2018 Kia Sorento Engine Problems

Your 2018 Sorento has experienced repeated engine misfires and required multiple repairs including head gasket and piston replacement, along with persistent oil issues. The car broke down twice in two years, requiring towing over 200 miles each time, with only the check engine light as warning. Kia issued a recall for a potential rod bearing failure and initially said they would replace the engine if it failed—and it did—but then refused to cover the cost, claiming you were misinformed about the recall coverage.

Your engine developed a serious internal problem at around 127,000 miles where a piston failed, causing the engine to shake, run rough, hesitate during acceleration, and lose power. The piston failure sprayed oil forcefully enough to damage your catalytic converter. The dealer was unable to repair the engine.

Your 2018 Kia Sorento is showing no oil on the dipstick despite regular oil changes, and the dealership says you need a complete engine replacement at under 100,000 miles. You were told by a Kia settlement representative that your VIN qualified for coverage at no charge, but the dealership later refused to honor this and demanded payment instead. The oil warning light comes back on immediately after leaving the service lot, with no visible leaks.

While driving on the highway, your engine suddenly revved and lost power, eventually shutting off completely and leaving you stranded on the roadway. Two independent mechanics confirmed a broken valve in cylinder 4 and severe internal engine damage that requires full engine replacement at a cost of approximately $9,600. The repair will involve removing and replacing the entire long block engine assembly.

Your 2018 Sorento's engine failed and stopped working entirely. The problem was covered under a class action lawsuit, and you had an extended warranty that was still active, but the warranty company discouraged you from pursuing the repair by stating you'd have to pay if carbon buildup was found. You decided not to have it fixed, and the engine eventually failed completely. Both Kia and the extended warranty company refused to help, despite this being a known defect. The fix would likely require engine replacement or major internal engine repairs.

Your engine is burning through oil at an abnormal rate, causing black soot to come out of the exhaust. You've noticed engine knocking sounds, and your spark plugs keep getting fouled up with carbon buildup even after replacement. A Kia mechanic diagnosed damage to the pistons and determined your engine needs to be replaced, which may be covered under a class action recall for this engine type.

Your 2018 Kia Sorento is producing heavy white smoke from the exhaust when started, and you may notice oil leaking from the engine onto the spark plugs. While driving at highway speeds, your vehicle may shake and display a check engine warning light, and it may not restart immediately. The dealer found oil leaks in multiple cylinders, suggesting a serious engine problem that may require engine replacement or major repairs.

Your engine suddenly lost all power while you were driving on the highway without any warning, forcing you to pull over and get the car towed. This unexpected failure created a dangerous situation on the roadway. The repair will likely involve a full engine diagnostic to identify what caused the sudden power loss.

Your engine is making a knocking sound when you start it, even though your dashboard warning lights haven't come on. The dealership found that the bearing clearance (the gap between moving engine parts) is too large, causing the connecting rod to knock inside the engine. This is a known issue with the 3.3L Lambda II engine, and the dealership says you'll need a complete engine replacement to fix it.

Your engine is consuming an excessive amount of oil between service intervals. You may need to top off your oil more frequently than normal or notice the oil level dropping quickly on the dipstick. This could indicate internal engine wear or a leak that needs investigation. The fix may involve engine inspection, oil leak repair, or potential engine rebuilding depending on the root cause.

Your engine is burning about one quart of oil per week, and you've noticed shaking while driving. Your check engine light is on with a code indicating cylinder 3 is misfiring. This combination suggests an internal engine problem that needs diagnosis to determine if it's a valve seal leak, piston ring wear, or ignition issue.

My Vehicle’s Problems Excessive Oil Consumption My engine kept losing oil far more rapidly than normal. I was regularly checking and had to top off the oil, even though mileage suggested it should not be that frequent. However, there was no “check engine” warning light or low-oil warning light even when the oil level was dangerously low. Despite the oil being burned or lost, none of the sensors ever alerted me. Eventually, before my next scheduled service, the extreme oil loss culminated in catastrophic failure: the engine seized, and the car is now completely undrivable. Engine Failure / Seizure The engine’s seizure was sudden and without any prior warning. There was no indication via “check engine” light, oil light, or other dashboard warnings. I have obtained an estimate for replacing the engine, and regrettably, the cost of a new engine exceeds the current value of the vehicle. This is deeply unfair, given that the root cause appears to be excessive oil consumption, not misuse or accident. Lack of Responsiveness / Remediation I feel that despite my efforts to maintain the car and monitor oil levels, I was left to fix a major and very expensive defect. I request that Kia take full responsibility: cover the engine replacement (or provide a buyback / repurchase option), reimburse me for costs, or find another equitable remedy.

