Problems with 2011 Kia Sorento ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Low beam headlamps are failing due to wiring harness melting causing a short. this a safety issue for visibility at night and could start a fire in the engine compartment. this problem was identified when driving on the i-17 in north phoenix and verified once we got home. the harness was replaced by a certified mechanic twice and both times the harness melted. oe headlamps are being used.currently, we have no driver side headlamp due to a concern for fire.

Clock spring malfunction causing airbag light to illuminate on dash. steering wheel controls do not work. this is a constant and daily issue. it happens while driving as well as parked. low beam socket melted. since been replaced by me. both issues are under a recall but my vin is not listed. my vehicles year make and model are listed in a current recall but my vin does not fall within it.

Our interior lights quit working shortly after purchasing the vehicle so we had it repaired. 2 weeks later we had an electrical fire and damage to wireing the mechanic didn't replace. $5,000 later, now the headlights flicker while driving if you use the turning signal. huge safety issue!!!! also while driving the car out of the blue jerks quick and hard. we don't feel safe in this vehicle anymore.

Vehicle was statiomary and not on. started smoking from dash and smoke coming out door, caught on fire went up to the roof and across to the passenger seat. when fire department came they had to cut open the hood, car randomly started while on fire to unhook the battery.

All controls on steering wheel stopped working around 120,000 miles. bluetooth, radio controls and cruise control. all power sockets and usb socket stopped working around 110,000 miles. whining sound coming from engine area when car is on started around 128,000 miles.

Was driving my kia and suddenly could no longer drive pulled over n traffic and could only put the e brake on. nothing else would go in to gear drive reverse and the brakes were not working properly. so put the e brake on and called tow truck..took it to made in america made in japan..and the say its the input shaft..exactly described on recall for my vin # [xxx] . manufacture call#sc124. nhtsa# 15v626 .this happened on 225 placerville rd folsom on friday 1/5/2017 .its currently still at made in america made in japan..please contact. me a.s.a.p [xxx] . [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Truck doors unlock while driving, alarm goes off randomly while driving or parked, all the fuses blew, starter has been changed 3 times, due to faulty wiring beneath the motor. battery has been changed due to wiring.

Since purchase, on three occasions do rear doorors locked in the closed position. the front 2 doors and the rear door on the driver's side. each front door was fixed by kia with no expense to owner. they refuse to repair this rear door stating it will cost the owner apx. $ 1,800. this is a real danger since passengers in the rear seats cannot exit car in an emergency. door cannot be opened under any conditions.

I have owned this vechicle since it was new. kia has replaced at least 3 rear view cameras in my rear lift gate. the last one was on 2/10/2016. now this camera is malfunctioning, all i see is interference. i can't see anything passing across the rear of my vechicle like a child or short adult. kia can't develop a functioning camera so theyshould have to keep replacing them until they do. i wouldn't have purchased this vechicle without a camera it's rear window is very high. this is a daily ongoing problem.

There have been 2 instances where most or all the warning lights came on while driving. both times i have been on the highway at normal steady speeds. the first time they stayed on for the duration of the ride, which was about 40 minutes, and then were off by the next morning when i drove the car again. the second time i turned the car off and back on to see if that would reset it, but they were still on, and stayed on until later that evening. i didn't notice any performance issues, but i was on an interstate road in good dry normal driving conditions. these 2 occurrances have happened within the past year, and as recently as a month ago.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia sorento. while driving various speeds, the abs, stability control, and downhill traction warning indicators illuminated. the vehicle was taken to riverchase kia (2200 us-31, pelham, al 35124 (205) 987-6518) where it was diagnosed with a defective module that needed replacement. the vehicle was not repaired because the dealer stated that the recall expired. the contact stated that the dealer did not provide the recall information. the dealer also stated that in may of 2017, while the vehicle was at the dealer for an oil change, they checked a module that controlled the warning indicators, but the module was fine and covered it in silicone. the contact was informed that he would have to pay for the repairs. the contact was also informed that a part in the rear drum needed replacement along with the module. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failures. the approximate failure mileage was 90,000.

When driving at stable speed the vehicle often "feels" as if the gas is not getting to the motor. the speed of the car varies, regardless of the amount of pressure on the gas pedal. the car also shows low tire light, along with all lights on the dashboard at random times. the lights will appear when you start the vehicle and the tire pressure light remains on at all times.

