Problems with 2011 Kia Sorento SUSPENSION

Transmission problems like not getting into gear or jerking when shifting and engine seem to loose power or not have enough also there is a noise the a/c making a rattling noise and vibrating .

Takata brake lights not working bought 3 since jan2019. got brakes done in 2018 but pedal still moves at red light car moves forward. i mash breaks harder. engine shakes or jumps. ignition switch won't turn on car it don't crank up key was remade a yr ago. ignition started back working well but 6months ago same problem again. today i was stuck 3.5hrs.horrible please help my sorento is loved by me. no one contacted me on these issues im having.

First issue began when car started pulling to right when going around corners on highway. took to shop; paid for new brakes including pads, rotors, front calipers plus front driver side ball joint replaced. ball joint rusted out so bad it crumbled to pieces when tire was taken off. not out of shop for even a full day when the car started pulling again. this time it was a hard pull to the right while going straight on highway and in town. this time the pull was so strong the car went off road. this time it felt like steering went out completely. so back to shop to find out that the front passenger side ball joint was also shot and needed replaced. car been out of shop barely 2 wks; now front end is making a hard clunky noise when turning and going over just the slightest bumps. the car feels like you are driving over boulders and sounds like the whole front end is about to fall apart. so back to the shop for third time in less than one month. read multiple complaints online regarding these same issues? im pretty sure i'll be paying for struts, shocks and/or complete repair of front end suspension after already putting $800 in to it. how has this car not been recalled for such issues?

The air bag light came on yesterday...and suspension while drying trials you over in left lane if you hit a bump

My kia sorento 2011. my problem is that my car started acting different. every time i turn it makes a noise. i got the ball joint done. the right site. also i got the strut done . i was told that i need new strut again. .went i drive it sound like if the car gonna fall apart.

Loud noise coming from right front wheel while vehicle driving on highway and once vehicle is in park on side of road. no inducator lights lights show in dash.

While diving down the road, the rear passenger side gear box shattered.

My driver side door will not open from the outside. i have two small children and i'm afraid to put child lock on because this is a common problem according to my research. i haven't gotten a recall for this problem and it makes for a very dangerous maybe deathly situation. horn doesn't work.

Pulls to 1 direction when braking and driving. sounds of axel or suspension in motion started on city streets now on highway

I made a appointment for kia service complaining that the front and rear suspention r making a noise. kia replace the front right side ball joints and said the rear and left front suspention are working fine the car still sounds very loud when going over bumps.

Loud clanking noise in front driver side tire/suspension area when going over bumps new tires, and alignment, new shocks and struts, a frame bushing and sway bar replaced as well, clanking noise remains.

Coil spring from front strut on 2011 sorento broke in three places while in motion in the city (driving straight) at a speed of approximately 20 km/hr and pierced side wall of tire on driver side. no injuries but very dangerous indeed.

Coil spring from front strut on 2011 sorento broke and left piece of spring on ground, causing a major safety hazard. spring can cut tire side wall and cause a crash with major injuries/damage to passengers, driver, and vehicle.

Sway bar failure the vehicle has a "knocking noise" when traveling over slight bumps and corning. upon inspection, the sway bar (stabilizer link bar) is loose and in need of replacement. this is a routine issue with the kia vehicles however even after replacement the issue returns. the sway bar (stabilizer link bar) is part of the suspension system which helps reduce body roll of a vehicle during fast corning and over road irregularities.

All of the kia sorrento 2011 suspension struts, shocks, strut mounting plate front left needed to be replaced. it sounded like loose bolts and the noise would then be a loud knocking especially on road going up and down hills and turns. also had to replace the tpms sensors, front and rear tension rods on both sides. this is the most costly car ever online numerous reports of same issue this should have a recall here is one reflecting same problem with sedona model - i suggest you check this forum under sedona 2002-2005 "sedona front strut". kia has a history of strut noise related problems. they finally came out with a tsb (kt2007020501) on the front strut issue for 2002-2005 sedona's in early 2007 !!! we have to remember that tsb's are for acknowledged problems by a manufacturer and that they have a fix for said problem, thus the tsb to carry out fix. if the problem is not safety related then no tsb. safety related issues are handled under recalls. an issue that is too expensive to fix and is not a safety issue is labeled "normal operating characteristics of vehicle" it's that simple and until you all start yelling to kia and not the service rep who is stuck between a rock and a hard spot you will not get results. my other sugestion to you guys is a mass letter writing campain to consumer reports automotive unit.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia sorento. while the vehicle was stationary, the cv axle leaked fluid. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. the failure mileage was 101,000.