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the engine was making an abnormal knocking sound. The contact stated that while slowing for a traffic sign or stop lights, the vehicle was shaking and vibrating abnormally. The contact stated that while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle started making the knocking sound again. The check engine warning light illuminated and was now constantly illuminated. The contact stated that prior to the sounds and check engine warning light being illuminated, the contact was constantly adding engine oil, even after an oil change. The contact had taken the vehicle to a dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle and informed the contact that the engine was failing and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the engine was replaced in 2019 by the same dealer. The dealer requested that the engine be replaced; however, the manufacturer later informed the contact that the request was denied. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact requested an escalation to review the engine replacement and was informed that the escalation had been denied. The failure mileage was approximately 178,000.

Started with check engine light coming on then having problems with engine knocking last winter. During oil change and oil filter change there were gold "sparkles" throughout the old oil and the filter was completely covered. It appears some component of the engine is being "chewed" up and destroying our engine. It is now undrivable. I was told by our local mechanic shop to contact KIA or NHTSA regarding a special extended warranty from KIA specifically for engine issues. I am not finding anything specific online, so wanted to reach out. I am waiting to hear back from local KIA dealership service department as well.

KIA Sorento 2018 The vehicle experienced engine failure due to piston ring damage at approximately 111,500 miles. A Kia dealer diagnosed the issue with codes P0301 and P0304 and confirmed the engine requires full replacement. This creates serious safety concerns, including engine misfires, loss of power, and risk of stalling while driving.

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle made an abnormal knocking sound. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving and depressing the accelerator pedal all the way to the floorboard, the vehicle failed to exceed 18 MPH. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed, and the failure was linked to the knock sensor detection system(KSDS). The vehicle was not repaired. The local dealer was unreachable. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 85,798.

I was driving and the vehicle shut off. All electric still on lights, radio, dash, etc. No issues or noises indicating that the engine was having faliure. Did not overheat, had oil and gas. Just bought car used 6 months ago with 140k miles. Had it towed to Mechanic and was told the engine was locked. Engine repair is my only option that is going to cost 5-8k. Vehicle has been maintained regularly with only one previous owner and no major repairs ever needed to be done.

I am writing to express my concern regarding a serious issue with my 2018 Kia Sorento equipped with the 2.4-liter engine. The vehicle has been experiencing excessive oil consumption—approximately one quart every 400 miles—which I believe may be indicative of a manufacturing defect. Based on similar issues reported with more recent Kia models, including those involving potentially defective piston oil rings, I am concerned that my vehicle may be affected by a similar issue. As you are aware, defective piston rings can lead to long-term engine damage, sudden loss of power, and even an increased risk of engine fire. Given the severity of the symptoms and potential safety implications, I respectfully request that this matter be formally investigated and that Kia consider extending the recall or offering a resolution for affected 2018 Sorento models. I look forward to your prompt response regarding this issue.

Excessive oil consumption, 4 quarts in 2000 miles

Engine oil is always law. Engine eats lots of oil.

Engine burns and eats up lots of engine oil. Engine oil is always low.

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to an unknown dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 89,000.

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 20 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power. The contact stated that the failure had occurred on several occasions. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle remained at the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

Was driving car it lost power, pulled over and had tow truck bring car to dealership. Dealership states a new engine is needed due to a malfunction in the engine block, however warranty is out on car just by 9,000 miles and car is still financed! Maintenance has been kept up on car. Kia wants $10,000 to replace engine.

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact heard an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine before the vehicle lost motive power, with the check engine and oil warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000.

I bought a used Kia sorento from a Kia Dealership. This engine makes oil evaporate completely. This engine must be a bad engine. I heard there was some recalls on Kia engines not sure if this one fits it. The dealership did a five hundred dollar job on it and it did not fix. I put oil in this car every month. No way to upgrade because of these issues.

