2020 Kia Sorento Problems

The vehicle suffered a sudden, severe engine malfunction/misfire while in operation, presenting a serious safety hazard on the road. Following the incident, the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership service center (Repair Order #XXX), where technicians verbally confirmed that the engine requires a complete replacement due to internal mechanical failure. The catastrophic mechanical failure of the engine directly caused consequential damage to the emissions system, entirely clogging the catalytic converter with unburned fuel/debris. Despite the clear link to the known, systemic defects inherent to the Theta II engine line—which is subject to active federal consent orders, safety recalls, and lifetime warranty extensions—both the dealership and Kia Corporate are refusing to honor the 8-year/80,000-mile Federal Emissions Defect Warranty. The manufacturer is attempting to use the catastrophic failure of their own defective, recalled engine line to evade their legal environmental and safety warranty obligations, leaving the consumer stranded without alternative transportation. This represents a systemic effort by the manufacturer to deflect liability for documented powertrain safety failures onto individual consumers. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Engine is burning oil at a significant rate, when I get my oil changed at the dealers recommendation it is extremely low. I have to replace the oil regularly between oil changes, and there is an exhaust smell. Also lagging when I hit the gas.

Driving on highway at 65, traction control light, airbag light, parking light, bcw warning, all came in at the same time. I was able to pull off to the side and re start engine to clear the lights. As soon as I got up to 40 lights one by one flickered on until up to highway speed and then all flickered and dash dings. Two independent shops ran diagnostics and noted that only battery was dead. Replaced battery and the lights came back immediately.

My Oil Pressure Switch is diagnosed as faulty by independent service center as well as Kia. Kia is denying coverage. I have found information that it should be covered. My check engine light shows an oil can light.

The contact called on behalf of his daughter who owns 2020 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a dealer for a routine oil change when the contact was informed that there was an unknown issue with the vehicle however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to a different dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission fluid was leaking and the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The vehicle suffered a sudden, severe engine malfunction/misfire while in operation, presenting a serious safety hazard on the road. Following the incident, the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership service center (Repair Order #XXX), where technicians verbally confirmed that the engine requires a complete replacement due to internal mechanical failure. The catastrophic mechanical failure of the engine directly caused consequential damage to the emissions system, entirely clogging the catalytic converter with unburned fuel/debris. Despite the clear link to the known, systemic defects inherent to the Theta II engine line—which is subject to active federal consent orders, safety recalls, and lifetime warranty extensions—both the dealership and Kia Corporate are refusing to honor the 8-year/80,000-mile Federal Emissions Defect Warranty. The manufacturer is attempting to use the catastrophic failure of their own defective, recalled engine line to evade their legal environmental and safety warranty obligations, leaving the consumer stranded without alternative transportation. This represents a systemic effort by the manufacturer to deflect liability for documented powertrain safety failures onto individual consumers. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owned a 2020 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed smoke coming from the vehicle. The contact stated the fuse box located on the driver's side had caught on fire. The vehicle was extinguished by the Fire Department. A fire report was filed, and a fire report number was provided; however, the cause of the failure was not yet determined. A Police report was filed and provided to the contact. The dealer was not contacted. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V703000(Trailer Hitches). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.Parts distribution disconnect.

The vehicle was not even 3.5 years old, it had been serviced in February 2023 and there was no warning before the fire began. The vehicle stopped accelerating and I immediately pulled over. The fire began as soon as I stopped the car and the vehicle was engulfed within minutes. My daughter and I were in the car. We barely escaped before the vehicle was on fire. I did not have a vehicle hitch on the vehicle and this was unrelated to the vehicle recall notice that I received several weeks after my incident.

Driving on highway at 65, traction control light, airbag light, parking light, bcw warning, all came in at the same time. I was able to pull off to the side and re start engine to clear the lights. As soon as I got up to 40 lights one by one flickered on until up to highway speed and then all flickered and dash dings. Two independent shops ran diagnostics and noted that only battery was dead. Replaced battery and the lights came back immediately.

My 2020 Kia Sorento engine light came on and not able to accelerate more than 40 mph. The code when I went to an auto repair shop says knock signal range/ performance. I had it reset by the mechanic and the engine light still on. The engine is also eating through oil very fast. We have to fill the car with oil frequently in between oil changes.

