Problems with 2014 Kia Sorento ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I love my 2014 kia sorento, but for the speedometer needle. it is virtually unreadable during the daytime and constitutes a safety issue when the driver has to take his eyes off the road for several seconds to see how fast he is going. this is especially dangerous on a metropolitan freeway. the local kia dealer (mesa, az) said they hadn't heard of the problem and, in any event, could not help and referred me to corporate kia. corporate kia referred me back to the local dealer. i understand from internet forums discussing this issue that, first, i am one of many complaining about this speedo-unreadable issue and, second, kia corporate is indeed aware of the problem (see case # [xxx], june 10, 2013), but offers no relief, other than "they are working on it." i am told kia may have resolved the issue in its 2015 model (which seems an admission of fault), but that does not help me and other owners of the 2014 model. it seems a simple fix: replace the 2014 speedometer unit with that of 2015. or, heck, paint the speedo needle white, instead of the existing dull red on a black background. i respectively request the nhtsa to resolve this safety issue, soonest. thank you. :) information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6). *tr

Unable to quickly read speedometer needle during daylight, due to lack of contrast between needle and background, resulting in dangerous period of eyes off roadway to determine one's speed.

Car was parked in garage over the weekend, from friday 4pm till monday 6am, started car sunday night, backed out of the garage to put out the trash for monday pickup, pulled the vehicle back in the garage and shut it off. monday at 6am battery was dead. nothing was left on overnight in car.

November 6 2015 at approximately 5:15 pm my wife had an accident in our car tour of the front end took it to the repair shop in the body shop after 4 weeks we got the car back after one day the car cut off and would not start again took it back to the dealer he said it was the fuel pump that wasn't covered by the insurance but i don't understand the card never cut off before the accident so why did he cut off after the repair

Approximately 5 seconds after the vehicle is initially placed into reverse gear, and while the vehicle is likely already in reverse motion, the backup camera goes black for 2-3 seconds (and consequently, the driver is blind) while the camera is apparently switching on the guide line overlays. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2014 kia sorento. upon starting the vehicle, the gear was shifted into reverse and the engine revved when the contact lightly depressed the accelerator pedal. as a result, the vehicle backed into a steel post. the front passenger had to help the contact shift the gear into neutral in order to stop the vehicle from accelerating. suddenly, the vehicle accelerated forward into a field at a high rate of speed while the brake pedal was depressed. the contact had to press the ignition start button in order to stop the vehicle. the contact sustained minor ankle injuries, which did not require medical attention. the vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who stated that there was a manufactured electrical cord that was connected to the accelerator, which may have caused the failure. the failure codes did not illustrate that this was the cause of the failure. the manufacturer was not notified. the speed was unknown. the approximate failure mileage was 12,900. updated 12/01/14*lj *as

Left 2014 sorento sxl at airport parking and flew to another city for one week. came back to find vehicle will not start. battery was dead. i sprained my back trying to open the suv trunk from inside as there was no power available to release the trunk lock. five (5) similar events have happened to me, one of them at the kia dealership and they have not been able to find the cause of the problem. in researching the web, it seems to be a common problem that kia has not resolved and many people are affected with battery drain within 3 to 5 days of leaving the car in the garage. *tr

Cannot read or extremely difficult to read the speedometer in daylight most of the time. worse on brighter days. must take eyes off road for several seconds to find needle to determine speed. illumination is fine at night or in very shaded areas (ie garage). seems as if instrument illumination reduces based on amount of interior light, even with illumination dial on max. not wearing sun glasses and have tried multiple combinations of headlight/dtrl in an effort to find a workable solution. dealer service says "working as designed". this is a major safety flaw as one cannot readily determine their speed without taking their eyes off road for too long a period of time. in its current state this car is unsafe to drive.

Tl* the contact owns a 2014 kia sorento. the contact stated that while at a complete stop, a strong burning odor emitted inside of the vehicle. the vehicle was maneuvered to the side of the road where the driver exited the vehicle. in addition, small flames ignited from the rear trailer hitch wiring harness and driver's side tail light. the fire department extinguished the fire and disconnected the battery. the contact stated that the failure occurred twenty days after the new trailer hitch was installed. the vehicle was towed to an authorized dealer and had not been repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the problem. the approximate failure mileage was 32,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2014 kia sorento. the contact stated that the digital speedometer needle was virtually invisible on the instrument panel. the vehicle was taken to the dealer and they stated that nothing was wrong with the vehicle. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified. the failure mileage was 5.

i bought a 2014 kia sorento in nov. 2013. 2months i started having issues with the door locks not working properly and the blue tooth. i took it to the dealer for service and told them about it after 3-4 trips and being told each time that there was nothing wrong they found that the radio system was bad. still nothing wrong with the door locks not unlocking. then a few weeks later i started having problems with it starting, again 3-4 trips of being told nothing was wrong they said you have a bad battery! i started getting a warning from the uvo system in november 2014 that i had a transmission issue took it to the dealer and even though a technician saw the warning on the screen and that the engine light was on they said the gas cap must have been on wrong causing the warning and the transmission to stall and be sluggish, along with causing the bluetooth not to respond, automatic door locks not to release,backup camera beeps when there is nothing behind me, the automatic window on the drivers side to not roll up. it was found that the transmission was going out and was repaired at the nicholasville store, however it has not taken care of the issues, the doors will not unlock and the uvo system continues to send emails to the dealer that there is an issue. i have also had to replace a head light bulb, brakes are rubbing. i have spoken with the kia corp analysts spencer with no results at this point. i have spoken with the general manager of the nicholasville ky dealer during our conversation he said to me to bring my car to the dealer they would be glad to check it. i ask if there was any way we could work something out so that they could come to me and get the car. i explained to him that i do not fill safe in the vehicle and that i am afraid for my kids safety, on 1/20/15 i was in an accident with it. *tr