I had an engine failure in my Kia. On [XXX], I was driving on [XXX] in Maine, and the "malfunction" light lit up, and I lost power in the vehicle. I was able to make it to the side of the highway and call a tow truck. Losing power on a busy interstate put myself and my partner at risk, as well as having to wait on the side of the interstate for a tow truck. I had the vehicle towed to a mechanic who said the engine needed to be replaced because a cylinder lost compression. Kia had me tow it to a Kia dealership, and they verified that the engine needed to be replaced. The matter is still open. My case with Kia is [XXX]. Kia has been completely unresponsive in the matter. They have told me repeatedly that the matter is being looked into by their tech team, but they have never reached out to the Kia dealership they told me to send it to. It could be related to a rod bearing issue, but they are not willing to follow up enough to even determine whether or not that is the issue. Prior to the engine failure, I had issues with oil loss. I replaced the PCV valve, but that did not turn out to be the problem. I had it inspected a few weeks before the engine failure, and they noted that the oil levels were low. I was not seeing warning lights for low oil, but I was maintaining oil levels while I waited for an appointment to look into that issue. I believe Kia knows this is an ongoing issue with their vehicles, and they are actively obstructing any inquiries as to why this engine problem persists. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power and jerked and decelerated to 25 MPH. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was driven to a nearby parking lot and parked because the contact was concerned about driving the vehicle. The following day the contact’s husband took the vehicle to a local dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine might be faulty however, a diagnostic test was needed, and the engine needed to be taken apart to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

Around 90,000 miles, the engine started leaking oil regularly, took it in for warranty. After repairs for gasket, then started burning oil and running of oil every week or two weeks, and I have to constantly refill oil. Took it again and Dealer told me I am out of warranty, then I called KIA USA and reported problems. They told me that they will get back to me and I am still waiting.

Cáthalitic converter conoromised

While driving on the highway, the engine suddenly stopped working without warning. I was unable to accelerate using the gas pedal. Fortunately, the highway was empty at the time, and I managed to safely pull over to the right side of the road. After waiting for approximately 30 minutes for the engine to cool down, I attempted to drive again. However, the car began shaking severely whenever I pressed the gas pedal or attempted to increase the speed beyond 2 RPM. The vehicle was subsequently inspected by a certified Kia service center, where the issue was diagnosed as a failure of the piston ring and cylinder 1, resulting in insufficient compression. The service center confirmed that the vehicle was well-maintained, with no external damage or user-related issues contributing to the failure. No warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms appeared prior to the failure. The engine issue was sudden and unexpected, posing a significant safety risk, especially as it occurred while driving at highway speeds. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the contact's husband discovered that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact's husband was consistently adding oil for the vehicle to return to normal operation. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 82,940.

Previous Complaint# 11618337. Additional Information: Engine is full of oil yet Oil Light comes on due excessive crankshaft & connecting rod bearing wear and knocking loud. Yet the recalibrated knock sensor will not pick up the issue and put the vehicle into derate with a code P1326 as it did before the Kia Dealership performed this recalibration. This is consumer fraud by purposely hiding a known defect and preventing the warranty from replacing the engine with a redesigned new engine that corrects the issue with larger oil ports. It is also a safety issue!! Now that the oil light is coming on and the engine has a bad knock, it can fail at anytime while driving causing lose of power steering, brakes and the ability to safely pull the car over to a safe location. The original P1326 code automatically determined the engine developed wear from lack of oil volume based on the known defect of too small oil ports. This recalibration doesn't address the wear the engine already has and based on what the dealer stated, they will not replace the engine until that code comes back. Which now can't happen due to this parameter change and elimination of the knock sensors ability to perform it's job correctly. Please investigate and resolve, Thank you!!

My kia Sorento is involved in an engine recall. When driving on the highway three times now my engine has stalled and car has gone from 65 to 30 mph, almost causing multiple accidents while driving with my [XXX] and [XXX] . The Kia customer service agency said this must occur three times before they will replace my engine. They are not replacing the engine. I fear for my life, my husband life and my children’s lives . I also fear for fellow drivers on the road . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Engine was consuming large amounts of oil, attempted to conduct oil consumtion test per Kia request was unable to complete due to volume of oil consumption . Engine locked up after kia telling me they couldnt help me since the oil consumtion test couldnt be completed.

