Problems with 2011 Kia Sorento POWER TRAIN

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia sorento. while attempting to open the passenger side door from outside the vehicle, the lock failed to open the door. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the contact also received notification of nhtsa campaign numbers: 156260000 (power train) and 13v114000 (service brakes, hydraulic, exterior lighting). the part needed for the repair was not available. the contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 78,000.

Headlight low beam bulbs are burning out at the rate of one (1) to two (2) weeks. the left bulb burned out a couple of years ago. approximately a month ago both of the low beam bulbs burned out at night when my wife was driving home from church. she almost wrecked before she turned the lights on high beam. since then the left side bulb had burned out twice. i have replace these bulbs at a cost of approximately $15.00 each. i am afraid that the lights are going to go out when driving when it is not possible to change to high beam. the last bulb burned out just last night when it was dark.

Vehicle suddenly lost power while turning out of church parking lot. applying accel pedal barely powered the vehicle but made metallic grinding noise. pulled over and put vehicle in park, but park did not stop vehicle from rolling downhill. parking brake was applied until vehicle could be towed home. on inspection, right drive shaft and transmission output gear were both found to have worn. there was a recall and service had already been performed on the vehicle to prevent this failure (rc079-sorento (xm) intermediate shaft repair (2wd vehicles).

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia sorento. while driving, the contact heard an abnormal noise underneath the vehicle. when the vehicle was parked and restarted, it failed to engage in gear. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. the contact was informed that the transmission failed and needed to be repaired. the vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 11v258000 (power train). the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 85,000.

At 68,000 miles the oil pressure sensor (part #94750-37100) failed and caused a sudden and immediate loss of all engine oil. in the half mile it took us to safely pull over the oil pressure light activated and the dip stick read bone dry. i have researched the issue and found it to be a common problem with kia's, a recall should be issued to replace the part with a better engineered version. had we not been alert / aware of what was going on the engine could have seized and all power could have been lost while in motion.

While driving along a rural road at 50 to 55 mph, on five separate occasions over the last 3 years, our 2011 kia sorento has suddenly and harshly downshifted from sixth gear to about fourth gear. when this occurs, the jar is similar to having hit a large animal in the road and the entire car shakes. the transmission will not shift up or down after this event and stays in that lower gear until the vehicle is turned off, then turned back on. after doing so, the transmission shifts properly. the vehicle has been to the dealer four times, two of which there were no codes showing from transmission operation. a transmission temperature sensor was replaced, with no further events for over a year. the latest episode delivered a code p0748 and the service technician completed a tsb038 tcm upgrade. the vehicle has only 27,000 miles.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia sorento. the contact stated that the service engine warning light randomly flashed. while the vehicle was in park or in gear, there was an abnormal noise heard near the engine. the contact stated that there was a build up of sludge near the axle and it was uncertain what type of fluid may have been releasing. the manufacturer stated that the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 11v258000 (power train). the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. the vin was included in nhtsa campaign number: 15v626000 (power train). the approximate failure mileage was 91,000. parts distribution disconnect.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia sorento. when the vehicle was placed into any gear, it would not respond. when the gear was placed in reverse, the vehicle would remain in neutral or park. when placed in drive gear, the vehicle would be in neutral or reverse. the vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was determined that a recall was placed on the transmission and the contact was informed it was repaired. as soon as the contact received the vehicle, the failure recurred. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the nhtsa campaign number was unknown. the failure mileage was 52,000.

Having trouble with service dept of local dealer regarding driver's side axle as it enters the drivers side transmission case. dealer tells me it's normal for this amount of "play" - they say it is designed this way for going over bumps - don't believe them at all as i know that the cv joint handles the bumps. i know that the shaft and the bearing are a very precise fit and there should not be any play. there is a grinding noise when slowing down and a fluttering/clicking noise when i pop the vehicle in neutral at about 50 mph (this is probably the splines on the end of the shaft not mating into the differential correctly - misaligned - because the bearing has failed). dealer keeps telling us it's either our brakes or tires. they have checked the brakes 4 times already and found nothing but they do acknowledge the grinding noise is still there. this vehicle is dangerous to drive in this condition as the symptoms keep getting worse. it has been at the dealer's service department this time for 6 days already. the vehicle is still under the 100,000 kia drive train warranty (vehicle has 91,000 miles on it). i have sent the video along with this same note to [email protected]. would like your opinion of what the amount of movement signifies on the axle as shown in the video - pretty sure it is evidence of a failed bearing (which has led to further damage within to the differential and shaft splines). thank you! *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia sorento. while trying to start the vehicle and going in reverse, the vehicle lunged and did not move due to the shifter not functioning properly. the vehicle made an abnormal noise. the vehicle was able to be operated by shifting the vehicle into park and going back into reverse. the abs sensor and traction control sensor illuminated. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified. the failure mileage was 72,078. updated 02/12/16*lj the consumer stated he went to the dealer for a failed transmission and a problem with the abs sensors on the rear wheel hubs. updated 03/31/16.*jb

Started noticing check engine light come on on occasion. noticed chugging as i changed gears. p code p0711 was found.