While slowly backing out of driveway, loud bang noise, shook car. front right coil spring broke off. had towed to kia dealer, front right coil spring, right ball joint, and left front strut was replaced. extended warranty covered all costs. over$ 1,000. 73.600 miles.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia sorento. while driving at various speeds, the rear end of the vehicle would vibrate and shake. the vehicle was taken to the dealer, who indicated that the tires needed to be replaced and the suspension needed to be aligned. the four tires were replaced and the suspension was aligned but the failure reoccurred. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 56,000.

at approximately 9 a.m. on september 11th 2014 my family and i were traveling eastbound on 66 from front royal virginia to the dulles airport . my boyfriend [xxx] was driving at the time and i was seated behind him next to our 3 year old daughter. we were traveling in the left lane of 66 at about 70 miles an hour when all of a sudden our vehicle went wildly out of control. we fishtailed, went through the right lane of 66 all the way across, slamming us head on into the dewey wall and guardrail. i was violently jolted forward and smashed my face into the back of the driver seat. i was taken by ambulance to fraquier co. hospital. i suffered multiple nasal fractures and 2 abrasions to my nose and gash on my knee. i required a ct scan, stitches, and my nose to be reset. i had black eyes, severe head aches and swelling for several weeks. the axel in the rear passenger, behind the driver side, had snapped cleanly at the weld. there was no major rust and no jagged edges on the break. there was also no dent or damaged to the scrape plate as found by auto repair shop.indicating the car had not been driven roughly. it is believed by both the auto repair shop and is written in the police report as a manufacturer's defect. my family and i could have been killed, luckily my 3 year old daughter was ok even though she still talks about the incident. i was on my way to the airport for my grandfather's funeral which i missed. my nose will also require rhinoplasty to be completely fixed. i had a look at the part myself and have pictures in can't believe my eyes, i am aware that there have been problems with the front axles of these vehicles. the incident has left me with severe anxiety. information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

2/12/14 was the date that i purchased this vehicle. i have hated every minute of it since. it kept sounding like stuff was falling off the bottom of my car. i took it in and here both the front struts are out. then to find out they where out before i even bought the vehicle! i have been waiting months for kia to get the parts in this country to have my car fixed! since then i have been stuck driving my new/used vehicle with no struts. without the struts working that alignment is off which causes the vehicle to pull. i have two young children that ride in this vehicle plus i drive 25 miles to work and 25 miles back every day. i call kia and the dealership to check on the parts order and all they can say is they are back ordered.....well, if it is a 2011 and parts are back ordered so far i have to wait months to get them, something is wrong. struts should not have to be replaced this soon on a car. *tr

There is a problem with the suspension on all 2011 kia sorento cars. the suspension is very bad on rough roads. the vibration and noise in the cabin is not normal. it is very hard on your back and should be modified by the manufacturer. *tr

Single clunking noise whenever decelerating, which was verified by kia service advisor at ny kia dealership. *tr

Wheel assembly appears to have completely given out. vehicle traveling at ~35mph when it rose slightly then gave out. vehicle hit side of parked car and flipped on to side and into retaining wall - full side curtain airbag deployment. entire front passenger wheel well completely vacant. everything laying on street including suspension springs. witness to support events. vehicle under 25k miles (2011 model, incident 2012). vehicle totaled by insurance. *tr

Bought car on 4-12-12 had 22531 miles on it. from time of purchase it would pull to the right severely. we had kia dealership check out steering problem. they couldn't find anything wrong. they charged us for an alignment and said car should stir fine. alignment do nothing to fix steering problem,still pulls severely to the right at any speed. *tr

When trying to step on gas vehicle seems to strain. example, when needing to get in lane, my car seems not to get much gas which i feel especially on highway, may cause an accident. my vehicle tend to ride quite rough as far as wheel suspension. i have had a wheel alignment and have had the vehicle checked. i was told nothing seemed to be wrong with it. i had the 189.00 service did on my car as well. i called the recall center and i was told nothing showed for my vehicle. my vehicle is not performing as it should. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia sorento. the contact was driving approximately 25-35 mph when he heard a loud, wining noise. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where they were unable to diagnose the failure. the manufacturer was contacted and advised the contact to continue driving the vehicle and if the noise became more prominent, then they would buy back the vehicle at full cost. the vehicle had not been repaired. the failure and current mileages were approximately 14,500.