I have a 2018 Kia Sorento that I absolutely love. As of late, I have noticed that 1,000 to 1,200 miles after my oil changes- I am getting my engine oil light on, on the dash. Upon checking, again after only 1,200 miles after an oil change- my engine oil was completely gone. The dipstick was almost bone dry. I took my vehicle in to have an oil leak test, because I instantly thought I had a leak due to that being an excessive amount of oil missing. However, there is no leak. It passed the leak test, and there is also no oil in my driveway. Upon talking to the Kia dealership this is apparently a very known, and prominent issue with this vehicle. I am "out of warranty" with Kia- so I am unable to file a claim with them to have this repaired. This is unacceptable for them to know that this is an ongoing issue, and they are not standing behind their products. I have thankfully purchased an extended warranty with an outside agency, that I am filing a claim for. However they will only cover the issue at Kia if the "engine oil consumption test identifies the failure" From what the service man said to me, from Kia- the two "failures" that they have, are either needing to have a combustion chamber cleaning done, or an entire new engine dropped in. Both of which leave me without a vehicle for WEEKS. As a mother with young children, and also a mother that works and has a one vehicle home- this leaves me needing to rent a car for however long that may take. Looking into this further I have seen that Kia Sorentos with the GDI motor (like mine) from NEWER years, have a recall on their engines for a very similar case and very similar situations with them burning excessive oil in their vehicles. I strongly think that the lower year makes and models need to be investigated, as well. I absolutely think that my vehicle needs to be included in this recall as I have gotten and maintained every single oil change, and service needed to my vehicle since I have purchased it in 2020.

Engine had catastrophic failure without warning. No warning lights or performance issues. 110K miles on it. Well taken care of and taken in for oil changes at regular intervals 6K-8K.

The engine seized as we were driving onto the freeway. Everything just stopped. The car had to be pushed to the side of the road. It failed to restart. When we checked the dipstick, it was completely dry and starting to burn on the bottom. There was no visible signs of an oil leak. There were no lights or other notifications that the car was out of oil. We were lucky the car wasn't hit and someone seriously injured or killed. The car had to be towed to our home. Kia Corporate Office was closed. The Kia dealership said I could have it towed at my expense and have it looked at when they had time the following week. It was just under 100K miles A different Kia dealership offered to give me $5000 towards a trade-in on a new car. That was half the trade-in value, but I couldn't be without a car. When I inquired three weeks later about what the service department found out was wrong with the car, I was told they hadn't even looked at it and would probably just use it for spare parts.

Engine is burning oil. Engine only has 116,000 miles on all maintenance has been kept up to date - has never missed an oil change, only ever used full-synthetic. Should not be consuming this amount of oil. Also dash board lights pertaining to engine or oil never come on.

Car is burning 3/4 a quart of every 1,000 miles

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 79 MPH, the oil warning light illuminated, and he observed a burning oil odor emanating from the engine compartment. The vehicle was pulled to the side of the road and inspected. The contact observed condensation under the front of the vehicle and no oil on the dipstick. Additionally, another vehicle pulled to the side of the road and reported that condensation from the vehicle sprayed onto the windshield and hood of their vehicle. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the turbo feed line assembly needed to be replaced due to corrosion and a hole. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

On May 1, 2024, I noticed my 2018 Kia Sorento making a knocking sound and smoking heavily from the back exhaust. I turned it off, thinking it might be overheating, and planned to check it the next day. On May 2, 2024, while taking my daughter to school, the vehicle was knocking but no indicator lights were displayed, the main display screen suddenly showed an engine control system issue, and the car spoke and said to take the vehicle to the closest service center I immediately headed to the Kia service center. About 2-3 miles into the drive, the car shut down completely on the interstate. I managed to coast to a stop on the access road but was still partially on the road, so I called for a tow. The police later helped me move the car further off the road because I was a hazard for Morning rush hour traffic. After waiting for three hours, the tow truck took me to the Kia dealership, where the mechanic found that the engine had seized. Kia refused to repair the damage, citing that I hadn't done a KSDS recall. The repairs are estimated to cost over $7000 needing long block replacement from hole in block (KSDS requirements not met). I was not aware of any issues with my car, as I had not been informed about a KSDS recall or any suggestions regarding it. I feel this situation put me in danger, first with the potential fire hazard and then being stranded on the highway and nearly struck in multiple occasions. . I currently have no working vehicle, and Kia is not taking responsibility for these engine issues but my make and model has no listed recall. I am not considered a part of the KSDS recall therefore I also get no claims to the millions awarded to others due to this recall.

