KnownCarProblems2017 Kia Sorento Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 806 complaints with NHTSA about the 2017 Kia Sorento, most often about the engine (50% of complaints, typically around 65,500 miles). It is 6th of 24 Sorento model years by number of complaints and has 4 recalls.
⚠ Safety advisory1 recall for this car came with a park-outside warning. See below and check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Most common 2017 Kia Sorento problems
Engine
404 complaints · 50%Half of these problems showed up before 65,500 miles. Parts named most often: engine.
Bought the car in 2018 march I have a 2017 Sorento. Have done regular 5000 oil changes. Kia said it was sludge in engine, however there are metal shaving inside the the oil and sludge caused by crank shaft. As of now no recall. Out of warranty by 5000 miles. Current situation waiting for "good faith" help appeal. Was…
I was stopped at a red light on a city street and struck head on by another vehicle. The damage is shown below in the uploaded image. My airbags did not deploy.
Lights
125 complaints · 16%Half of these problems showed up before 37,000 miles. Parts named most often: headlights.
When the headlights are in the auto setting, they will randomly turn off while driving. I most often notice this at night, but I can see it happens at times during the day if the lights are on because I notice the dashboard indicators change. This sometimes occurs after using the turn signal, but that's not always the…
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the headlamps failed to remain illuminated with the headlamp switch in the auto position. The turn signals were also inoperable. The contact stated that headlight suggested message was displayed on the instrument panel. The…
Other or unspecified
104 complaints · 13%Half of these problems showed up before 19,000 miles.
My VIN is coming up as invalid when I search for recalls. [] is what is on my registration and on the dash. Attached is a picture of the dash VIN. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u.s.c. 552(b)(6).
The door would not close. The lock was triggered somehow only the back passenger door. I could not unlock or close the door. It has happened at least 3 times. My son was sitting in the back seat and the door would not close after he got in.
Steering
97 complaints · 12%Half of these problems showed up before 30,000 miles.
Complained about steering wheel sticking for the last year. Driving on the freeway at 70 MPH yesterday moved into the left lane to pass another vehicle. I'm now in the left lane about to pass the other vehicle and I needed to make a lane correction to the right however the steering wheel was stuck and I had to pull…
While driving highway speeds the steering locks and you can't make minor adjustments to stay in your lane of travel without having to apply heavy pressure to break it free. This causes you to over correct. Brought it in to Kia in january after a completely miserable 4 hour trip to new orleans and they said it was…
Electrical
96 complaints · 12%Half of these problems showed up before 59,000 miles. Parts named most often: ignition, integrated trailer brake control, wiring.
On february 17, 2021 a vehicle pulled out in front of me on a highway causing me to slam the brakes so hard to avoid hitting the vehicle. After the vehicle proceeded across the road when I tried to continue forward my Sorento had very little power no matter how much I tried to give the vehicle gas. As I drove Sorento…
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while the vehicle was started and running, the air conditioner failed to operate as needed. The contact stated that the front passengerâs seat was moldy, and the sunroof had seized. Additionally, the sunroof headliner fell while changing lanes. A dealer…
Fuel system
49 complaints · 6%Half of these problems showed up before 66,500 miles.
Engine is severely slugged and there was no warning ever. Found out after an oil changed at 67k at jiffy lube when I took it to the ourisman Kia dealer in chantilly, va. There is no warning that any of this situation was starting to happen even after a previous oil change at Kia dealer at 58k miles. The dealership…
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The vehicle failed to restart. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The…
Transmission
37 complaints · 5%Half of these problems showed up before 56,500 miles.
Power steering went out. Radio turns on and off going down the road. Headlights turn off and on by themself. Battery is now dead. Car will not run. Transmission light came on all in one day..I've had this vehicle for 4 to 5 months
On 3/24/2019, our 2017 Kia sorrento with 30k miles on completely shut down on the freeway. All lights went on and off, the car shook from side to side and the car shut down we lost steering and power brakes while we were going 70mph on the freeway. Luckily we were able to get to the side of the freeway. This happened…
Brakes
23 complaints · 3%Half of these problems showed up before 3,500 miles. Parts named most often: pedals and linkages.