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

Vehicle falls out of gear when i'm slowly backing up in reverse gear or slowly starting to drive forward at just about 2 mph. i try to accelerate but my vehicle doesn't move. also, on a few occasions, the vehicle clunked/jerked backward or forward very aggressively (feeling like it hit another car when nothing is nearby) which has caused me to fear hitting something or someone. the car does not seem to recognize when it is in gear.

Tl* the contact owns a 2012 kia sorento. the contact stated when driving at various speeds, the vehicle jerked. the failure occurred several times. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was approximately 80,000. the vin was not available. ..updated 02/01/16 *bf the consumer stated vehicle had an appointment to be repaired. *js

We purchased a used 2011 kia sorento from an individual. the vehicle had roughly 19,000 miles. the car was fine until approximately 35,000 miles. while leaving from a stationary position, on the interstate or just main roads, the transmission started slipping, lurching, and at times would not engage. we took the car to our loacal kia dealer and were told that they could not find anything wrong. at roughly 45,000 we again took it to the dealer and got the same response. at 58,000 the car would hardly drive so we took it back in. the dealer told us that the computer wasn't giving them any codes but could tell there was a problem. after going back and forth, kia replaced the transmission. now at 78,000 miles, we're having a o take it in for transmission issues and the car is making terrible noises. we took it out o the dealer and were told at first that there was nothing wrong. later in the afternoon they came back and said our intermediate drive shaft needed to be replaced. cost $598. after some research, i saw you that there was a recall on my model year cars, but my vin number did not fall into the recall. how can they tell me that these issues have nothing to do with the recall for the intermediate shaft!?!? these failures fit the recall details exactly. why weren't the bad shafts caught and replaced when the transmission was replaced? i asked the dealer about the recall and was told my vin did not fit the recall. i called kia and was told that my vin has no open recalls. basically again my "vin" was not in the recall. all the exact same issues, but the problems have nothing to do with the original 2011 recall. kia/hyundai are the only car manufacturers that do not transfer their 100,000 mile 10 year power train warranty to a 2nd owner unless it's purchased through a dealership. it's frustrating that a large car manufacturer will not just do the right thing.

The sorento lurches at slower speeds and engine light comes on. it appears as if the transmission is slipping. at higher speeds it does not occur. the code from the engine light analysis is p0713 (transmission fluid temperature sensor). kia forum shows a number of people have similar complaints.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia sorento. upon switching gears from reverse to drive, there was hesitation from the driveshaft before the vehicle would move forward. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 31,430.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia sorento. the contact stated that while driving at 25 mph, making a left turned and depressing the accelerator pedal, a riddling noise emitted from the vehicle. the vehicle failed to go forward. the vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that the transmission needed to be replaced. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 32,700. ma 10/2 *cn

My 2011 sorento lost all power after a high pitched whirling noise while driving on a 55 mph highway. we had it towed and learned the transmission was gone. once the vehicle was taken apart, the intermediate drive shaft was excessively worn, warped and obviously in need of repair. quick research on your site and kia's site showed the recall concerning right sided drive shaft leading to transmission failure if not taken care of and the made on dates which included my car's date (march 16, 2010). my calls to kia motors, my local dealer, and the service manager only uncovered that my warranty was no longer valid. i have explained to everyone i am well aware of this but would like an explanation as to why my vehicle with a march 16, 2010, born on date, with excessive wear on the drive shaft that lost power while driving on a 55 mph highway just as the recall states (almost to a t) was not covered. no one and i mean absolutely no one can explain to me why it is not covered.

2011 sorento shift really hard, sometimes i have to force it to shift by lowering speed, sometimes it does not want to shift at all and then my engine light comes on, then shifts really hard and wants to stop on me as i am driving. sometimes at a light it does die, but then start back up. one time it would not go even with pushing the gas all the way down.