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at 55 MPH, the vehicle lost all power while depressing the accelerator pedal without warning. The contact also stated that white smoke began to emit from underneath the hood of the vehicle. Upon inspection of the vehicle, the contact saw flames coming from underneath the vehicle as oil began to leak from the vehicle. The flames eventually dissipated and authorities were not called to the scene. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed initially to the contact's home and later to the dealer. Once in the dealer's possession, the contact was informed that there was a hole in the engine block which had led to engine failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but had yet to offer any assistance. The vehicle remained in the possession of the dealer and had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 81,000.

The vehicle started knocking. We took it to Kia and they share saying we needed an upgrade part that is on a safety”notice” and not a recall. It’s to prevent engine failure. They refuse to put in the part because they said the engine is already failing. They said we need to pay 6k. The best part is that we took the vehicle in last year (2023) for the hitch and the anti theft upgrade and KIA didn’t tell us about this feel part. Why wouldn’t we get the free upgrade on the engine???? They are not telling consumers and it doesn’t come up when you search by VIN.

Engine failure

Excessive oil consumption, burning oil

The whole engine needs replaced without warning. I have been driving it with oil spraying, a hole in engine and not sound or engine light or anything as a warning. Very unsafe and many others in the same boat.

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who diagnosed that the engine had sustained a loss of compression in cylinder #4, and oil had leaked onto the spark plugs. The contact was advised that the engine was faulty, but no repairs would be made until the engine rods had failed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed the instructions provided by the dealer. The failure mileage was 138,500

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the vehicle started shaking abnormally. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road and turned off. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced due to a loss in engine compression in one of the cylinders. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 103,000.

After inspection, the service agent, Jeff, came and informed me there was “good news and not so good news”. Good news - He said there was a 999,999-mile warranty on the engine for the oil pressure stick problem. The not so good news is that Kia will not replace the engine until it locks. I was shocked to say the least. I asked him, how in the hell is that safe? Why isn’t the fact that the car started shutting down on me (power steering) enough of an indication that it needs to be replaced? That along with the amounts of oil I’ve had to replace. All the years I’ve had my Kia, I’ve NEVER had to add oil. He said those warnings were not enough. He said the engine light would come on as well as others, the engine would start knocking as well. THEN you get to the side of the road. I told him as I’m going to state here, that is the most asinine thing I have every heard! So essentially, before Kia will replace my engine, I have to possibly kill myself, any passengers and any other drivers on the road first? What if I’m in heavy highway traffic and cannot get over, cannot get to an inside grassy area or shoulder and my car just stops? He said his hands were tied unless these things happened.

The car stalls any where when the temp is over 108 degrees, i have to wait about two minutes and it will start, sometimes it cranks then it starts, no codes come on the code reader. It has never happen since i bought the car 5 years ago. The car is not over heating, it stays on the same temp and no antifreeze comes out.

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that oil needing to be added the engine every two weeks. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. The dealer informed the contact that an oil consumption test needed to be performed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 81,136.

Ive been experiencing engine failure with my vehicle since December of 2022. The car was assessed and repaired and less than a month later my engine has failed yet again while driving. My vehicle year is not listed in the kia settlement class action even though I have a Theta II engine 2.4 L GDI.

While driving my 2018 Kia Sorento on Interstate 95 at approximately 65 mph, the vehicle suddenly started to knock. The noise got louder and before I could safely pull onto the shoulder, the engine totally failed without any warning lights whatsoever. Large amount of blue smoke came from the exhaust and I lost all power to the vehicle. Engine parts and motor oil were scattered all over the highway from the violent nature of the failure. This also caused vehicles behind me to swerve and brake in order to avoid hitting the metal engine debris. My right rear tire ran over such metal and it immediately went flat. I was able to coast the vehicle onto an exit ramp where I raised the hood to check for fire. The engine continued to leak oil while parked on the off ramp shoulder. I called my insurance company to let them know what had happened and a tow truck responded approximately 1 hour later and the vehicle was placed in an auto storage lot.

My car is using more oil then it should and I’m getting bad gas mileage. I have no leak you can’t smell anything and it doesn’t run hot! But we have to add a least 2 quarts a week.

Vehicle is consuming oil at an extraordinary rate. About 1qt per 750 miles. There are no oil leaks present.