I bought my 2011 sorento sx awd 2 months ago and have had nothing but problems with it. the dealer has aligned the car 3 times for pulling to the right, it still does it. my biggest issue is the vibration and groan sound i get when driving at 57mph. the sound is a resonating and annoying sound which goes up and down and seems to subside after 60mph and get bad again at 80mph. the dealer has balanced the new tires 3 times, swapped the drive line with another sorento and it didn't improve it at all. they placed a new drive line and it made it worse. i have opened a trouble ticket and a case number with kia customer support but they have said the issue is an inherent characteristic of this vehicle. not acceptable by me. kia corp needs to find a solution for this issue. i am wondering if anyone else has had a similar issue and have a fix for it. *tr

This is my wife's vehicle, but given the issue she is afraid to drive it..... driving up hill with my foot on the gas pedal at 50 mph. my vehicle lost power ( as if i slammed on the brake ) my body went forward and was stopped by the seatbelt. my head whipped downward. then the vehicle surged forward. my head and body slapped back into the seat. it was so abrupt and violently. it will scare you to death. this has happened to many times over the last year to count. i have tried to document the events in a journal because the dealer has been able to duplicate it only once. some days it can happen up to 3 times a day for weeks on end. some times i can duplicate it driving up hill and sometimes nothing. the worst times are when merging into traffic or when someone is following to close behind me. my fear is that i will hurt another motorist or a passenger in my vehicle. a term called " limp mode " has been said to me. where the transmission shifts to a hi gear to protect it from damage. my vehicle still does this at least once every other day. i have been to the dealer 14 times. the tranny was replaced a year ago and a backfire code was found recently. a computer software update that didn't help was the last thing done in over a year, unless you count paying for rental vehicles doing something. there is also a suspension/steering issue. a hard pulling left/right and bump steer. the vehicle will pull the steering wheel out of your hand in turns and veers as it hits bumps. *tr

I have taken my 2011 kia sorento in 3 or 4 times to see if they can find out what is wrong with the suspension. they did a visual inspection and said all looks good. they have refused to do anything to my vehicle. the mechanic agreed with me, on the rough ride. the vehicle bounces all over the road. kia did change the suspension in oct of 2011 on all new sorentos. which tells me they know there is a problem with the old ones. also if you look online it appears a lot of people who bought sorentos in the beginning are complaining about the rough ride. kia needs to do recall on all older models and up grade them. (this is from autoblog.com: kia noticed this ride quality issue and decided to take the costlier dfd dampers and employ them not just on the new sx model, but across the model's entire range beginning in the fourth quarter. while kia officials we spoke with at an atlanta press event this week stopped short of admitting that the sorento's ride quality has been an issue, they did note that once engineers sampled the dfd setup on the sx, they liked the ride so much they decided to institute the new units on all sorentos.) *tr

While traveling down the road the axle and transmission suddenly went out. this caused vehicle to come to a sudden abrupt stop. this could have caused a fatal accident if traveling at a higher rate of speed or on an interstate. when the problem occurred, you had no power to the vehicle and it could not even coast to the side of the road. dealer stated it was due to a manufacturers defect caused by a bolt from the axle hitting the transmission and said they forwarded photos to kia corporate. i contacted kia corporate and asked for a written explanation and assurance that this particular problem would not happen to us again and they declined to provide anything in writing. our problem was fixed, at least for now, but i want to know that my family or someone else's does not have this problem with a tractor trailer behind them at 70 mph on an interstate.

2011 kia sorento. consumer writes regarding problems with vehicle within the first 2 months of purchase *tgw the consumer stated the stalled while driving on the highway. it would down shift unexpectedly and then jerk and jolt. there were times when the consumer applied the accelerator and the vehicle would not respond for a short period before the vehicle revved up and accelerated. the vehicle also pulled to the right and there was a bad grinding/rubbing sound coming from the front drivers side of the vehicle, along with spongy brakes which was a problem from the start. the consumer stated when she started the vehicle, there was a knocking noise coming from the engine. the interior lights went out, the drivers side window switch was faulty and the back-up camera stopped working. *jb

I purchased a 2011 sorento ex in 2/2010. i was told at the time that the steering, when it pulled to the right, was normal for this type of suspension. i dealt with it for a long time. then, i noticed one day a loud clanking noise coming from the back of the vehicle. i brought it in right away, and they told me that my rear shock went out on the right side and the back leftside was almost gone as well. so, they ordered the new ones. while they had my vehicle for 5 days, i asked them to do an alignment but told me that i was past 12k miles, and wouldnt be covered uner warranty. i called kia affairs and they covered the repair under the warranty. however, the pulling (after the alignment) is still the same. i also mentioned a noise coming from the front end especially when braking. it is not normal,but dont know what it is... they told me there was nothing wrong with the brakes. but, any passenger in my vehicle hears it and says something is wrong. i am waiting for either my steering to go out or my brakes to not work on day as i know theres an isssue. there is also a clanking noise when starting the engine. what could be causing that? it sounds like someone needs to investigate and help consumers! please. i will also follow up with kia affairs, but someone needs to intervene. the same issues aer being experienced by many people. there should be a recall relating to the steering, suspension, clunking engine noise when starting...before something happens. these are just a few people who have spoken up, but all are similar in nature, and there must be many more who have not complained. ! thank you. *tr

