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
804 reports, newest first.
Service brakes, Forward collision avoidance, Mar 14, 2024
On March 14, 2024 at approximately 11:40, while driving on a private driveway, which had no other cars or pedestrians on or near it, my vehicle performed its own emergeny braking effort to bring the car to a stop. The standard KIA Emergency Braking warking text displayed on the dashboard declaring the incident. However, no other vehicles or pedestrians were in hundreds of feet of the vehicle or presented a potential obstical that may be crossing in front of the vehcile.The car was traveling approximately 25 MPH and came to a complete stop. It felt as though the engine had frozen and all the wheels locked.
Engine, Mar 13, 2024
Me and my family were traveling on the interstate on a rainy December 10, 2024 and my engine started to lose power. I was driving approximately 75-77 mph when my car started losing power. No lights or warnings! I tried to give more gas but nothing happened. It then started to jerk as it was still losing power. I was able to safely exit the highway before the vehicle completely stopped. I tried to restart the car but it wouldn’t stay on. By then the engine light was on. I was 50 miles from home and had to call a tow truck to pick up the vehicle as well as a family member to pick us up from the side of the interstate. The vehicle was towed 50 miles to my local mechanic. On that Monday, he checked the Sorento and told me the motor was gone! He stated he could tell by the spark plugs that it had been burning oil. This was a total shock being that I had previously taken my vehicle to the Kia dealership in June of 2023 because the car was burning oil. I had checked my vehicle in between services to find out no oil was in it. The Kia dealership performed an oil consumption test. Their findings were there wasn’t anything wrong with the rate the vehicle was burning oil. Which now I find hard to believe once the engine failed. I had purchased the extended warranty which covered me until 100,000 miles. Of course my engine failed at 100,399. But I feel those extra 399 miles were from taking my vehicle back and forth to the Kia dealership for the consumption test which obviously they didn’t perform correctly or just didn’t want to admit it was something wrong because I live approximately 75 miles from the dealership. Kia is supposed to be the best but I definitely think otherwise after this. After calling Kia they were no help and this seems to be a common issue with 2017 Kia Sorentos.
Engine, Mar 12, 2024
I lost power from the engine while going up a mountain in Georgia. Thought we were going to run off a cliff due to engine failure. We were at about a 45 degree incline going up a mountain. Car stopped due to loss of compression. Family of 3 were 6 feet from edge of cliff when this happened. If breaks failed we would have crashed for sure down the cliff. Total loss of power. It was misfiring per Service department at Halls Service Center in Knoxville , Tn said, Compression in 2 and 3 cylinders were at 60 and 90 PSI. 1 and 4 compression were at 115 and 150. Car is drinking oil like water. Regular maintenance was always completed. Car is available for inspection if needed. I did get a check engine lite on my dash but only after the incident. Other than what the auto service department mentioned above no one else has inspected the vehicle.
Air bags, Mar 7, 2024
The airbag light stays on and the Tunersville NJ dealership charged me $169 for a diagnostic of the problem. The error code was a B1448 OC sensor MAT defect and they need to replace the cushion because the Occupant Detection System (ODS) Sensor Pad is located inside the seat and quoted me around $2000 to replace it. I was told by the dealership that if the passenger mat detection is not working then the airbag will not work if an accident happens. I found that Kia Sorento from 2011- 2015 has the same issue and the company replaced it without a charge and extended the warranty for this airbag sensor to 15 yr with unlimited miles. This is a known defect for Kia corporation and they don't address this issue until somebody gets hurt in an accident and the airbag malfunctions.
Engine, Mar 6, 2024
January 14, 2024. I was driving on the highway, up a mountain, when the engine abruptly failed. All dashboard lights came on, including the check engine light. My safety, and the safety of those driving near me, was put at risk because of the sudden decrease in speed. When the car was inspected by a Kia dealership, they confirmed it needed a new engine, but that the engine was not covered, even though there is a long history of these engines failing and needing replacement.
Engine, Mar 5, 2024
Engine uses 1 extra galón of oil in between oil changes.
