269 of the 2,077 complaints about the 2011 KIA Sorento are about the body and structure — 13% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 89,000 miles.
269
Complaints
2
Crashes
9
Fires
2
Injuries
Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.
STRUCTURE:BODY
Just bought this from a private seller last week and was driving to work. The engine suddenly caught fire and the car essentially exploded and melted.
NHTSA complaint #11748972 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:BODY
Opening car door and whole handle fell off.
NHTSA complaint #11733808 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:BODY
Non working door handles which is a KNOWN issue with Kia! Extremely dangerous obstruction in an event of an emergency where occupants need to get in and out of the vehicle. The ineffective door handles also makes the car less secure because someone who is not authorized can access the safety measures that the vehicle has. This is not right that Kia customers have to spend hundreds for an ongoing issue! This is two out of the four doors now. I replaced one door handle already for well over $300.00! Now will need to spend ANOTHER three hundred plus dollars for the same issue! Again, this is a KNOWN Kia issue! I was originally told there was a recall but only for the back handles and not the front handles in 2020. Now, I am being told it was a warranty and it expired in 2021/2022. A warranty was never relayed to me in any way. No email or mailed letter explaining this. If under "warranty" and again, a known Kia issue why were the backs covered but not the front if they are the same handles? Why not replace all four handles under the said "warranty"? This is a major issues for Kia owners like myself. Also having an issue where when it rains, water will come in from the passenger side panel and back trunk panels. Kia said it was the drains. Kia cleared the drains for well over $200.00. Next rain fall and the SAME issue still remained. Kia then said it was the moonroof assembly and would NOT get back to me with a remedy to solve the issue. I reached out again and I spoke to the general Manager who said he would call me back and NEVER did. I took it to another company who handles moonroofs/sunroofs and has said it is due to the paint separating in the grooves where the assembly sits and is a manufactural issue.
NHTSA complaint #11610451 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:BODY
The door latch behind the driver side of the vehicle does not work. It will not open from the outside of the vehicle. This is a safety concern especially since this is my [XXX] daughter's car. I have called KIA and they will not honor this repair since the car was purchased used in August of 2021. I also have another 2011 Kia Sorento with the same issue. This is definitely a problem with KIA and this should be repaired regardless of how old the vehicle is since it is due to a defect in the product. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11603411 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:BODY
The door latch behind the driver side of the vehicle does not work. It will not open from the outside of the vehicle. This is a safety concern especially since this is my [XXX] daughter's car. I have called KIA, and they will not honor this repair since the car was purchased and used in January 2024. I also have another 2011 Kia Sorento with the same issue. This is definitely a problem with KIA and this should be repaired regardless of how old the vehicle is since it is due to a defect in the product. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11603415 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:BODY
My vehicle has the Snow White Pearl paint on it, and it has been peeling from years. I have taken this to a number of body shops and they say its a factory defect. Kia acknowledges that it is a defect and have offered if I got it fixed to submit a case to see if they would reimburse it, however, this is over 10k out of pocket.
NHTSA complaint #11588136 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:BODY
12-29-2023, the Kia Sorento started smoking on the way home. When I got home I opened the hood and saw fire. I put the fire out with a fire extinguisher. On 1-9-2024, I made an appointment with Archer Kia and had the car towed there for a diagnosis. After a month with no response, the service manager at Kia advised me to contact Kia Corporation. I spoke to a representative and was assigned a case number. The representative stated that I should have gotten a software update but could not produce any information that I received a recall notice for the software update. All recall notices that I received were addressed and oil changes were regularly done at a major retail store. I was told that an investigation would be done and that I would be contacted. I didn’t receive a response for two months. I called Kia Corporation and was told that they sent information to an address that belonged to my mother which was calling her number instead of calling me. It was never determined why the information was sent to my mother. The car had been registered to my address for over 10 years. Once we established the correct information, I was asked to send service records. I was sent a letter before the representative received the service records stating that the cause of the fire was normal wear and tear. I went to the Archer Kia dealership to talk about the next step. The service manager stated that Kia didn’t send him anything so I waited. This was May 2023. January 2024, I contacted Archia Kia for information. They had received a decline notice to replace the motor. I called Kia Corporation again. I discovered that the original representative no longer worked there. The new representative wanted to call the dealership on a three way call. The service manager was not available and the representative told me he would call me back. In February 2024, I received a recall notice concerning the software issue and a notice stating that the car could catch on fire. In March 2024, I rec
NHTSA complaint #11584614 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:BODY
Both passenger doors and the driver door will not open from the outside. All three have malfunctioned out of nowhere for no reason.
NHTSA complaint #11578888 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:BODY
Exhaust system flex pipe was repaired and the next day the exhaust muffler/ resonator failed at the seam, causing hot gases to escape into the undercarriage and melt the lower bumper cover assembly on the right passenger side. See photos attached.
NHTSA complaint #11572849 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:BODY
The rear frame on my 2011 kia sorento rusted and broke.
NHTSA complaint #11572779 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:BODY
Both rear doors will not open from the outside. Driver rear door had child lock engaged when outside latch stopped working making the door completely inoperable. Upon contacting Kia consumer affairs it was stated that although both front door actuators are covered under a campaign number the rear doors are not covered. Kia consumer affairs refused to cover replacement of rear door actuators. Due to both rear doors being inoperable from the outside if an accident was to occurs while my children were in the vehicle emergency personal would not be able to get to them. No warning lamps or prior warning of fault before part malfunction.
