I parked my car and it was sitting for about an hour I came back to the car and heard a humming noise found that weird but I had to drive home about 10 mins later I parked car, sound was still going even while car was off. So I thought to let it sit for another while. Came back to car sound was still on I started car and the abs, traction, & brake light came on and not even 2 mins later my car starts smoking. So immediately I shut it off and have to leave my car parked in another city because I didn’t want to risk driving it home. Fast forward to next day. I got to my car and notice the speedometer had went out. i called Kia because I read about the HECU ABS recall. the service rep assured me my car would be covered so I pay a tow to get it towed to Kia dealer where they then tell me the recall had been repaired in a year that I didn’t even own the car and they refuse to look at it or fix without a fee. With this problem being a fire hazard and a manufacturing problem I should not have to come out of pocket for Kia mistake. I will be escalating this to corporate level.
2015 Kia Sorento brakes problems
37 complaints (5% of all complaints for this car). Typical mileage when it fails: 93,000. 2 crashes reported.
- owner complaints
- 37
- of this car's complaints
- 5%
- typical mileage
- 93,000
- crashes
- 2
- recalls
- 2
Which part fails
- Antilock: ABS warning light1
- Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip: ABS warning light1
At what mileage
Complaints by mileage at the time of the problem.
Kia Sorento brakes problems in other years
Specific symptoms reported on the 2015 Kia Sorento brakes
Phrases found in the owners' own descriptions, so one complaint can mention several symptoms.
Related recalls
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip: control unit/module
- What is wrong
- Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Optima and 2014-2015 Sorento vehicles previously recalled under recall 20V‑519. Brake fluid may leak inside the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU), possibly resulting in an electrical short.
- Risk
- An electrical short in the HECU increases the risk of a fire while parked or driving.
- Remedy
- Owners are advised to park outside and away from other vehicles and structures until the recall repair is completed. Dealers will install a new multi-fuse, and inspect the HECU for leaks, replacing the HECU if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 2, 2021. This recall supersedes previous the federal safety agency recall number 20V‑519. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1‑800‑333‑4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC212.
Recall number 21V331000 · Recall details
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip: control unit/module
- What is wrong
- Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Optima and 2014-2015 Sorento vehicles. Brake fluid may leak inside the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU), possibly resulting in an electrical short.
- Risk
- If the HECU short circuits, there is an increased risk of an engine compartment fire.
- Remedy
- Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the HECU for leaking brake fluid and replace the HECU if necessary, free of charge. Owners are advised to park outside and away from other vehicles and structures until the recall repair is completed. The recall began October 20, 2020. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1‑800‑333‑4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC197.
Recall number 20V519000 · Recall details
Related investigations
Hyundai and Kia ABS Module Fires
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received eight Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) and eight Kia America, Inc. (Kia) Part 573 Recall Reports between 2016 and 2023. The combined 16 safety recalls all involve the antilock braking system (ABS) modules or Hydraulic Electronic Control Units (HECU) manufactured by the equipment supplier Mando. The Part 573 Recall Reports contain varying defect descriptions and differing remedy descriptions for the same or similar equipment supplied by Mando. Safety recalls included in this Audit Query (AQ) review include: Hyundai recalls 20V‑520, 20V‑543, 21V‑161, 21V‑160, 21V‑303, 22V‑056, 22V‑810, and 23V‑651. Kia recalls 16V‑815, 20V‑518, 20V‑519, 21V‑137, 21V‑331, 22V‑051, 22V‑800, and 23V‑652 The purpose of this AQ is to evaluate the timeliness and scoping of Hyundai and Kia’s defect decision making and adherence with reporting requirements; and understand the varying defect descriptions and remedies between these recalls.
AQ23002
What 2015 Kia Sorento owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
2015 Kia Sorento fire on the 7th I was drive lost brakes and steering and as soon as I stop to get out to check the whole truck went up in flames
The entire car failed as it caught fire. I wasn't able to break or put the car into park and it rolled to a stop while smoke was coming through the vents. Because of this, my passenger and I exited the vehicle and crossed the expressway while a highway patroller was directing traffic away from the car. Within 2 minutes the car was engulfed in flames. The car is not available for inspection as it was towed away and disposed of. The safety of myself and the passenger were at risk because the entire car broke out in flames and soon exploded. If we stayed in the car for any longer than we did, we would have died. UNKOWN. I do not believe that the vehicle has been inspected. The warning lights all turned on at exactly the same time, about 3-5 seconds before the car completely stopped.
