KnownCarProblems2014 Kia Sorento Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 988 complaints with NHTSA about the 2014 Kia Sorento, most often about the engine (41% of complaints, typically around 101,000 miles). It is the 3rd most complained-about Sorento model year since 2000 and has 6 recalls.
⚠ Safety advisory3 recalls for this car came with a park-outside warning. See below and check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Most common 2014 Kia Sorento problems
Engine
407 complaints · 41%Half of these problems showed up before 101,000 miles. Parts named most often: engine.
On may 5, while driving on the 5 fwy, I felt my car loosing power and when I stop, my car shut off, I turn the car on, hear a clicking sound but was able to pull to the left lane emergency lane. Tow the car home and worked on the car, found that the engine bearing gave out. I check for replacement parts and found it…
For about a year my car would stall when I would turn. It would happen occasionally. Sometimes it would be more frequent than others. Then last week I was driving and the engine cut off again and I had to pull over and put it in park and restart start the car again. This is very dangerous. If I were on the highway and…
Body and structure
160 complaints · 16%Half of these problems showed up before 72,000 miles. Parts named most often: body.
Pearl pain is peeling and chipping. Went thru car wash and it chipped hood car wash paid for it to be repaired. Then on 9/15/20 it was raining and the rain chipped the paint on the door frame. Nothing hit it or damaged it I was driving but the rain peeled my paint. That's when I decided to do some research because…
The paint is peeling in large pieces from the hood and doors. It happened both times just driving down the road. There are several spots on the vehicle that are bubbling and will eventually peel as well.
Electrical
153 complaints · 16%Half of these problems showed up before 66,000 miles. Parts named most often: instrument cluster/panel, alternator/generator/regulator.
I was driving my 2014 Kia Sorento down a city street when my car completely shut off . Luckily I was only going about 30 MPH. It lost all power and wont restart. It showed and currently shows a red steering wheel light (I've never seen before) and a dim battery display( which battery isn't even 4 months old and all…
Controls on steering wheel for radio, and speed control and hands free phone features stopped working correctly you press the phone button and volume goes up or down hit mute and voice command goes on dials numbers at random startling you gives strange burning smell from steering wheel . The power seat button on…
Other or unspecified
147 complaints · 15%Half of these problems showed up before 80,000 miles.
The front passenger and the the two back door as well as the back (entry to crgo area) locks do not open with any device....only the drivers door unlocks., the aforementioned have to be opened by hand.. They do close when the key is in ignition and the drive or reverse is engaged, but they do not reopen when pressing…
Turn the vehicle off so I could pull in my driveway as I unlocked my gate car would not start back it was stuck in the middle of the road I had purchased a new battery and I have also bought a new starter
Lights
86 complaints · 9%Half of these problems showed up before 74,500 miles. Parts named most often: headlights, brake lights.
Lighting from headlights is too dim to drive at night. Cannot see 5 feet ahead. Bulbs were replaced. Dealer adjusted them. Still no change. Dangerous to drive at night. I am limited to drive in daylight only as I cannot see to drive at night with 20/20 vision.
Low beam headlights are dangerously dim. They have already been replaced once, I do not believe it is the bulb as iihs has rated these lights on this model as poor as well. While driving on any road without reflectors or overhead lights in the evening it is very hard to see the painted lines. I feel very unsafe on…
Brakes
84 complaints · 9%Half of these problems showed up before 80,000 miles. Parts named most often: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip, antilock, power assist.
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 23v652000 (service brakes, hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. While the…
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…
Transmission
72 complaints · 7%Half of these problems showed up before 70,000 miles. Parts named most often: driveline.
Controls on steering wheel for radio, and speed control and hands free phone features stopped working correctly you press the phone button and volume goes up or down hit mute and voice command goes on dials numbers at random startling you gives strange burning smell from steering wheel . The power seat button on…
My car has 69000 miles on it. When driving a diagnostic comes up while driving on the radio telling me there is an issue with the transmission module system the shifting notifier on dash disappears. The yellow check engine light comes on. Today while driving in traffic the car while driving went like it was in…
Air bags
51 complaints · 5%Half of these problems showed up before 80,000 miles.
My airbag light has been going on/off for a few months now, and I have contacted several Kia dealerships that have told me my car is not a part of an airbag recall, and if I want it fixed, I will have to come out of pocket to the time of about $2,000 to get this fixed. The dealerships I called, and 1 I went to…
Airbag warning light began flashing while the vehicle was in motion a few moments ago. I have seen quite a few other Kia Sorento 2014 owners with the same issues.