For several months now, the dashboard warning lights have come on, usually four at a time as i'm driving. it seems to happen most often when it's raining. i had the kia dealer in las cruces, nm try to determine the problem when i had the car in for a couple recalls about two years ago. they could not determine the cause of the problem. about 3 months ago i had a shop with a aaa master mechanic try to determine the problem and they also could not determine the reason the warning lights were coming on. they could not find a short in the wiring that i thought might be the cause. the lights eventually go off, usually after the car has not been driven for several hours or overnight. i'm concerned that, although i've not experienced significant problems when the dash warning lights come on, could a possible real safety issue occur if one of the systems indicated by the lights actually malfunction? for a while when the lights came on, the car's steering seemed to be effected--on windy curvy roads the car would definitely over steer on curves, as though someone else were in control. i would appreciate any information you might have on similar problems and how they were corrected. thank you.

Back up camera doe's not work some times causes problem when backing up you can not judge distant behind vehicle can be dangerous when you cant see if there is a person walking behind you. problem may be in the camera lots of the same problem is talked about on the internet by other people with the same problem.

After driving 8 miles to my destination i parked the car and turned off the engine. i immediately saw and smelled smoke coming from under the hood. i got out, called 911, and began to see flames. the police arrived in less than 5 minutes but by then the hood of the car was on fire and by the time the firefighters arrived the car was completely in flames. there was never a warning light on the dashboard to indicate anything was wrong. we always take it in for all its routine maintenance and checkups with the kia dealer. it was just into the dealer 2 weeks ago.

Blower motor resistor found not to be working. wondering if others have had this problem. no heat or a/c.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia sorento. the contact stated that the instrument cluster failed and different warning indicators illuminated, such as the all wheel drive and check engine. also, the odometer failed and the speedometer would not display speeds past 20 mph. the vehicle was taken to three different dealers (midtown kia in tulsa, ok, boomer kia in oklahoma city, ok, and bob moore kia in oklahoma city, ok). the dealers were unable to replace the instrument cluster and reprogram it because it was against state laws. the manufacturer was not contacted. the failure mileage was approximately 140,000.

Driver side front door handle wont open door.

My driver side door just stopped working from the outside. it unlocks, but the handle does not open the door. this is such an inconvenience, not to mention a safety issue. i searched and see tons of complaints about the same thing, but no recall. i am so surprised at kia for not taking responsibility

Symptomatic of previous pcm/ecu failure. pcm was replaced 3 months after purchasing 2011 kia sorento new.

Push button start. sometime it starts and some time it does not. hit and miss. battery replaced. alternator replaced, starter check. car does not always start the 1st, 2,3,4,or 5th time

Driver side door on my 2011 kia sorento stopped working yesterday,. would not open by remote or key. i had to climb in and crawl over to drivers door to get into car. this is a serious defect that could result in death or injury to me and my passengers during a very common event in houston - flooding. if i was pinned in my car going under water and no one could open the door by any means then i would drown. just how many complaints do u need to have to recall your obvious defect? i have seen an alarming number of people who have complained to you on the same but no actions are taken by kia to remediate this dangerous default. people have been charged up to $900 to kia dealership to fix their shoddy cost saving cheap door only to have the other door(s) on their car go out within weeks. in other words, we should always be ready for this much reported safety hazard! it is going to flood in houston tomorrow...hope i am not trapped in my car due to your negligence. oh and there are lots of other issues that could happen, unable to get my grandchildren out of the car in a houston summer! *tr

Car makes loud roaring sound upon cold start. it is typically the loudest when it has been left sitting all night and at first start. it will not make the noise after that unless it sits for at least 8hrs.i took it to kia and they explained it wouldn't damage my car and it's mostly just a loud noise and annoyance. they also explained they had seen this before and one of the mechanics even said he drove his kia around for years and it made the same noise. it is loud.

The airbag light came on randomly and has not shut off for several years. i was told by a dealership that it could cost a few thousand dollars to fix. this is obviously very dangerous and that terrifying that it could be set off at any time for no reason or even worse not at all. after seeing so many complaints about this issue why hasn't this been addressed or recalled?

