You forced kia into an extended warranty for an engine defect. They warranty 2016/17 models under WTY035 but it also happens to 2015 models. I'm hoping this can be extended.
2015 Kia Sorento engine complaints
Page 4 of 13: complaints 71 to 100 of 367, newest first, as owners wrote them.
Head gasket blowing
Weak head bolt threads that are easily stripped and causes excessive leaks
Engine has seized. Mechanic at local automotive shop stated that the engine seizure is due to engine burning oil internally. Told me to call KIA because they were aware of this problem due to safety recall. I reported problem to KIA dealership but was told there was no safety recalls relating to my vehicle. Check engine light has been coming on sporadically since 2018 along with my vehicle randomly stalling while idling in traffic. KIA was made aware of these problems and did a diagnostic, stating that the light wasn't on during inspection. And there was no reason for stalling. Also reported smell of chemical and fumes several times but nothing was found. When my vehicle reached 100k miles I was told by KIA dealer that it is normal for the check engine light to stay on due to wear and tear/high mileage. Engine seized while driving.
While driving home from picking my children up, engine started making a knocking noise. No warning lights or indicators were illuminated. Engine stalled while pulling down my driveway. Took it in for a Diagnosis. Metal flakes have been found in the oil. 3.3L Lambda two engine reliability is already being questioned.
•The engine of my 2015 Kia Sorento experienced a catastrophic failure, leading to a loss of power and abnormal sounds while driving. It is available for inspection upon request. •The sudden failure of the engine posed a significant safety risk to both me and others on the road. Without any warning lamps or messages, this malfunction could have led to a complete loss of control over the vehicle, endangering lives, particularly if I had been driving at high speeds on the highway. •Yes, the issue has been confirmed by the Courtesy Kia service center in Messa, where the vehicle was inspected and diagnosed with a crashed engine requiring replacement. •While the vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, it has undergone evaluation by the authorized dealer service center, Courtesy Kia in Messa. They told me that they have contacted manufacturer and that they declined any support because I am second owner and therefore their engine warranty only covers 60000 miles. •No warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms were present prior to the engine failure. Despite diligently maintaining the vehicle and conducting regular services, there were no indications of any issues until the sudden loss of power and abnormal sounds occurred while driving. Even upon towing my car home and parking the vehicle at garage, no warning lights were illuminated, further highlighting the unexpected nature of the malfunction.
On Sunday 2-4-2024, at ~2-3am, my daughter & her boyfriend were driving her 2015 Kia Sorento on I69 near Fishers IN (67 miles from their home) when the engine rod bearings failed. Driving at interstate speeds, they immediately pulled over to the shoulder. If traffic had been bad, this could have caused a deadly accident. This created an emergency roadside service issue. Fortunately, my daughter's boyfriend was with her to help her through this anxious & traumatic event. It took a couple hours (in freezing cold weather) for them to figure out what to do. They called us (her parents) at 5am for assistance. They eventually got a tow truck to tow the car back to our hometown's Kia dealer for service. On the next business day, the Kia Dealer diagnosed the problem as a blown rod bearing; the engine was locked up. Cost to repair will be ~$5900 plus a $589 towing charge. Quotes are included with this complaint. After some research, I discovered that faulty rod bearings is a HUGE problem on mid-2010's Sorento 2.4L engines. The internet is full of customer complaints on this. In addition, there is even a Theta II Class Action Lawsuit on this. The problem is THAT pervasive. I have contacted Kia Customer Service (Irvine, CA) and the Kia Theta II Customer Service group. They explained that because they obliged by conditions of the Theta II lawsuit, which, for them was two mailings to DMV registered owners in summer 2018 & summer 2019 requesting owners to install an ECU software upgrade (followed by a 3rd mailing by the lawsuit handling firm: Epiq), that their liability on this matter is covered. The previous owner did not open or see these letters. So this upgrade was not done on this car. To me, Kia/Hyundai acted in BAD FAITH not to continue with mailings (once every 6 months) to all DMV registered owners UNTIL all registered cars had dwindled to very low numbers (<10% of initial sales). Therefore, I think they are STILL liable for this safety & traumatic issue.
