2012 Kia Sorento Steering Problems

The clock spring needs fixed no features including the horn is working in my airbag light is staying on. Also I now have a loud knock in my motor I understand this should fall under the extended 15 yr 150k warranty; 2012 Kia vehicles (specifically the Sorento) with V6 engines are covered under major safety recalls for engine failure and fire risks. The primary issue involves metal debris from manufacturing that can cause premature engine bearing wear, stalling, and fire. You should check your VIN on the NHTSA site or Kia's recall page to confirm, as these recalls are still active.

NHTSA ID

11734042

Incident

Apr 22, 2026

ON 03/22/21, AT 8.00AM WAS A REGULAR VISIT FOR OIL CHANGE, FINALLY AROUND 1PM MY CAR WAS SHOWING ON THE DASHBOARD THE "ENGINE LIGHT", NEVER HAPPEN BEFORE, I CLAIMED VERBALLY WHY, THAT HAPPEN NOW. I AM DRIVING BECAUSE THEY TOLD ME IS SAFE AND I BELIEVE, AND WAITING THE APPOINTMENT FOR( RECALL 20V750) THANKS TO ALL.

NHTSA ID

11404398

Incident

Mar 22, 2021

DRIVING TO WORK THIS PAST TUESDAY 12/24/2019, WHILE DRIVING MY CAR DID THIS JERK MOVE AND THEN ALL THE ELECTRICAL SIGNS POPPED UP I COULDN'T BRAKE OR STEER MY STIRRING WHEEL .ITS AS IF MY CAR LOCKED UP ON ME. LUCKILY I WAS ABLE TO TURN OFF A SIDE ROAD AVOIDING ON COMING TRAFFIC. AND BUT THE CAR IN PARK. I WAS STUCK FOR 2 HOURS. MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WAS THE ONLY LIGHT THAT STAYED ON. I COULDN'T START THE CAR AT ALL. LUCKILY I CALLED MY COUSIN TO SEE IF SHE COULD TRY AND GIVE ME A JUMP TOO SEE IF IT WORKED. IN WHICH IT DID I THEN TOOK MY VEHICLE UP TO AUTO ZONE WHERE THEY OUT IT ON THE DIAGNOSTIC MACHINE. WHERE MY BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR WERE FINE. IT WAS VERY SCARY FOR THIS VEHICLE TO HAVE SHUT OFF ON ME LIKE THIS I AM JUST GLAD I WAS NOT ON THE HIGHWAY OR IT COULD HAVE BEEN A REALLY BAD OUTCOME FOR ME. THE UPLOAD OPTION ISN'T ALLOWING ME TO UPLOAD THE VIDEO OR MY PICTURE FROM THE SAY IT OCCURED.

NHTSA ID

11291222

Incident

Dec 24, 2019

Mileage

106,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON A LOCAL ROAD AT 35 MPH THE ENGINE STARTED MAKING NOISES, SMOKING, CAUGHT ON FIRE AND SEIZED WITH ABSOLUTELY NO WARNING AND NO ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON BEFORE. MY 2012 KIA SORENTO WAS PART ON MANUFACTURING DEFECT RECALL RELATED TO THE ENGINE AND IT WAS CHECKED BY A KIA SERVICE SHOP FOR THIS OVER A YEAR AGO. AT THAT TIME I ASKED IF THE ENGINE MALFUNCTION COULD OCCUR AT A LATER DATE EVEN THOUGH IT WAS FINE NOW. THEY SERVICE TECHNICIAN STATED THAT IT COULD STILL OCCUR AT A LATER DATE BUT WAS NOT INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE COULD FAIL/LOCK-UP, CATCH ON FIRE WITH NO WARNING AT ALL.

NHTSA ID

11233839

Incident

Jul 18, 2019

Mileage

110,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 KIA SORENTO. WHILE DRIVING 70 MPH, THE STEERING WHEEL SEIZED WITHOUT WARNING. THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED, BUT TOOK AN EXTENDED AMOUNT OF TIME TO STOP THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE SEIZED DUE TO A LACK OF ENGINE OIL. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPAIRED OR REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. MURRAY KIA (LOCATED AT 1402 WEST RIDGE PIKE, CONSHOHOCKEN, PA 19428, (610) 279-3020) WAS INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 17V224000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 132,000.

