2018 Kia Sorento
3 recalls and 253 owner complaints on record for this model year.
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This page describes the model. To see how one particular car is equipped, and whether its identifier is valid, decode its VIN.
Decode a VIN3 recalls and 253 owner complaints on record for this model year.
This page describes the model. To see how one particular car is equipped, and whether its identifier is valid, decode its VIN.
Decode a VINAlmost all of this describes the model year, not the individual car. Nothing here can tell you about this vehicle’s mileage, accidents or ownership — no identifier encodes those.
1 recall carries a do-not-drive or park-outside warning. Check whether this vehicle was remedied before driving or storing it.
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.
Remedy: 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.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2018 Kia Sorento vehicles. The cowl crossbar that connects to the Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS) steering column may be improperly welded, allowing the steering column to separate.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the cowl crossbar, free of charge. The recall began October 26, 2018. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC167.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2018 Kia Sorento vehicles. The side curtain air bags on these vehicles have a component that may detach during deployment of the inflatable curtain air bag.
The Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU), responsible for the Anti-lock Braking System, Electronic Stability Control System and Traction Control System, can remain live even when the vehicle is switched off. If moisture enters the HECU, an electrical short circuit can occur. If an electrical short circuit occurs, this could result in an engine compartment fire. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
Due to an internal leak of brake fluid, a short circuit may occur in the electrical circuit for the ABS/ESC (anti-lock braking system / electronic stability control) system. This may lead to an increase in current and overheating in the fuse box, increasing the risk of the engine catching fire, irrespective of whether the vehicle is parked or being driven. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
I have replaced my rotors and my brakes soon as I got the car I’ve had the car for a month now I was in a major accident. Someone walked in front of my car. My emergency brake system did not work my rotors and my brakes, have been scrubbing ever since I got the car. And I don’t know how to fix the situation. The brakes are still going out and sound very horrible. I can’t keep replacing them because I don’t think they need to be replaced. Is something wrong with the car. My Insurance adjuster name is Brandon Brooks [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I was driving from richlands coming home and my vechial kept trying to die on me like i didnt have any gas and then i had to suddenly pull off the side of the road without any power and i sat their and even try to restart the vechial and it wouldn't start back then a woman come out of nowhere in an ambulance and i was trying to tell her that it was alright and she was trying to tell me that the vechial was on fire underneath the vechial and i didnt see that it was a fire at all i though i was overheating so i was sitting in the vechial waiting on it to cool down thank god i was not hurt really bad if this would have happened somewere else i know i would be dead i already have smoke in my lungs from breathing in all that smoke i though was just steam but i still dont know what in my engine caught on fire but i do know it started from either in the engine or under it somewhere then everything caught fire and it was all melted the whole thing is completely gone even the tag melted i have never seen that kind of fire before ever and i have own alot of vechicle and they usally break down but this was the first time one caught on fire and thus happens to kia alot even the day this happened the fire dept told me they just put another kia out just the week before how is it that kia are keeping these vechicle on the road it is awful and im trying to do something about it but noone will help me and i dont know what i need yo do to make kia pay for this i only had this vechial almost 6 months and it didnt have alot of miles on it 100000 thats not alot but the kia everything i have read have flew apart after the warranty has expired so its great for them i say they are happy and they have had a few recalls on this vechial and know about the fire but have something stupid like a tow hitch its saying my vechial has that recall but i didnt see a tow hitch anywere but it still caught fire so i would love for someone to take these vechial off the road they are not safe not what kia
The contact owned a 2018 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, another vehicle had abruptly attempted to merge into the opposite traveling lane and caused the front end bumper to crash into the Front Driver-side door of the other vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was towed away to a local tow yard. A Traffic Accident Information form was filed by the local police department. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by the opposite insurance provider, and the contact was not deemed at fault. In addition, the contact was taken out of the vehicle safely by paramedics and was taken to a nearby UgentCare where he sought medical attention for neck and hand pains and severe mental distress. The local dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 18,000.
My car went into Sudden Unintended Acceleration when I shifted from neutral to drive. I was in a gas station that was perpendicular to highway traffic. When I attempted to come out of the car wash tunnel to get my car dried off, the car accelerated out of control, the gas pedal was stuck and the brakes would not engage. The car flew out of the tunnel and into traffic. The car hit a curb before entering into traffic and went airborne. I in the third lane of southbound traffic. The vehicle then continued on through a grass median and across three lanes of northbound traffic, hitting another curb. At sone point during this accident, three of the tires popped and drivers side airbags did deploy. The popped tires appears to be the reason why the car finally came to a stop. It is only by the grace of God that I made it out alive. The airbag burned my torso. This accident occurred on 5/19/2023 at approximately 4:15 pm. X-rays and cat scans revealed no additional injuries. Currently, I am waiting to be seen by an orthopedic doctor for pain in ankles, lower back and stiffness at base of neck. My insurance company concluded the car as a total loss.
I was in a weather related accident where I hit the guardrail twice head on and none of my airbags deployed. My vehicle is currently at a tow yard and will be towed to the autobody shop 12/8/2021. No warnings or indications on why the airbags wouldn't have worked properly prior to the accident.
I WAS DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MILES PER HOUR ON A CITY STREET WHEN ANOTHER VEHICLE PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF ME. THE IMPACT TOTALED THE OTHER VEHICLE AND CAUSED $7,500 IN DAMAGE TO MY VEHICLE, AND MY AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. WHILE I WAS NOT SERIOUSLY INJURED, I DID SUFFER SIGNIFICANT WHIP-LASH TYPE INJURIES, AND INJURED MY KNEE WHEN IT HIT THE DASH BOARD.