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2014 Kia Sorento recalls
Brakes: control unit/module
Risk: An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the hecu fuse, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed november 14, 2023. Owner notification letters were mailed march 29, 2024 through june 18, 2024. Owners may contact kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is sc284.
Full defect summary
Kia america, inc. (kia) is recalling certain 2010-2019 borrego, 2014-2016 cadenza, 2010-2013 forte, forte koup, sportage, 2015-2018 k900, 2011-2015 optima, 2011-2013 optima hybrid, soul, 2012-2017 rio, 2011-2014 sorento, and 2010-2011 rondo vehicles. The hydraulic electronic control unit (hecu) may experience an electrical short, which can result in an engine compartment fire while parked or driving.
Brakes: control unit/module
Risk: An electrical short in the hecu increases the risk of a fire while parked or driving.
Fix: Owners are advised to park outside and away from other vehicles and structures until the recall repair is completed. Dealers will install a new multi-fuse, and inspect the hecu for leaks, replacing the hecu if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on july 2, 2021. This recall supersedes previous NHTSA recall number 20v-519. Owners may contact kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is sc212.
Full defect summary
Kia motors america (kia) is recalling certain 2013-2015 optima and 2014-2015 sorento vehicles previously recalled under recall 20v-519. Brake fluid may leak inside the hydraulic electronic control unit (hecu), possibly resulting in an electrical short.
Brakes: control unit/module
Risk: If the hecu short circuits, there is an increased risk of an engine compartment fire.
Fix: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the hecu for leaking brake fluid and replace the hecu if necessary, free of charge. Owners are advised to park outside and away from other vehicles and structures until the recall repair is completed. The recall began october 20, 2020. Owners may contact kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is sc197.
Full defect summary
Kia motors america (kia) is recalling certain 2013-2015 optima and 2014-2015 sorento vehicles. Brake fluid may leak inside the hydraulic electronic control unit (hecu), possibly resulting in an electrical short.
Engine
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Kia has notified owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the fuel pipe, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began january 17, 2019. Owners may contact kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is sc172.
Full defect summary
Kia motors america (kia) is recalling certain 2011-2017 optima, 2012-2017 sorento and 2011-2018 sportage vehicles that previously received an engine replacement under recall number 17v-224, warranty, or the knock sensor detection system (ksds) product improvement campaign. The high pressure fuel pipe that connects to the fuel pump outlet may have been damaged, misaligned or improperly torqued during the engine replacement procedure, possibly causing a fuel leak.
Engine
Risk: Bearing wear may result in the engine seizing, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine assembly, and replace the engine if necessary, free of charge. The recall began june 20, 2017. Owners may contact kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is sc147.
Full defect summary
Kia motor company (kia) is recalling certain 2011-2014 optima, 2012-2014 sorento and 2011-2013 sportage vehicles. Machining errors during the engine manufacturing process may cause premature bearing wear within the engine.
Transmission: axle shaft
Risk: A fractured front axle may result in a loss of power to the wheels. Additionally, if the vehicle is parked without the parking brake applied, it may roll away. Either condition increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front axle shaft assembly, free of charge. The recall began on september 9, 2013. Owners may contact kia at 1-800-333-4542 . Kia's recall number is sc099.
