2014 Kia Sorento Electrical System Problems

Re: Formal Complaint – Repeated Engine Failures and Unacceptable Service Delays Vehicle: Kia Sorento 2014 VIN: [XXX] Purchased: Fall of 2021 Current Issue: Vehicle in service at Kia of Lincolnwood since January 9, 2026 Dear Kia Consumer Affairs and Legal Department, I am writing to formally document my severe dissatisfaction with the repeated engine failures in my Kia vehicle and the complete lack of communication and urgency from both Kia of Lincolnwood (6750 N Lincoln Ave, Lincolnwood, IL 60712) and Kia's consumer support channels. This has caused significant financial hardship, disruption to my family and work, and eroded any trust in the brand. I purchased this vehicle approximately 5 years ago through CarMax. Within that time, the engine has died or stalled three times: The first failure occurred about one year after purchase, stranding me at 11:00 p.m. in rural Wisconsin during winter with my three young children in the vehicle. The second incident happened in downtown Chicago (River North), just one hour before I needed to depart for a work event in Champaign, IL, requiring a tow and last-minute rental arrangements. The most recent failure occurred at approximately 4:30 a.m. after leaving my music studio, necessitating another tow and a $50 Uber ride home. Eleven months ago, Kia of Lincolnwood replaced the knock sensor under a one-year recall warranty. Despite this, the engine issues persisted. On January 9, 2026, I brought the vehicle to Kia of Lincolnwood for the third major engine-related failure. It has now been in the shop for nearly six weeks with no meaningful updates on diagnosis, repair timeline, or resolution. I have called the dealership at least ten times seeking callbacks from my assigned service advisor (Max) or any team member. In each instance, I was either hung up on, placed on hold for over an hour, or promised a return call that never came. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

My key fob doesn’t register even while in car, my battery drains daily has to recieve jump off every Otha day if not daily, door open indicator shows open on all doors even when closed, car locks won’t disengage automatically but your system shows no recalls something’s wrong with it

The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost automotive power, and there was smoke coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that there was oil leaking out of the exhaust, accompanied by an abnormal sound and odor. The contact stated that the front driver’s side air bag was intermittently inoperative. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the engine, power train control module, brakes, and several other unknown electrical parts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the Push to Start button failed to function as intended, and the vehicle failed to start. The contact called the Lien holder and was informed that the key was not connecting. The Lien holder replaced the key. The contact stated that the failure persisted, and the key fob failed to function as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The dealer swapped the key fobs with another set of key fobs to diagnose the failure. However, no cause for the failure was found. The contact was informed that two unknown fuse boxes needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, the LED lights under the door and dashboard failed to function as intended. In addition, an abnormal sound was coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and remained with the dealer for months. The contact was informed that the fuse box had been replaced. The vehicle failed to restart when the contact picked up the vehicle from the dealer. The vehicle was towed to the residence and had not been driven since. The tow truck driver tried to jumpstart the vehicle, but the vehicle failed to start. There was no power in the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 114,000. The VIN was not available.

Dear NHTSA, I am writing to report a serious safety issue with my Kia Sorento 2014. While driving on the interstate with my family, the vehicle suddenly began to slow down without warning. We were able to move to the shoulder, but this incident put our safety at significant risk as we were on a busy highway. We initially suspected brake failure, but after having the car towed home and inspected, we discovered that the motor/engine had completely failed. This failure also impacted the electrical system, leaving the car completely immobile. It has been confirmed by a mechanic that the engine is at fault. However, local dealers and mechanics were unable to inspect it further due to a lack of necessary equipment. As of now, the component has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or any other authority. There were no warning lamps, messages, or symptoms prior to the failure, and the vehicle showed no signs of issues leading up to the incident. We purchased this car in 2023, only to find out later that Kia had issued a recall for this issue in 2021. This recall was never disclosed by the dealership, nor was it listed on the Carfax report. Due to the recall predating our purchase, Kia has refused to provide any assistance or compensation, leaving us with an inoperable vehicle and significant financial strain. As a low-income family on a fixed budget, this situation has been extremely challenging. We kindly request your assistance in investigating this matter and helping us find a resolution. Thank you for your attention and support.

Unknown

Every light is on in the dash compartment. Power steering goes in and out. Brake lights not working even after being replaced. Car stuck in park unable to put into reverse. ABS/ Airbag light showing- ABS Sensor replaced and still not working Recall in 2022. Kia repaired vehicle and now that same issues are occurring Kia refuses to even look at vehicle without payment of 180.00 to just LOOK!

Doors cannot be locked and is very dangerous when driving with my family on the highway

We have not had an incident BUT we were notified of this recall in Nov of 2023 and now as of March 2024 there is still no fix. If my car could “combust” at any moment why is it taking so long to come up with a fix? Doesn’t seem very safe….. Again, we have had no accidents but this is the only place I could find to fill out a complaint.