Engine, Mar 4, 2024
No codes/lights or warnings. Engine started making loud clinking sound randomly, then smoke and car was disabled with oil and metal pieces everywhere in the roadway. Only then was there an engine light on the dash.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Mar 1, 2024
I purchased a my 2017 Sorento, it had 40,000 miles, it had a knock to it when I would first get started in the morning, took it to get check twice, told nothing was wrong, at 59,700 I took back and it needed a new transmission, then at 98,000 it needs another transmission, so after two transmission, plus changed 6 fuel injectors, all new spark plugs, now the engine is gone. I also have a 2014 Sorento that’s still rolling and never needed any major work. This car has been problems since I purchased it. It has to be a recall on this car. Something is not right. It’s sitting in the shop again and I can’t afford to fix it.
Engine, Feb 29, 2024
Vehicle has 108k miles. While driving the vehicle, a knocking noise from the engine began and I immediately pulled over. Vehicle was found to be low on oil and required 3 quarts of oil to get it to acceptable level on dipstick. Knocking noise continued after adding oil. Called dealership and they stated that it could be driven in since there had not been any check engine lights or low oil pressure lights on. Dealership investigated the problem and told me that a new motor was needed, it had broken a rod. Car was 1 month and 3k miles past due for an oil change but almost all prior oil changes and routine maintenance had been on time and completed by the dealership. No oil or check engine light ever came on. There was no oil leak noted either.
Engine, Feb 27, 2024
When passing another vehicle on the road at ~70 mph, the engine warning lights lit up and rpms went to zero. The vehicle was towed and the mechanic told me that then engine is seized. Fortunately, there was no one ahead of us on the road, but it could have been dangerous because we were passing on a two lane road, and when the engine seized it might have meant we were unable to successfully pass. The vehicle has been inspected by a local mechanic (Autotrust Repairs, Montgomery, TX). The engine had been dealing with excessive oil consumption (nearly 1 qt/1000mi), which online documents by Kia said was "normal". I have kept the oil levels replenished during this time. There were no warning lights before the engine seized, only once it actually had done so. I have called local dealership Sterling Kia and Kia Customer Service and they refuse to cover the engine because of reference to an ECU upgrade not having been done ([XXX]). I have received no notice of the recall, even when I took the car to the dealership on [XXX], well after the recall notices had supposedly been sent out. This recall is also not listed on the NHTSA online. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine, Feb 27, 2024
I was driving with my 10 year old son on the road, and without any warnings the engine made a knocking noise and then stalled out. I was able to put the car in neutral and restart the car. Then when I got home, as I was parking the engine did the same thing, without warning the engine made a knocking noise and stalled out. I went to the dealership and they inspected the vehicle. They stated that the engine rods and bearings failed, and even though all scheduled maintenance was completed it was out of warranty and I would be responsible for the cost of an engine replacement. I then called Kia customer support and they stated that they were able to verify all maintenance in their system, but our engine does not qualify for a warranty replacement. This car has never been in an accident and received regular maintenance, it is a major safety concern that the engine is failing and can stall at any time while driving.
Engine, Feb 21, 2024
[XXX], traveling for the holidays, my 2017 Kia Sorento broke down. All dash lights came on, black smoke out exhaust. Only issue I had prior to this breakdown was excess oil use. $150 tow to Bengston Tire & Service in Salina, KS. They diagnosed cylinder misfires, spark-plug disintegration & recommended to take it to a Kia Dealership to be looked at, as they said it likely required an entire engine replacement. After a $440 tow, it was looked at by the Kia Dealership of Manhattan, KS, who ultimately did state that my vehicle would require a $7k engine replacement. The said I did not qualify for the 10 year/100k warranty since I was a 2nd owner. Since I still owed on my loan, I decided it was not worth putting the time/funds to fix. I had it towed home for $800. After searching online for hours with my VIN to search recalls, my Sorento did not show up in any recalls, class action suites, etc. During all of this I had to rent a car, which in total from [XXX], when I purchased a new vehicle, I spent $1,530 in total rental fees. It wasn't until I was researching that I found out about the KSDS sensor that many other Kia owners were having installed to assist in the prevention of a situation that my Kia had put me in 12/2023. Kia had never sent me any information on this and the Kia dealership never told me about this, nor offered to help in ANY way with another vehicle that likely should be added to the engine failure recall, as all my symptoms fit the bill. Oakes Kia of Kansas City, MO also told me previously that the excess engine oil consumption was normal, and just part of having a GDI Engine. I sold my Kia for $5k to a buyer who could fix it up. The KBB value of my Sorento was $14,000, as besides the engine failure the rest of the vehicle was in amazing condition with no other issues. I have lost a significant amount of money with this loss that I believe could've been easily prevented or at least better prevented by the manufacturer. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Feb 18, 2024
We purchased the vehicle with 45000 miles, within a year, the vehicle started to run very badly, car idle vibrates the whole vehicle. It stalls out on her sometimes, burns all the oil by the it is time to change oil, the mechanic says there is less than a quart left, but no leak as per mechanic! The vehicle will blow soon I’m sure, and my wife drives our children everyday. I was made aware of lawsuit settlement, which Kia was only required to send notice to first owner, so we had no idea! The suit was settled and Kia gave lifetime warranty/new engine replacements/new vehicles to owners. The law suit was going on/settled around the time we purchased the vehicle so dealership knew about it and still sold it to us! We can not afford another vehicle, and dealership says unless the engine gives off certain code, they can not do anything! They are avoiding liability, and putting my family in danger! I do not know what to do or who to speak to!
