2014 KIA SORENTO Recalls, Complaints & Safety

Car burns oil to the point it requires 1 qt/500 mile. Had oil consumption test when issue first started in 2024 by kia, was told there was no problem. Car has continued to have this issue and has now broke connecting rod due to engine starvation even through the oil is to the full mark. I lost all power while driving with no warning before hand. Kia has admitted these engines have oil consumption issues that can lead to this exact problem and many other consumers have complained of the same situation in which Kia will not replace the flawed engine.

My 2014 Kia Sorento EX was purchased brand new, one owner, and started losing paint in several areas on the outside of the car and is horrible. So many 2014 Kias have this issue. It is a BAD PAINT job. This should never happen and I’ll never buy another Kia. Kia should fix these issues immediately. My Kia is in great shape except for the horrible paint.

1. The engine consumed its own oil and a rod bearing failed and destroyed the engine 2. This happened while my wife was traveling on I20 at 70mph and almost resulted in a wreck when the engine died and she lost power to the wheels 3. Nalley Kia in Lithonia, GA has confirmed that the engine consumed its own oil which cause a rod bearing to fail and ultimately led to the engine failure 4. No warning lights prior to this happening, just a knocking sound as she merged onto I20

Re: Formal Complaint – Repeated Engine Failures and Unacceptable Service Delays Vehicle: Kia Sorento 2014 VIN: [XXX] Purchased: Fall of 2021 Current Issue: Vehicle in service at Kia of Lincolnwood since January 9, 2026 Dear Kia Consumer Affairs and Legal Department, I am writing to formally document my severe dissatisfaction with the repeated engine failures in my Kia vehicle and the complete lack of communication and urgency from both Kia of Lincolnwood (6750 N Lincoln Ave, Lincolnwood, IL 60712) and Kia's consumer support channels. This has caused significant financial hardship, disruption to my family and work, and eroded any trust in the brand. I purchased this vehicle approximately 5 years ago through CarMax. Within that time, the engine has died or stalled three times: The first failure occurred about one year after purchase, stranding me at 11:00 p.m. in rural Wisconsin during winter with my three young children in the vehicle. The second incident happened in downtown Chicago (River North), just one hour before I needed to depart for a work event in Champaign, IL, requiring a tow and last-minute rental arrangements. The most recent failure occurred at approximately 4:30 a.m. after leaving my music studio, necessitating another tow and a $50 Uber ride home. Eleven months ago, Kia of Lincolnwood replaced the knock sensor under a one-year recall warranty. Despite this, the engine issues persisted. On January 9, 2026, I brought the vehicle to Kia of Lincolnwood for the third major engine-related failure. It has now been in the shop for nearly six weeks with no meaningful updates on diagnosis, repair timeline, or resolution. I have called the dealership at least ten times seeking callbacks from my assigned service advisor (Max) or any team member. In each instance, I was either hung up on, placed on hold for over an hour, or promised a return call that never came. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

2014 Kia Sorento sxl Pearl White paint just peeling off the vehicle in large pieces. Seems to be a common issue that Kia does not want to fix. Paint is peeling from both left and right pillars, the hood and the top towards the fin. Started about a year ago and is getting progressively worse. The paint needs to be recalled and effected vehicles repainted.

The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at 80 MPH, the engine seized. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was confirmed that the engine had seized; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 180,000.

We do our oil changes routinely. We had one done not too long ago. We were driving to the store and all of a sudden the oil light came on, but the engine light never came on. And then about 30 seconds later, we heard almost like a thump sound like we had hit something but we didn’t. We pulled into the grocery store parking lot about a minute after that, and there was oil leaking out of my car. We tried to put more oil in, but it just kept coming out. We have tried to see what’s going on. We can’t tell. We plan to get it towed and looked at. I don’t know if it will turn back on because I didn’t want to risk it and my engine locking up, but this seems to be an issue as I have read some of the other complaints.

While driving at low speed and turning, the vehicle experienced a sudden loss of power accompanied by engine knocking. The engine stalled and would no longer operate normally. The vehicle was inspected by a mechanic, who found metal fragments/shavings in the engine oil, indicating internal engine damage. The engine is now inoperable and has effectively failed. There were no warning signs prior to the failure other than the knocking noise immediately before the loss of power. This failure occurred suddenly and without driver input. The sudden engine failure caused a loss of propulsion while the vehicle was in use, creating a potential safety hazard for occupants and surrounding traffic. The vehicle required towing due to engine failure. Kia Consumer Assistance was contacted regarding the engine failure. I was informed that no recalls apply to this VIN and that the vehicle is out of warranty. Kia Consumer Assistance stated they would not inspect or document the engine failure unless I paid out of pocket.

My key fob doesn’t register even while in car, my battery drains daily has to recieve jump off every Otha day if not daily, door open indicator shows open on all doors even when closed, car locks won’t disengage automatically but your system shows no recalls something’s wrong with it

paint delamination and peeling on multiple panels

My car having gas leak under hood. Strong gas smell comes from ac vent.its a safety hazard

Paint peeled off

I got my car fixed and I’m still having the same issue. Seems like they just turned off the lights on my car and it’s still giving me issues..