Car shut down driving down the road and spun a bearing.
Manufacturer failed to honor repair of seriously damaged engine due to a faulty distribution in oil causing a major engine failure. KIA USA Manufacturer is currently under massive lawsuits due to this issue and which involved the model we purchased. Vehicle has very low mileage of 85085 and should be covered under the manufacturer's warranty of 100,000 miles. Manufacturer claims they declined our claim because we failed to attend to a massive genetic form mailed to all owners in 2018. As a consumer we are simply asking they honor the warranty and replace and/or fully repair the damaged engine in our family SUV.
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
Car suddenly had a knocking sound, check engine light came on and as I was driving, the car loss power suddenly died and woudn't start back up. Mechanic diagnosed that head bolts came loose and damaged engine. Has been at mechanic since 11/27 with the engine being rebuilt. Aprox cost at $7,600.
While on the freeway, the engine started making a loud knocking sound and the car was losing power. No check engine light or other warning lights were illuminated. I exited, parked and later towed the car back to the Kia dealership and they said I needed a block (engine) replacement at a cost of over $10,000. I have performed all routine maintenance on this car at the dealership, so this is unacceptable. Luckily I was able to exit the freeway and was not in an accident because of this failure. My car had approximately 109,000 miles on it.
Sudden engine failure. Upon inspecting the vehicle Kia mechanic concluded engine failure is due to rod bearing wear, which isn't part of the engine failure recall. Thus customer is responsible for all expense in full.
The contact's mother owns a 2015 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing an abnormal oil consumption. The contact stated that the vehicle consumed three quarts of oil after driving 367 miles. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the vehicle could be experiencing an internal oil leak. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where an oil consumption test was performed. The dealer informed the contact to come back after 300 miles. Additionally, the contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated, and the front passenger's side seat belt pretensioner failed to operate as intended. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.
The car has 106,000 miles, engine suddenly have knocking sound when started the engine then it will go away with no indicator of any issues. A week later, my wife was driving it and the knocking sound turns very loud and the car went into the limp mode and almost cause her to get into a car accident. We took the car to the Kia dealership and it was determined that the engine has a lower end rod knock due to bearing failure, the long block engine assembly needs to be replaced. I researched it and this is a commonly known issue for Kia's engine that already affected many other Kia owners.
Car temp gauge would go up high and go back down. No check engine light when this would happen. Took to mechanic and found out the radiator and the engine head gasket needed to be replaced.
We just got my wife’s Sorento SXL back from our Kia dealership in Kennesaw Georgia Yesterday.we took it in because of a clicking sound in the engine.they kept the car for a diagnostic They said the car had low or no oil,My wife informed the service Rep.that we have all the oil changes and we’ve never ,ever drove the car without oil ! They kept the car another week We found out yesterday what it is.Metal debris in engine,rod bearing wore,oil leaking In engine ! We were told to buy a New Engine! The car has 105,000 miles on it the price on the engine was to be 14,000 dollars we can’t even trade it in because of this a get what the car actually worth ! 3.3 L V-6 Kia engines Also check CarComplaints web.Starting in Jan.2023
The engine quit/shut down while traveling at 65mph on freeway. We replace engine, now 50,000 miles later we are replacing the connector rod bearings.
Paint started peeling off
On 8/19/23 driving cross country moving from MN to AZ. Heard a clunk and my engine went into limp mode. Called nearest Kia Dealership and advised not to drive. 8/21/23 had to have car towed 100 miles to Kia Dealership in Cheyenne, WY. Rented car from Avis to get to AZ in time for closing on new home. Car inspected at dealership and confirmed a new engine was necessary. To date, car is still in WY.
engine is smoking , but is not showing over heating on gauge. just had oil changed on Thursday 9-28-23 by NTB, It has happened 3 times before oil change and once since(today),
Without vehicle warning lights, I was driving on a highway and my engine began making loud noises. My safety was put at risk as my car did not indicate any warning there were any vehicle issues and I was on a major highway which could have potentially not only affected my safety but the safety of others.
