2007 Kia Sorento — Known Issues & Recalls

Your passenger seat air bag sensor isn't working properly, which means the air bag may not deploy correctly if someone is sitting in that seat during a crash. This is a safety issue that needs attention from a mechanic or dealership. The fix will likely involve diagnosing and replacing the faulty air bag sensor.

Your passenger side airbag does not deploy, whether or not there's someone sitting in that seat. This is a serious safety concern because the airbag won't protect a passenger in a crash. The fix will likely involve diagnosing the airbag system's sensor, wiring, or the airbag module itself to determine why it's not activating.

Your airbag warning light came on while you were sitting in the driver's seat. The airbag system may not be functioning properly, which could prevent the airbags from deploying in a crash. You'll need to have a technician scan the airbag system with diagnostic equipment to identify and fix the underlying problem.

Your passenger airbag is not turning on or activating. This is a critical safety concern because the airbag may not deploy in the event of a crash, leaving your passenger unprotected. A mechanic will need to diagnose the airbag system to identify whether the issue is with the airbag sensor, wiring, or the airbag module itself.

When you parked your Sorento and used the automatic door unlock feature, the rear doors wouldn't unlock, and the inside door handles wouldn't work—leaving you trapped in the back seat. You had to crawl out through the trunk to escape. This created a serious safety concern, especially if a child or elderly person were trapped in the back in an emergency situation. The fix likely involves inspecting and repairing the rear door lock actuators and the internal door handle mechanisms.

Your ABS warning light stays on constantly. While driving, you experience the engine power cutting out and then coming back on repeatedly, which happens while you're still moving. This intermittent power loss needs to be diagnosed to identify whether it's related to the ABS system, electrical connections, or another component.

You contacted the manufacturer about a recall on your vehicle, but they told you multiple times they don't have the replacement part available to fix it. This means your recall repair has been delayed due to parts unavailability.

Your brake pedal requires pressing all the way to the floor to stop your vehicle at various speeds, with no warning light appearing. A dealer inspection found this issue during a recall service, and an independent mechanic determined your ABS control module needs replacement. The fix will likely involve replacing the ABS control module to restore normal braking responsiveness.

While driving at 55 mph, your brake pedal went all the way to the floor and the brakes didn't work, causing you to rear-end another vehicle. Your car was severely damaged, the airbag didn't deploy, and you injured your ankle. After the crash, you also noticed the vehicle continued rolling backward even after you put it in Park.

Your 2007 Kia Sorento has a defective ABS (anti-lock braking) system. The ABS helps prevent your wheels from locking up during hard braking, but it's not working properly. A mechanic will need to diagnose and repair the ABS module or related components.

While your car was parked and off with a cold engine, smoke began pouring from the driver's side of the engine compartment and under the dashboard. The smoke grew worse and the area became very hot, filling the cabin with black and gray smoke that had a strange, unpleasant odor. Disconnecting the battery stopped the smoking, indicating an electrical fire was occurring. The repair will likely require a complete electrical system inspection to identify and replace the damaged wiring, components, or connectors that caused the short circuit.

Your 2007 Kia Sorento caught fire under the hood while parked at a drive-thru, with smoke visible but no warning lights appearing beforehand. You were able to extinguish the fire with a wet towel and no one was injured, but the vehicle is no longer drivable. The dealer is still investigating the cause, though Kia stated it's not related to any existing recall. The repair will likely involve diagnosing and replacing whatever electrical or fuel system component caused the fire hazard.

While driving on the highway, your steering wheel suddenly became very stiff as if the power steering failed, and multiple warning lights appeared on your dash (check engine, oil, ABS, and ESC off). When you tried to accelerate to change lanes safely, the car wouldn't respond. After turning the car off and back on at the shoulder, some lights cleared but the ABS and ESC warning lights remained on, and the engine began idling roughly. Disconnecting the battery temporarily fixed the rough idling, but the ABS and ESC lights have not cleared. This may require diagnostic testing of the electrical system and brake control modules to identify why these warning lights are persisting.

After receiving two manufacturer recall notices about potential fires in your braking circuit, you had the vehicle serviced in July 2020. In August, you noticed the ESC OFF warning light on your dashboard, and when you parked at home, your tail lights and brake lights stayed on even after turning off the engine. Your neighbor found warm wires under the dash and was able to manually turn the lights off. The dealership determined your braking circuit was damaged and replaced the hydraulic module, switch assembly, and HECU (braking control unit) at a cost of $2,516.07.

While driving at 55 mph, your car suddenly lost power and wouldn't stop even when you pressed the brake pedal. The steering wheel also became hard to turn, and you saw smoke coming from under the hood. A cracked radiator was found to be the cause and needs to be replaced. Your car is currently not drivable, and the replacement radiator part is not available.

Your 2007 Kia Sorento's engine compartment has a potential fire hazard, according to a letter from Kia. The manufacturer warned you to park the vehicle away from buildings and other vehicles because the fire risk exists even when the car isn't running. Your dealer doesn't have repair instructions yet, though Kia says the vehicle is safe to drive — leaving you in a difficult situation with conflicting guidance. The fix will likely involve inspecting and repairing or replacing engine compartment components once Kia provides repair procedures to dealers.

You took your car to a Kia dealership in Burlington, WA for a safety recall repair involving exterior lighting and brakes. The dealership told you they didn't have the necessary part in stock, and after waiting about a month, you still haven't received notification about when the part will be available. You're concerned that this delay is unacceptable for a safety-related issue.

Your transmission's speed sensor is malfunctioning, causing your transmission to shift abnormally. Your car only shifts into 3rd and 4th gears instead of all five, which means your engine runs at 3,000 RPMs on the highway instead of lower speeds, causing increased fuel and oil consumption. The transmission speed sensor will likely need to be replaced or the transmission may need diagnostic work to restore proper shifting.

Your Kia Sorento has a recall for an electrical anti-lock brake system problem, and you're experiencing warning lights staying on related to this issue. This is affecting your confidence in the vehicle's safety, especially since you rely on it for daily transportation with your daughter. The fix will likely involve diagnosing and repairing the electrical connection or control module for the anti-lock brake system.

Your 2007 Kia Sorento is affected by NHTSA recall #20V088 (issued March 25, 2020), but the NHTSA website incorrectly shows zero unresolved recalls for your vehicle. You received a recall notice from Kia in the mail, but your car hasn't been serviced yet. The NHTSA database needs to be updated to accurately reflect that this recall applies to your vehicle and that dealer service started April 10, 2020.