NHTSA complaint #11554758 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:BODY
Exterior pearl white paint is rapidly delaminating and causing severe rusting of the body in many places. This is NOT due to any scratches, dents or crashes. Kia corporate is aware of the defect and it appears to be a serious manufacturing defect in the primer or paint. I understand there are hundreds, if not tens of thousands, of Kia vehicles affected who have reported this. A recall needs to be issued as this is a major defect and body shops insist that the only fix is a complete paint strip and repainting of the entire car. The paint is bubbling up and/or coming off in sheets. New places pop up all the time and the rust is damaging the body. This started about 2 years ago and is continually getting worse.
NHTSA complaint #11550462 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:BODY
Rear passenger door will not open from outside. Have been told other Kias have had recalls due to this. Also radio will not work and stays on a static screen. And makes driving at night worse by being blinded by the radio screen( gets bright white)
NHTSA complaint #11546316 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:BODY
Both rear doors do not open from the outside and only the passenger rear door will open from the inside, leaving the driver side rear, not accessible from the inside or the outside. The middle row of seats do not adjust backwards or forwards. The controls on the steering wheel do not work at all.
NHTSA complaint #11524578 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:BODY
Paint is flaking off
NHTSA complaint #11520205 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:BODY
None of my doors will open from the outside all of them have broken. How will someone get me out of the car if I am in an accident and unconscious or hurt and can’t open the car myself. Why has not been recalled yet
NHTSA complaint #11519861 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:BODY
3 out of 4 doors will not open from the outside, only one that works is front passenger side. So I am forced to crawl in lean across open drivers door shove it open then get out run around to drivers side to get in (hoping the wind does not blow it closed before I get there) I have injured my back doing this, I am vey upset. I called Taylor Kia in Lima twice and no one will call me back. I have read on line this is a frequent problem with the 2011 model but no recall??? This is in deed a safety hazard, as if I had my grandchildren with me and something happened I would be unable to get the doors open to get them out! There were no warnings, the 2 back doors happened a couple weeks ago within a few days of one another, Drivers door just happened 2 weeks ago. This is the second time I have written/emailed you. My car has just under 90,000 miles. I should not have to pay out of my own pocket for something that is faulty by manufacturer! Thank you, I would appreciate a response.
NHTSA complaint #11508574 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR:HANDLE:EXTERIOR
My two driver side doors will only open from the inside when unlocked. The handles are not damaged
NHTSA complaint #11508130 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:BODY
My 2011 Kia Sorento caught fire while parked outside in parking lot overnight while I slept the police an fire department said my vin had two active recalls on it it started fire on its own without even being driven now I’m out of a car
NHTSA complaint #11500967 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:BODY
First the driver door won't open from the outside. I called Kia and they said the vehicle was inspected and they didn't find anything wrong at the time, this was before I purchased the vehicle. Second while driving the vehicle, I noticed when making a left turn the headlights would turn off while driving. I turned the headlight switch from auto on to the on position they came back on then kept on blinking on and off when I hit a bump in the road. I noticed they flicker when I'm behind another vehicle at a stop light. This is a very dangerous situation if someone doesn't see you making a turn or something.
NHTSA complaint #11487456 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:BODY
The clear paint is peeling off. My paint began peeling in a tiny spot, it looked like a tiny chip of paint the size of a piece of rice but rapidly began peeling all over.
NHTSA complaint #11481812 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:BODY
Paint is faulty and peeling rapidly.
NHTSA complaint #11468411 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:BODY
My rear doors are locked and will only open from the inside. This is very frustrating and I believe very dangerous
NHTSA complaint #11468004 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:BODY
Snow White Pearl exterior paint coming off in chunks, progressively getting worse and worse along top roof where front windshield is and along the bottom where the rear windshield is. It literally bubbles up and flakes completely off exposing the body. This has been continually going on for years without resolve and there is no way to stop the issue.
NHTSA complaint #11464354 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:BODY
The paint is peeling off down to the metal. On the roof (front and back) and on the hood.
NHTSA complaint #11459359 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:BODY
Both front and rear passenger side doors do not open from the outside. Both failed within days of each other. There have been no incidents that would have caused this. This appears to be a widespread issue with Sorentos that has been going on for years.
NHTSA complaint #11446296 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:BODY
Hello I would like to report that my 2011 Kia Sorento driver side door wont open from the outside and has been this way for almost a year it will cost me almost 400.00 to get this fixed myself that's a lot of money when I didn't break this ; however I looked online and this is a nationwide issue with this vehicle. This isn't safe and I just want Kia to do a recall to fix this issue I have to climb over seats to unlock from outside and I just wish they would recognize that this is definitely a world wide issue and not to overlook it. Thank you for taking the time to listen and or read what I've wrote.
NHTSA complaint #11443775 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:BODY:HOOD
Hood opened twice on me while I was driving.
NHTSA complaint #11432697 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:BODY
One of the 2011 KIA SORENTO door can't open from outside or inside. This is really frustrating, as I couldn't open a door where my chiled seat. I have 5 year old and I have to sneak one of them into the other door. I am really frightened if what will happen if the child door is locked and child is in the car seat and I am not able to go inside my car. This is a potential hazard for my child. I heard from people is very common problem with Kia, Kia has to really step forward and replace this faulty mechanism. The cost my kia dealer estimates is $1200, I urge the Kia company to really fix this asap before someone gets hurt and/or result into fatality.
NHTSA complaint #11431226 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
STRUCTURE:BODY
Paint is chipping really bad. Rust spots
NHTSA complaint #11427946 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.