2019 Kia Sorento
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 428 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 8th highest complaint count among 23 Sorento model years with reports.
Of the 2019 reports, 10 involved a crash and 19 involved a fire. 16 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Back over prevention, sensing system, cameraSep 15, 2023
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2019 Sorento vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, water may leak into the rearview camera, which can cause the rearview camera image not to appear on the display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
A rearview camera that does not display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will inspect the rearview camera and add additional water proofing to the camera harness, or replace the camera as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 8, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC282.
Campaign 23V639000 on NHTSA.gov
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
Representative owner complaints: engine
167 reports, newest first. Show all
Engine, Oct 28, 2020
WHEN TAKING OFF, IT SPITS AND SPUTTERS AND THE RPMS GO DOWN TO ZERO AS PULLING OUT IN THE HIGHWAY. SAFETY ISSUE! THIS HAS BEEN AN ONGOING ISSUE HAVE HAD IT IN THE SHOP 3 TIMES
Engine, Aug 7, 2020
ENGINE HESITATES OR JERKS UNTIL IT WARMS UP. VEHICLE WAS BOUGHT NEW AND HAVE HAD IT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAY IT IS NOTHING IS WRONG. BASED ON ALL THE COMPLAINTS WITH THIS SAME PROBLEM IT DEFINITELY IS NOT NORMAL.
Power train, Service brakes, Engine, Jul 31, 2020
WHEN ACCELERATING FROM STOP (19TH AVE AND VINEYARD) THE CAR WILL HESITATE THEN TAKE OFF AT A FAST RATE OF SPEED. THERE HAS BEEN INSTANCES WHERE THE BRAKE SYSTEM HESITATES TO STOP, ALMOST LIKE A DELAYED REACTION (MOSTLY WHILE TRAVELING ON LOCAL STREETS SUCH AS WEST BOUND BASELINE RD). THE BRAKES SQUILL (ALL THE TIME WHEN BRAKING) SO BAD AND SO LOUD. I FEEL LIKE I'VE BEEN RIPPED OFF ON A CAR THAT'S ALREADY GIVING PROBLEMS LESS THAN SIX MONTHS OF PURCHASE. THE CITY OF ALL INSTANCES IS PHOENIX, AZ.
Power train, Engine, Jul 24, 2020
LIKE MANY OTHERS, MY 2019 KIA SORENTO V6 AWD STUMBLES, HESITATES AND JERKS WHEN ACCELERATING FROM A STOP. DOES IT MORE PRONOUNCED WHEN THE VEHICLE IS COLD. HAD IT TO THE LOCAL KIA DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID IT IS A PROBLEM THAT KIA IS AWARE OF AND "THEY" WOULD NOTIFY EFFECTED CUSTOMERS WHEN THEY HAVE A FIX. REALLY! IT HAS BEEN 2 YEARS AND THEY STILL DON'T HAVE A SOLUTION?
Power train, Engine, Jul 4, 2020
WHEN PULLING OUT ONTO THE ROAD PUSHING ON THE ACCELERATOR THE VEHICLE WONT ACCELERATE ,PUSHING DOWN ON THE ACCELERATOR ANOTHER 1/8 OF AN INCH AND THE VEHICLE WILL TAKE OFF VERY FAST, ALSO IT FEELS LIKE A MISFIRE AT SLOW SPEEDS.IT HAPPENS ALWAYS.
Power train, Engine, Jun 18, 2020
STUMBLES HORRIBLY THROUGH THE LOW GEARS DURING ACCELERATION UNTIL HITTING ~45-50MPH ON COLD START-UP (AFTER SITTING SEVERAL HOURS OR OVERNIGHT). AFTER ENGINE WARMUP THE EFFECT BEGINS TO MODERATE, THOUGH IT REMAINS PRESENT AT ALL TIMES. WORSE IN ECO AND COMFORT DRIVE MODES. GOING UP HILL THE CAR ACCELERATES FASTER WHICH LURCHES THE CAR FORWARD AND IS VERY SCARY. SOUNDS LIKE A MISFIRE WHEN I START THE CAR THIS HAPPENS IN THE CITY/TOWN AND SPEEDING UP TO GET ON THE INTERSTATE. *TR
Power train, Engine, Apr 19, 2020
PURCHASED VEHICLE NEW WITH 12 MILES ON IT BACK SEPT. 2019. I NOTICED ALMOST IMMEDIATELY THAT IT FEELS LIKE THE CAR IS LURCHING FORWARD, OR SKIPPING LIKE WHEN I ACCELERATE. I TOOK TO DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THEM CHECK IT OUT. BEFORE I COULD GET IT INTO SERVICE DEPT. TECH TOLD ME THAT THEY ALL DO IT. WITH THE NEW SPORT, ECO, COMFORT AND IT IS TRYING TO ADJUST TO YOUR DRIVING HABITS. IT IS STILL DOING IT. THE OTHER DAY, IT LUNGED FORWARD LIKE IT WASN'T GOING TO STOP WHEN I HAD MY FOOT ON BRAKES. I AM TAKING BACK TO DEALERSHIP TO HAVE IT CHECKED OUT AGAIN. WILL POST UPDATE. I PERSONALLY THING KIA NEEDS TO INVESTIGATE PROBLEM.