In the last week, the vehicle shut down completely while driving. the first time it happened on the highway while driving 70mph - the car shut off and dropped to 50mph, the steering wheel locked but it started back up. twenty minutes later while driving 25mph on a side road, the same thing happened. and then again while in a drive thru line. this has since happened twice while on the highway. the vehicle does start back up again but it is obviously unsafe to drive, especially on the highway. after researching the issue, i found there was a recall on 2011-2013 models with the same issue. i contacted kia and was told my vehicle was not part of the recall but to bring it in and have it looked at. i have an appointment on monday, december 19, 2016 to have several other recall items corrected. *tr

2011 kia sorrento/the car the lock mechanism failed. the car will not lock with the key fob or when pushing the locks in the door. approximate failure was 80,000 miles. took it to the dealer said i was over mileage for the repair. it will cost about $800 for repair. i am seeking advice to see if extended warranty will cover this cost. i have already replaced the front drivers door latch, i received a letter saying the repair on the locks would be done but apparently it does not cover this part. 5 year old car no locks work at all.

When driving car jerks and engine cuts out losing all power and mobility. usually comes back on within seconds. this happens when driving at any rate of speed. a few times i had to pull over to the side of the road with no power and restart the car. when losing all power i have been on the highway driving 55-60mph. all power is lost and with no power steering i have had to get the car off the road out of the way of traffic. this has happened about 6 times. often smell something burning or melting. smoke from dash a few times. no fires yet... also passenger side head lamp continues to go out because of the wires and harness melting.

Drivers side,rear seat passenger door lock does not open from outside or inside. the door locks are electrically opened via key fob opener. i had this difficulty before but had been able to open from inside. i am fearful that the child lock on the jamb of the door may have been flipped to the locked position. in any event the door will not open. the vehicle was purchased used in aug of 2015 with 46k on odometer. the unlocking issues were noted when the vehicle was stationary as the door locks originally engaged when the transmission was placed in drive. the locking problem was likely first noted in early fall of 2016. by november of 2016 the door would neither open with the key fob button, electrical switches on the master door control on the drivers and front seat passenger interior arm rests, or the the interior passenger door handle from the inside. the remainder of the locks have not failed to open with the key fob, electric switches or with the interior door handles. this situation presents a safety concern particularly to driver's side rear passenger as exit from the vehicle through the door is not possible at this point. the situation has not yet been repaired.

This vehicle has the abs light, traction control light, and the downhill assist lights that comes off and on whie diving the vehicle. after driving for a while than they may go off, now they are back on and they are staying on which my wife is sceptical of having on and so am i, when i checked tis problem on the internet fr complaints ther we many for this same problem and the dealers can't seem to know how to fix the issue. i wrate a letter to the kia corperate office today to see what can be don with this problem.

Already filed complaint about 2 doors that you cannot open from the outside of the vehicle when unlocked, now i have a 3rd door that won't open from the outside while unlocked. gonna have to climb in from the hatchback pretty soon. they all open from the inside, not the outside. so now i have to leave the child safety locks open all the time, hopefully my 3 yr olds won't pull on the door handle from the inside and fall out of the vehicle. all this within the last 3 weeks. i'm guessing somebody has to die before this will be recalled. going to call dealer today to see what they say.

Kia sorento 2011. parked. first it was one door, just stopped opening from the outside, opens from inside, unless you put child safety lock on, then it won't open at all. then today the other side not opening from the outside. all open from inside, only problem is what to do when all four stop opening from outside. if my kid is in there, falls asleep, and it's hot outside, how do i get the kid out if i can't open from outside, somebody is going to be seriously hurt or killed from this problem. from the looks of things there has been a lot of problems with these doors.

In august 2010 there was a recall to reroute the wiring harness for the starter and was supposedly corrected. three weeks ago i was coming down a mountain in the vehicle (2011 kia sorento) and i noticed a little hesitation. when i stopped the vehicle, it would not start again. i had it towed to the local kia dealer and they advised that the fuse panel had been shorted out and was defective. they said that kia would provide the fuse panel if i would pay the cost of the labor. i reluctantly agreed. when i picked up the vehicle, they stated they had to put a "salvaged starter" on the vehicle to get it to start. i again reluctantly agreed because i didn't have money for a new starter($500). when i checked my past repair ticket i noticed that kia and the dealer supposedly rerouted the starter wiring harness on a recall. after checking with other technicians, they advised that if the wiring harness was not installed correctly, it could have shorted out the starter and fuse panel and possibly could cause the vehicle to suddenly loose power even while driving. i'm afraid to drive the vehicle now; fearful that it will loose power while in operation causing an accident and possibly loss of life.

