Just bought this from a private seller last week and was driving to work. The engine suddenly caught fire and the car essentially exploded and melted.
2011 Kia Sorento body problems
268 complaints (18% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 89,000. 2 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 268
- of this car's complaints
- 18%
- typical mileage
- 89,000
- crashes
- 2
- recalls
- 0
Which part fails
- Body234
- Body: door28
- Body: roof and pillars1
- Body: hood1
- Body: door: handle: exterior1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
0k-25k
25k-50k
50k-75k
75k-100k
100k-125k
125k-150k
150k-175k
175k-200k
200k+
Kia Sorento body problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2011 Kia Sorento body
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
No recalls on record for this model year.
What 2011 Kia Sorento owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Opening car door and whole handle fell off.
Non working door handles which is a KNOWN issue with Kia! Extremely dangerous obstruction in an event of an emergency where occupants need to get in and out of the vehicle. The ineffective door handles also makes the car less secure because someone who is not authorized can access the safety measures that the vehicle has. This is not right that Kia customers have to spend hundreds for an ongoing issue! This is two out of the four doors now. I replaced one door handle already for well over $300.00! Now will need to spend ANOTHER three hundred plus dollars for the same issue! Again, this is a KNOWN Kia issue! I was originally told there was a recall but only for the back handles and not the front handles in 2020. Now, I am being told it was a warranty and it expired in 2021/2022. A warranty was never relayed to me in any way. No email or mailed letter explaining this. If under "warranty" and again, a known Kia issue why were the backs covered but not the front if they are the same handles? Why not replace all four handles under the said "warranty"? This is a major issues for Kia owners like myself. Also having an issue where when it rains, water will come in from the passenger side panel and back trunk panels. Kia said it was the drains. Kia cleared the drains for well over $200.00. Next rain fall and the SAME issue still remained. Kia then said it was the moonroof assembly and would NOT get back to me with a remedy to solve the issue. I reached out again and I spoke to the general Manager who said he would call me back and NEVER did. I took it to another company who handles moonroofs/sunroofs and has said it is due to the paint separating in the grooves where the assembly sits and is a manufactural issue.
The door latch behind the driver side of the vehicle does not work. It will not open from the outside of the vehicle. This is a safety concern especially since this is my [XXX] daughter's car. I have called KIA, and they will not honor this repair since the car was purchased and used in January 2024. I also have another 2011 Kia Sorento with the same issue. This is definitely a problem with KIA and this should be repaired regardless of how old the vehicle is since it is due to a defect in the product. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The door latch behind the driver side of the vehicle does not work. It will not open from the outside of the vehicle. This is a safety concern especially since this is my [XXX] daughter's car. I have called KIA and they will not honor this repair since the car was purchased used in August of 2021. I also have another 2011 Kia Sorento with the same issue. This is definitely a problem with KIA and this should be repaired regardless of how old the vehicle is since it is due to a defect in the product. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
My vehicle has the Snow White Pearl paint on it, and it has been peeling from years. I have taken this to a number of body shops and they say its a factory defect. Kia acknowledges that it is a defect and have offered if I got it fixed to submit a case to see if they would reimburse it, however, this is over 10k out of pocket.
12-29-2023, the Kia Sorento started smoking on the way home. When I got home I opened the hood and saw fire. I put the fire out with a fire extinguisher. On 1-9-2024, I made an appointment with Archer Kia and had the car towed there for a diagnosis. After a month with no response, the service manager at Kia advised me to contact Kia Corporation. I spoke to a representative and was assigned a case number. The representative stated that I should have gotten a software update but could not produce any information that I received a recall notice for the software update. All recall notices that I received were addressed and oil changes were regularly done at a major retail store. I was told that an investigation would be done and that I would be contacted. I didn’t receive a response for two months. I called Kia Corporation and was told that they sent information to an address that belonged to my mother which was calling her number instead of calling me. It was never determined why the information was sent to my mother. The car had been registered to my address for over 10 years. Once we established the correct information, I was asked to send service records. I was sent a letter before the representative received the service records stating that the cause of the fire was normal wear and tear. I went to the Archer Kia dealership to talk about the next step. The service manager stated that Kia didn’t send him anything so I waited. This was May 2023. January 2024, I contacted Archia Kia for information. They had received a decline notice to replace the motor. I called Kia Corporation again. I discovered that the original representative no longer worked there. The new representative wanted to call the dealership on a three way call. The service manager was not available and the representative told me he would call me back. In February 2024, I received a recall notice concerning the software issue and a notice stating that the car could catch on fire. In March 2024, I rec
Both passenger doors and the driver door will not open from the outside. All three have malfunctioned out of nowhere for no reason.
Exhaust system flex pipe was repaired and the next day the exhaust muffler/ resonator failed at the seam, causing hot gases to escape into the undercarriage and melt the lower bumper cover assembly on the right passenger side. See photos attached.
The rear frame on my 2011 kia sorento rusted and broke.
Questions about the 2011 Kia Sorento body
Does the 2011 Kia Sorento have body problems?
Owners have filed 268 complaints about the body of the 2011 Kia Sorento, 18% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2011 Kia Sorento body problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 89,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2011 Kia Sorento body?
There is no recall for this problem on this model year.
What year does the Kia Sorento have the most body problems?
The Kia Sorento model years with the most body complaints are 2011 (268 complaints), 2014 (160 complaints) and 2016 (111 complaints).
Other 2011 Kia Sorento problems
Engine 316Transmission 265Electrical 246Airbags 183Brakes 132Lights 105Acceleration 63Suspension 56Steering 53Locks 33Driver assistance 30Visibility 29Seats 21Fuel system 19Seat belts 11Wheels 9Tires 6
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