Started vehicle and put into reverse, once in reverse i began to back up, the gear slips out of reverse into neutral. if placed back into gear park, reverse or drive it pauses for a few seconds then shifts hard with a clank sound. if you proceed to drive it shifts like it is going from first to third gear. it will not correct itself once driving. sometimes when this happens i can turn the vehicle off and restart it and it works fine with no slipping or shifting problems, the check engine light does not come on. however today it will not correct itself and the check engine light has come on. updated 11/02/2017*cn

2011 kia sorento airbag light came on out the blue. took to dealership was advised either defective passanger airbag or the sensor for passenger seat. would have to pay $$$ to put on diagnostic. car jerks forward when switching gears. also, car just accelerated by itself.. put the car in park and it jerks forward. its jerks so hard i could get whiplash.like the car doesn't want to stop.scarriest thing ever. i am really concerned how sometimes i don't even have to press the brake to put in gear. last, went to change headlight, rightside extremely jot and could hear boiling like something cooking.

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia sorento. while the vehicle was parked, it rolled away and crashed into two headstones. a police report was not filed and there were no injuries reported. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the shift interlock solenoid failed. the vehicle was unable to be repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 72,000.

Tl*the contact owns a 2011 kia sorento. the contact stated that when driving over a bump, there was an whining sound coming from the vehicle. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure and stated that the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 11v258000 (power train). the failure mileage was 76,000.

A vehicle abruptly stopped to turn left and i had to swerve to avoid rear-ending it resulting in head on collision with a utility pole. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia sorento. the contact stated that while driving approximately 45 mph, there was an abnormal noise coming from the front of the vehicle without warning. the failure recurred on several occasions at various speeds. the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed that the vehicle needed an alignment and the two front tires were worn out. the vehicle was repaired, however, the abnormal noise persisted. the vin was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 11v258000 (power train). the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the approximate failure mileage was 50,000. ma 10/22/2015 updated 12/05/2017*cn

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia sorento. the contact stated that when attempting to shift the vehicle into reverse, the transmission failed to recognize the gear for which the lever was shifted. the contact mentioned that the vehicle had to be turned off and restarted in order for it to resume normal operation. also, the contact mentioned that the vehicle would make a loud knocking sound when the transmission was forced into reverse. the vehicle was not inspected or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified. the approximate failure mileage was 77,000.

The vehicle would not start finally it started in the drive position , have been complaining to the dealer that the vehicle shifts on its own from drive to another position. in addition all the lights remain on in the dash board. vehicle was taken out the repair shop on 8/25/14 and this problem was rectified. the airbag light is on now since 8/25/14. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia sorento. the contact stated that the vehicle failed to start intermittently. the dealer replaced the transmission, but the failure persisted. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 34,000. updated 10/02/14*lj updated 3/2/2015 *js

Vehicle started by losing power on take-off. later violent jerking/shifting over 30 mph. i have taken the vehicle to both dealer and personal mechanic. crank and cam sensors were replaced. issue is not resolved. the vehicle sometimes shuts off upon take-off. sometimes it immediately starts again, other times i have to put into neutral and restart. this issue is also not resolved. positive battery cable was removed to reset the computer. this temporarily fixed the problems for a day. when placed into "sports mode", the vehicle shifts without driver input (second gear and above). note: unscrupulous dealer mechanic voided engine warranty for "sludge" in engine and incorrectly removed a sensor, resulting in breakage of said sensor. personal mechanic saw normal traces of "sludge" in engine. vehicle is acting similar to previous recalls of the same year, make/model, but does not fall into vin/date ranges for recall repair.. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia sorento. the contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift to park and rolled forward. the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was not notified of the failure. the vin was not available. the failure mileage was 100,000.

When the sorento reaches a speed above 60 it hesitates before abruptly jumping into the next gear, causing the entire vehicle and all passengers to jerk forward. the jumping of the gear is so forceful that it sounds as if the engine is about to fall out of the vehicle each time it's placed in gear. *tr

The vehicle abruptly jerks or changes gears when reducing speed. when taking the foot slowly off the gas pedal the vehicle jumps causing the vehicle to almost stop. the transmission also makes a very loud noise. sometimes it just turns off by itself. car is only 2 years and a half old and it's already having signs of breaking down and having problems that could cause accidents. kia says they don't know what the problem is. i have taken the car to the dealer twice. the first time they cleaned the throttle body, but it didn't fix the problem. i have taken the car to the dealer again, still waiting for solution. researching the internet, i found there are many similar complaints where kia just won't do anything. actually i found this web page as a recommendation from one of the forums. hope you can help. *tr