The vehicle suffered a sudden, severe engine malfunction/misfire while in operation, presenting a serious safety hazard on the road. Following the incident, the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership service center (Repair Order #XXX), where technicians verbally confirmed that the engine requires a complete replacement due to internal mechanical failure. The catastrophic mechanical failure of the engine directly caused consequential damage to the emissions system, entirely clogging the catalytic converter with unburned fuel/debris. Despite the clear link to the known, systemic defects inherent to the Theta II engine line—which is subject to active federal consent orders, safety recalls, and lifetime warranty extensions—both the dealership and Kia Corporate are refusing to honor the 8-year/80,000-mile Federal Emissions Defect Warranty. The manufacturer is attempting to use the catastrophic failure of their own defective, recalled engine line to evade their legal environmental and safety warranty obligations, leaving the consumer stranded without alternative transportation. This represents a systemic effort by the manufacturer to deflect liability for documented powertrain safety failures onto individual consumers. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Component/System Affected: UNKNOWN – suspected fuel system or related component due to strong gasoline odor. Vehicle is available for inspection upon request. What Happened: There is a strong gasoline odor specifically at the front driver’s side wheel well/tire area. The odor is also noticeable under the hood. The smell is present while the vehicle is parked (I had to move it out of the garage) and after driving. No visible fuel leaks or puddles have been observed under the vehicle. Safety Risk: Gasoline fumes create a potential fire hazard and pose a risk of accident. The odor is now also noticeable inside the vehicle, which increases concern for occupant safety. Confirmation by Service Centers: The problem has been reproduced and confirmed by independent service centers. Two separate auto mechanic shops inspected the vehicle and both confirmed smelling gasoline, but neither could identify the source of the odor or any mechanical defect. Inspections by Others: The vehicle has been inspected by two independent mechanics only. It has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives. Warning Lamps or Symptoms: No warning lights or dashboard messages have appeared. The only symptom is a persistent gasoline odor. Timeline: The odor was first noticed on 02/19/2026 and has continued since that date. Vehicle Information: 2020 Kia Sorento VIN: [XXX] Mileage: approximately 87,438 miles Used for local commuting to work and school. Vehicle is garage-kept and receives regular maintenance at certified auto mechanic shops. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

This morning, I had the software upgrade patch applied to my 2020 Kia Sorento that was supposed to fix the potential theft issue. After that service appointment, I started a 2 hour road trip. We stopped for gas and when we went into the store, I noticed that my car was not sounding the horn when I hit the key FOB twice like normal. I went back to the car and saw that the car was in fact not locked. I was able to lock the car manually, but had I not paid attention, someone could have snuck into my unlocked car. Later in the roadtrip, I needed to clean my windshield using wiperfluid and wipers. I sprayed the wiper fluid, but to my surprise the windshield wipers did not activate. I tried all the settings on the stick to activate the wipers, but they did not activate. I was driving 70mph on a highway and could not see. This was a huge safety problem. Luckily this was momentary as the speed cleared the wiper fluid. But had it been raining, I would not have been able to see which is unsafe for me, my passengers and those around me. Third, I noticed that my headlights were not working as expected. The Auto setting did not seem to be activating as normal. After playing with it, it appears that the Auto and Off settings on the lights seem to be switched. This is unsafe because drivers rely on that Auto setting to turn the lights on when it is necessary. They may think the lights are on when they are not and are not able to be seen by other drivers. By the time I realized these things, the service department at the dealership was already closed. I have tried to leave them a voicemail, but their phone is not set up to accept that. I have sent an email and will be calling them as soon as they reopen on Monday. There are no warning messages to tell the drive about these issues.

The contact had rented a 2020 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, both the front passenger and rear passenger's side windows exploded. The contact stated that there was no external cause to the failure. There were no warning lights illuminated. The dealer and the manufacturer were not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired, and was returned to the vehicle rental company. The failure mileage was 4,537. The VIN was unavailable.

I REALLY DONT REMEMBER THE DRIVER IMPACTED THE FRONT DOOR AREA OF MY VEHICLE.

