Several owners of the 2023 Kia Sorento are wondering why their brand-new SUVs suddenly shut down with or without warning while driving.
They are demanding Kia repair, replace, or buy back their defective vehicles, but their complaints are not being heard.
Dealerships are telling their customers the codes needed to repair the SUVs are not showing up and they can’t identify a problem. However, the problem is not new to Kia owners as a similar issue resulted in a 2022 recall for 70,000 2021 and 2022 Sorento SUVs and 2021 through 2023 K5 sedans.
“So now I’m driving a ticking time bomb, a death trap,” said one disgruntled 2023 Kia owner told federal officials. “Scared to drive on the interstate or anywhere with heavy traffic. When you lose the ability to control a car’s speed, that’s EXTREMELY dangerous.”
Some of the drivers were alerted by warning lights on the dashboard, some lost the ability to accelerate and others say the car’s engine just shut down.
All of those complaining to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration say the dealerships couldn’t find a code needed to fix it, were unable to figure out the cause of the problem or they couldn’t replicate the problem.
“Typically, a vehicle’s engine will stall due to problems with the fuel system, the air intake system, or the ignition system,” said Attorney James Johnson, a California Lemon Law Attorney.
NHTSA Complaints
Owners of these brand-new Kia Sorento SUVs have made 46 complaints to the NHTSA since this model year hit the road. There are 11 complaints for electrical issues and 14 for engine problems, but there are also issues with lane departure and forward collision avoidance among other problems.
“I was driving down the highway when my vehicle shut off with no warning and the parking brake engaged,” said one consumer. “I was stuck in the travel lane with cars flying by me going 50 plus MPH. My vehicle has 7000 miles on it.”
Kia told the owner the “hybrid battery failed and they don’t know why.” The issue was never resolved and the owner worried it was a safety issue for their children.
An owner in Florida whose SUV had just 2,000 miles on it, reported seeing several warning lights and messages flashing on the instrument panel before being “forced to pull over and restart the vehicle” due to intermittent engine failure. The dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure and it was never repaired.
2 Recalls for 2023 Kia Sorento SUV
There are two minor recalls for the 2023 Kia Sorento SUV on the NHTSA website. One involves a defective rear-view camera and the other is for the airbag warning labels.
Other top complaints reported so far to the NHTSA are for lane departure and forward collision warning systems.
There are also a few complaints about glass shattering.
California Lemon Law Lawyer James Johnson 1-(877) 465-8161
Is it time to break up with your car? Are you tired of repeated problems such as electrical issues, engine problems, or a dangerous safety issue? If that sounds familiar, you don’t have to wait for a recall before you reach out to an experienced attorney and get help. California Lemon Law Attorney James Johnson will review your case and let you know if it qualifies as a lemon.
We highly recommend that Kia SUV owners with steering, engine, or other problems obtain invoices for all repairs and recall visits from the dealership. These documents will support your potential case. Should the vehicle experience repeated issues or become a safety risk, these documents support the Lemon Law Claim. Contact us for a free case review at 1-(877) 465-8161 or read on for answers to frequently asked questions.
Published on April 9, 2024
Disclaimer: This article provides general information about vehicles that may be covered by the California lemon law. However, the lemon law has very specific requirements that must be met for your vehicle to be considered a lemon. Every case has a unique set of circumstances and there are specific criteria that must be met for the lemon law to apply. It is imperative that you take immediate action if you believe your vehicle may qualify.
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