Problem: intermittent problem with advanced smart cruise control and autonomous braking on a new 2017 Kia Sorento with less than 1100 miles. What happened: when using the advanced smart control feature, the smart cruise control will shut down randomly. On four occasions, while driving with smart cruise control, on a…
Problem: while driving the vehicle in very slow stop and go traffic the electronic parking brake engaged. I was unable to disengage the electronic parking brake by pressing the button. To get the car to move forward I had to shut the car off and back on. Concerned that the electronic parking brake could engage on its…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2017 Kia Sorento recalls
Equipment: trailer hitches
Risk: A 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 inspect the vehicle, and, as necessary, replace the fuse and/or tow hitch harness module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed august 11, 2023. Owners may contact kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is sc249.
Full defect summary
Kia america, inc. (kia) is recalling certain 2016-2022 sorento, 2021-2022 sorento hybrid (hev), 2022-2023 sorento plug-in hybrid (phev), and 2017-2022 sportage vehicles equipped with a tow hitch harness installed as original equipment, or purchased as an accessory through a kia dealership. Debris and moisture accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (pcb) may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire.
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: If the crankshaft fails, the engine will stall, increasing the risk of a crash. A failed crankshaft also increases the risk of a fire.
Fix: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the crankshaft, and, as necessary, replace the engine sub assembly, free of charge. The recall began november 6, 2017. Owners may contact kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is sc153.
Full defect summary
Kia motors america (kia) is recalling certain 2017 sorento vehicles equipped with 3.3l engines. The engine crankshaft may have been improperly heat treated and may fail.
Equipment: trailer hitches
Risk: If the trailer brake lights stay illuminated while being used, other drivers may be confused, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the trailer tow hitch harness, free of charge. The recall began january 18, 2017. Owners may contact kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is sc142.
Full defect summary
Kia motors america (kia) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 sorento vehicles manufactured october 27, 2014, to august 25, 2016, and 2017 sportage vehicles manufactured december 10, 2015, to august 26, 2016. The affected vehicles are equipped with an accessory trailer hitch wiring harness that, due to a malfunction of the tow hitch module, may result in the trailer brake lights being constantly illuminated. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of federal motor vehicle safety standard (fmvss) number 108, " lamps, reflective devices, and associated equipment."
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
Loss of motive power
Summary
On november 13, 2023, the office of defects investigation (odi) opened a preliminary evaluation (pe23-019) to investigate allegations of loss of motive power relating to head gasket and/or head bolt failure in model year (my) 2016-2017 kia sorento vehicles equipped with the 3.3 l lambda II engine. When the investigation was opened, odi had received 13 vehicle owner questionnaires (voqs) related to reports of loss of motive power. In an information request letter dated november 30, 2023, odi requested technical information and failure data relating to the alleged defect in the subject my 2016-2017 kia sorento as well as several peer vehicle populations which share the 3.3 l engine. In its feb
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 oil pressure switch leak
Summary
In a letter dated september 30, 2021, mr. Gerald james (the petitioner) requested that NHTSA conduct an investigation of the model year (my) 2015-2017 kia sorento equipped with 3.3l v6 ?lambda? Engines for ?severe oil leaks? From the oil pressure switch (ops) that could ?lead to engine failure? With little warning to the driver. Mr. James based this request on his own experience and data found in NHTSA?s vehicle owner questionnaire (voq) database. Nhtsa reviewed the material cited by the petitioner, information submitted by kia, NHTSA?s testing, and other pertinent information in NHTSA databases.on november 12, 2021, odi opened defect petition dp21-002 to evaluate the petitioner?s request. O
Questions about the 2017 Kia Sorento
- What are the most common problems with the 2017 Kia Sorento?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: engine (404 complaints, typically around 65,500 miles); lights (125 complaints, typically around 37,000 miles); other or unspecified (104 complaints, typically around 19,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2017 Kia Sorento have?
- 4 recalls listed by NHTSA, the latest from September 19, 2022 (equipment). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2017 a bad year for the Kia Sorento?
- It is 6th of 24 Sorento model years by number of complaints, with 806 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.