NHTSA ID

11153675

Incident

Nov 23, 2018

Mileage

132,000 mi

THIS KIA SORENTO CAUGHT FIRE WHILE BEING DRIVEN. THE DRIVER REPORTED THAT THE STEERING LOCKED UP AND SHE COULD SEE SMOKE AND A FLAME COMING FROM THE ENGINE. SHE LEFT THE VEHICLE UNHARMED HOWEVER THE EXPERIENCE WAS FRIGHTENING. THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES AND THE CAR IS NOW A TOTAL LOSS. THE CAR WAS PURCHASED FROM DALLAS AUTO AUCTION BY MAS MOTORS IN DALLAS TX. THE ORIGINAL OWNER WAS KIA OF ARLINGTON.

NHTSA ID

11132280

Incident

Sep 8, 2018

Mileage

154,601 mi

TAKATA RECALL- I HAD JUST STOPPED TURNED A CORNER AND THEN VEHICLE PULLED TO THE RIGHT CAUSING ME TO HIT A POLE.

NHTSA ID

10967040

Incident

Feb 25, 2017

Mileage

800,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING AT 45MPH MY CAR SHUT OFF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD (CITY.) NO WARNING WHATSOEVER, NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT, NO CHECK OIL LIGHT...NOTHING. I COULD NOT STEER IT NOR RESTART IT. MY LIGHTS ALL DIMMED. HAD IT TOWED TO A GARAGE AND THEY SAID THEY'VE HAD 3 OF THE SAME CARS WITH THE SAME ISSUE IN THEIR SHOP. THEY TOLD ME THERE WAS NO OIL IN IT , BUT NO LEAK. THEY PUT OIL IN IT AND JUMPED IT, THEN TOOK IT FOR A TEST RUN AND THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE OIL BECAME THICK AND DIRTY, WITH METAL IN IT AS WELL. I WAS LUCKY THAT I WAS ON MY WAY HOME FROM WORK AT MIDNIGHT AND THERE WASN'T MUCH TRAFFIC. I'M SCARED TO DRIVE IT NOW, ESPECIALLY SINCE I HAVE A 150 MILE DRIVE IN A FEW WEEKS. CALLED KIA AND THEY TOLD ME I NEED DOCUMENTATION OF ALL OIL CHANGES...FINE, I CAN GET THAT. FROM WHAT I'VE BEEN READING THOUGH I DON'T FEEL KIA WILL PROVIDE A SOLUTION TO THIS PROBLEM THAT HAS, FROM WHAT I'VE READ, PLAGUED MANY OWNERS. I BOUGHT MY CAR NEW IN 2011. IT HASN'T EVEN HIT THE 5 YEAR MARK YET, THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE AND VERY DANGEROUS. WHAT IF I HAD BEEN ON THE HIGHWAY WITH A TRACTOR-TRAILER BEHIND ME? TOO SCARY. CONSIDERING ALL THE PEOPLE WITH THE SAME ISSUE...WHY HASN'T THERE BEEN A RECALL?

NHTSA ID

10862121

Incident

Apr 26, 2016

Mileage

73,500 mi

FOR THE THIRD TIME IN A 2 MONTH SPAN, MY 2012 KIA SORENTO HAS COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN AS WE HAVE BEEN DRIVING IT. WE ARE AT THE 60K MILES MARK. THIS IS VERY DANGEROUS. TWO OF THE THREE TIMES WE HAVE BEEN DOING AROUND 40 MPH ON VERY BUSY STREETS AND THANK GOD, WE DID NOT HIT ANOTHER CAR OR GET HIT. THE VEHICLE WITH ZERO WARNING, WILL JUST DIE AND WE WILL LOSE ALL POWER STEERING, WE CAN'T SHIFT GEARS, AND THE BRAKES DO NOT WORK LIKE THEY NORMALLY DO. THE FIRST TIME I THOUGHT IT WAS JUST A BATTERY, SO I REPLACED IT. BUT SINCE THEN WE HAVE HAD IT AT THE DEALERSHIP TWICE AND THEY DO NOT KNOW WHAT IS WRONG WITH IT. THEY WILL GET IT RUNNING AGAIN AND THEN A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATER, IT WILL DIE AGAIN. I HAVE TWO BABIES THAT RIDE IN THIS VEHICLE AND I AM LOOKING AT MY OPTIONS TO GETTING RID OF IT. THIS VEHICLE IS VERY DANGEROUS!! *TR

