2009 Kia Sorento Electronic Stability Control Esc Problems

Your ESC (Electronic Stability Control) warning light came on while reversing and braking to shift into Drive. Previously, the same warning light appeared while turning a corner, and your engine stalled — though it restarted, acceleration was very sluggish afterward. The dealer diagnosed that the ESC system needed to be reset or replaced to fix the problem. The repair likely involved diagnosing the ESC module and either recalibrating or replacing it.

ALMOST A YEAR AGO, I WAS DRIVING ON THE TURNPIKE WITH A POSTED 65 MPH WHEN MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT GOES ON AND THE ESC OFF LIGHT LIGHTS UP ON THE DASH. I STARTED LOSING ACCELERATION AND COULDN'T GO ABOVE 40 MPH. I IMMEDIATELY PULLED OVER AND CONTACTED THE GARAGE. THEY TOLD ME TO TURN THE CAR OFF AND RESTART IT. THE ESC OFF LIGHT WENT OUT AND I WAS ABLE TO ACCELERATE NORMALLY BUT, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYED ON FOR 2 MORE DAYS. EVERYTHING WAS FINE UNTIL 8 MONTHS LATER WHEN MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND ESC OFF LIGHT LIT UP AGAIN AND I COULDN'T ACCELERATE PAST 40 MPH. HOWEVER, THIS TIME I HAD TO PULL OVER - TURN OFF THE CAR - RESTART MY CAR( 6 TIMES) TO TURN OFF THE ESC OFF LIGHT!!! TWICE THIS JULY THE SAME SITUATION HAPPENED AND I TOOK IT IN FOR SERVICE. OF COURSE ALL LIGHTS WERE OUT AT THE TIME. THERE WERE ERROR CODES ON THE COMPUTER BUT WHILE CONVERSING WITH THE TECHNICIANS THEY BELIEVE IT'S A FAULTY GAS PEDAL/ACCELERATOR AND NOT TIRE/BRAKE SENSOR CODES. I WAS GIVEN A QUOTE OF $350 FOR REPLACEMENT HOWEVER THIS IS A REAL SAFETY ISSUE AND I FEEL THE CONSUMER SHOULDN'T BE RESPONSIBLE FOR CORRECTING THIS PROBLEM AND IT SHOULD BE A RECALL ISSUE. MY PARTICULAR CASE HAS HAPPENED 3 TIMES IN LESS THAN A YEAR. OBVIOUSLY, THERE ARE MANY OTHER CONSUMERS HAVING THE SAME DEFECT ISSUE. IT'S NOT SAFE IF YOUR ONLY MEANS OF TRANSPORTATION CAN ONLY ACCELERATE TO 40 MPH ON A DANGEROUS ROAD TRAVELED BY COMMUTERS AND BIG RIGS GOING AS HIGH AS 80 MPH OR MORE. THIS IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN! KIA IS PLAYING WITH PEOPLES LIVES HERE. PLEASE INVESTIGATE KIA AND THE ELECTRONIC STABILITY ISSUE...OBVIOUSLY IT'S NOT STABLE. MA 10/8 UPDATED 3/22/2016*JS UPDATED 12/13/2017*CN

I WAS DRIVING ALONG A STATE HIGHWAY WHEN MY CAR SUDDENLY LOST POWER. "ESC OFF" LITE UP ON THE DASH AS DID AN ANTI LOCK BRAKE LIGHT. I WAS ABLE TO COAST TO A SAFE PLACE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. I SHUT THE CAR OFF AND TRIED TO RESTART IT TWICE WITH NO RETURN OF THE POWER. THE ENGINE WOULD RUN BUT DID NOT RESPOND TO THE ACCELERATOR. I SHUT THE CAR OFF AND CALLED FOR A TOW. WHEN THEY ARRIVED 45 MINS LATER HE STARTED THE CAR AND IT WORKED FINE EXCEPT THE ENGINE LIGHT WAS ON. I WAS THEN ABLE TO DRIVE THE CAR HOME. I HAD A MECHANIC CHECK THE CAR AND WAS TOLD ALL HE COULD FIND WAS A CODE THAT INDICATED THERE HAD BEEN SOME PROBLEM WITH THE ESC AND THAT THAT PROBLEM HAD SHUT THE GAS OFF TO THE ENGINE. HE RESET THE SYSTEM AND EVERYTHING SEEMED FINE FOR 5 DAYS OR ABOUT 260 MILES. THEN IT OCCURRED AGAIN IN A SITUATION OF INCREASED TRAFFIC. I WAS AGAIN ABLE TO SAFELY GET OFF THE ROAD AND AFTER WAITING ABOUT 10 MINS WAS ABLE TO RESTART THE CAR AND DRIVE HOME. I AM VERY CONCERNED THAT IF THIS OCCURRED AT A HIGHER SPEED I WOULD END UP IN AN ACCIDENT. I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT WITH THE KIA DEALER NEXT WEEK, BUT WILL BE DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE TO GET MY CAR TO THEM. IT APPEARS THERE HAVE BEEN OTHERS WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. PLEASE ADVISE ME IF YOU ARE INVESTIGATING THIS PROBLEM. *TR

WHEN MERGING ONTO THE INTERSTATE (INCREASING SPEED FROM 25MPH AND UP) VEHICLE SUDDENLY STOPS AND DOESN'T ALLOW ME TO ACCELERATE AND THE ESC OFF ILLUMINATES ON THE DASH AS WELL AS THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. IN ORDER TO OPERATE THE VEHICLE I HAVE TO MOVE OFF OF THE HWY INTO THE EMERGENCY LANE, PUT ON MY FLASHERS, TURN OFF THE VEHICLE, RESTART THE VEHICLE, AND PRESS THE ESC OFF BUTTON. THE VEHICLE THEN STARTS AND I SLOWLY MERGE BACK ONTO THE HWY CAUTIOUS NOT TO ACCELERATE TOO QUICKLY AS THE ENTIRE PROCESS WOULD OCCUR AGAIN. THIS IS EXTREMELY DANGEROUS AS IT OCCURS WHEN AN INCREASE IN SPEED IS NEEDED AND IT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED. I HAVE TAKEN MY VEHICLE IN TO THE KIA DEALERSHIP, THEY 'TIGHTENED SOME WIRES" AND LITERALLY THE NEXT DAY IT OCCURRED AGAIN. *TR