2003 Kia Sorento: engine failure

Filed Feb 3, 2016 · Engine · 173,164 miles · RI

While driving on route 495 north in massachusetts between exits 7 and 8, my kia sorento lost power to the engine to the point I had to stop in the breakdown lane. No warning of prior smell or power loss had occurred prior to the incident. Towed to two different service stations and both informed me that the engine failed and lost compression on more than one cylinders. Very dangerous situation to be on the highway and losing power.

Filed Aug 18, 2015 · Engine · 124,000 miles · GA

The car started making a scrubbing sound and the brakes would not work. The next day the brakes worked scrubbing sound continued and we were told by the mechanic that the engine needs replacing.

Filed Aug 27, 2014 · Engine · 122,049 miles · CA

I was told by the mechanic that "something happened inside the engine that cannot be repaired". Prior to the engine failure (may, 2014) the rear throttle plate came apart and lodged in the lower intake manifold. The mechanic was unable to retrieve the screws and one was even lodged in a cylinder head. A throttle plate assembly was installed and the car was drivable but with an audible noise. At this time I was told the same problem exists with many kia's and yet a recall has not been issued. My car is not drivable, it's a v6 and the left side of the engine is completely shut down and I feel kia could have avoided this with a recall when they have known for years that the problem exists.

Filed Aug 26, 2014 · Engine, Steering · 96,000 miles · HI

I bought a 2003 kia sorento from my niece back in november 2013 for $2000 and not even two weeks into owning this vehicle, the crank shaft broke in half! The bolt broke off in half inside the crank shaft pulley and the other half of the bolt was inside the crank shaft case. To my understanding, this is the second time that the crank shaft needed repairing (my niece, husband who were the first and original owners to this kia sorento had it break down on him on the freeway as well, had to get it towed to kia then paid them to fix it when they owned the vehicle) but this time, when this issue happened again while I owned the vehicle, the crank shaft failed in a greater and more costly condition then the first time the crank shaft failed on them. Which then caused engine failure, loss of power steering, loss of the charging system, loss of the cooling system and loss of control of the vehicle, everything shut down, vehicle wouldn't start up after that and it could have been a very dangerous situation as it happened while on the freeway and while my husband, my daughter and my granddaughter was in the vehicle traveling. It could have jeopardize their life's as well as other!

Filed Feb 25, 2014 · Engine, Steering · 38,000 miles · PA · crash

I was driving the vehicle in the parking lot when I heard a loud noise and lost control of the steering because the car died and the steering wheel locked up. I looked under the hood and notice all the belts and front of the motor fell off and was laying at the bottom. I called the tow truck they towed it to the kia dealer. Where they told me its a problem the 2003 kia sorento has. They told me they will replace the engine that was at 38,000 mile. Now the car has 72,000 miles on it so that's 34,000 miles on this motor now they tell me the same thing is happening and the motor has to be replaced. So the kia motor is only good for 30,000 miles that's just ridiculous and the cost is on me.

Filed Jan 13, 2014 · Electrical, Engine · 1,000 miles · FL

The car been a problem since first year , I called district manager for kia back in 2004,told him car was skipping beat, and shaking...he told me is was my imagination...the 2nd big problem car would just start losing power in I-95 or fl.turnpike and come to stand still, no matter how much I pressed the gas pedal, no go, almost got in several accidents in I-95,florida late at nite...spend $800 at kia of kendall in florida, in miami, told me was fuel problem...way back home that same day, car did same thing slowed down in rushing traffic in I-95 floirda,almost got deadly accident from car behind me, took it to kia of ft.pierce , kept car 1 week, mechanic could not figure out problem, ...I found on line,problem was at the fueling entrance,something dissolved and particles went to fueling injectors,clogging it and causing problems, told mechanics ,replaced this part ,car got fixed....last incident,major one, back 3 years ago took car to kia dealer, due to letter from kia corporation, major recall on screw that hold harmoney blancer to lower engine case...they replaced it...1/9/2004.driving back from orlando,fl,at nite, car just slows down, shakes, battery light and brake lite come one...miracle , 1 hour I drove car slowly back home...friday I take to shop,find out same recall ,replaced screw,rusted off ,sheared off, half of it still in engine,harmoney fell off,..miracle I did not ger major fire in car,late at nite,on i95..took it fri.to ft.pierce kia,mechanic said can not be repaired, need spend$79000on new engine...nothing was mentioned same screw ,recall, they replaced back 3 years ago...car has history of my complaints to corporate kia..nothing ever done.