1) the vehicle has stalled out six (6) times during my ownership. this has occurred after stopping. i was able to restart the vehicle four of the six times by stopping, putting the vehicle in park, and pressing the "start" ignition button. two of the six times the gear was locked into drive and neutral only. the vehicle would also not shut off. both times 911 was called for california highway patrol assistance was contacted as i was stranded on the freeway. this occurred on 2/20/14 and 6/03/14. on 5/17/14 the vehicle was brought into the kia car pros carson facility for the 60,000 mile maintenance and passed with no issues. 2) the backup camera flutters intermittently (about 10-15 times a month) mostly in the morning on start up and sometimes at night. kia of cerritos had replaced the navigation/radio module 3 times, but official records show it was replaced only twice. this has not rectified the issue as it still persists. 3) the radio inconsistently (about 2-5 times a month) does not start for about 20 seconds after starting the vehicle up. i am not confident that the issues are resolved and i fear for the safety of myself and all who ride in the vehicle. the kia car pros carson facility replaced the drive assist part and cleaned the electrical contacts for the first incident in feb 2014. i was told this would rectify the issue. on 6/03/14, i was told a software update to the ecu (electrical control unit) was performed, but they do not guarantee that the problem has been resolved. i want the facility to retain my vehicle and perform a full diagnostic on the vehicle until they can guarantee that it will not stall and lock up on me again. corporate kia said the vehicle can be released and the facility will not investigate any further. i do not believe kia is taking this matter seriously. *tr

When switching from park to drive a loud pop will be heard from the vehicle usually occurring (loudest) during cold moist days. in the same conditions when the vehicle is in motion the car begins to stutter and vibrate when switching gears (this is usually felt initially driving off or during hard brakes at lights). car at one point stalled in middle of traffic. when going to dealer they said software updates should have fixed it, however the problem simply persists (though the car did not stall thus far). *tr

Will intermittent turn on during driving and stay on. if you stop and turn off car and then restart may or may not return on. car as a bit of a shake to it some times. had cruise control not turn on. electrical seems wacky in the vehicle. also had it been stuck in park or times could not move the shifter to park or reverse. seriously needs to be reviewed. all these issues happen intermittent and never when near the kia dealership. vehicle 90% of the time has been wonderful, however there are issues that need investigated and corrected for example all the above i have listed. *tr

2 days ago while driving heard loud sound, whoa, could not determine what caused it. this morning in my garage started for daily drive, when i put car from park to reverse was loud clunk sound. put back in park did this 3 or 4 times loud clunking with jolting seem to lunge forward. violent sound and feel. no warning lights are illuminated.my husband got in car, he experienced the same. i called kia service, they told me to call roadside for tow. he told me then it would be a 1 day job. he seemed familiar what i described. towed to dealer, they called me later of course they could not replicate the problem. we explained over the phone it has to be something due to loud sounds, clunking metal sound, could not put in gear. they kept the car over night, to try again in the morning, they are contacting kia manufacturing for advice. now i am reading all these complaints, some sound exactly like my experienced. i have no recall letter or notifications. from kia losing faith in kia and afraid to drive this vehicle. *tr

While pulling into parking space, car became non-responsive to gas pedal input, but brakes sill worked. hill asst and etc lights lit up on dash, car would not shift past neutral. turned car off and on and was able to shift to park. car started normally after being shut off. *jb

While driving out of a parking lot at about 10 mph the vehicle shut down and all the dash lights illuminated. i turned the key off and on and the car restarted, drove rest of day without incident. car stalled a second time two days later. *jb

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia sorento. the contact stated that after shifting into reverse, the gear erroneously shifted into neutral and failed to respond to acceleration attempts. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the failure could not be replicated. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was not contacted about the failure. the failure mileage was 30,000. the vin was not unavailable.

Vehicle had transmission sensor fixed in december 2012. vehicle was jerking and would not get into gear. supposedly fixed. this time my daughter was driving at night with a friend on a two way road, the vehicle stopped..cold...thank god no one was hurt. the vehicle had been unable to get into gear the last few miles. the vehicle was left to cool and she was driving it to the dealer. now being told at 33,000 a new transmission is being ordered. the car apparent, starts in third gear. still under warranty, but the car stopped dead. this could have been a fatal accident had someone been behind her. people must be warned. *tr

I was parked in a parking spot, put the car in reverse to back out, when i tried to put it in drive it wouldn't shift past neutral. it has done this six times in the last year since the first incident but has become more frequent. this last time, the same thing occurred every time i parked (four times in one day). also the esc and dbc lights come on when this happens. i finally decided to call the dealership and schedule an appointment because on this same day, as i was driving on the highway the esc and dbc lights came on and stayed on until i pulled over and turned the car off. *tr

