driving through a busy section of town and all of a sudden our suv completely lost power, dying on the side of the road. We never had a check engine light or anything come on. When we had it towed to the dealership we were informed our engine had locked up. Apparently there was a product upgrade that should have alerted us that our engine was going out, but we were not notified by Kia of the knock system upgrade. Nor were we informed that, as the second owners of the vehicle, in order to receive such notifications from Kia we needed to contact them and let them know we were the new owners and share our contact information. However, if Kia had classified it as a recall on the warning system, we would have been notified through our registration with the BMV. The dealership did share that this particular engine in a lot of Kia’s models have locked up suddenly similarly to ours. Luckily we were able to get our vehicle stopped right before the intersection, but did end up blocking a lane of traffic until the tow truck came. Kia also refuses to replace our engine because we did not get the knock system upgrade even though we were never notified.
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.
Other or unspecified, Engine, May 20, 2022
Excessive oil consumption with no low oil warning light. Driving with no oil can cause severe engine damage. I was informed by the Kia dealership after reporting an issue with oil consumption. Issue started in March 2022, diagnosed in april 2022 and 1 month of driving had no oil and no low oil warning light come on after oil change.
Other or unspecified, Apr 29, 2022
Sunroof portion of moonroof exploded while driving on the freeway. We heard a sonic boom inside our car and the sunroof window shattered glass up and outward spraying glass out onto the freeway and into the fabric ceiling liner.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Apr 8, 2022
The vehicle has stalled multiple times while in motion presenting a life safety concern, the vehicle is under warranty and has been at the dealer multiple times and they are unable to duplicate and refuse to do any further diagnoses beside scan for active codes which the vehicle does not have. Vehicle currently will not start and has left us stranded in an area where we are concerned for our safety.
Other or unspecified, Apr 4, 2022
Rear left passenger window drum defective. Window has been used maybe 20 times in 5 years. Window will not raise or lower and fails to stay closed. Appears to be window Drum Pulley. From internet chatter, this is happening often. This vehicle has low mileage we purchased it new and we are in our 70’s. Took it to my dealer for repair. My dealer service rep. say’s they get about two vehicles a week with this issue.
Other or unspecified, Feb 20, 2022
While driving the car slows down without me slowing down on the breaks. Car wants to shut down & is vibrating. Car doesn't want to drive past 2000 rpm. I take it to mechanic, he can't find the code. I take to mechanic a 2nd time. I get codes p1326 & p2600. No recalls are found for Sorento but other models there is plenty.
Other or unspecified, Jan 19, 2022
Driving on the highway at 65mph uphill, engine started making horrible noise and started to fail. Pulled over on shoulder and had to have it towed. Kia is denying warranty because I cannot provide service records. Whether or not they will right this wrong it is a major safety issue when you have complete engine failure with no warning. The engine in my vehicle (3.3 v6 Lambda)completely failed without tripping any warning devices that are equipped on the vehicle. There is a Defect that causes the engine to burn too much oil and there is a defect where the vehicle fails to warn of potential safety issues. There was total engine failure with no warnings. No Service Message No Check Engine Light No Low Oil Pressure Light No Knock Sensor Code No Limp Mode activation. In the service technician's report it even says "no codes set in the ecm" This could have caused a fatal accident and I don't see how this is acceptable.
Power train, Other or unspecified, Engine, Jan 3, 2022
My car was fine, then all of a sudden (after an oil change) it started knocking really loudly. I pulled over and the noise stopped- so I got back in the car a drive home. When I pulled into the driveway, I heard the noise again- knocking. I popped the hood and had daughter press the gas, sure enough- knocking again. I told husband and we parked it, he towed it to the dealership the next day. They said that because my car did not get the "campaign" update- ROD KNOCKING SENSOR- that the extended warranty was null and void. I asked to place a complaint at how the whole situation was handled- they said they mailed us letters, but they must have been the most non-descriptive letters in history. It's not safe- they know about this problem and they are not doing anything about it- they are doing the bare minimum, that is how people get hurt. We owe more to repair this vehicle than it is worth, and there is no "Goodwill" assistance on a car that wasn't "kept". I kept my car within it's normal limits, it's not right how the company chose to notify. They have all my contact info- I am the original owner. Thank goodness my teen daughter wasn't driving.