Filed Jun 18, 2013 · Acceleration, Engine · 97,500 miles · OR

Crankshaft pulley bolt sheered off and then the pulley fell off busting the power steering pull completely off. Making me almost loose control and flying off the freeway at 60mph with my child with me, very scary. Car was still under warranty but because it was the bolt that broke the bolt was not covered by warranty work. Replaced all by manufacture on july 16th 2012. Costing $1,300. This last week on fathers day my husband was driving the car to get his daughter and the bolt sheered off again and it is less then 12 months since this happened but because the warranty is 12 months or 12,000 miles, we were 1,000 miles over and now the dealership says its our problem and now we have to buy a whole new engine this time. Our car was fixed by portland kia and now its at washington kia, washington kia is saying that portland did it incorrectly and they should make this right but portland kia is not taking any fault for over torquing the bold with 130 pounds of a torque.

Filed Mar 9, 2012 · Engine · WA

2003 kia sorento. Consumer states bolt loosened while driving *tgw the consumer stated while driving, the brake and battery light illuminated. The consumers husband soon discovered it was difficult to turn the steering wheel. Her husband was able to pull over to the side of the road. As he examined the vehicle, he touched a bolt, which was extremely hot, and it was the same bolt that was recalled, which had become loose again. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The consumer was informed the vehicle needed a new engine at a cost of $6,000 even though there was no damage to the rest of the engine. The consumer wanted the bolt to be re-threaded. The dealer advised the consumer, they did not have the equipment, to perform the re-thread of the bolt, but instead of needing a new engine, they could replace the crankshaft at a cost of $3,500.

Filed Dec 8, 2010 · Engine · 111,404 miles · GA

Tl*the contact owns a 2003 kia sorento. The engine crankshaft bolt failed in august of 2008. The dealer replaced the engine crankshaft bolt four times. The repairs didn't correct the failure. The manufacturer stated that the continuous failures were dealer error, and they would not assist with the repair. The vehicle had not been repaired. The failure mileage was 111,404 and the current mileage was 118,000.

Filed Mar 12, 2009 · Engine · 78,000 miles · OH

My engine blew on the car it only has about 78,000 miles on it gets regular oil changes and no major problems. I have never had a warning light come on as to indicate I had some oil or engine problems. The car had just been involved in an auto accident and been sitting since 12/15 I just got it back on 01/23 and the engine blows on 01/30 and they want to charge me $5,000 to replace ......I have heard things about kia engines but my SUV was in fine condition and all of a sudden my engines blows....sounds like a defect to me.

Filed Jul 29, 2008 · Engine · 41,000 miles · PA

Engine light came on back in february and had it to two different mechanic shops which replaced spark plugs and one coil pack. Engine light still on so I took to kia dealer and they replaced spark plugs with platnium ones and replaced other 2 coil packs. Vehicle has been back to dealer several times for the past several months for check engine light replacing intake manifold due to recall but light came back on and they have had my vehicle most recently for the past 4 weeks. I went to pick it up yesterday as they said they had to replace the cylinder heads with reconditioned ones and all gaskets and seals. As I started to leave the dealership light came back on and vehicle is there again. Obviously mechanics at dealers don't know what's causing these problems and cannot fix them. I feel that kia should buy everyone out of their sorentos plus give them the value of the vehicle (without deducting for problems) plus a 15% compensation for putting the customers through this or maybe put a brand new engine in vehicle. A new engine or remanufactured engine was replaced in this vehicle back in august, 2006. I originally put my date down as march, but looking back, this has been going on since february!! This is the second complaint I am filing.

Filed Jul 18, 2008 · Engine · 67,000 miles · OK

While driving the sorento to his girlfriends house my son noticed that the temperature gage was higher than normal. He wasn't to far from town so he called and I told him to get some 50/50 antifreeze to put in the reservoir. He did this and had no more problems until the next day on his way home. His girl lives about 20 miles from us. About halfway home the vehicle just died. Had the vehicle towed to kia dealership and was told that the engine needed to be replaced. No warning lights or gauges identified anything wrong. Was also told that engine was driven while excessively hot. Not because a warning light or gauge told us so! If all of this cost to us is due to a small piece of plastic someone needs to take kia out to the woodshed. "the contact stated that the coolant tank was cracked and all of the coolant leaks out the vehicle. When this occurs, the temperature sensor stops working. While driving 65 MPH, the vehicle overheats without the contacts knowledge; therefore, he continues to drive until it fails. The dealer did not want to repair the vehicle because of the engine failure and no recording of prior maintenance. The failure mileage was 67,000.