RoadVitals

2005 Kia Sorento Transmission Problems

Owner-reported complaints naming the transmission system, filed with NHTSA

Data refreshed

Transmission reportsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
9
Latest Apr 2, 2011
Share of all reportsThis category as a share of every owner report on file for this model year. One report can name more than one component, so the categories overlap.
3%
of 307 total
Crash or fire reportedReports in this category whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. The reporter's own answer on the NHTSA form, not a verified finding.
0
Injuries or deaths reportedTotals the submitters entered on their own reports in this category. Not verified by NHTSA and not a casualty statistic.
0

What this page shows

Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules. Every record below is an owner-reported complaint about the 2005 Kia Sorento submitted to NHTSA — not a confirmed defect, not a recall and not a manufacturer bulletin. 9 reports on file name it.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

Owner reports naming transmission

Shown in the owner’s own words, exactly as filed

BrakesTransmission
Filed Apr 2, 2011

CAR SHAKES WHEN BRAKING. REAR BRAKES PADS WORN DOWN TO 30%. HAD REAR ROTORS TURNED AND NEW PADS INSTALLED AT 37,945 SHAKING REDUCED SOMEWHAT. AT 41,252 HAD REAR BRAKE ROTORS REPLACED,(BECAUSE THEY WHERE WARPED) AND BRAKE PADS REPLACED,CAR STILL SHAKES. MECHANIC STATES PROBLEM IS IN THE DRIVE TRAIN WHICH SOMEHOW BINDS-UPS WHEN BRAKING AND IS DESTROYING THE REAR BAKES. SHAKES. *TR

NHTSA ID
10394018
Incident
Mar 31, 2011
Mileage
37,945 mi
Transmission
Filed Sep 10, 2010

2005 SORENTO LOVE THE CAR, BUT ON TAKE OFF AROUND 45 TO 50 MPH IF I'LL JERK AND LOSE SPEED BUT IF I KEEP MY FOOT IT DOES HAPPEN AS OF YET, IT JUST HOLDS THERE END MUCH GIVE LOTS OF GAS TO GET IT GOING. THAT'S THE ONLY PROBLEM I HAVE. PLEASE HELP. ALL THE TIME! *TR

NHTSA ID
10354876
Incident
Sep 9, 2010
EngineTransmission
Filed Apr 17, 2010

EARLIER RECALL DEFECTIVE!!! 2005 KIA SORENTO V6, HAD A RECALL OF BREAKAGE OF CRANKSHAFT ACCESSORY PULLEY BOLT. NEW BOLT FROM THE RECALL HAS ALSO FAILED. MY CRANKSHAFT PULLEY AND BOLT FELL OUT ON THE HIGHWAY WHILE IN OPERATION. KIA SERVICE REFUSES TO COVER THE NEW BOLT ON WARRANTY. HAD BOLT TIGHTENED AT LOCAL SHOP AND IT FAILED AGAIN IN 3 DAYS!!! KIA IS FAILING TO FIX THIS PROBLEM IN WHICH WILL RESULT IN FATALITY ACCIDENTS. *TR

NHTSA ID
10326103
Incident
Apr 15, 2010
Mileage
78,360 mi
ElectricalTransmission
Filed Mar 4, 2010

I HAVE A 2005 KIA SORENTO THAT STARTED TO SHUT OFF WHILE DRIVING ON JAN 3RD 2009. SINCE THEN IT HAS HAPPENED 4 TIMES. IT IS RANDOM AND I AM CURRENTLY IN COURT WITH KIA THROUGH THE PA LEMON LAW. I WANTED TO FILE THIS COMPLAINT SO IT IS ON RECORD. *TR

NHTSA ID
10316776
Incident
Jan 3, 2009
Mileage
50,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Jan 25, 2008

WHILE DRIVING UNDER NORMAL CIRCUMSTANCES, THE AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION IN MY 2005 KIA SORENTO MAKES AN UNUSUAL NOISE (KLUNK) WHILE SHIFTING BETWEEN GEARS, THEN IMMEDIATELY LOSES POWER. I MAYBE ABLE TO DRIVE AT A VERY LOW SPEED FOR A SHORT DISTANCE WITH NO POWER OR IT WILL JUST NOT MOVE (AS WHAT HAPPENED TO ME IN THE SECOND FAILURE). THE KIA DEALERSHIP IN WHICH I HAVE HAD IT TOWED TO HAS DONE THE FOLLOWING. FIRST VISIT = "MISC FOUND CODES P0716/P0893//CLEAR CODES OK AT THIS TIME" COULD NOT DUPLICATE CUSTOMERS CONCERN. SECOND VISIT = REPLACED THROTTLE POS SENSOR". THIRD VISIT = "VEHICLE WAS LOW ON TRANSMISSION FLUID". I AM NOT ACCEPTING THE LAST EXCUSE AS A FIX TO THE PROBLEM, I BELIEVE THERE IS AN UNDERLYING PROBLEM. *TR THE VEHICLE WENT BACK TO THE DEALER FOR THE 4TH TIME FOR THE CLUNKING NOISE THAT CAUSES IT TO STOP AND THE DEALER REPLACED THE WIRING HARNESS KIT.