NHTSA ID

10594876

Incident

May 27, 2014

Mileage

59,000 mi

I RECENTLY PURCHASED A KIA SORENTO WITH 38K MILES. WHEN I TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE I NOTICED A DISTINCT PULL IN THE STEERING AND THE VEHICLE WOULD DRIFT IN EITHER DIRECTION. SINCE THE VEHICLE STILL HAS 20K LEFT ON THE KIA WARRANTY I WENT AHEAD WITH THE PURCHASE. I THEN TOOK THE VEHICLE INTO THE KIA DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THEM TROUBLESHOOT THE PROBLEM TO WHICH THEY INFORMED ME THAT THE TIRES WERE UNEVENLY WORN AND THAT THEY SHOULD BE REPLACED. I REPLACED THE TIRES AND THE PROBLEM PERSISTED. I TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO THE DEALERSHIP AGAIN WHERE THEY PERFORMED A TSB TO ADDRESS THE DRIFT/PULL ISSUE AND PERFORMED AN ALIGNMENT. THE PROBLEM WAS STILL NOT RESOLVED. I TOOK THE VEHICLE BACK TO ANOTHER DEALERSHIP AND THEY INFORMED ME THAT THEY NOTICED THE VEHICLE PULLING AND RECOMMENDED THAT I GET ANOTHER ALIGNMENT. I STATED THAT I HAD JUST HAD AN ALIGNMENT DONE. SINCE IT WAS MY THIRD TIME TAKING IT IN I HAVE BEEN IN CONTACT WITH A KIA CORPORATE CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE. SHE HAS BEEN EXTREMELY DISMISSIVE ABOUT THE PROBLEM AND HAS NOT AGREED TO SEND OUT A TECH TO ADDRESS THE PROBLEM. THERE IS A WHOLE FORUM DEDICATED TO THE STEERING PROBLEMS WITH THE 2012 V6 KIA SORENTO AND YET KIA REFUSES TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM. HOPEFULLY ALL THE COMPLAINTS THAT HAVE BEEN REGISTERED WILL PROMPT A CORRECTIVE ACTION FROM KIA. *TR

NHTSA ID

10593841

Incident

Apr 18, 2014

Mileage

38,000 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 10 MPH, THE POWER STEERING FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE STEERING WHEEL BECAME VERY HARD TO TURN. THE FAILURE RECURRED FOUR TIMES OVER A PERIOD OF TWO YEARS. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHO COULD NOT DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 25,000. RK

NHTSA ID

10588637

Incident

Mar 5, 2012

Mileage

26,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING THE VEHICLE ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS THE VEHICLE HAS EITHER STALLED WITH A TOTAL LOSS OF STEERING, BRAKES AND ACCELERATION OR WITH THE ENGINE STILL RUNNING A TOTAL LOSS OF STEERING, BRAKES AND ACCELERATION. *TR

NHTSA ID

10586772

Incident

Apr 24, 2014

Mileage

30,000 mi

THIS HAS HAPPENED FOUR TIMES! WHILE COMING TO A STOP SIGN, ENGINE DIES, POWER STEERING OUT, POWER BRAKES OUT. AFTER SHIFTING INTO PARK OR NEUTRAL, CAR WILL IMMEDIATELY RESTART, AND FUNCTION WITHOUT THIS PROBLEM FOR WEEKS. KIA DEALERSHIP FINDS NOTHING WRONG AND NO "CODES" TO INDICATE THE CAR HAS HAD PROBLEMS. *TR

NHTSA ID

10574852

Incident

Apr 20, 2013

Mileage

9,000 mi

THE FIRST TIME I WAS DRIVING AT 35-45 MPH AND SLOWED TO TURN AND MY ENGINE SPONTANEOUSLY STALLED AND STEERING WHEEL LOCKED UP. LUCKILY, NO ONE WAS AROUND ME SO I BRAKED, AND RESTARTED THE ENGINE AND CAR SEEMED TO REBOOT FINE. TODAY, IT HAPPENED AGAIN EXCEPT I WAS DRIVING AT A MUCH SLOWER SPEED, 15 MPH. I WAS READY TO TAKE A TURN AND THE WHEEL LOCKED UP IN THE TURNED POSITION (BUT NOT FULLY TURNED) AND THE ENGINE STALLED. I BRAKED THE CAR AGAIN AND RESTARTED THE ENGINE IN THE MIDDLE OF AN INTERSECTION. THIS IS COMPLETELY DANGEROUS FOR ALL PASSENGERS OF THE CAR AND EVERYONE WHO'S DRIVING AROUND ME! *TR