FRONTAL IMPACT WITH A DEER ON INTERSTATE 81 NORTHBOUND IN PA., CRUISE CONTROL SET AT POSTED SPEED LIMIT OF 65MPH, NO AIRBAG DEPLOYMENT AT TIME OF IMPACT OR AFTER COLLISION CHEST IMPACTED STEERING WHEEL AND ARM PAIN FROM HOLDING STEERING WHEEL.
DRIVING ON HIGHWAY, HIT DEER. FRONT AIRBAGS DEPLOYED. CAR SWERVED ONTO MEDIAN AND FRONT PASSENGER SIDE CRASHED INTO GUARDRAIL. SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. UNCLEAR WHY SIDE AIRBAG DID NOT DEPLOY. FRONT PASSENGER HIT HEAD ON PASSENGER DOOR WINDOW AND SHATTERED WINDOW, SUSTAINED CONCUSSION.
This is with regards to a major safety incident that could have been fatal for my wife and others on 2/2/2022. My wife parked her 2018 Kia Sorento on our driveway picked up her belongings and closed the door of the car. As she was about to enter the house it felt to her that the car was still running. So, she went to the car again opened the drivers side of the door and reached out and pressed the "Start/Stop" button thinking if the car's engine is still "ON" it will turn it "OFF". As soon as she hit the button the car started rolling backwards and my wife got entangled in the door. She got knocked down to the ground sustaining a concussion on her head and deep bruises on her legs and shoulder. The car went to neighbor's front yard across the street and was stopped by the curb and the snow bank on neighbor's yard. After I tended to my wife I went to fetch the car I double checked and saw that the gear shifter was in "Parking" position. The mystery is how the car moved backwards while the car was in "Parking". It's not a steep hill and the way car rolled it felt to my wife as the car was in "Neutral". There is no warning lights or any other failure indications. We took the car to local Kia dealer for thorough inspection but they couldn't find anything. We are quite scared to drive the car. I am hoping a very through investigation of the car and get to the bottom of the issue. We complained to Kia, they reached out once after almost a month and now radio silence on the issue.
My 2018 Kia Sorento keeps going into limp mode. It can’t be duplicated by any shop so I keep paying for diagnostic and not having anything repaired besides things that could “possibly be the problem” but aren’t covered by the warranty like a positive battery cable or a software update. Now I’m $1000 out of pocket and had the most terrifying experience of my life and the car is still not repaired. Driving 75mph down the freeway, the car violently tried to stop and shut off and turned back on all on its own. It went into limp mode. Felt like a grenade went off. Still nothing can be found as to what the problem is! It is not safe and I refuse to put my children back in this car.
My wife and I were Driving when I tried to stop and the brakes failed. Within seconds the vehicle caught fire in the engine compartment. I had to slam the transmission into park cause the doors would not open. When my wife tried to escape out the passenger side the flames came into the cabin towards her. I then opened my door and then had to help my wife escape out the driver's side door. Within minutes the car was engulfed in flames. The fire department arrived and it took a while to extinguish. The vehicle is totaled.
In January 2024 I started getting power steering issues and multiple warning lights related to the electrical systems. I took my vehicle to Car Pros Kia for inspection and repair on 2/1/2024. They took it for a test drive at which time it caught fire.
I was driving my daughter to school and heard 2 popping noises under the car. The car started smoking as I was driving. I pulled into the parking lot and the car wouldn’t stop. I pressed the break multiple times before it eventually stopped. The car was completely smoking from the hood and then caught fire as I got me and my children out of it. The fire department came and successfully put the fire out after about 30 minutes of continuous flames. It was a total loss
The contact owns a 2018 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, the vehicle lost all power while depressing the accelerator pedal without warning. The contact also stated that white smoke began to emit from underneath the hood of the vehicle. Upon inspection of the vehicle, the contact saw flames coming from underneath the vehicle as oil began to leak from the vehicle. The flames eventually dissipated and authorities were not called to the scene. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed initially to the contact's home and later to the dealer. Once in the dealer's possession, the contact was informed that there was a hole in the engine block which had led to engine failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but had yet to offer any assistance. The vehicle remained in the possession of the dealer and had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 81,000.
The contact owned a 2018 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of an unknown NHTSA Campaign Number regarding the Trailer Hitches however, the contact stated that while the vehicle was unoccupied in a parked position, he noticed that the rear end of the vehicle inadvertently caught fire. The contact then stated that the fire started to spread igniting the whole vehicle. As a result, the side of the contact house caught fire. No injuries were sustained. No medical attention was required. The fire department was notified, and the fire was extinguished. A fire report was filed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The origin of the fire had yet to be determined. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by the insurance company. The dealer was not notified. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened but no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000.
Filed by owners of this model year and unverified by NHTSA — one person’s account, not an established fact.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver and passenger side curtain air bags, free of charge. The recall began on December 18, 2017. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC159.
Published by model year, not by VIN — may not apply to this vehicle, or may already have been done. Confirm with a dealer.
Due to a software error, the turn indicators (blinkers) may malfunction. Other road users will be unable to see if the vehicle is about to turn, creating a risk of an accident. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
Damage to the auxiliary heater may cause an electrical fault. This can increase thermal heat generation, increasing the risk of fire. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
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