NHTSA ID
10216000
Incident
Jan 24, 2008
Transmission
Filed Aug 28, 2007

MY FIANCE' AND I HAVE RECENTLY STARTED EXPERIENCING SOME ISSUES WITH OUR 2005 MANUAL TRANSMISSION. FOR SOME REASON, FROM A STOP, THE CAR WILL NOT MOVE FORWARD ONCE IT IS ON GEAR. IT JUST WON'T MOVE. I CAN TAKE IT IN AND OUT OF GEAR AND IT STILL WON'T MOVE. I CAN TRY IT IN FIRST OR SECOND AND STILL NOTHING. THE WORK AROUND WE FIGURED OUT IS TO PUT IT IN REVERSE AND MAYBE MOVE IT BACKWARDS JUST A LITTLE BIT AND WE ARE THEN ABLE TO PUT THE CAR IN FIRST AND MOVE FORWARD LIKE NORMAL. IT HAS ACTUALLY HAPPENED TO HER THREE TIMES IN THE PAST WEEK, ONCE LAST WEEK AND TWICE TODAY. I WAS ABLE TO GET TO THE CAR LAST WEEK THE FIRST TIME IT HAPPENED AND SAW THE ISSUE FIRST HAND. I AM GOING TO KIA ABOUT THIS, BUT I WAS WONDERING IF ANYONE ELSE HAS HAD THIS ISSUE OR EXPERIENCED THIS ISSUE WITH THE 2005 MANUAL TRANSMISSION, OR ANY YEAR TRANSMISSION FOR THAT MATTER. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THIS HAS HAPPENED ON BUSY ROADS AND INTERSECTIONS IN THE MIDDLE OF RUSH HOUR. WE ARE WORRIED THAT IT WILL HAPPEN WHILE SHE IS MOVING OR CHANGING GEARS. THIS HAS TO BE SOME SORT OF SAFETY ISSUE. THE CAR IS GOING TO KIA TOMORROW TO HAVE THE ISSUE ADDRESSED. *JB

NHTSA ID
10201034
Incident
Aug 28, 2007
Mileage
31,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Jan 4, 2007

MANUAL TRANSMISSION INTERMITTENT SHIFTING SAFETY DEFECT CAUSES OUR 2005 KIA SORENTO TO LOCK UP WHILE WE ARE DRIVING IN TRAFFIC AND WILL NOT LET US SHIFT GEARS OR MOVE THE CAR. HAS HAPPENED PULLING INTO TRAFFIC IN FIRST GEAR; HAS HAPPENED ON THE HIGHWAY SHIFTING UP THROUGH GEARS, HAS HAPPENED DOWN SHIFTING IN INTERSECTIONS. THIS DANGEROUS SAFETY DEFECT COULD CAUSE US TO BE IN A POSSIBLY FATAL ACCIDENT. WE HAVE REPORTED THIS PROBLEM TO KIA INC. TWO TIMES AND TAKEN TO DEALERS FOR DIAGNOSIS BUT HAVE BEEN TOLD SINCE THIS IS AN INTERMITTENT PROBLEM AND THEY CAN'T DUPLICATE IT THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO TO HELP US. THEY TEST DRIVE THE CAR BUT WILL NOT DO ANYTHING ELSE TO LOOK AT THE CAR. IN THE MEANTIME THE PROBLEM CONTINUES TO EXIST AND WE ARE DRIVING A DANGEROUS VEHICLE AND WE DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO TO HAVE THIS PROBLEM CORRECTED. OUR CONSCIENCE TELLS US WE SHOULD NOT TRADE OR SELL THIS AUTO BECAUSE WE KNOW IT HAS A POTENTIALLY LIFE-THREATENING SAFETY DEFECT (EVEN THOUGH IT HAPPENS INTERMITTENTLY) . THIS IS A FRIGHTENING EXPERIENCE. EVERY TIME WE DRIVE THE CAR WE WONDER IF THE SHIFTING PROBLEM WILL OCCUR. WE HAVE YOUNG GRANDCHILDREN AND BOUGHT THE KIA SORENTO BECAUSE OF ITS POSITIVE SAFETY FEATURES. BECAUSE OF THIS SERIOUS PROBLEM WE ARE HIGHLY CONCERNED FOR THEIR AND OUR SAFETY. *NM UPDATED 11/21/06. *JB UPDATED

NHTSA ID
10172638
Incident
May 2, 2005
Transmission
Filed Oct 12, 2005

WHILE DRIVING MY 2005 KIA SORENTO IT SUDDENLY LOOSES POWER AND WILL NOT SURPASS 30 MPH. WHEN I CHANGE FROM AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION TO THIS NEW STANDARD SHIFT THERE IS NO RESPONSE. THIS HAS OCCURRED NOW 4 TIMES THE PAST 2 MONTHS. THE DEALER CHECKED THE CODES AND NOTHING SHOWS. I MUST STOP AND SHUT THE VEHICLE OFF, RESTART AND ALL SYSTEMS RETURN TO NORMAL. MY DEALER SAYS THAT I MUST BRING THIS TO THEM WHEN IT IS IN THIS STATE. THIS REQUEST IS IMPOSSIBLE TO DO.*JB

NHTSA ID
10139390
Incident
Jul 22, 2005
Mileage
4,000 mi
Transmission
Filed Aug 18, 2005

TRANSMISSION SLIPS IN THE FIRST FOUR GEARS. I A HAVE ALMOST BEEN REAR ENDED MANY TIMES BECAUSE TRANSMISSION GOES INTO NEUTRAL. TRANSMISSION MODULE REPLACED. IT IS STILL SLIPPING OUT OF GEAR. *NM

NHTSA ID
10133408
Incident
Aug 18, 2005
Mileage
1,734 mi

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers.

Other components reported on this vehicle

Categories with enough reports to have a page of their own

Elsewhere on this vehicle

Data sources

Data on this page last refreshed .