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that his vehicle had burst in flames while parked in his drive way. The contact called the fire department, however he was able to extinguish the flames using hand held extinguishers. The contact stated that the damage was contained to the front end of the vehicle, the engine compartment, the fire wall and the passenger front side. The fire department issued a report. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed and was not repaired. The contact stated that the vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The contact had searched online and related the fire to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 21V331000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) which was associated to his VIN. The failure mileage was approximately 155,000.
The contact owned a 2015 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the vehicle was driven to a store, and when the vehicle was turned off, the contact saw smoke and fire coming from the hood. The contact went into the store to get a fire extinguisher and bystanders used their fire extinguishers and attempted to extinguish the fire. The Fire department extinguished the fire. There were no occupants in the vehicle. No injuries were sustained. The contact stated that all vehicles were moved away from the fire, however, one vehicle was not moved. The contact stated that the vehicle was not on fire and it was unknown if there was damage to the vehicle. There were no occupants in that vehicle. There was a fire department report filed. There was a police report filed. The vehicle was destroyed. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The contact discovered the federal safety agency Campaign Number:Â 21V331000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic), however, the contact was not notified that their VIN was included. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 147,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal knocking sound emanating from the engine compartment. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to the remedy for the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 21V331000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); the VIN was included, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the federal safety agency Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 68,000.
rear brake lights stay on while car is running. Go off when car shut off
Check engine light started coming on at about 39,000. miles took to local mechanic who preformed lots of repairs and called Kia for information concerning engine issue. Received notice of recall from Kia on the HECU -instructing me to park truck away from home due to fire. Check engine light back on again at 41,000 miles, took to dealership where they replaced the HECU and fuel pump and fuel lines. Picked up truck and noticed when braking the truck shook all over and seem to almost stall when taking off. Check engine was back on and the alert of the system telling me I had an engine failure. Took truck back next day, again repairs of the PVB valve was done. Someone drove the truck of 180 miles on a check engine light and unplugged the battery. Got truck back and within 10 minutes the check engine light was back on and the system telling me engine failure and truck was unsafe to drive. Truck now at another Kia dealership, after many conversation with Kia the representative instructed me to tell the dealership where the truck was that the truck had a recall (supposedly) fixed. Called the dealership now tells me there is no fix for the HECU issue and they can not tell me the truck is safe to drive. I have not had the truck for now 4 months and Kia doesn't know how to fix it. I have filed 4 cases against Kia, they have not offered me a rental car or loaner and they do not have any expected date for me to get the truck back. I have files but it won't let me upload them for the receipts/ information from Kia
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 30 MPH, the brakes and the steering wheel seized inadvertently, and the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The contact stated that she attempted to roll up the windows, but the vehicle failed to respond. The vehicle failed to restart after several attempts. The check engine warning light, ABS warning light, and other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the residence, and then to a Triple A certified mechanic, where the battery and the alternator were replaced; however, the failure recurred. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the failure was related to the electrical system; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. Additionally, the contact stated that the sunroof failed to open or close unless the sunroof switch was depressed several times. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 21V331000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 127,000.
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The vehicle failed to restart after several attempts. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The VIN was included in the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 21V331000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where it remained awaiting diagnostic test and repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 93,000.
Questions about the 2015 Kia Sorento brakes
Does the 2015 Kia Sorento have brakes problems?
Owners have filed 37 complaints about the brakes of the 2015 Kia Sorento, 5% of all its complaints.
At what mileage do 2015 Kia Sorento brakes problems start?
The typical (median) mileage in owner complaints is 93,000 miles.
Was there a recall on the 2015 Kia Sorento brakes?
Yes, 2 recalls: 21V331000, 20V519000. Check your VIN to see if your car still needs the free repair.
What year does the Kia Sorento have bad brakes?
The Kia Sorento model years with the most brakes complaints are 2011 (132 complaints), 2012 (103 complaints) and 2013 (88 complaints).
Other 2015 Kia Sorento problems
Engine 367Body 100Lights 91Electrical 58Transmission 42Steering 33Fuel system 31Airbags 30Acceleration 22Driver assistance 11Visibility 11Seats 6Suspension 4Tires 4Seat belts 3Wheels 3
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