I have been having problems with my driver door and passenger door opening from the outside. i have to open the back door to get in to the front. this has been going on for over 3 years. i've spoken to the dealer ship place where i got the car from, and they informed me it was nothing they could do about it. i also took it to the kia dealership and they told me it's not a recall or anything can do about it unless i pay for them to fix it. i don't think this is right at all. i am not a ruff driver and i try to take good care of my car. i do not feel as if i should have to pay for this. there are so many people complaining about the same thing going on with their doors and we are not getting any help at all. they are not worrying that we have to pay the car note plus the car insurance and its nothing they can do unless we pay for it. not to mention if it was someone trying to harm me and my kids. we would have to go through the back door to get in the front to start the car and pull off. that's not if you was to go on cargurus.com you would see all the complaints. is there anything that you all can help us with please let us know. thank you. also the date i put in is not correct it would not let me put 2014. *tr

Suddenly unable to open drivers side front door from the outside. already paid over $300 for same issue on drivers side rear door did not open from outside suddenly. obvious defect as normal use and no issues until suddenly stops working. living in south florida very dangerous with canals and water should an accident occur. vehicle stationary parked.

A couple weeks ago, while my car was parked, i went to open the driver's side door and it would not open. i tried unlocking with the fob and with the key in the door, nothing worked. i had to get into my car through the passenger side, now the only way i can get driver's side door to open, is from the inside. then a few days ago, during a camping trip, i stepped out of my car to retrieve some things from my trunk. at that time, all doors automatically locked. when i tried to open the car doors to retrieve more things (and my two children), the doors wouldn't open, again, it took several attempts before i could finally unlock the car with the key (it took approximately 15 minutes). it's summer time and my young child was sleeping inside the car. this is definitely a safety hazard given the circumstances. about a day later, the airbag light came on, i'm guessing related to this electrical defect. i contacted the dealer, they say these issues wouldn't fall under warranty and that i had to pay $99 diagnosis fee plus repairs (about $200 per door). please look into this, i found several similar complains online. kia is not taking any responsibility. thank you! *tr

Passenger rear door will not open either from the inside or outside. poses a safety risk as that is the side the baby seat is on.

Drivers side door on 2011 kia sorento will not open from the outside. inside still works, can hear lock/un-lock but seems like outside latch is stuck in the lock position. have to either crawl through the car or reach in the window and open from inside. still have extended warranty on car (82,000 miles) but was still going to cost me $200 to fix it. why am i paying $200 to fix a handle on a car that is well under warranty. this is a safety issue considering if i get in an accident it hinders the first responders ability to get to me. from what i've read this is an issue a lot of people are having. kia needs to issue a recall and fix it.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia sorento. the contact stated that the front driver side exterior door failed to unlock manually or with the key fob. the contact entered the vehicle through the front or rear passenger side doors. the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 171,000.

Engine light stays on all the time. bought used and returned to dealership to repair. they could not get light to go off. dealership called kia dealership for info and did all that was told to try installing actuator to repair but to no avail. i purchased master tech when i bought the car. will a kia dealership accept master tech as repair payment other than $100 deductible?

About a month ago i discovered that my air bag light came on. well apparently i am not the only person that has complained about this. i called my nearest dealership which is in huntsville alabama to let them know about this problem of course they informed me that there will be a 120.00 charge just to check to see what is causing this problem, i suppose to have an extended warranty which i feel has expired so therefore the charges are all on me. i did some research only to find that thousands of consumers have complained about the same thing with the same model. i want to know what can we get done about this issue before someone gets injured. thanks aletha

Tl* the contact owned a 2011 kia sorento. the contact stated that the vehicle caught fire without warning. the contact was notified of the fire by a car alarm that sounded from the garage. the contact noticed flashing lights coming from the vehicle upon entering the garage. in addition, the contact noticed flames coming from the rear of the vehicle. the contact called the fire department to extinguish the fire. the vehicle was destroyed. there were no injuries sustained. the manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. the failure mileage was 60,243.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia sorento. the contact stated that the engine experienced a loss of power; however, the radio, bluetooth, and exterior lighting still worked. in addition, the vehicle could not be shifted except between neutral or drive. the check engine warning indicator illuminated. the vehicle was stopped after rolling into a parking space against a curb. the vehicle was towed to the contact's residence where the tow truck driver was able to get the vehicle out of gear into park. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the failure could not be diagnosed. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 91,000. updated 04/08/16*lj *js

A few weeks ago my husband went to open the drivers side door and it would not open. he tried unlocking with the fob and with the key in the door. nothing works. so in order to get inside to drive we either crawl across or start the car from the passenger side, reach over and roll window down. then walk to drivers side and reach in to open from the inside. i have down research and this is a common problem with kia vehicles. we called 2 dealerships and were told this is something we will have to pay to fix. not covered by warranty and not a defect. i find it very hard to believe that it isn't a defect. at this point it is just the drivers door, but i am waiting for the other doors to follow suit as many people have multiple doors that won't open. i feel unsafe in my own car. i don't want to leave the child safety locks engaged as others have had their rear doors not open at all. this is a huge safety issue and it needs to be addressed by kia as i believe it is a manufacturer defect.