Other or unspecified, Dec 29, 2021, fire
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 mph when the vehicle began to lag in acceleration when attempting to go uphill. The driver noticed a spark within the instrument panel directly behind the steering wheel. The driver then immediately pulled over and both the driver and the passenger (the contact) exited the vehicle. The vehicle then caught fire. The fire department showed and distinguished the fire. A report was made. There were no injuries. The vehicle was towed and deemed totaled. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was contacted and made aware of the failure. A case was opened regarding the matter. The approximate failure mileage was unknown
Other or unspecified, Dec 6, 2021
Steering began sticking at about 55K miles. Got worse over time. Causing difficulty with accurate lane changes or straight steering. Car has electric motor assisted power steering. Found multiple similar cases on line where solution was to replace entire steering column assy. Took car in to dealer (Peoria Kia, Peoria AZ) 15Oct2021. Dealer said had to replace entire column assy- steering. Was covered by 3rd party extended warranty on car, 2 months later, steering stopped working completely. We were able to get the car to the side of the street and stop. Had car towed back to Peoria Kia. They now report broken steering gear, which appears to be related to previous repair. Solution pending back ordered parts. Work order for first repair attached.
Other or unspecified, Nov 30, 2021
The horn on my Kia became very faint causing a safety risk as it was so quiet, that it was no longer a viable safety tool. At 57,711 miles. On 5/13/21 I paid a local certified mechanic to replace the horn. (I was informed there were actually 2 horns). My vehicle was purchased 10/8/16. Since it was under warranty, in June 2021, I provided KIA the receipt to get reimbursed for the horn replacement. After 5 months of my persistent communication with KIA, they denied reimbursement. Early on one of the KIA emails asked for proof of payment (which I provided) and it also stated reimbursements can take up to 60 days. I have the defective horns in my possession.
Other or unspecified, Oct 5, 2021
On 10/03/2021 I was driving on the freeway, when I heard a pop then a thumping sound. After pulling over, we discovered that the engine splash guard had come undone (again!!!) There were no indicators in the vehicle that this was about to happen. There was no debris on the freeway to have caused the shield to come undone. I believe that there is a definite manufacturing defect in this particular part, as this has occurred multiple times, always while driving on the freeway, and never with any associated cause. The only thing that I think is happening is that the bolts/shield are poorly executed and cannot withstand the wind speed when being driven (I was going around 70 MPH)
Other or unspecified, Sep 25, 2021
Oil coming out the exhaust
Other or unspecified, Sep 12, 2021
My engine has given out on me on several occasions.
Other or unspecified, Sep 10, 2021
While driving with headlights in "Auto" mode the lights turn off randomly and stay off for up to 30 seconds. This can cause crash especially while driving at night on unlit roads and highways. This happened many times in 2018 soon after I purchased the car. I brought it to be serviced by Kia several times and it appeared that they had finally fixed the problem. However, over the years it has reoccurred many times and now happens frequently again. I know earlier versions of Kia have been recalled for this same problem but when my car was being serviced they said that my model did not have a recall for this problem. I have seen many complaints online for this same problem. This is a very dangerous issue and needs to be addressed in a Recall!!!
Other or unspecified, Aug 13, 2021, crash
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while his wife was approaching at slow speeding into a carport when she depressed the brake pedal but the vehicle accelerated independently and crashed into the back wall of the carport. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The air bags did not deploy. The contact stated not one sustained any injuries or seek medical attention. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was still at the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 15,322.
Other or unspecified, Jul 21, 2021
When set in AUTO, the headlights will flicker, or turn on and off without reasonable changes in light or conditions that would cause this to occur. This happens at night or dusk, making it difficult to see the road, obstacles and other hazards, as well as making the vehicle difficult to see for other traffic. Adjusting the lighting manually on the stick switch to an ON position appears to restore functionality. This puts the driver and passenger at risk as well as other vehicles. I have not been able to have this reproduced by a dealer or service center. No inspection of the stick switch or electrical components has occurred however the lights have been confirmed to work otherwise by a service center. No warning lights or other indicators occur.
Other or unspecified, Jul 16, 2021
On multiple occasions, my headlights will change randomly. I keep my headlights on auto always. Last night (07/15) at 1130pm being the most recent incident, I was driving on a completely black road (no street lights for several miles) and my lights just shut off on me. Yesterday (07/15) this happened at least 6 times throughout the day, day and night. This has happened at least 20 times Since May 2021. I took my vehicle to the dealership but I was told they were unable to find the issue.
