There are 19 stored owner reports matching the suspension leading-label group for the 2012 Kia Sorento in our NHTSA-sourced dataset. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
This group counts stored reports whose component label starts with one of this site's matching prefixes, ignoring case. Each matching report counts once within the group. Components mentioned later in the label or only in the narrative are not searched. How component counts work
Loaded 19 of 19 matching reports.
Open the full vehicle complaint log (all categories)Rear subframe is completely rusted out on one side makes it completely undrivable especially with my young children.
Left rear sub frame cracked in half while driving car . 2017 they did work to the under belly in reference to corrosion of the car . Has therr been any other complaints about this vehicle type ?
The suspension mounting block rusted off the frame and the frame rusted into on the passenger rear side of the car It was good that we were running slow close to the house when it happened if that would’ve come loose at Highway speeds, the car would probably flipped The vehicle is now undrivable
Brackets associated with the rear axle rusted and cracked. Became unable to drive safely. Back wheels started going crooked(top was inward and bottom was outward)
My 2012 Sorento had the Voluntary Safety Campaign SC141 for additional anti corrosive material performed in 2016. The vehicle had already been driven for 5 years in one of the “snow belt” states they listed. Dealer said no other action needed except the additional undercoating. Now, my rear crossmember is completely rusted and away bar has broken loose. Am going to contact Kia as I feel this should be replaced by them for not catching the issue before.
Transmission / or gear shifting
Engine shut down
Hi, I get my car fixed at the dealer Inver Grove Kia in West Saint Paul in Minnesota. There is s problem with my suspension. With that being said, the first problem was my sway bar and that was not fixed correctly. I am now hearing the same noise on the passenger side of SUV and they are telling me it is strut. I need to have all information and recalls sent to me. Then dealer is not looking into other problems that the 2012 Kia Sorento has right now. The dealer has put me in a bad situation and also in danger with not inquiring more about the suspension problems associated with my 2012 Kia Sorento. https://www.lutherkiamn.com/?utm_source=gmb&utm_medium=organic
THE BALL BEARINGS WENT OUT ON THE FRONT END CAUSING BOTH MY FRONT TIRES TO WEAR RIGHT DOWN TO THE WIRES ON THE TIRE TREADS. WITHIN A FEW WEEKS OF FIXING THEM THE ENGINE SEIZED IN MY CAR FOR THE SECOND TIME. WHILE MY 16 YEAR OLD WAS DRIVING IT ON THE HIGHWAY SHE SUDDEN LOST POWER AND THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SLOW DOWN. SHE PULLED OFF THE ROAD AND HAD HER BROTHER TAKE OVER DRIVING IT. HE COULD NOT GET IT TO SPEED OR TO SHIFT SO HE PUT IT IN MANUAL TO GET IT OFF THE HIGHWAY. ONCE OFF THE HIGHWAY HE CALLED ME. I FOLLOWED HIM LESS THEN 4 MILES TO THE LOCAL MECHANIC WHO LISTEN TO THE ENGINE AND SAID TO PARK THE CAR AS THE ENGINE WAS ABOUT TO GO. IN THE PROCESS OF DRIVING IT HOME LESS THEN 2 MILES THE ENGINE COMPLETELY SEIZED UP.
STEERING WHEEL SHAKING WHEN DRIVING ALSO THE BOOT IS CRACKED AND AFFECTING THE BALL JOINTS ENGINE IS LEAKING OIL FROM UNDERNEATH ENGINE
WHEN GOING OVER SPEED BUMPS, MY CAR SOUNDED LIKE A TIN CAN PARTICULARLY WHEN COLD OUTSIDE. THOUGHT IT COULD BE SHOCK ABSORBERS. A LOCAL CAR REPAIR PLACE REPLACED STRUT MOUNTS, BRAKE PADS AND NEW SHOCKS AT A COST OVER $3000. AFTER PAYING FOR THIS, MY CAR MADE THE SAME SOUND WHICH I CAPTURED ON VIDEO. I DID SOME RESEARCH AND FOUND NUMEROUS OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT SUSPENSION SYSTEM ON THIS MODEL KIA SORENTO. I PROVIDED THIS INFORMATION TO REPAIR SHOP AND RETURNED FOR PROPER FIX. THEY DISCOVERED A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN FOR THIS CAR #SA178. THEY MADE THIS CORRECTION AND TOLD ME TO CONTACT KIA FOR REIMBURSEMENT. KIA REFUSED SAYING THAT BECAUSE IT WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND NOT REPAIRED AT A KIA DEALERSHIP THEY COULD NO HELP ME. THIS IS AN ONGOING PROBLEM WITH SORENTOS, BUT THERE HAS NOT BEEN A RECALL NOTICE FOR THIS VEHICLE. I AM OUT OF POCKET OVER $3K. NOT HAPPY.