Steering, Electrical system, Engine, Jan 27, 2020
DAYS PREVIOUS TO EVENT WAS GETTING WARNING ALERTS ON DIFFERENT PROBLEMS. CALLED DEALERSHIP WHEN WARNING ALERTS CONTINUED HAPPENING. ON DAY OF EVENT WAS DRIVING ON MAJOR ROUTE, WHEN POWER STEERING BECAME DIFFICULT AS I PULLED OVER THE ENTIRE CAR SHUT DOWN. NO LIGHTS, NO BRAKING, NO HAZARD LIGHTS TO ENGAGE ALL SYSTEMS DOWN.
Engine, Oct 15, 2019
MY SORRENTO STARTED TO RIDE VERY ROUGH AND FELT LIKE ENGINE WAS KNOCKING AND MTHE VEHICLE WOULD START TO SHAKE. I PULLED OVER TURN VEHICLE OFF CHECKED ALL MY LEVELS EVERYTHING WAS OK EXCEPT LOW WASHER FLUID. PROCEEDED HOME NO PROBLEM. NEXT DAY AFTER WORKING AND RUNNING ERRANDS SAME THING HAPPENED THIS TIME ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. BROUGHT IT TO AUTO ZONE AND THE ERROR CODE GIVEN IS P0200. AND I NOTICE THAT MY VEHICLE IS BURNING A LARGE AMOUNT OF FUEL. THE NEXT DAY THE LIGHT WAS OFF NO PROBLEM BUT ON YESTERDAY 10/14/19 IT HAS STARTED AGAIN.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Oct 12, 2019
OUR NEW 2019 KIA SORENTO EX V6 ENGINE AND NEW 8 SPEED TRANSMISSION SURGING AND HESITATION REALLY BAD, ESPECIALLY IN LOWER RPMS. WE HAVE HAD IT INTO SERVICE 5 TIME NOW BUT NOTHING HAS WORKED TO FIX THE ISSUE. WHEN PULLING OUT ONTO THE HIGHWAY IT WILL HESITATE AND SURGE, THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS! THE NEW 8 SPEED TRANSMISSION SHIFTS WAY TO SOON, SO IT DOES NOT KEEP THE RPMS UP LONG ENOUGH TO GET THE CAR GOING SUFFICIENTLY THEREFORE CAUSES SURGING.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Sep 27, 2019
PURCHASED CAR IN JAN 2019. CAR STUDDERS ON ACCELERATION OF CAR UNDER ALL CONDITIONS.ACCELERATION IS ALWAYS ROUGH. TWO TIME AND SEVERAL CALLS TO DEALER HAS BEEN OF NO HELP. I KEEP GETTING TOLD BY DEALER THAT KIA IS WORKING ON SOFTWARE FIX FOR THE PROBLEM AND THAT ALL KIA SORENTO'S HAVE SAME PROBLEM.
Engine, Aug 24, 2019
WHEN PULLING OUT OR STARTING OUT THE CAR HESITATES MAKING IT VERY UNSAFE WHEN PULLING OUT IN TRAFFIC. I HAVE REPORTED IT TO THE KIA SERVICE CENTER, BUT THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH IT. IT IS VERY FRUSTRATING AND UNSAFE. THIS HAS BEEN GOING ON SINCE I PURCHASED THE CAR IN MAY.
Engine, Jul 22, 2019
LOUD ENGINE RATTLE NOISE WHEN STARTING ENGINE THAT HAS BEEN SHUT OFF OVERNIGHT.SOUNDS LIKE THE CAMSHAFT CHAIN HYDRAULIC TENSIONER IS BLEEDING DOWN.TENSIONER DOES NOT MAINTAIN A CORRECT INITIAL POSITION.NOISE DIMINISHES WITHIN A MINUTE OR SO OF STATIONARY ENGINE RUN.