Other or unspecified, Jun 1, 2021
In July 2019 as I was driving, the engine splash shield became loose on the drivers side of my vehicle and started dragging along the road. When I took my car to the dealer I was told that it wasn't covered under the warranty and that I must have driven over something to make it loose. I had NOT driven over anything. I ended up purchasing bolts to replace the loose portion of the splash shield. Then, in January 2020, as the car was driven again, the splash shield came completely off the vehicle. Again, there wasn't any object run over, it just came off. In July 2020, we had the splash shield replaced, as the serpentine drive belt had snapped and gotten caught in the engine. In May 2021, the bolts in the splash shield again came out, and the shield was dragging on the ground. Again, didn't hit any objects or run over anything. Replaced the missing bolts. Our safety was compromised when the shield came off completely and flew into traffic as we were driving. This was also a risk for other people. Then, due to the shield not being in place, and something caused the drive belt to snap and wrap up into the engine was a major safety concern, as I could have lost control of the car. The vehicle was inspected by the dealership, and also by another mechanic. There were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms other than what I described above.
Other or unspecified, May 31, 2021
The paint off of my Kia Sorento is starting to peel off. I have seen videos where this flies off while driving in large and smaller pieces that can obstruct the drivers view or distract them while driving. If it were raining, it could damage the windshield while the wiper blades are running and the paint chips fly up on them. The vehicle is now more susceptible to rust causing the vehicle to be unsafe.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, May 24, 2021, fire
On May 18,2021 my Kia Sorento SXL AWD V6 caught on fire for unknown reason. I was driving with windows open sunroof open and cruise set. Not a single warning light or any weird sounds at all. A car pulled up yelling at me that my car was on fire to pull over off the interstate. I saw nor smelled any smoke anywhere but then I saw a cop had someone pulled over so I figured it would be safe since I was an alone female and it was car of males yelling at me to pull over. As soon as I got out and walked to the front of the car there was still no smoke but flames and what I assumed was plastic dripping from the entire underneath. At this time flames shot out from all around the hood and up the windshield as it instantly shattered. As I ran for my life as stuff kept exploding the state trooper had already called for help so fire department arrived in less then 3 min but my car was gone in less than 45 seconds after I stepped out. I am mentally and physically hurt but luckily only a burn the size of a quarter on my wrist but due to shock while watching my car burn and explode my legs gave out and I sat down hard so 5 days after the fire my legs have recovered from running up an incline for my life but my back pain has only increased. But insurance only covers injuries from the car so running from exploding cars and getting injured is not their problem. Just like Kia allowing all of us Sorento owners to drive our family and loved ones around on a bomb waiting to blow at any moment isn’t their problem either. I have now seen at least 8 2017 Sorento sxl unexplained fire complaints all ending in total loss while only looking on this site and one other site. I have pictures and videos of the fire and how close I was to being in the car as u can see my hoodie laying in front of the car on fire too. Fire started on passenger side of motor just like the defect they supposedly fixed in 2014. If anyone else especially the grandchildren that can’t get themselves out of would have died
Other or unspecified, Mar 22, 2021
DRIVING AT ABOUT 75 MILES PER HOUR AND SUDDENLY THE HOOD POP OPEN FORTUNATELY I WAS ABLE TO STOP ON TIME AND PREVENT SOMETHING MAJOR HAVE TO NOTE THAT THERE WAS NO TOO MUCH TRAFFIC.
Structure, Other or unspecified, Engine, Feb 25, 2021
WHITE SMOKE IN EXHAUST AND LOUD GRIND WHEN COLD START. PAINT IS PEELING IN THE BACK
Other or unspecified, Dec 31, 2020
VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY PARKED IN DRIVEWAY. REAR LIFT GATE WAS ACTIVATED BY OWNER WITH KEY FOB. GRANDCHILD RAN UNDER THE LIFT GATE. OWNER PULLED CHILD FROM REAR LIFT. GATE BRUSHED CHILD'S BACK AND CONTINUED TO CLOSE . OWNER THEN PLACED SEVERAL INAMINATE OBJECTS UNDER REAR OF CAR PROTRUDING FROM CARGO HOLD AND ENGAGED THE LIFT GATE. GATE CLOSED EACH TIME UNRESTRICTED TRAPPING THE OBJECT. CALLED KIA REPORTED PROBLEM.