On 3/23/2023, the Oil Pressure Warning Light flashed on and off. I was lucky to be near a gas station that could check my oil and determined there was less than 2 quarts left. They added almost 4 quarts of oil and told me to immediately contact my Kia dealership because I could have an oil consumption issue. I researched the issue online and found that there is a class action lawsuit over Hyundai-Kia oil consumption defect. On 3/28/2023, I brought my vehicle to Mastria Kia to have an oil change and have it checked for an oil leak. There was no oil leak. Thus, they told me to return in 1,000 miles (oil consumption test). If it passes the oil consumption test, they told me that they could do a combustion chamber cleaning for over $500, which I was also told does not fix the defect. They also informed me to check my oil level regularly and add oil as needed. The vehicle is not reliable or safe to drive. I was lucky that I was near a gas station, and I saw the warning light that flashed only once. This is a safety issue and this vehicle's reliability is questionable. I hope that NHTSA can help not only myself, but other Kia owners that are experiencing the same engine defect.

My car is using 5 quarts per oil every 250-500 miles. Which means my car can blow up with me in it. I took it to the dealer and even though there is a tsb on this and it is a known issue they are telling me kia will not cover it I have to replace it out of my own pocket. When this occurs no oil lights or engine lights come on.

Catastrophic engine failure with no signal or warning from the car after being well maintained for 5 years. This occurred while driving 60 mph on a desolate stretch of VT highway while on a trip from our home in NJ. Engine died with no warning and we coasted to a dangerous narrow shoulder of RT 9 and were almost killed by a truck. We also had no cell reception to even call for help. The engine then started to smoke and burn and I was forced to put my two children out on a snowy embankment for 30 minutes risking hypothermia. We bought this 2018 Sorento new and only discovered the vast extent of Kia’s engine defect after this experience on 2/22/23. I am in complete awe and shock that your agency has allowed them to continue putting people in grave danger. I want to understand how Kia is not applying a more exhaustive effort to notify customers and rectify a deadly product defect that they are well aware of. I would like to direct your agency to a very active Facebook page called “Engine Failure - Kia” that contains a plethora of stories just like ours. This company does not care about the safety of families, nor do they have any interest in making this right. In an effort to reduce the expense of their deadly mistake, they choose to victimize their customers again by declining valid claims for an engine replacement if all service documentation is not available. They are fully aware of their responsibility and choose to act like corporate criminals. It is up to agencies like the NHTSA to address this behavior and prevent further injury and death.

2018 Kia Sorrento died suddenly on the highway. We heard a loud rattling noise, then a pop followed by the engine stopping with some smoke coming out under the hood.

My vehicle had 4 recalls on it and caused engine to blow. The dealer I purchased car from would not fix recalls, so had it towed to a Kia dealer, my car has been there since dec long story short recalls fixed but they won't replace engine, nor will dealer I purchased it from. So they're saying over $8000 that I would be responsible for

Fuel expired much quicker than should be, and burned on to the dip stick before oil was due to be changed. Then the engine failed while driving, causing my vehicle to lose power on a left turn on a 55 mph road, nearly causing my children and I to be hit by another vehicle. I could not accelerate, but still had power to steer and brake. After having the gas pedal fully extended, I resumed power to 30 mph (this was described as engine knock sensor decreased power). We are hearing that 14 million Kia vehicles are experiencing this. There are 46 cars ahead of mine to be repaired for the failed engine and oil problem at that dealership as of today. They are not offering loaner vehicles.

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated and the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to pull into a parking lot. The vehicle failed to restart after several attempts. The vehicle remained parked in the parking lot. The contact notified the local dealer and other unknown dealers of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 78,500.

No warning before engine failed. 3/2021

The contact's daughter owns a 2018 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal ticking noise detected. The vehicle lost motive power and stalled with the check engine warning light flashing. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed the contact that the knock sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission and catalytic converter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to shift into park(P). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted or notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 57,000.

excessive oil consumption causing engine to fail. need to replace whole engine. no warning lights or gauges registered the low oil

My wife was taking my son to school on April 11, 2022 around 7:45am. On the way, and without warning, the engine stopped. She coasted on an exit ramp and stopped at the light. The car's engine wouldn't turn over or even click. A police officer assisted by pushing the car into a gas station parking lot. We had the car towed to the dealer in Fort Worth. After two weeks, they contacted me and said I needed a new engine, intake manifold, and starter because the engine was sized. They said there was no oil in the vehicle. They could not offer an answer as to why.. There had been no warning...no lights had come on the dash...no indication the engine was overheating....no check engine light came on...no check oil light....no limp mode activated. Until that morning, there had been no problems with our vehicle whatsoever. I filed a complaint report with Kia Consumer Affairs. Today, 6 days later, I was told that they would offer no assistance and that all repairs would have to be paid by me. It is available to inspect st the dealer. My wife and child could have been seriously hurt had they stopped in the middle of the interstate by another car running into them. Only the dealer has inspected the vehicle. Had any warning lights come on, we would have had the vehicle serviced. There was never an indication there was a problem.