FRONT LEFT SPRING CRACKED. CAR WAS ONLY DRIVEN FOR RESIDENTIAL USE ON PAVED ROADS, UNDER 50K MILES. THE KIA DEALERSHIP NEVER FOUND THE ISSUE DURING ROUTINE INSPECTIONS, MAVIS DISCUNT TIRE STORE FOUND THE PROBLEM WHILE CHANGING TIRES.
WHEN I WENT IN FOR A ROUTINE TIRE ROTATION, I WAS TOLD MY DRIVER'S SIDE COIL SPRING WAS BROKEN WHICH PRESENTED A SAFETY HAZARD AS IT COULD POP THE TIRE. WHEN CALLING FOR ESTIMATES, I WAS TOLD THAT THE COIL SPRING MUST HAVE BEEN DEFECTIVE FOR A CAR OF THIS YEAR AND MILEAGE.
I RECENTLY HAD STRUTS REPLACED DUE TO NORMAL WEAR AND WAS INFORMED THERE WAS AN ISSUE WITH A FRACTURE IN THE RIGHT FRONT AXLE. I WAS FURTHER TOLD IT MAY BE A RECALL. WELL AFTER RESEARCH I WAS TOLD IT WAA FOR 2014 BUT IT IS THE EXACT SAME ISSUE ON MY VEHICLE. I WAS ADVISED TO SUBMIT THIS FOR REVIEW TO SEE IF THIS RECALL OF THE 2014 FRONT AXLE SHOULD BE EXTENDED TO MORE YEARS AS MY ISSUE IS THE EXACT SAME THING. IT DOES MAKE LOUD NOISE AT MILD TURNS. THE MECHANIC STATED IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE AS THE FRACTURE PROGRESSES. I HAVE TO GET THIS FIXED AND CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT YOUR DECISION IF ANY IS BUT MAYBE THIS WILL HELP OTHERS.
MY ENGINE SEIZED UP WHILE IN MOTION. THE FRONT END POPS DURING BRAKING, AND A BOLT HEAD BROKE OFF THE AWD HOUSING.
WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 35 MILES PER HOUR ON A PAVED CITY ROAD, THE DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT WHEEL CAVED INTO THE VEHICLE (DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE). THE VEHICLE HAD NEVER BEEN IN AN ACCIDENT NOR HIT ANY SIGNIFICANT HOLES. THE INCIDENT WAS SPONTANEOUS WITHOUT ANY APPARENT CAUSE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A KIA DEALER, WHO FOUND THAT THE BOTTOM BOLT OF THE STRUT HAD BROKEN AND FALLEN OUT.