While driving at night, the instrument panel gauges and lights behind it faded away and all gauges went to 0, RPM, Gas, speedometer, temp, mileage all stopped working all at once. The headlights dimmed to almost nothing. After stopping, it was discovered that a rear sensor was basically melted off after being on fire from the inside. It put a hole right through the sensor and exposed the wire. It basically turned the sensor to ash and you can see the melted wires inside slightly poking out of the hole it melted. The radio and clock still work, so it didnt affect everything. The lights that come on when opening and closing the door were basically stuck on unless turned off manually when the car is off. (Turned off door light feature) Took me a few to figure that out. After checking fuses, the Module 3 was blown. Tried to replace the fuse but it keeps blowing because I cant currently do anything with the damaged sensor. A Kia repair guy wanted to change all the wiring, sensors, and instrument panel, costing thousands of dollars I don't have. After checking the Kia forums, this same exact issue has happened to multiple people with the 2014 Kia Sorento. If this has happened to multiple of the same vehicle, Kia should be responsible to fix it or replace the vehicle! Its dangerous! It was raining, but my car could have stayed on fire. I almost drove off the road when everything was shutting off and my headlights dimmed to nothing. The car still drives fine, so I got home, but it was hard to see and I had no idea of the speed of the vehicle. And the Kia guy said it could still catch fire again so I will have to fix it before driving it much more. I dont have the money for this or for a new car and my job is literally in my car! Check the Kia forums about the other issues and complaints, as again, this happened to multiple people and its all the same issue. Kia needs to fix this since it costs so much to fix and before someone burns up in a fire!

The Kia one morning were I were at stop just turned off power completely disconnected/dead . I turn the key before I moved the stick to park and turn off the car than waited 3seconds and started the car. It turned on were I pulled to the side to park five foot to the left side and turn off the car to check what happ. It would’nt click or turn on dead car than help arrived and the battery I charged immediately underneath the lot started burning and smoke fire let dead that out.

The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the malfunction indicator light (MIL) was illuminated. The contact stated while driving 55 MPH, the wheels locked up. There was an abnormal plastic burning odor. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed to take the vehicle to the dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 226,983.

Kia smelled of electrical burning/fire after driving. burning smell permeated into dwelling. Notified KIA Customer Care Center at 1 (800) 333 4542. Case [XXX] initiated day of engine burning/fire [XXX]. No response from Kia. Called to inquire on update January 16th, 2024. Spoke with Mary. Mary had no update. Asked to speak with her manager, She transferred me and call dropped. Unprofessional conduct with life-threatening Kia engine bomb sitting in my driveway. Initiated complaint on Kia's website and another case number was generated - [XXX]. Tried calling back to no avail. Call dropped five times. Initiated this NHTSA complaint immediately after last call dropped by Kia. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The engine light keeps coming on and off. I had a recall notice but an took the kia to kia dealership but they said they don't have the repair parts. Since recall was issued no repairs yet an it's posing a threat to me an my family using it. If I park the car without using it as kia instructed how I my going to go to job since that's the only car I have? Please can issue recall be fix immediately to avoid further harm to users? When should I take the kia to dealership for the recall to be fixed?

Concerned about interim notice. Would like to get issue fixed immediately to keep passengers and others safe. HECU replaced

This recall poses a risk either driving or when vehicle is parked. I have contacted Kia several times to ask about the remedy part. As recent as today (12/14/23), they have no estimated time when the part will be available. I have not driven my vehicle since receiving the interim notice from Kia. I feel the manufacturer does not care about its the safety of its customers. I do not feel that I should put my family or me in a potentially unsafe vehicle and hope that nothing happens. We should not have to wait for who knows how long for a remedy. Something needs to be done to speed up this process and keep customers safe.

I received a recall notice from Kia dated 11/14/2023. The notice said that the HECU hydraulic electronic control unit could short circuit and catch the car on fire whether driving or parked. They suggest parking away from anything that could catch fire. There is currently no remedy for this serious safety issue. It has been 3 months already and there is no time line for a remedy. They offer no options such as a loaner car to help mitigate the risk to personal safety while driving this car. I would like to have some interim solution until there can be a remedy of this serious safety risk. This is an unacceptable safety risk. Thank you for your time and attention. [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The HECU fuse in my Kia has the risk of starting an engine fire. It is currently part of a recall. I have checked this with your organization using my VIN number. I am unable to drive my vehicle due to the potential risk for me and passengers. This has made life extremely inconvenient. Even going to work has been difficult because I've had to rely on other modes of transportation. Kia has been unable to provide a replacement part, even though the recall was first announced over 6 months ago. I am unable to sell my vehicle because of this recall as well. We are expected to not use our vehicles but Kia is not providing a replacement part in any sort of a timely manner. They need to move their focus from the new vehicles to fixing these before someone is seriously injured.

Had the engine replaced before and it blew up again and the Kia dealer said the ignition wasn’t recalled after they said it was a fire hazzard

A recalled was made on September 25th about Kia Sorento for potential fire hazard in driving or parking but up till date the recalled parts are not available at Kia dealership to fix the recall issues. Given it's fire risk, am pleading if you can follow up to make sure this problem is rectify before people's lives are affected for "A stitch in time serves nine"