Original owner '11 sorento 4cyl, awd w/tow package & approx 88k miles. problem 1st noticed about 2 mos ago when seat belt light began flashing with audible clicking coming from relay behind dash. it was daytime when this happened 1st few times & i could not duplicate problem. this issue seemed to happen after starting car & would go away after a few moments of driving. releasing & re-connecting seat belt had no effect. the 1st time it happened @ night i realized that the headlights & dash lights would flash on & off also. still could not duplicate problem, but being a mechanic i watched for it to happen and tried different things to see if they had any effect on the issue. always would begin after initially starting car, but not do it most times. then 3 evenings ago, i found it happening every time i would start the car & would even do it afterwards driving down the road. i was 70 miles from home & tried to get back. it didn't matter whether the headlight switch was on, off or auto, it would still flash all lights & seatbelt light w/clicking from relay. on the way home, while driving a rural road, the lights again started blinking on & off causing me to hit a metal pole a drainage ditch thru farmer's fence into his field. accident pushed metal bumper (behind bumper cover) back about 12", tore the entire front end &lights from car & bent hood back 1 1/2 feet and buckled it upward - all of this without ever deploying the airbag.these problems are prevalent in this car as i have read, but i now have a vehicle which despite it's damage will now duplicate the lights going on & off every time the car is turned on. have contacted kia corp in hopes that they will want to use my car to get to the cause of this issue & finally correct it. as a mechanic i very well understand the need to be able to duplicate problem to find cause ..... kia now has no excuse.

I have a 2011 kia sorento, 106,000 miles on it. first i saw a headlight had burnt out, i bought a new one, by the time i got home, it was out again. my mechanic had to replace the wire harness on the passenger side, said the wires were melted. soon after, as i am driving in the early mornings, i would turn on the right signal and the lights would turn off for 10 second, all the lights, inside, outside, but turn back on. it wouldn't happen every day, but once a week at least. i took it to my mechanic and he was unable to replicate the problem. today, i touched the bright lever and the car lights inside and outside turned completely off, for about 30 seconds. i was scared to death as it was pitch black out and i couldn't see in front or anywhere and no one could see me. i turned the corner and they again went off, this time longer. thankfully i was able to get my hazards on so i could pull off the road and people around could see me. i hit the brights again and everything came back on. i drove the rest of the way to work (45 minutes) without using any turn signals or brights. i am scared to death to get back into this car. i travel alot with my 4 grandchildren in the car. there needs to be an immediate recall, as i have seen dozens of people complaining about the same thing. the website directed me to this site. please help, i am afraid to get in the car now, i travel in the dark every morning 45 min to an hour. http://www.arfc.org/complaints/2011/kia/sorento/exterior_lighting/problem.aspx

The bulbs for the low beam headlights have been "burning out" at the rate of once a month. last month, the entire assembly plugin to the bulb was melted due to "a poor contact" or short in the wiring". unfortunately they said i need an entire headlight assembly (about a $400 part and $250 labor) as they won't just sell the connection plug. frustrated i found a great mechanic who cut and spliced a new connection plug and it seems to be working. however the concern is that there is still a "short" in the wiring and will eventually do the same thing to the new plug. i have now had the same issue with the other side and am hoping that someone else has found the source of the problem. the other complaint is that this is not covered by the any warranty. there have been numerous complaints about this isse and i stillhave not seen a recall from kia. this is my 2nd kia and i am rethinking about buying another unless this issue is resolved.

Recently my 2011 kia sorento ex will not shut down. when i press the engine start/stop button the engine will shut off but the dashboard, navigation touchscreen & lights all remain on. it can sometimes take up to 3 minutes of pushing the button, turning the car back on and trying to turn it back off before it will actually shut all the electrical components down.

Heated seat element on drivers side started on fire. caused driver to be burnt. heated seat had been turned on for about 2 minutes. car was in motion on city street.

The abs,esc, and dbc lights stay on when i start car and drive it at all speeds.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia sorento. while driving at any speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the clock spring failed and caused the air bag warning light to remain illuminated. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 49,800.