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.
Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Aug 17, 2024
I was driving down the highway at night and out of nowhere my head lights turn off. Leaving me and my daughter driving blind going 60 mph. Prior to that on the same night, I picked her up from work I was turning out of the parking lot where she works and the same thing happened but very quickly corrected itself. The area was lit up so it wasn't as noticeable. This is a very dangerous problem.
Exterior lighting, Aug 13, 2024
My 2017 Sorento has been having issues with the headlights for the past 6 months. I keep them on auto mode and half of the time they don't turn on until I click them to "on" and switch them back to auto. There have also been a handful of times where my headlights turn off while driving. This is absolutely unacceptable and extremely unsafe. This needs to become a recall before someone is seriously injured, or dies.
Engine, Aug 13, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact heard a loud knocking sound coming from the engine. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 111,000.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Aug 9, 2024
Car turned off when making a full and complete stop. Would burn oil faster than usual. Car does not stay on.
Other or unspecified, Aug 6, 2024
The component failure appears to be a latent defect in the painting process. The color is Snow White Pearl. It is bubbling up and delaminating in two places. It was first noticed at about 6 months and about 6000 miles after purchase. The dealer was contacted, and they said they had never heard of any paint problems on my type of vehicle. This was unbelievable because of the numerous complaints i have read about. They offered no other information other than to contact KIA customer-care, which I did. KIA customer care said there is nothing they can do because it is out of warranty, but they will report the issue to KIA corporate. Lots of Complaints on the internet, and a class action suit in CA. The case is US District Court for the Central District of California Case number 8:16-CV-00593-BRO-PJW. Hopeful that you will hold KIA accountable.
Exterior lighting, Aug 5, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH at night, the headlights briefly became inoperable. After several attempts at turning the switch off and on, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 96,000.
Engine, Aug 5, 2024
Cylinder #1 exhaust valve burnt
Exterior lighting, Other or unspecified, Aug 4, 2024
The headlight setting randomly changes from “Auto” to “Off” without any operator input. This happens roughly every fourth drive.
Exterior lighting, Aug 4, 2024
Driving 70mph, driving lights completely shut off. I was going straight with a car in the distance nobody behind. If my wife and kids were driving that would have been scary.
Engine, Aug 4, 2024
We were driving on the highway and the engine started to shudder and the check engine light came on. We pulled off and had the car towed to a Kia dealership. Their report indicated that cylinder #3 had a burnt valve caused by excessive heat and there was scoring on the cylinder wall. They deemed it a total engine failure and quoted us a new engine for $9800!!!
Engine and engine cooling, Aug 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while pulling out of a parking lot, at an unknown speed, the oil warning light illuminated. The contact was informed by her brother that there was no oil in the vehicle. The contact stated that oil was added to the vehicle. The oil and engine coolant system had been detected, and a full system check message was displayed on the navigation system. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, where it was determined that an oil consumption test was needed and to drive the vehicle for 1,000 miles, repeat the process, and then perform a leak-down test. The vehicle was not repaired. The mechanic informed the contact that there were too many fault codes, and the vehicle was not drivable. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 97,150.
Fuel system, Gasoline, Exterior lighting, Engine, Jul 23, 2024
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, an audible message indicated that there was engine failure, and the infotainment screen displayed the option to send an engine failure report. The vehicle then shuddered and made an abnormal sound. The contact turned off and restarted the vehicle, but the abnormal sound persisted. The vehicle was shaking, and the contact detected an abnormal odor inside the vehicle. The contact parked and turned off the vehicle. Additionally, the headlights failed to illuminate while driving at night. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with multiple cylinders misfire. The dealer determined that the spark plugs and headlights needed to be replaced, as well as an induction cleaning and oil change. The dealer replaced the spark plugs and headlights but discovered that the fuel pump was leaking fuel into the engine. The contact was informed that the fuel pump needed to be replaced. The contact declined to have the induction cleaning, the oil changed, or the fuel pump replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V907000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) and Technical Service Bulletin: 073 (Ball Joint Replacement); however, the VIN was not included in the recall and the vehicle was not covered under the TSB. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.
Exterior lighting, Jul 22, 2024
The lights go off on their own while driving. The lights go on on their own while parked and off.
Service brakes, Jul 20, 2024
The speed sensor that works with traction control /stability and abs has malfunctioned twice and has had to be replaced and 2 seperate occasions. The first time was when it only had 22,000 miles on it so that leads me to believe it is a malfunctioning part. Our abs and traction control do not operate properly and is ridiculously expensive to fix. Both lights are on.
