2019 Kia Sorento: What to check before buying

Fires lead this category. Several reports describe smoke from under the hood followed by flames, sometimes after a rattle, stall, or check engine light, and sometimes with no warning; some vehicles were total losses. The more common pattern is oil loss. Engines burn oil between changes, the oil pressure light flickers, and the oil pressure sensor leaks or fails, often past 80,000 miles. Some owners face full engine replacement after rod bearing failure or worn rings. Dealers frequently order oil consumption tests that end without a diagnosis.

Sudden power loss while driving is the most serious pattern. The battery light flashes, every warning light comes on, and power steering and braking assist drop out, in some cases at highway speed. Fire reports describe burning plastic smells, melted wiring, and flames under the hood. Water leaking from the dash into the cabin is linked to infotainment restarts, a failed backup camera, wet carpet, and mold. Other complaints cover steering wheel buttons that stop working, a faulty airbag wiring harness, and theft attempts. Dealer repairs often drag on for weeks.

Two problems dominate. The first is a failing oil pressure switch. The oil light comes on at idle, oil drops between changes, and owners pay out of pocket because the extended coverage given to earlier Sorentos does not apply. The second is transmission hesitation from a stop, followed by surging or bucking, worst in Eco mode and often starting in the first few thousand miles. Dealers often cannot reproduce it and just reset the computer. Some reports describe rod bearing failure, heavy oil use on the 2.4, or a transmission replaced because of burnt fluid.

Snow White Pearl paint peels off in sheets, mostly on the hood and roof, sometimes spreading to doors and leaving bare metal exposed. It usually starts somewhere between 28,000 and 54,000 miles and keeps getting worse. Owners report damage even on garaged cars and after car washes. One driver had a paint flake stick to the windshield and block the view. Dealers refuse repairs once the 3-year or 36,000-mile paint warranty ends, and goodwill requests rarely go anywhere. Some owners have paid to repaint half the car.

Low beams cast a dark shadow line, often with two hanging shapes, straight across the driver's view on dark roads. Some drivers also see beams that bounce or swing side to side. Dealers usually call it normal behavior. Re-aiming tends to blind oncoming drivers or makes the shadow worse. A second pattern involves headlight bulbs that burn out within days or weeks of being replaced, which points to wiring trouble. Corroded and melted turn signal wires and a taillight that stayed dead after a harness replacement also appear.

Hesitation followed by a sudden surge is the core complaint. The car stumbles when pulling out from a stop, gives no response for a few seconds, then lunges forward, which owners say has caused near misses while merging. With cruise control set, some vehicles jerk, surge, or go faster than the set speed. Others report cruise shutting off along with ABS and forward collision warnings. One report describes runaway acceleration traced to a throttle shaft, and another a failed high pressure fuel pump. Dealers often cannot replicate the problem.

ABS and stability control warning lights come on, at first now and then and later more often, sometimes together with forward collision and Auto Hold warnings that switch off cruise control. Repairs range from a rear wheel ABS sensor to replacing the hydraulic electronic control unit, and some owners paid themselves because their VIN was not covered by a related recall. Other reports describe no ABS action during hard stops, long stopping distances, and brakes that skip before grabbing. One driver says repeated stopping trouble ended in a crash.

Rear belts come unlatched by themselves, and in one report both rear belts tore apart at the seams. These problems show up very early, sometimes within the first few hundred miles. In other reports the front passenger belt releases without a chime, or the reminder never sounds when the belt is left unbuckled. Dealers did not diagnose these problems or offered only a one-time courtesy fix. One crash report filed here actually describes repeated brake failure blamed on a brake booster vacuum hose.