Engine, Feb 18, 2024
We purchased 2017 sorento 2.4 with 71k miles. It burned oil very bad from the day we bought it (3 quarts in 2k miles) We tried to contact the warranty company and the dealer, they pointed the finger at kia. Finally the engine blew up at 80k miles. I was told about the class action lawsuit on rod bearings for that vehicle. Unfortunately, rod bearings aren't the only issue with that engine. It burns tons of oil (possibly through pcv valve or faulty rings). All this burmt oil turns into carbon, and ends up destroying the head/ valve train, fouling spark plugs, and clogging the rings. I am a member of a group that has tons of people with the same issue. Kia refuses to cover it, because the lawsuit only said they had to cover rod bearing failure. My vehicle lost compression on a major highway. Before that, my wife was driving with the kids, and it started misfiring due to the carbon build up fouling another set of spark plugs. These vehicles are going to get people killed, and kia/hyundai are doing nothing about it. All of the vehicles with the theta 2 engine are having this problem.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Feb 16, 2024
No warning labels came up. Heard loud noises and took to the dealership. They said I need a whole new engine.
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Engine, Feb 13, 2024
The vehicle just lost power at 75mph on [XXX] heading home to Princeton, ME, started vibrating really bad misfiring then we pulled over the Kia Sorento stalled. Then would not start back up. It’s been using over a quart a week since we got it from the dealership in Bangor, Maine. We got it towed home our mechanic looked at it and noticed oil on the plugs and said we probably need a new engine. Low beam light keep coming off and on so thinking it’s something electrical. Time to time the transmission take a min to shift the engine rpms stay up n takes a few extra seconds to shift. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine, Feb 8, 2024
I have had engine misfiring and brought my car in 3 times for this. Had the KSDS update performed in 8/2023 and resolved for about 6000 miles and happened again. I was driving on the highway, and suddenly my speed just slowed down and could not drive more than 45mph. I have had high oil consumption that I have complained about for several years, and was not offered an oil consumption test, that I was not aware of such a test. I did make an appt for the test, but my engine failed before the appt. I have been using 5 quarts of oil about every 1300mi. My low oil lamp has not come on many times, and will only flicker when making turns, only to find my oil level was bone dry. I have had oil changed at regular intervals. Took my vehicle to Kia dealership and there was no compression in one of the piston cylinders, part of spark plug melted off into the engine, and have "engine failure" diagnosis. I Have had the piston rings replaced in the recent past. I had initially brought my vehicle into Kia dealership at 99,600 mi knowing that engine was under warranty. 6000 miles later, engine failed and now Kia dealership is telling me the extended warranty does not cover for it. Estimate cost to replace engine is about $10,000 per Kia dealership estimate.I was under the impression it would be covered. I was not offered a loaner vehicle, since it is not covered under warranty, making me a low priority to get a loaner car to use in the meantime. I am the only and original owner of this vehicle. There has been no oil leaking in my garage, where is it all going?
Electrical system, Service brakes, Engine, Feb 7, 2024
I was driving down a country road, and suddenly the engine stopped working, all systems shut off, and dash started flashing. Luckily, there was no one around me, and I was able to coast to a stop. However, it would have been terrible if this had happened on a busy road. Nothing worked including brakes. Had the car towed to the dealership, since we were just over 100K miles they would do nothing, and said the only thing we could do was put a new engine in for 20K. We’re going to have to sell the car for a loss of 5K, as we can not justify putting a new engine in an unreliable car.
