Korean carmakers have made a name for themselves by offering excellent crossovers at competitive prices and intriguing designs. The Kia Sorento is an ode to the brand’s efforts for making its place in the crossover segment. The Sorento received a major redesign last year but had a tough time with its reliability aspect while things have improved slightly with the 2012 model of the SUV. Officially, the 2012 Sorento faced 679 complaints along with 4 recalls to date. Moreover, the SUV has been investigated 8 times by the NHTSA for issues including sunroof breakage problems and sudden engine fire issues. Among the 4 recalls, two of them were regarding engine fire problems while the other two were for a braking mechanism fault and engine seizure complaints. The 2012 Kia Sorento rivals the Dodge Journey, the Ford Edge, and the Honda CR-V.
Kia Sorento user complaints and problems
Engine problems
- Engine stall and engine seizure: These issues were faced by a lot of 2012 Kia Sorento owners. Almost all the complaints mention that while the contacts were driving their vehicles, the engines stalled or seized completely in several instances. In some cases, the dealerships charged exorbitant amounts of money as labor costs to perform the replacements.
- Engine fires: The deadly engine fires did hit several 2012 Kia Sorento models. The affected owners mentioned that while driving, they notice smoke coming out from under the hood. As soon as they parked their vehicles and got out, the engine caught fire and quickly spread to the entire car, destroying them.
- Engine blowing up: Some cases of the engine blowing up were also reported against the 2012 Kia Sorento. One owner mentions that while driving at 70 mph, there was an explosion under the vehicle and the engine shut down. After exiting the vehicle he noticed that the engine blew up and there was engine oil spilled everywhere under the vehicle.
- Excessive oil consumption: Apart from the engine fires and seizures, a handful of complainants faced excessive oil consumption issues with their vehicles after driving a few thousand to several thousand miles. As a result of the excessive oil consumption, the vehicles required to be topped up with engine oil after driving only a few hundred miles.
Safety problems
- Airbag sensor problem: A lot of complaints were registered regarding airbag sensor failures. The faulty airbag sensors on the vehicles would fail to detect any passenger on the front passenger seats and the airbag warning lights would come on and stay illuminated. The authorized dealerships charged a high amount of money for changing the sensors in some cases.
Miscellaneous problems
- Second-row seat folding issues: The second-row seats of some 2012 Kia Sorento models failed to fold down. As a result, the third-row seats couldn’t be accessed and in some cases, after unlatching the second-row seats they wouldn’t relatch.
- Door handle falling off: Due to poor quality of materials, the exterior door handles of several 2012 Kia Sorento models fell off. While the owners or the occupants of the vehicles grabbed the handles to open the doors, the handles fell off suddenly.
- Exterior lighting issues: The headlights of numerous Sorento models stopped working suddenly. In some cases, the turn signal indicators also stopped working along with the headlights.
2012 Kia Sorento recalls
|
S.No. |
Recall Date |
NHTSA Campaign ID |
Issues noticed |
Additional remarks |
Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
October 6, 2015 |
15V626000 |
Brake-Shift Interlock Mechanism Can Chip or Crack |
Without requiring the brake to be pressed, the vehicle may be unintentionally shifted out of Park, allowing it to roll, which may result in a crash. |
Kia will notify the owners, and the dealers will replace the brake-shift interlock mechanism, free of charge. The recall began on November 9, 2015. |
|
2 |
March 31, 2017 |
17V224000 |
Bearing Wear may result in Engine Seizure |
Bearing wear may result in the engine seizing, increasing the risk of a crash. |
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine assembly, and replace the engine if necessary, free of charge. The recall began on June 20, 2017 |
|
3 |
December 19, 2018 |
18V907000 |
High Pressure Fuel Pipe May Leak |
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire. |
Kia has notified the owners, and the dealers will inspect and replace the fuel pipe, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on January 17, 2019. |
|
4 |
December 2, 2020 |
20V750000 |
Engine Damage May Cause Fire |
An engine compartment fire increases the risk of an injury. |
Kia will notify the owners, and the dealers will inspect the engine compartment for fuel and/or engine oil leaks, perform an engine test and make any repairs, including engine replacement, as necessary, free of charge. In addition, Kia dealers will update the Knock Sensor Detection System software, free of charge. The recall began on January 27, 2021. |
Should you buy a used Kia Sorento?
The Kia Sorento has been an excellent value-for-money vehicle in its class and gave some established rivals such as the CR-V and the Ford Edge tough competition too. However, with the introduction of the upgraded model last year, the reliability aspect of the Sorento took a heavy toll and several thousands of owners were affected as a result. Moreover, the 2012 model has also faced deadly engine fires which have made the vehicle a potentially unsafe option in its class too. Kia did issue a couple of recalls for the problem but there has been a lackluster approach on the dealership level as per the owners’ reports. Going for a used Sorento, especially the updated one wouldn’t be a good idea. However, the previous generation’s models would make a great option since they have solid reliability to offer.