Other or unspecified, Jul 20, 2024
I am writing to formally lodge a complaint regarding a significant issue with the paint on my 2017 Kia Sorento. The vehicle, which is painted in Snow White Pearl, has been experiencing rapid and extensive paint peeling, a condition referred to by body shops as “delamination.” The paint began peeling in small areas however, the peeling has rapidly progressed, affecting larger sections of the vehicle. This issue is not only unsightly but also raises concerns about the potential for rust and other damage to the vehicle’s body. I have taken the following steps to address this issue: 1. Documented the progression of the paint peeling with photographs, including dates and mileage. 2. Consulted with multiple body shops, all of which have confirmed that the issue is delamination and have provided estimates for repair. 3. Contacted my local Kia dealership, which informed me that the vehicle’s paint warranty had expired and offered no assistance. Given the widespread nature of this issue among Kia Sorento owners, particularly those with the Snow White Pearl paint, I believe this is a manufacturing defect that warrants investigation. I urge the NHTSA to look into this matter and consider initiating a recall to address the paint delamination problem.
Steering, Jul 18, 2024
The steering wheel/ column gets stuck like sticky as other call it, other owners have the problem my car is new 2017 Kia sorento just with 69k miles on it and turning the wheel gets hard where the point I put force I over turn and my car turns to much close to hitting other cars I don’t drive it because the wheel/column sticks to much and it gets worse and worse when I drive it Time to time it needs to become a recall because other sorento owners are having the problem
Engine, Jul 10, 2024
Bought car from Bill bird kia in panama city Florida with 38k miles and at 41k miles we went for oil change the oil was extremely low and from that day we have kept record of every oil change 1k miles into every oil change the oil is gone and was told kia won't reach engine until the engine blows up so with 115k miles on it kia diagnosed our engine with cylinder #1 low compression due to lack of oil and it was not time for a oil change.. kia has refused to replace the engine. So I have had to spend 4950.00 on a remanufactured engine plus paying 2000.00 for labor
Engine, Jul 8, 2024
My Kia has been burning oil for about a year. My local Kia dealership was unable to verify if I had a warranty since I didn’t purchase it from them. I had to start going to Jiffy Lube for my oil changes since they offer free top off service because I was spending $15 every week to add oil to my engine. Currently, my engine light is constantly illuminating even with oil, change, maintenance and top offs.
Other or unspecified, Jun 29, 2024
I have a 2017 Kia Sorento and I have been having problems with the turbo, in the 7 years I have had it they have replaced the turbo twice and now this would be the third time. Every job done has been at the Kia agency I bought it which means this is definitely a manufactured problem. At the dealership the three times I have taken it they have told me the turbo fell off and it damaged other things, including the engine. My safety was at risk because my car broke down in the middle of driving it started to slow down and would not go up hills which could have caused an accident. The problem has been confirmed with the dealership service center all 3 times and they offered to replace it at no cost the first two times and now they are requesting I pay for it. The vehicle has not been inspected by the police or insurance, all 3 times I have taken it for service has been at the Kia dealership where I bought it from. There was no warnings no lights nothing, it just started doing a weird sound like it was being forced too much and it started slowing down.
Engine, Jun 27, 2024
The component That failed. Was the engine the engine blew at 120ish thousand miles. The problem has been taken to a dealer as well as an independent service station. Both confirmed that the engine blew because one of the Pistons exploded. Both confirmed that there is no reason for this. Other than it seems the oil thing did not ever tell anyone that the oil was running. There was no warning. No systems that came up nothing. We were driving and it lost power. I have spoken to Kia. I have spoken to the dealership I bought it from. Both have confirmed that Kia is known to have these issues with their engine but they are not doing a recall because it would be too expensive. When I spoke to Kia they told me that because my Kia specifically wasn't in the engine recall, I was out of luck. I still have it and they are welcome to inspect it. I have been holding out Hope that there is a recall because I spent my livelihood on this to give my kids a car. I had it for 2 years. It was maintained like a baby but because it's over 120,000 MI they will not do anything. I do have some paperwork I can send later if you'd like? It will take a bit to pull it out
Other or unspecified, Jun 26, 2024, fire
12/30/23 our home burned down, and our children were almost killed by a fire. It started from my KIA Sorento, starting on fire at random. Several hours after it was parked in our garage. Looking at security camera it started in rear of vehicle. Upon further investigation finding out that we were was supposed to have been sent a notice warning us of the recall for the trailer hitch. Never received notice. I have been the only owner of that vehicle. In dec of 2023 our local dealership (where I purchased) called and inform me know of the recall. To date no resolution has been made.
Engine, Jun 19, 2024
Engine seized
Exterior lighting, Jun 19, 2024
While driving after dark with the auto lights engaged, my headlights suddenly turned off. When I turned the knob on the light switch they came back on and I continued to drive. A short while down the road this happened again. At this point I turned the auto lights off and just ran them in manual on mode. No further incident with them in manual. This has now happened on several occasions.
Other or unspecified, Jun 17, 2024
The paint I'd peeling off the hood.
Exterior lighting, Jun 10, 2024
1) The headlights will turn off while driving when the headlight switch is "automatic." 2) The headlights and taillights will illuminate after leaving and locking the vehicle leading to a completely drained battery.