I recently purchased a 2011 kia sorento 4 cyl. and just after one day of ownership noticed that the car was pulling to the right. i immediately took it back to the dealership with only 150 miles on it. they said it was the alignment and did a test on it and after the test the car pulled to the left. the steering wheel is also off center, like many others have reported. i have taken it back once more and this time they performed a tire rotation, this did not fix the problem. after three weeks of ownership the brakes have started to make substantial noise and the suspension feels and sounds like it is coming apart. the dealer is waiting for kia technician representative to come by and take a look and report on this vehicle. *tr

Front strut failure at 3k miles. car randomly has a loud metallic clunk sound when starting, sometimes the car will surge/jump forward when starting (while the car is in park, parking brake on and foot on brake). the transmission shifter gets stuck in park and does not release, with great effort releasing from park(car made loud metallic clank sound and surged/jumped in reverse). i'm afraid to park too close to another car because starting car can cause collision. when the transmission is stuck the brakes depress to floor of car. since day one the car has pulled to the right, after strut replacement the problem is worse (the faster the speed the harder it is to steer straight).

Our 2011 kia sorento has experienced two suspension failures in the last 6 or 7 weeks. kia has found it necessary to replace the right rear and left rear shock absorber assemblies. *tr

Tl*the contact owns a 2011 kia sorento. while driving approximately 30 mph the vehicle began to pull towards the right. the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer where they put air into the tires. the failure continued to recur and the vehicle was taken back to the authorized dealer where the tires were rotated and an unknown engine adjustment was performed. the failure continued to recur so the vehicle was again taken to an authorized dealer where she was informed the front spring coils needed to be replaced. the parts were on back order so the vehicle was not repaired. the failure mileage was 200 and the current mileage was 600. the vin was unavailable.

2011 kia sorento v6 has spring coil issues. our brand new sorento kept pulling to the right. making it difficult to drive. no injuries as of yet. the coils are on back order due to so many complaints. not a word from kia motors. *tr

Bought a 2011 kia sorento 4cyl standard package. noticed at around 200 miles the front right tire was making some clunking noises and felt very wobbly. the car also pulls to the right on the highway. called the local kia dealership and they looked at it and said it was a suspension problem and they had another car with the same problem so they knew what it was. it's been 3 weeks, kia said they would call but they never did so i have called the dealer over 4 times to hear the words "we don't have your part" they told me one other time that one of the guys tried to order too many parts and they got rejected! lies! the rpm's also reeve up for no apparent reason. they make the car sound like the motor is going to blow up and last, the car pulls to the right while driving on the highway. very unsafe!i don't feel safe driving this car and it feels like i am driving a pile of junk. i am waiting to break down on the freeway! *tr

Clunking noise coming from right front of car when going over small bumps. seems like something is loose and banging around. car is currently at the dealer with numerous problems. i will list more later. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia sorrento. the contact stated when driving on uneven road surfaces, the vehicle would exhibit an abnormal wobbling sound similar to driving on a flat tire. the dealer was able to duplicate the failure but was unable to determine the cause or provide a remedy. the manufacturer advised that the failure was under investigation but did not provide any further assistance. the failure mileage was approximately 300 and the current mileage was approximately 3,500.

Update to complaint of 6-2-2010: since my original filing, i have had a total of 5 alignments, 1 steering wheel straightening, 1 tightening of alignment specs, a front tire switch; also 4 new tires with spin balance were put on the suv by kia. i have given up on kia being able to correct the suv drifting to the right. the new tires did help somewhat, but mostly they gave it a better ride. took sorento in on transmission recall fix may 2011; several days later the suv wouldn't shift into gear and had to be towed back to dealer. brand new transmission was installed, and suv runs better than ever. the initial purchase of this vehicle was really a challenge, but the sorento has turned out to be a great vehicle and i am very satisfied with the driving and handling. i have hauled at least 1,000 pounds in the back at one time with no trouble; this suv is a workhorse. *tr

From day 1 i complained of a clunking/banging noise on the front passenger side of vehicle when going over small bumps. 3 attempts at dealers and calls to kia produced only the statement "common to this vehicle platform" i now have over 4,000 miles and still the same problem. *tr

2011 kia sorento 4-cyl ex alignment issue: purchased auto 3/27/10 and noticed the next day that the car drifts to the right. was told to wait 30 days (or 1000 miles) for break-in period. the dealership did an alignment on 5/5/10; they then straightened the steering wheel on 5/6/10; and tightened the specs on 5/7/10. they could not fix the problem. i took it to another kia dealership in akron on 5/19/10, and they rotated the front tires and did another alignment--they couldn't fix the problem either. the car still drifts to the right. i am working with kia corporation to try to find a fix, but felt the information was important to nhtsa should other complaints be received on the same problem. *tr