While driving my 2011 kia sorento it just lost power, it would not go forward but the engine was still running and all the dashboard idiot lights lit up. i was in a parking lot with no one behind me otherwise i would have been rear-ended if this happened driving on the road or highway. the car would not go and there was no steering response. i turned off the key to kill the engine and then restarted the car. the car started and i was able to get to my destination and park. i checked this problem online by searching kia sorento stalling and found a dozen or more video's from people experiencing the same issue that i just experienced. some of the drivers found that if you use the car in the manual shift mode the stalling did not seem to happen. this is a real potential disaster. you loose power and have no way of moving the car to get out of the way when you are in traffic on a highway...like riding in a 'death wish car'. the video's also stating that they experienced the stalling many times and once it started it got worse. they also stated that kia dealerships were of little help since they need to reproduce the stalling and since it's just random that is not easy. the videos were taped when the issue was actually taking place and showed the tach at about 15 rpm's all the engine lights lit but no steering response or power to move the car. i am hoping this can become a recall and kia will fix this stalling problem and keep the people in these kia sorento's safe! if this is a computer problem then there should be an error log to show when the car lost power for no reason. kia needs to take ownership of this defect and fix this potential deadly problem. *tr

Chapter 2. nhtsa id number: 10519967 the problem occurred saturday 6/15, dealership closed. called dealership this morning and was able to bring the car right in. left the car all day and then received the news, they cannot reproduce the incident. so of course nothing was repaired. so i drove home in the 'death wish' car and prayed all the way home. the car is a 2011 kia sorento 6 cyl awd manufactured in august 11, 2010. i have search the internet nightly and i am finding more and more people who have exact issue as i experienced. this is making me sick knowing that kia corp knows about this defect and is not taking action to correct this potentially deadly defect. how do we get their attention that this defect needs to be corrected. do we have to check off the fatality box on this form before kia pays attention to us. please if someone has had a good result with their dealership as far as getting a repair done without reproducing the error code, please contact me with that information. the lemon law in my state is 5 attempts at repairing the problem and no resolve...i only have 4 more to go! kia help us please...this defect is in your 2011, 2012 and 2013 kia sorento....something is extremely wrong with your powertrain in these cars. take ownership of the defect and save our lives. *tr

Found this on another web site: www.topclassactions.com (see below for description) very interesting: apparently this defect has been going on since 2002!! well it's still happening i have the 2011 6 cyl awd and found out it's still a defect in the 2012 and 2013. nothing more to say but 'shame on kia motors' your lack of taking ownership for this defect is just discusting. nhtsa please help us.....lives need to be saved; i am bleary eyed reading all the powertrain defects for the 2011 kia sorento. the kia sorento is prone to catastrophic engine failure, according to a class action lawsuit filed in new jersey. plaintiffs allege in the kia sorento class action lawsuit that kia motors knowingly concealed that its 2002-2009 sorento crossovers were manufactured with a defective engine part called the crank sprocket. this alleged engine defect leads to a catastrophic chain of events that starts with severe heat buildup, the release of debris, and then leads to loss of steering control, engine failure and the potential for a hazardous accident, according to the class action lawsuit. *tr

Vehicle rolled down my driveway while in park, went across a two lane street into the neighbors driveway only being stopped by their vehicle parked in their driveway. the keys were not in the vehicle and when i got to the vehicle it was in park. after getting in the vehicle you could put it in gear without having the key ignition or your foot on the brake. *tr

Traveling at 70mph with cruise control engage, a large "thud" was felt in the cabin as if something had been hit. pull off side of highway to examine for damage. no damage of any kind was noted. upon leaving the side of the road, the acceleration was sluggish and at highway speed rpm was 4500, not normal. pulled off the side if the highway again and turned the car off. this reset the car. pull off the shoulder again and transmission operated normally again. *tr

Stability control and downhill assist light came on while driving. once stopped, couldn't get the shifter to go into park. had to turn vehicle off and restart. once i was finally able to get into park, the lights came on again and i couldn't get it to go back into any gear. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2011 kia sorento. the contact stated that while driving 75 mph, the vehicle shifted into neutral independently and without warning. the vehicle was towed to the dealer however, the technician was unable to diagnose the failure. the manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. the vehicle was not repaired. the vin was not available. the failure and current mileage was 54,200. *tr

Stability control and downhill assist light came on while driving. once stopped, shifter would not go past neutral. in order to get past neutral, had to turn off engine and restart. *tr