Speedometer needle is impossible to see during sunny days. the needle is too narrow and a poor color choice for the background. this is dangerous not knowing your speed and having to take your eyes off the road too long to try to read it. *tr

Cannot read or extremely difficult to read the speedometer in daylight most of the time. worse on brighter days. must take eyes off road for several seconds to find needle to determine speed. illumination is fine at night or in very shaded areas (ie garage). seems as if instrument illumination reduces based on amount of interior light, even with illumination dial on max. not wearing sun glasses and have tried multiple combinations of headlight/dtrl in an effort to find a workable solution. dealer service says "working as designed". this is a major safety flaw as one cannot readily determine their speed without taking their eyes off road for too long a period of time. in its current state this car is unsafe to drive. can not see the speedo when driving in daylight or brightly lite areas. *tr

Can not see speedometer in daylight, indicator too dim. *tr

In bright sunlight it is extremely difficult to see the speedometer needle. the needle is dark red against a dark black background. additionally it is only about 1/2" in length. if there is any ambient light striking the instrument cluster at an angle, the reflection masks the ability to see the needle. not having an accurate indication of your speed is a very dangerous situation. *tr

Since buying the 2014 kia fwd 4-cyl vehicle, i have had about 5 instances where the car would not start after i pressed the brake pedal and then the ignition switch. kia and hyundai had brake switch issues in models circa 2011 and earlier, but i could not find anything about whether kia fixed the problem in subsequent model years. during my incidents i have repeated the above steps trying to start the non-responsive vehicle until it inexplicably started up; took over 10 re-tries each time this problem occurred. i am taking the vehicle into the dealer on monday 11/4/13 asking them to fix the problem. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2014 kia sorento. the contact stated that the speedometer needle became inoperable. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection where they stated that there was nothing wrong with the vehicle. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 3,000.

Tl* the contact owns a 2014 kia sorrento. the contact stated that he could see the speedometer needle. the contact stated that the needle was the wrong color and it made it difficult to determine the speed being traveled. the vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection where they stated that the vehicle was performing as designed. the vehicle was not repaired. the manufacturer was notified of the failure. the failure mileage was 180.

We cannot easily read the speedometer in daylight. it is very difficult to determine the speed at which we are driving. this is a safety issue. i discussed it with the kia dealership right after we purchased the vehicle and they said there was nothing that can be done. the speedometer nettle is a red led on white numbers with a black background. we can see the nettle at night but we have to stare at it for a long time to be able to see it during daylight hours. obviously, it is unsafe to stare at the speedometer for a long period of time while driving. it is also unsafe to not know the speed at which we are driving. we sent a letter to: consumer assistance center kia motors america, inc. p.o. box 52410 irvine, ca 92619-2410 they called and said there is nothing they can do to fix the problem. taking your eyes off the road as long as it takes to determine the speed is at least as long as it would take to read or send a text message which is very unsafe. we have another car with a white nettle on a black background and it is very easy to read. we have had over 20 cars in our lifetime and have never had one with a speedometer that is this difficult to read. *tr

Cpsc:x1380106a. 2014 kia sorento. consumer stated the concern is not being able to read the electroluminescent speedometer in the daylight. *ln the consumer stated it was difficult to see how fast he was going. the sunlight glare made it nearly impossible to see and it required him to take his eyes off the road for up to five seconds.

The speedometer needle is a small red line which is invisible in either sunlight or with driver wearing sunglasses. there is no way to see what my speed is. especially a problem setting cruise control as i have to remove my glasses, take my eyes off the road, to see how fast i am going in order to set the cruise control. this issue is well documented on kia sorento forums. please request kia come up with a software update to change the color or intensity of the speedometer needle. *tr

I cannot see the speedometer needle on .bright days. i found myself staring at the speedometer trying to see my speed for way too long ( 4 seconds or more). it is extremely difficult to see the needle as it is a 1/2inch dark red tip against a dark black background. if there is any ambient light striking the instrument cluster at an angle, the reflection masks my ability to see the needle. not having an accurate indication of my speed or staring at the speedometer for too long of a time is a very dangerous situation. the dealer said there is nothing he can do as the manufacturer will have to correct the problem. *tr

Tl* the contact owns a 2014 kia sorento. the contact stated that the numbers on the speedometer were to small to read. the vehicle was taken to the dealer where the technician stated that the vehicle was working up to standards and they were unable to alter the design of the vehicle. the manufacturer was made aware of the failure. the failure mileage was 0. the current mileage was 3,000.