While driving the vehicle there came a knocking noise from the engine. We had driven down to the beach for a work event. We decided to turn the car around and to retrieve our other vehicle from home. As we were driving back the engine was still making the knocking noise. We went over a bridge and the engine started seizing. The engine light then came on. We were able to get it to a pepboys by home lucky but barely made it. They looked over the car and determined a whole engine repair was needed. We took it to Kia dealership and they determine the same and that the bearings had failed. Our car was under warranty but do to failure of proper oil changes our warranty was voided. I understand the need for proper maintenance of the vehicle but our car had only 24000+ miles on it. When I looked up issues regarding the specific engine our car has there were many complaints of engine failure for the theta 2.4 gdi engine. This is very underwhelming and I am grateful my children were not in the car at the time of this failure and we did not get hurt.

I was hit by another car in July 2021 which totaled the lovely suv I owned. I decided to buy my 2018 KIA Sorento (from a different state) in August 2021 because I thought KIAs were safe and reliable cars. My KIA began to oil leak right before September 2021. I had it checked for oil leak and got my oil topped off. There was no oil leak detected. In November 2021, my engine light comes on. I believed it to be an indication it was time for an oil change. The night before I could even make it to the car shop my KIA begins to make a loud knocking sound. I got my oil change and the knocking still persist. The mechanic gentlemen tell me that I needed a crankshaft position sensor replacement. I drive my KIA to the nearest KIA dealership and they keep my KIA Sorento over the weekend because of the shortage in workers. The following Monday KIA dealership calls to say I needed a full replacement engine (motor). I haven't had my KIA for even four months and it is under 100,000 miles. I have never had to receive such gut wrenching news about any car I have brought! I pick up my car to park it immediately. There has been over thousands of recalls on KIA motors I was and still am frightened my engine (motor) could catch fire anytime. I am scared to even start it to keep my battery alive. KIA dealerships will not offer me any help because I am the second ownwer of this KIA. I definitely will NEVER buy a KIA car again or even HYDAUI car.

02/06/2022 driving north bound on TX hwy 75 near McKinney, TX at the posted speed limited 70mph the engine suddenly quit running and the steering and brakes went out. There were no warning buzzers or lamps prior to the shut down. Traffic was light and with a lot of pumping of the brakes able to get onto the shoulder. Vehicle was towed to Kia of McKinney, TX. They stated engine bearing had gone bad, causing the engine to seize.

Our 2018 Kia Sorento seized, stalled, in the middle of the road, smoked, then nearly caught fire with our young daughter in the car and 19 year old son driving. We reported it to Kia. They agreed to reimburse our rental car IF we sign a settlement agreement/hush order regarding it our vehicle and to get reimbursed.

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, a loud noise was suddenly present coming from the engine before the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the residence and was examined by an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the engine rod bearing had failed. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacture was not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 65,000.

Engine started smoking and cut off. Vehicle was taken to Kia dealership but representatives do not want to honor engine replacement recall.

DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD THE CAR MADE A TICKING NOISE AND THEN JUST SHUT OFF

AFTER TURNING INTO TRAFFIC ON A HIGHWAY, AND I PROBABLY SHOULD NOT HAVE, I HAD TO "GUN" IT TO GET MOVING FASTER. AFTER THAT THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON AND WAS FLASHING.THEN I WOULD SAY IT WENT INTO A LIMP HOME MODE. THIS "GUNNING" HAS HAPPENED TO ME 3 TIMES.