Engine failed and started knocking on 8/29/2023. Had it towed to dealership where it has been sitting ever since. I am being told that its taking 8+ weeks to get approval on a new engine from KIA due to the defects of their engines. They will not supply a loaner or rental car until (IF) the engine replacement is approved.
Without warning, engine stalled while in motion. Electrical system was still functioning and on. Loss of power steering and power brakes. This continued to happen at random times during driving, putting all passengers at risk. Kia dealership looked in to the problem and diagnosed it as a faulty PCM/ECM module and replaced. Rolling engine stall continued and continues to happen at intermittent times. We are now 6 months in to the process of trying to determine the issue. The car has been taken back to Kia dealership for inspection. The problem has been reproduced by another auto repair shop but they are unwilling to work on it since there is no check engine light or corresponding code to work from.
Unknow
It is abusive to American consumers that Kia Motors America knowingly sold several Kia models from 2011-2019 with the Theta ii engine issues. They have not done enough as a car company to support the needs of customers that are affected by this problem. They are taking 2-3 months to diagnose and repair failed engines at dealerships. Additionally, they are not doing enough to help people when they don't have access to their car. I was forced for 2.5 months to have no car without a loaner vehicle offered to me. I experienced a Kia Sorento 2015 engine failure on 6/1/2023 and was not fully repaired until 8/18/2023. During that entire timeframe, I had to file a BBB report at 60 days to get an update on the diagnosis for my car. When I went to pick up my car on 8/19/2023 at Cochran Robinson Kia, they lost the key to my car and acted like it was no big deal. I am sick and tired of Kia Motors America being allowed to continue selling faulty vehicles in our country. They need to be shut down and charged to the full extent of the law as a car company.
Engine blew
The engine was inspected for a possible timing chain rattle/issue and was found to be consuming oil. The oil level was low with no obvious leaks from the engine, meaning that the engine has been burning oil for about 4 months since the last oil change at the very least. The oil consumption could cause engine to wear and fail during operation, causing obvious safety issues for this model, as is the case for other Kia models affected by a class action settlement. The issue has been confirmed by an independent mechanic, but has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or other individuals. There were no warnings of low oil levels prior to being informed of this oil consumption issue.
The engine of this vehicle has always rattled on start-up, but the sound goes away after a few seconds. Oil levels have always been maintained and the oil has been changed on a regular basis at the scheduled mileage intervals. Within the last month, the engine rattle is present when shifting from 2nd to 3rd gear, at approximately 30-40 mph. The engine rattle is coupled with a revving sound that would indicate that the engine is working hard to accelerate, yet the RPMs remain relatively low for the amount of sound made by the engine. To date this has not posed a safety risk, but I consider it to a potential safety issue if the engine failure problems present in other Kias of similar years are also present in this year and generation of Sorentos with V6 engines such as this vehicle. The engine issue is currently being inspected by a mechanic to see if they can replicate the issue and identify a specific problem. No inspections have been performed to date by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives. No engine lights or warning signs were present before this started occurring.
August 11,2023 My 2015 Kia Sorento engine light came on, it started bogging down, and rattling noise came from the engine, when plugged in it was diagnosed as the exhaust crank shaft position timing-over-advanced (Bank 1) Code P0014. I had a hard time keeping the engine running it kept wanting to stall out while driving down the road to safely make it home. I'm lucky to have made it home and not stranded out on the highway. I'm told know the engine has failed. I will need rods replaced; I've had all my recalls done but yet this still has happened to me. I thought 1 of the recalls was for this very reason yet it still happened, how is this possible. As I've read through other people's issues, I'm also at 85,000 miles and had no warning that my engine would be shot. If you have a Kia 2015 Sorento sell it or trade it in now, especially if your mileage is hitting 80,000 mileages.
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