The car engine started on fire while I was driving after all the recalls were fixed and new engine installed. The car was completely destroyed the whole engine compartment was completely burned. Kia says it was an oil leak but that’s not true the car oil change was done regularly and was serviced within 3 months of the engine fire. I also had this vehicle parked inside my garage for 5 years and not a single drop of oil in the garage floor. Kia is also refusing to send me a full report of their findings from the fire inspection. Kia adjuster is acting in bad faith by not providing the fire report. The car engine was replaced new due to an earlier recall and within 10,000 miles the new engine caught fire. They don’t want to be liable for this engine fire but cars don’t just burn without any reason. The refusal of KIA adjuster to release the findings in the fire inspection is very concerning to other people driving this vehicle in the public. Where engine fire can cause their deaths and their families deaths. This is a safety problem

Fire

The car engine started on fire while I was driving after all the recalls were fixed and new engine installed. The car was completely destroyed the whole engine compartment was completely burned. Kia says it was an oil leak but that’s not true the car oil change was done regularly and was serviced within 3 months of the engine fire. I also had this vehicle parked inside my garage for 5 years and not a single drop of oil in the garage floor. Kia is also refusing to send me a full report of their findings from the fire inspection. Kia adjuster is acting in bad faith by not providing the fire report. The car engine was replaced new due to an earlier recall and within 10,000 miles the new engine caught fire. They don’t want to be liable for this engine fire but cars don’t just burn without any reason. The refusal of KIA adjuster to release the findings in the fire inspection is very concerning to other people driving this vehicle in the public. Where engine fire can cause their deaths and their families deaths. This is a safety problem

Fire

The car engine started on fire while I was driving after all the recalls were fixed and new engine installed. The car was completely destroyed the whole engine compartment was completely burned. Kia says it was an oil leak but that’s not true the car oil change was done regularly and was serviced within 3 months of the engine fire. I also had this vehicle parked inside my garage for 5 years and not a single drop of oil in the garage floor. Kia is also refusing to send me a full report of their findings from the fire inspection. Kia adjuster is acting in bad faith by not providing the fire report. The car engine was replaced new due to an earlier recall and within 10,000 miles the new engine caught fire. They don’t want to be liable for this engine fire but cars don’t just burn without any reason. The refusal of KIA adjuster to release the findings in the fire inspection is very concerning to other people driving this vehicle in the public. Where engine fire can cause their deaths and their families deaths. This is a safety problem

Fire

When start up there’s a clacking sound then it goes away, while the vehicle is warm you hear the clacking while driving vehicle

The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. No warning lights were illuminated. In addition, the contact stated there was condensation coming out of the exhaust pipes. The contact was stopped by another driver and was informed that the condensation coming out of the exhaust smelled like a bakery. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not inspected. The contact was informed that a diagnostic test was needed and was provided with the cost of the diagnostic test. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V224000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) and NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V331000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact was informed that a diagnostic test needed to be performed and that there was a cost for the diagnostic test. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

We financed this 2014 Kia Sorento LX AWD from a used car dealer, and there has been nothing but problems with this vehicle. From the water pump, to insanely high oil consumption. I have verified that it is not leaking. Gaskets have been replaced, filters have been replaced, O2 sensors have been replaced, the water pump housing unit, impeller and pulley have been replaced, Spark plugs have been replaced and their boots, fuses have been replaced and renewed, even the brake light switch has been replaced. The coolant thermostat has been checked and it is functional, the MAP sensor is functional, the catalytic/exhaust manifold has been replaced, the in tank fuel pump/fuel sending unit has been replaced and the HPFP has been replaced and this vehicle still wants to consume oil like crazy and is flirting with deaths door step. It goes through fits of loss of power during acceleration in times when it really matters most, like trying to pass a vehicle. So most of the time I dont, because its not safe to try to pass vehicles and suddenly lose power and end up in a collision. I have checked all 6 recalls that have been opened and closed on my vehicle and part of me wonders if they were falsely closed. One of them indicates I should have had a partial, if not whole engine replacement at some point and I still have a VIN original engine in my vehicle. I have had this vehicle in my possession since August of 2025, and have done nothing but pour money into repairs on it, and i STILL feel like its going to leave me stranded on the side of the road. KIA needs to make good on their own warranty with as many issues as this year and model of vehicle that it has, and reinvestigate this vehicle. I believe the recalls on this vehicle were closed by a shady mechanic. Mind you, before it bought this vehicle, I had a mechanic look over it with an OBDII and no codes popped, none were stored and to this day, there still are none, but this engine is not behaving the way it should.

The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the Push to Start button failed to function as intended, and the vehicle failed to start. The contact called the Lien holder and was informed that the key was not connecting. The Lien holder replaced the key. The contact stated that the failure persisted, and the key fob failed to function as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The dealer swapped the key fobs with another set of key fobs to diagnose the failure. However, no cause for the failure was found. The contact was informed that two unknown fuse boxes needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, the LED lights under the door and dashboard failed to function as intended. In addition, an abnormal sound was coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and remained with the dealer for months. The contact was informed that the fuse box had been replaced. The vehicle failed to restart when the contact picked up the vehicle from the dealer. The vehicle was towed to the residence and had not been driven since. The tow truck driver tried to jumpstart the vehicle, but the vehicle failed to start. There was no power in the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 114,000. The VIN was not available.