Electrical system, Feb 1, 2024
I live in VA, bought my Sorento in 2018. Every winter when the temps drop below freezing my car will intermittently not start. This issue only happens below freezing and it is not every time the temps drop below freezing. Once the sun comes up and the day warms up a bit the car almost always will start. I have taken it to the Kia dealership multiple times over the years and of course it always starts right up, no problem, even in the single digits. I have taken it to a couple of other local repair shops as well to no avail. So far this winter I have had it at the dealership 3 times and finally on the third trip they figured out the issue. The factory installed remote start was pulling too much voltage, even while the car was off, that the brand new battery couldn't start the car. They removed the remote start (told me I could buy another and have it installed for $800) and the car has started every single time. This has left me and my family stranded previously so wanted to help others figure this out so it doesn't take them 6 years and stranded like it did us.
Air bags, Structure, Jan 30, 2024, crash
I was t boned while driving aprox 25 30 non of my air bags deployed and to bolts holding the door had the head shear off while bolts were still stuck in door frame
Steering, Jan 30, 2024
For the last few weeksI have been experiencing problems with the steering wheel feeling like it's sticking while driving. It might happen on a straight roadway, but its mostly noticeable on curves, like rounabouts. I can hold the steering wheel around a slight curve and if I need to move it to the right slightly to keep in line with the curve then it jerks a little to get out of that position. I'll take it to the dealer for other recalls and I hope they'll take care of this as well...
Steering, Jan 27, 2024
For months now I have been experiencing problems with the steering wheel feeling like it's sticking while driving. It can happen on a straight roadway, but mostly notice it on curves, especially a long stretch of road. I can hold the steering wheel around a slight curve and if I need to move it to the right slightly to keep in line with the curve then it jerks a little to get out of that position. It happens every time whether moving the steering wheel left or right. Last time it happened I said I wasn't going to drive the car anymore because it's unsafe. It got stuck around a curve and took more tug on the steering wheel to get it to move the tires in the direction I needed. There's so many other complaints online about this very problem from other Kia owners around the 2017 models. I've taken it to the dealer twice for this and they never experienced the problem because they just drove around the lot and did a rapid back and forth on the steering wheel. You have to be driving it on a longer stretch of road when you can get it up to faster speeds where it's more noticeable.
Engine, Jan 25, 2024
The car was making a noise but no check engine wasn’t on I stop at a stop sign and the check engine light came on and car went into limp mode and couldn’t go over 2000 rpms it’s not showing this recall on this vehicle but it’s on some of the serentos and it’s the knock sensor or bearing in the bottom of motor I have 3 kids and now no vehicle I would deeply appreciate a recall on this vehicle vin number to get this fixed quickly this is kinda urgent if you can reply quickly that would be so appreciated it has 169000 miles on it it’s a 2017 model vin number is [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Forward collision avoidance, Lane departure, Jan 24, 2024
Automatic Emergency Braking Passenger Side Air Bag Smart Cruise Control System Backup Camera Forward Collision Warning Lane Departure Warning System Head lights blinked on occasion and others all stopped working at the same time which makes the vehicle unsafe to drive. Took it into the dealer and they replaced the SOP Module due to code B10055, ACU communication error tested and found module not communicating with vehicle. To replace this part it costs me 925.50 After replacing this part they ran another coding and found that the ODS mat has internal short causing failure of variant coding. This part will cost an additional $3,287 to fix. Looked online and noticed that Kia has safety Recall (SC175) for 2015-2018 Kia Sedona for the Front Passenger Seat Occupant Detection System (ODS)Harness which is the exact same part that my Kia Sorrento needs and falls in the same year built. My 2017 Kia Sorrento has only 56,000 miles on it. Kia Dealership supposedly fixed the CCS Headlights Flicker Failure which was a separate recall which was a multifunction switch but this did not fix the other sensors.
Other or unspecified, Jan 23, 2024
This has happened 3 times, out of no where my car goes into "limp Mode" and this last time I was pulling out and it wouldn't go and my kids were in the car. This is uncalled for and this needs to be addressed.