NHTSA ID

10574699

Incident

Oct 1, 2013

Mileage

24,000 mi

I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY, THERE WAS A LOT OF TRAFFIC SO WE WEREN'T DRIVING VERY FAST, AND THE CAR JUST SHUT OFF, THE ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON AND THE STEERING WHEEL LOCKED. I WAS ABLE TO PUT ON MY HAZARD LIGHTS AND THEN I TURNED THE CAR OFF AND TRIED RESTARTING IT. THE CAR STARTED WITHOUT ANY PROBLEMS AND DROVE NORMAL AFTER THAT. *TR

NHTSA ID

10556621

Incident

Dec 6, 2013

Mileage

44,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING AT FREEWAY SPEEDS (55-65 MPH) OUR VEHICLE SPONTANEOUSLY SHUT DOWN; ALL ELECTRICAL POWERED OFF, ENGINE SHUT DOWN, LOSS OF ABS, LOSS OF POWER STEERING. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT RESTART UNTIL SHIFTING INTO 'PARK' POSITION. THIS WAS THE THIRD TIME THIS HAS HAPPENED, ALL UNDER THE SAME CIRCUMSTANCES. *TR

NHTSA ID

10531913

Incident

Jun 20, 2013

Mileage

11,000 mi

THIS VEHICLE IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS IN THE SNOW OR ON WET PAVEMENT. YOU CANNOT CONTROL THE VEHICLE - IT JUST GOES WHERE IT WANTS TO. THIS SITUATION IS GOING TO CAUSE CATASTROPHIC PROBLEMS AND LOSS OF LIVES. I DON'T KNOW IF THE PROBLEM IS THE VERY LIGHT 4 CYLINDER ENGINE, PROBLEMATIC SUSPENSION, STEERING, OR TIRES, BUT IT IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AND WILL DEFINITELY CAUSE ACCIDENTS. SOMETHING HAS GOT TO BE DONE TO MAKE THIS VEHICLE MUCH, MUCH SAFER TO DRIVE IN WET AND/OR SNOWY WEATHER. IT IS DIFFICULT NEGOTIATING A HILL IN EITHER DIRECTION, WHETHER GOING UP OR DOWN. I LITERALLY SLIDE INTO THE STREET FROM MY DRIVEWAY, WHICH IS BY NO MEANS A VERY STEEP DRIVE AND I CERTAINLY CANNOT MAKE IT UP THE DRIVE IN THE SNOW WITHOUT FIRST BACKING UP INTO MY NEIGHBOR'S DRIVE AND GETTING ENOUGH SPEED UP TO MAKE IT TO THE TOP OF MY DRIVE. WE BOUGHT AND UTILIZE THIS VEHICLE TO MAKE DELIVERIES AND PUT UP TO 500 MILES PER WEEK ON THE CAR AND OUR DRIVER NOW REFUSES TO DRIVE THIS VEHICLE BECAUSE OF THE IMMINENT DANGER -- HE CALLS IT A DEATH TRAP! *TR

NHTSA ID

10494596

Incident

Jan 4, 2012

Mileage

5,550 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH, THE TRACTION CONTROL WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE WEATHER WAS WINDY AND THE VEHICLE WAS JERKING FROM SIDE TO SIDE AS THE STEERING WHEEL REMAINED STRAIGHT. THE WIND WAS PUSHING THE VEHICLE EIGHT FEET INTO ANOTHER LANE AND EIGHT FEET BACK INTO THE CONTACT'S LANE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER BUT THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE FAILURE AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 1,500.

NHTSA ID

10453822

Incident

Mar 29, 2012

Mileage

1,500 mi

THE PANEL ASSEMBLY UNDER COVER IS BROKEN OFF EASY AND OBSTRUCTING THE WHEELS MOVEMENT, CAN CAUSES OVER TURN OR FLIP OVER. *TR

NHTSA ID

10430700

Incident

Oct 10, 2011

Mileage

1,300 mi