2019 Kia Sorento transmission & drivetrain problems

Related recalls

No recalls on file.

What owners say

1. Filed Sep 4, 2026NJElectrical SystemEngineTransmission & Drivetrain

   Engine seized per Kia Inspected by Kia after AAA TOWED AND COULD NOT START CAR warning lamps have been on for over 6 months. Kia inspected and ran diagnostics at that time and said it was nothing to fix just an annoying dashboard malfunction.

   NHTSA complaint #11762149 · source
2. Filed May 11, 2026WVEngineTransmission & Drivetrain

   Had to replace transmission at 133k miles. It was jolting sometimes providing a hard jolt at times will driving. There are also times of what feels like a cylinder misfire. Oil is constantly leaking and have to replace oil every 1k Miles. Have had multiple shops look at it and not able to find anything. Now during acceleration there is a huge grey smoke cloud coming from the exhaust. Looking at this site and through online it seems to be a common issue with this car and…

   NHTSA complaint #11737159 · source
3. Filed May 3, 2026CAEngineTransmission & Drivetrain

   This vehicle has theta 2 engine.. which is part of class lawsuit kia settled. My vehicle had high oil consumption and the defect was due to rod bearing would cause engine to fail and cause hi oil consumption. The dealer diagnosed it with burned valve and denied warranty even though my warranty was extended due to this engine being a defect. The reason they stated is that the rod bearing is a separate issue from burned valves which is a complete lie because a faulty rod…

   NHTSA complaint #11735328 · source
4. Filed Mar 11, 2026MEEngineTransmission & Drivetrain

   The vehicle just had an oil change. It was driven after that approximately 25 miles when there was a loud noise and the wheels locked up. The vehicle was shifted into neutral and coasted to the end of a dirt road. Could smell oil burning. Upon inspection of the underside there was oil blown onto the exhaust and down the underside of the vehicle. After looking further, I noticed a semi rectangular hole in the narrow end of the oil pan just above the exhaust pipe. Some oil had…

   NHTSA complaint #11723639 · source
5. Filed Feb 18, 2026TXDriver Assistance & Safety TechFuel, Hybrid & EV PropulsionTransmission & Drivetrain

   Car would randomly stall and jerk while accelerating. Unsafe to drive. May cause accident. Having to constantly set hazard lights to prevent accident.

   NHTSA complaint #11718973 · source
6. Filed Feb 13, 2026WAEngineTransmission & Drivetrain

   A failing alternator caused me to take my kia into a mechanic for OEM replacement. The mechanic informed me that the engine rattles. I got to talking with the mechanic and told him that my car has been experiencing high oil consumption with no 'low oil' warning light on the dash and ive checked my oil periodically between changes and have found the dip stick bone dry multiple times. A year later, my alternator failed AGAIN and was replaced with another OEM part. The same…

   NHTSA complaint #11717788 · source
7. Filed Jan 28, 2026VATransmission & Drivetrain

   The oil pressure switch is faulty. The oil indicator light comes on when I'm idling, and I'm also losing 1 quart of oil every 1,000 miles. This was reported on previous Kia models of this make and model, which extended the warranty to 15 years/150k miles. Kia isn't honoring this anymore, even though my switch was diagnosed as bad. Seems Kia never fixed the problem, as my Kia has 113,000 miles and would have been covered by a TSB (Technical Service Bulletin) for the same…

   NHTSA complaint #11714018 · source
8. Filed Jan 16, 2026100,000 miOHEngineTransmission & Drivetrain

   The contact owns a 2019 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the temperature gauge indicated that the engine was overheating. The contact became aware of puddles of oil on the driveway while the vehicle was parked. Additionally, the transmission warning light was displayed, and the vehicle hesitated to start while pressing the Push to Start button. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and the contact was informed that the oil…

   NHTSA complaint #11711395 · source
9. Filed Dec 4, 2025TXTransmission & Drivetrain

   Car has 77,593 miles. The oil light came on only at idle. Immediately hauled to dealership and was told it was a faulty pressure switch and not covered by the warranty even though its part of the powertrain and the earlier models had the same problem and were extended. Should I expect every 77,000 miles or so to have to spend $1700? The tech said no because they are replacing the known faulty switch with new version of it.

   NHTSA complaint #11702892 · source
10. Filed Nov 30, 2025MIEngineTransmission & Drivetrain

    2019 Kia sorento with the 2.4 is consuming so much oil and is very noisy. I just changed the oil 4k miles ago and the dipstick doesn’t show any oil. Dealer says it’s normal. There is clearly a problem with these motors. The Kia dealership doesn’t want to figure it out unless they’re getting paid a ridiculous amount of money. Kia should take care of this and pay the bill. They basically said to drive it until it dies and maybe the motor will get replaced. So basically my…

    NHTSA complaint #11702057 · source
11. Filed Sep 17, 2025PAEngineTransmission & Drivetrain

    This has to do with your investigation into the oil pan caps cracking. I had my vehicle serviced 6 months ago and KIA of York PA required me to pay for replacement. Over $150 to correct this issue that seems to be a defect.

    NHTSA complaint #11687808 · source
12. Filed Sep 4, 202571,682 miNJEngineTransmission & Drivetrain

    The contact owns a 2019 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The contact pulled over to the right side of the road and waited for several minutes before the vehicle started working as intended. The check engine warning light was illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be…

    NHTSA complaint #11685068 · source

Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation public data. Complaints are submitted by owners and are not verified by NHTSA or by us; a complaint does not prove a defect exists. View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov Methodology