THE FOLLOWING IS FROM AN E-MAIL SENT TO BIG O TIRE CUSTOMER SERVICE (TBC CORP) ON JUNE 26/2014 WE OWN A SET OF 4 DEFECTIVE COOPER 107H DISCOVERER LSX PLUS TIRES PURCHASED FOR OUR 2012 KIA SORENTO EX SUV ON NOV. 29, 2013 FROM BIG O TIRES STORE #6171 IN CONIFER, CO. THEY BALANCED AND MOUNTED THE TIRES. THEY DID NOT HAVE TIME TO PERFORM AN ALIGNMENT, SO FIRESTONE IN EVERGREEN, CO (11/29/14) ALIGNED THE VEHICLE. IN LATE APRIL, 2014 WE NOTICED A LOUD RUMBLING ROAD NOISE. WE HAD ANOTHER ALIGNMENT PERFORMED AND ALSO TOOK THE VEHICLE TO PEAK KIA IN LITTLETON, CO WHO DETERMINED THAT ALL ALIGNMENTS WERE WITHIN KIA SPECS, FOUND NO NOISE WITH THE VEHICLE ON THE RACK AND ADVISED US THAT THE TIRES WERE DEFECTIVE. WE RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO BIG O TIRES IN CONIFER. THEY ADVISED US TO HAVE THE CAMBER ADJUSTED MORE AND IF IT COULDN'T, TO INSTALL A NON-KIA AFTER MARKET PART WHICH WOULD ALLOW THE FURTHER CAMBER ADJUSTMENT. WE HAD THE ALIGNMENT ADJUSTED AGAIN. THE NOISE GOT LOUDER. KIA REINSPECTED THE TIRES, TOOK IT FOR ANOTHER ROAD TEST AND REVIEWED THE ALIGNMENT RECORDS AND AGAIN THE KIA SERVICE MANAGER CONCLUDED THAT THE TIRES WERE DEFECTIVE. WE RETURNED THE VEHICLE TO BIG O TIRES IN CONIFER TO SEEK RESOLUTION. THE MANAGER STATED THAT OUR SHOCKS AND STRUTS WERE BAD AND HIS LEAD MECHANIC STATED THAT WE NEEDED THIS AFTER MARKET PART TO ALLOW THE CAMBER TO BE FURTHER ADJUSTED. AT THAT POINT WE ASKED TO SPEAK WITH A REGIONAL OR DISTRICT MANAGER WHO COULD ASSIST US. WE WERE REFERRED TO COOPER TIRE. COOPER TIRE, TOLD US THAT THESE ARE PRIVATE LABEL TIRES MANUFACTURED BY COOPER FOR TBC AND TO SPEAK WITH TBC AS THEY HANDLE ALL WARRANTY CLAIMS. TBC THEN TRANSFERRED OUR CALL TO BIG O CUSTOMER SERVICE. AS I MENTIONED TO [XXX], MY WIFE AND I ARE REALTORS AND WE PLACE CLIENTS IN THIS VEHICLE EVERYDAY. THIS CREATES ADDITIONAL LIABILITY FOR US, BIG O TIRE AND COOPER. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). *TR
MY 2012 KIA SORENTO AT LOW SPEED,STALLED AND COMPLETELY SHUT OFF, NO POWER STEERING. I HAD TO PUT MY CAR INTO PARK AND THEN RESTART. SO GLAD I WAS NOT HIT FROM BEHIND AS MY CAR JUST SHUT OFF SO SUDDENLY. MY CAR IS ONLY TWO YEARS OLD AND LOW MILEAGE. IT HAS HAPPENED TWICE SINCE THEN. THANK GOD NO ACCIDENTS, YET. BUT IM WORRIED TO DRIVE IT ANTICIPATING FOR IT TO HAPPEN AGAIN. IT HAS BEEN IN THE KIA SERVICE SHOP TWICE AND THEY ARE CLAIMING TO FIX IT. ALSO TWO WEEKS AGO THE RIGHT SHOCK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. I DRIVE TO WORK AND THE STORE ON A WEEKLY BASIS, NO REASON A TWO YEAR OLD, BOUGHT BRAND NEW VEHICLE IN 2012 SHOULD ALREADY NEED A SHOCK REPLACEMENT. I FEEL LIKE I WAS SOLD A LEMON. *TR
My kia Sorento shocks are really bad seems like it bounces Alot More than normal and heard a squeak coming from the shocks also hard to get the to turn when Im park and electric seems to glitch with bulbs going out faster and radio acting like it shorting out since the wiring was replaced it does this
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
NHTSA source checks for this vehicle year
Checks are recorded separately for each dataset, not for the whole page. Dates use UTC. A missing check date does not mean no records exist.
Vehicle import recorded: Apr 28, 2026. This is the stored import date, not confirmation that every source was successfully refreshed.