While driving my 2020 Kia Sorrento at low speeds, my brakes will lock up on me, and it sounds like metal to metal. Rubbing, I was almost rear, ended because of it. It feels like a very hard grab. This is happened quite a few times and I am a commuter so it’s very scary not knowing when this is going to happen.

the car the engine wast the oil in 1 week that every weeks it has problem in the ring of the engine , we just buy the car they tell us it has it had guarantee talking to the bank and the where I buy the car it don't show . it has a bad smell of wet and burnt oil ..

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the headlights became inoperable. The blinkers and the radio were inoperable for several seconds before returning to normal function. The contact stated that the failure had occurred several times while the contact and the contact's wife were driving the vehicle. The contact stated the failure was a major safety hazard, especially while driving at night. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic; however, the failure was not duplicated. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the contact was required to pay a fee for a diagnostic test. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH with her daughter and parents in the vehicle, an abnormal squeaking sound was heard emanating from the steering wheel. No warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the steering column needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but the repair was delayed because the manufacturer required information from the dealer, while the dealer claimed to be waiting for a response from the manufacturer. The failure mileage was 19,000.

MY STEERING WHEEL IS MAKING LOUD CLUNK NOISES AND THE STEERING WHEEL IS SHAKING I AM UNABLE TO DRIVE MORE THEN 20 MILES PER HOUR AND IT FEELS VERY UNSAFE

Driving on highway at 65, traction control light, airbag light, parking light, bcw warning, all came in at the same time. I was able to pull off to the side and re start engine to clear the lights. As soon as I got up to 40 lights one by one flickered on until up to highway speed and then all flickered and dash dings. Two independent shops ran diagnostics and noted that only battery was dead. Replaced battery and the lights came back immediately.

I REALLY DONT REMEMBER THE DRIVER IMPACTED THE FRONT DOOR AREA OF MY VEHICLE.

Driver seatbelts randomly unlatches itself while operating vehicle.

I was driving on the highway at 65 mph with other flow of triffid. As I was crested a hill, I had notice ahead there was emergency vehicles ahead about half-three quarter mile and I had let go of the accelerator. By the time I had looked down in front of me there was a vehicle that appeared to not have stopped due to not seeing any brake lights. By the time I realized the vehicle had stopped, I rear ended him. During the collision the was six people in the vehicle including myself. Me, my wife and four of our children. Ages 13, 11, 7 & 2. The 2 yr old was in a car seat. Out of the the 6 seatbelts that were buckled were dislodged from it receptacle. The 11 yr old daughter was flung to the front of the vehicle hitting her head into the dashboard causing a concussion and neck pain. The front facing car seat had its buckle dislodged but the 2yr old did not sustain any injuries. Both of them sitting in the 2nd row. The 13 yr old in the 3rd row, his seatbelt was dislodged and sustain bruising and scrapes on his right side of his face. The 7 yr old complained about his stomach, but his seat belt did not dislodge. And my wife had sustained bruising around her waist and a broken collarbone. Theses seatbelts should not have dislodged from its receptacles if the were clicked in. I always make sure that everyone has there seatbelts on before operating the vehicle.

We bought a brand new 2020 Kia Sorento on [XXX]. A little after a year we started to notice noises from the wheel hubs. Kia has replaced the tires thinking that was the problem, but it failed to be fixed. We have replaced Rotors, wheels, hubs and bearings but the problem persists. The last facility that replaced all 4-wheel hub bearings assembly said that since we have brought the vehicle to 4 different locations and the problem persist that we should write a complaint to nhtsa.gov. We feel unsafe to drive the kia due to the noise which is very loud. There are no warning lights on in the vehicle. The car is available for inspection upon request. We don't know what else to do or where to go from here since not even the Kia dealer has been able to correct the problem. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

While driving on freeway, approximately 70mph, on my way to work, I all of a sudden without warning was unable to control my vehicle with the steering wheel. Somehow I seemed to have lost control of the steering wheel and the vehicle spun around. I could have collided with another vehicle or could have been hit by oncoming traffic, but thankfully I was not near to any other vehicles at the time of incident. I was unable to drive it afterwards as the entire back left wheel was completely detached. I had to get the vehicle towed back to my house then eventually to Kia. Kia will not admit faulty equipment although that is the only explanation of the incident that happened on the freeway. The entire left rear suspension system has to be repaired. ALthought there are no signs of a collision with the vehicle, Kia and the extended warranty company is attempting to place blame on me being in a collision, which is 100% inaccurate.