Service brakes, Engine, Jul 18, 2019, crash
MY KIA SORENTO 2019 HAS BEEN ACTING WEIRD FOR A WHILE. I HAD TALKED TO THE SERVICE GUYS AND I WAS TOLD ALL IS FINE. HERE ARE SOME OF THE MAJOR ISSUES: 1. THE CAR HAS AN ISSUE OF ACCELERATION. ONCE IT REACHES 45MPH IT BECOMES NOISY AND IT FEELS LIKE THE ENGINE IS ABOUT TO EXPLODE. THE ANSWER FROM THE SERVICE GUYS:" IT IS NORMAL." 2. THE BRAKES: IT TAKES TOO MUCH TIME TO STOP. SO, EVEN IF I KEEP MY DISTANCE FROM THE CAR IN FRONT OF ME, I ALWAYS STRUGGLE TO STOP AT THE SAFE DISTANCE AT THE STOP SIGN OR LIGHTS. THE ANSWER FROM THE SERVICE GUYS: 'NO PROBLEM WITH THE BRAKES.' 3. AFTER DRIVING FOR AN HOUR OR SO, THE MOTOR OVERHEATS SIGNIFICANTLY. 4. FINALLY, THE CAR ROLLED BACK FROM THE PARKING LOT (WHILE ON THE PARK MODE ) AND INJURED TWO PEOPLE, AND DAMAGED ANOTHER CAR.
Engine, Jul 18, 2019
WHEN DRIVING AT HIGH ALTITUDES, THE CAR SEEMS TO WANT TO STALL. WE WILL BE DRIVING ALONG JUST FINE AND THEN THERE IS HESITATION FOR A MOMENT AND THEN THE CAR WILL BE GOING ALONG JUST FINE AGAIN AND THE HESITATION HAPPENS AGAIN. THIS IS CONTINUOUS THROUGHOUT OUR ENTIRE HIGH ALTITUDE DRIVES. USUALLY OCCURS AT APPROXIMATELY 8000-10,000 FT IN ELEVATION. SEEMS TO OCCUR MORE OFTEN AT 40 MILES PER HOUR. I AM SCARED WE WILL HAVE COMPLETE FAILURE OF THE CAR IN THE MOUNTAINS AND HAVE NO CELL PHONE SERVICE IN ORDER TO CALL SOMEONE FOR HELP. WE HAVE ONLY HAD THIS CAR FOR ABOUT 6 WEEKS AND HAVE TAKEN 4 HIGH ALTITUDE DRIVES AND THIS HAPPENS EVERYTIME. TOOK THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD US THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE AND KIA IS WORKING ON IT. HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE KIA TO RESOLVE THIS ISSUE? I DON'T WANT STALL SOMEWHERE AND CREATE A HAZARDOUS CONDITION FOR MYSELF, PASSENGERS, AND OTHERS SURROUNDING ME. PLEASE SEE KIA GETS THIS TAKEN CARE OF AS SOON AS POSSIBLE FOR EVERYONE'S SAFETY.
Engine, Jun 4, 2019
LEASED THE CAR IN MARCH AND BY END OF MAY IT WAS IDELING ROUGH AND CLICKING. GOT A MESSAGE ON MY SCREEN ENGINE CONTROL SYSTEM FAILURE AND A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. TOOK IT ONTO THE DEALER AND WITH LESS THAN 2900 MILES IT NEEDS A NEW ENGINE. NOW IT WILL BE ABOUT 3 MONTHS (THEY ARE BACKLOGGED) UNTIL I GET IT BACK!!
Power train, Engine, Aug 24, 2018
CAR HAS PROBLEM WHEN DRIVING IN ECONO MODE. WILL HESITATE WHEN GIVEN GAS IN MORNING AND AT TIMES WHEN PULLING OUT IN TRAFFIC. NOTE NEVER INFORMED ABOUT THE PROBLEM BEFORE LEASING OF CAR. TOLD BY SERVICE DEPARTMENT THAT IS THE WAY IT WAS DESIGNED. MAY CAUSE PROBLEMS FOR OTHER DRIVERS OR ACCIDENTS. NOTE BY MILEAGE WAS NEVER TEST DRIVEN AFTER SO CALLED FIX.