CURRENTLY, THERE IS AN ENGINE RECALL ON THE 2015-2018 KIA SORENTO, WHICH RESULTS IN PREMATURE ROD WEARING AND POTENTIAL ENGINE FIRES. WITHIN A FEW WEEKS OF HAVING THE VEHICLE, BRAND NEW OFF THE LOT, THE ENGINE NOISES (TAPPING/KNOCKING) WERE NOTICED BY A FAMILY MEMBER. IT WAS REPORTED TO KIA WITHIN THE FIRST 3,500 MILES ON THE VEHICLE, WHO ADVISED ME INITIALLY THAT THE SOUNDS WERE BECAUSE THE ENGINE WAS NEW AND BREAKING IN AND THAT THE SOUNDS WERE NORMAL. IN JANUARY 2019, I WAS ADVISED WHEN I BROUGHT THE CAR IN FOR THEIR COURTESY INSPECTION THAT THERE WAS A RECALL AND THEY NEEDED TO PERFORM A SOFTWARE UPDATE ON THE VEHICLES ECM THAT IS SUPPOSED TO TURN THE VEHICLE INTO LIMP MODE TO WARN THE DRIVER OF A POTENTIAL ENGINE FIRE BEFORE IT HAPPENS. KIA PERFORMED THE UPDATE AND THE ENGINE NOISES STILL PERSIST. THE TECHNICIAN CLAIMED HE INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND REPORTED THAT IT WAS PERFORMING AS INTENDED AND THAT HE DID NOT HEAR THE NOISE. LATELY THE NOISES HAVE BEEN MORE FREQUENT, SO AS A SAFETY CONCERN I BROUGHT THE VEHICLE BACK INTO KIA FOR INSPECTION. NOW THE DEALERSHIP AND MANUFACTURER INSTEAD OF CHECKING AND CONFIRMING THE SAFENESS OF THE VEHICLE, IS BLAMING AN AFTERMARKET OIL FILTER AND SYNTHETIC OIL AS THE CAUSE OF THE ENGINE ISSUES, NOT THEIR ENGINE ISSUES THAT RECALLED THOUSANDS OF CARS AND RESULTED IN ENGINE FIRES. MOREOVER, KIA NOT ONLY REFUSES TO PROVIDE ME WITH THE DIAGNOSTIC REPORT AND SUPPOSEDLY OIL PRESSURE TEST THAT THEY CLAIM TO HAVE BEEN PERFORMED THAT GAVE THEM THOSE RESULTS, THEY ALSO REFUSE TO CONFIRM TO WHETHER THE CAR IS SAFE TO BE ON THE ROAD. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD; ENGINE FIRES ARE REAL WHICH CAN SEVERELY INJURE OR KILL THE OCCUPANTS OF A VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER AND THE DEALER REFUSE TO ADDRESS THIS HAZARD AND IT NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED, FOR CONSUMER SAFETY.

SINCE 2/2020 I HAVE BEEN BACK AND FORTH TO THE DEALERSHIP MULTIPLE TIMES FOR MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. THE DEALERSHIP HAS REPLACED MULTIPLE DIFFERENT PARTS BUT THE LIGHT CONTINUES TO COME BACK ON. THE DEALERSHIP HAS BEEN IN CONTACT WITH KIA CORPORATE MECHANICS AND THEY DO NOT SEEM TO KNOW WHAT THE PROBLEM IS AS WELL. I AM VERY FRUSTRATED BECAUSE I HAVE ALSO REACHED OUT TO KIA CORPORATE OFFICE AND THEY HAVE BEEN OF NO ASSISTANCE. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THIS VEHICLE AND HAS VOICED THIS CONCERN MULTIPLE TIMES.

AFTER THE SOFTWARE UPDATE, MY KIA HAD ISSUES WITH THE KNOCK SENSOR. SO, WILL THIS VEHICLE HAS ISSUES FOR THE REST OF THE ENGINES LIFE? I AM HOPING TO DRIVE THIS CAR FOR MORE THAN 100,000 MILES. IS THIS JUST A COINCIDENCE THAT THE SENSOR WAS BAD RIGHT AFTER THE UPDATE? THE CAR WENT INTO LIMP MODE AFTER A LOUD CLUNK. GLAD I WAS CLOSE TO HOME!

ENGINE COMPLETELY LOST POWER AND SHUT DOWN ON THE HIGHWAY AND WHEN RESTATRED, WENT INTO LIMP MODE. NOW ENGINE NEEDS REPLACED AND NO ENGINES ARE AVAILABLE. MY CAR HAS A MOBILITY DEVICE INSTALLED TO ACCOMODATE MY MISSING RIGHT LEG AND ANY RENTAL VEHICLE IS DIFFICULY TO USE SINCE I HAVE TO REMOVE MY PROSTHETIC LEG TO DRIVE IT. I NEED A VEHICLE FITTED TO ACCOMODATE MY DISABILITY AND DONT KNOW WHEN OR IF I'LL BE GETTING MINE BACK.