Full defect summary
Kia motors corp. Is recalling certain model year 2014 front wheel drive sorento vehicles manufactured january 7, 2013, through march 12, 2013; and equipped with 2.4 liter engines. Due to a manufacturing issue, the right front axle shaft may fracture.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Hyundai and kia ABS module fires
Summary
The office of defects investigation (odi) has received eight hyundai motor america (hyundai) and eight kia america, inc. (kia) part 573 recall reports between 2016 and 2023. The combined 16 safety recalls all involve the antilock braking system (ABS) modules or hydraulic electronic control units (hecu) manufactured by the equipment supplier mando. The part 573 recall reports contain varying defect descriptions and differing remedy descriptions for the same or similar equipment supplied by mando. Safety recalls included in this audit query (aq) review include: hyundai recalls 20v-520, 20v-543, 21v-161, 21v-160, 21v-303, 22v-056, 22v-810, and 23v-651. Kia recalls 16v-815, 20v-518, 20v-519, 21v
Loss of motive power
Summary
The national highway traffic safety administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated july 13, 2022, petitioning the agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain hyundai motor america, inc. And kia america, inc. Vehicles spanning model years (my) 2005-2021. The petitioners cited examples of complaints indicating that the subject vehicles were experiencing rapid loss of engine oil due to oil drain plug back outs, resulting in loss of motive power and/or catastrophic engine damage. Additional complaints were provided which alleged that the oil drain pans lack sufficient structural integrity and are
Engine fires
Summary
On march 29, 2019, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened two preliminary evaluations (pe19-003 on hyundai and pe19-004 on kia) to broadly investigate incidents of non-crash fires (regardless of origin or operational status of the vehicle) on various model year hyundai and kia vehicles.â during the pe investigations, hyundai and kia issued several recalls to address vehicle fires, including those due to engine failures involving various engine types.â the remedies for the engine failure recalls typically involve engine inspection (to detect existing damage), and if necessary, engine replacement.â additionally, both manufacturers have been installing an engine control software modif
Throttle control system vulnerabilities
Summary
The office of defects investigation (odi) of the national highway traffic safety administration (NHTSA) received a petition letter dated october 10, 2021, requesting an investigation of possible defects in the electronic throttle control (etc) system on certain kia vehicles resulting in the opening of dp21-003. Accordingly, model year (my) 2005-2016 kia optima/k5, my 2006-2015 kia sorento, my 2007-2016 hyundai elantra, my 2007-2016 hyundai santa fe, my 2006-2015 hyundai sonatas are all part of the subject population. The petition was originally filed as a vehicle owner questionnaire that can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under reference (odi) number 11439675.on november 12, 2021, odi opened defec
Non-crash vehicle fires
Summary
During this preliminary evaluation (pe), the office of defects investigation (odi) assessed the scope, frequency and potential safety-related consequences of non-crash vehicle fires caused by both engine failures and failures of other vehicle systems/components in model year (my) 2011-2014 kia optima, my 2011-2014 kia sorento and my 2010-2015 kia soul vehicles equipped with theta II, gamma, nu and lambda II engines (approximately 1.7 million vehicles). Odi also reviewed field and other data on other kia vehicles (approximately 3.6 million additional vehicles) equipped with the same engines used in the above-mentioned vehicles.as a result of this pe, kia has issued NHTSA recalls 20v-750 and 2
Non-crash vehicle fires
Summary
In a letter dated june 11, 2018, the center for auto safety (cas) petitioned the national highway traffic safety administration (NHTSA) to initiate a safety defect investigation into non-collision related fires on model year (my) 2011-2014 kia optima and sorento, and hyundai sonata and santa fe vehicles. In a letter dated july 24, 2018, cas requested that my 2010-2015 kia soul vehicles be added to the petition. Cas stated that there is a higher number of complaints to NHTSA regarding non-crash fires on these vehicles compared to other similar vehicles. The office of defects investigation (odi) had already opened recall queries (rq17-003 and rq17-004) on all kia and hyundai vehicles equipped
Scope and timeliness
Summary
Nhtsa opened recall query (rq) 17-003 to investigate the timeliness and scope of kia?s theta II gdi engine recall (recall no. 17v-224), and kia?s compliance with reporting requirements. On november 23, 2020, the agency entered into a consent order with kia to administratively resolve NHTSA?s assertions of violations of law in connection with rq17-003. Nhtsa?s assertions included that kia may be liable for civil penalties on multiple grounds, including that recall no. 17v-224 was untimely and kia?s recall report contained certain inaccuracies.under the consent order, kia agreed to a total civil penalty of $70,000,000. The total civil penalty included a payment of $27,000,000 as a non-deferred
Front axle shaft failure
Summary
In a letter dated august 9, 2013, hyundai-kia america technical center, inc. (hyundai-kia) submitted two defect information reports (dir) to NHTSA identifying a safety defect related to fracture of the right front axle shaft in my 2013 front wheel drive hyundai santa fe sport vehicles built from july 13, 2012 through march 12, 2013 and my 2014 front wheel drive kia sorento vehicles built from january 7 through march 12, 2013 (recall nos. 13v-355 and 13v-356).according to hyundai-kia, the right front axle driveshaft may develop a crack in the area of the stub at the wheel end of the shaft due to problems with the stub supplier's forging process for axles installed in vehicles built prior to m
Questions about the 2014 Kia Sorento
- What are the most common problems with the 2014 Kia Sorento?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: engine (407 complaints, typically around 101,000 miles); body and structure (160 complaints, typically around 72,000 miles); electrical (153 complaints, typically around 66,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2014 Kia Sorento have?
- 6 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from September 25, 2023 (brakes). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2014 a bad year for the Kia Sorento?
- It is the 3rd most complained-about Sorento model year since 2000, with 988 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.