The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost automotive power, and there was smoke coming from the engine compartment. The contact stated that there was oil leaking out of the exhaust, accompanied by an abnormal sound and odor. The contact stated that the front driver’s side air bag was intermittently inoperative. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the engine, power train control module, brakes, and several other unknown electrical parts needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving approximately 15 MPH with his son seated in the second-row middle seat, there was an abnormal sound coming from under the hood of the vehicle before the vehicle stalled. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local storage facility. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with seized bearings in the engine. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 11,000.

Backup camera doesn’t work properly it gives a blank screen

Crash

Backup camera doesn’t work properly it gives a blank screen

Crash

Backup camera doesn’t work properly it gives a blank screen

Crash

The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that on several occasions while making left and right turns, the check engine and oil warning lights illuminated, and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was restarted after each failure by wiggling the battery terminals and other engine components. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.

Crankshaft position sensors, codes P0018. Car does not get up to speed, knocking and rattling sounds heard. Oil is correct fullness, was changed less than 1,000 miles ago, O2 sensor changed 2 weeks ago, but car continues to have new codes and more issues.

Engine light was on about a week prior to taking it to the dealer for inspection. Was not time yet for an oil change. Had another 1000 miles before next oil change was due. After oil change they found metal shavings in new filter and oil. Told us we need to replace the engine. So we have a defective engine.

paint is falling off in large sheets could be a safety issue, been reported to the dealership, and no warning. I feel this is a real safety issue because it comes off in large sheets could cause and issue on the highways for flying debris

Car rolled after it was put in park. Car would not start after that and gear shift locked. Engaged emergency brake and put bricks behind wheels. Vehicle now in driveway.

Out of no where engine light starts flashing and had it checked code P1326 Knock Sensor Detection System. Now need a new engine. This is a common issue for this make and model but somehow my vin isn’t on the recall. This isn’t right

Severe paint delamination has occurred on the vehicle, causing the clear coat and base coat (Snow White Pearl color) to come off on the hood, pillars, roof, and rear sides of the vehicle. Not only does the peeling paint create an airborne/debris hazard, it also risks exposing the vehicle to premature rust/corrosion. This issue slowly began in 2019 and has only become much worse. From the information I have gathered online, this is a widespread issue affecting this particular model/year/color of Kia.

The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The check engine and low oil pressure warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. An unknown dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 143,000.

First off, we love the KIA Brand of vehicles. This is our fourth Kia. We also presently own a 2010 Optima with white paint and no peeling issues. Our Sorrento is currently showing (as of today) 133418 Miles. Sad to say that this is the only KIA we have ever owned with this very defective paint issue. Several months ago, I started to see several other 2014 Sorrento with the same peeling paint issues, so it wasn't just our vehicle. Your company is in the business of producing sophisticated and desirable vehicles designed by engineers who can cover all the bases in the manufacturing process. With the exception of this faulty paint issue, KIA has achieved this goal. I can only hope that KIA recognized this paint failure early and will go on to the next design phase. 1n my humble opinion, if KIA wants to keep growing the company brand they need to work like crazy to get to the next level in the paint process. Buyers want to have confidence that things as simple as a paint job will have a long life. Interesting when you look at very old vehicles for sale and the owners say this is the original paint. Thus, my question is how will KIA remedy this issue with both current and future model owners? l await your reply. I hope KIA will share a disclosure that is fundamental and not try to hide or mislead.

Unknown

Fire

The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while attempting to open the doors, the remote failed to unlock the doors. The contact used the key and opened the door manually. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to start, and the battery terminal cables were tightened by the contact’s boyfriend. While the contact’s boyfriend was driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle stalled, and the RPM increased to 2,000 RPM. The contact stated that the engine warning light was flashing. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic and was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact called the local dealer and was informed that the vehicle needed to be diagnosed. The vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and confirmed that there was no warranty or recall coverage on the vehicle for the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 115,000.

kia motor sized up after an oil change at a little over 80,000 miles.

I have had nothing but issues with my Kia since I purchased it May 30th, 2023. It's continually stalling, completely looses power, sometimes won't operate at all. My Kia is very unsafe and completely unreliable. I had to have it towed to the dealership before my first payment was even due. My Kia has has to be taken to the dealership a total of 5 times and still nothing has been resolved, other than oil change, diagnostic testing, spark plugs replacement, "fuel system service", HECU fuse installed. As of today's date (June 19th, 2025) I still owe close to $12,000 on it. This is utterly ridiculous and needs to be resolved asap. It has been continual issues from May 30th, 2023 through current date (June 19th, 2025). In 15 months I have only been able to drive it 4,876 miles. That's how unreliable it is. I need help getting these issues resolved asap.