Kia’s 2011 Sorento suffers from six recalls, seven investigations, and nearly 1,300 complaints over malfunctioning headlights, unintended acceleration, defective electronic throttle control system, and random engine stall.
Key Points
- The 2011 Kia Sorento has six recalls issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), covering issues including faulty wiring harnesses, potential rollaway, bad brake calipers, and an electrical short that can result in a fire.
- Consumers reported issues of engine knocking and damage leading to fires in some 3.5L models.
- Other potential problems include randomly cracking sunroof glass, peeling Pearl paint, and random engine stalls.
- In late 2021, the 2011 Kia Sorento was the subject of a new NHTSA investigation–it’s seventh–that focused on a defective electronic throttle control system that can lead to a range of dangerous speed control problems, including sudden surging, runaway throttle conditions, and stalling.
2011 Sorento’s Six Recalls Range from Moderate to Dangerous, Including Wiring Issues that can Lead to a Fire, and Problems with Reduced Braking Power
The 2011 Kia Sorento has six recalls, including two that are similar recalls for faulty wiring harnesses. A 2010 recall addressed a problem with wiring harnesses in the 2011 Kia Sorento’s interior accent illumination in the door panels, which may have been improperly soldered. When the lights are illuminated under certain conditions, an electrical short may result in a fire. A similar recall in 2011 was over certain tow package wiring harnesses used for trailer lighting circuits, which has a convertor module that can overheat, possibly resulting in a fire.
Another potentially dangerous recall was launched in 2015 over an issue where the vehicle may be unintentionally shifted out of Park, allowing it to roll. In the affected vehicles, if excessive force is applied to the gear shift lever, the brake-shift interlock mechanism may chip or crack, allowing the transmission to shift out of Park without the brakes being depressed.
Certain 2011 Sorentos may have a driveshaft misalignment that was the catalyst for another serious recall, in 2011, due to its potential to cause excessive wear and damage to the automatic transmission.
Three Open Investigations, Out of Seven Overall, Address Problems with Headlights that may Fail when Turning, Non-crash Vehicle Fires, and Speed Control Issues
The 2011 Kia Sorento currently has three open investigations from its total of seven NHTSA investigations overall. The ongoing investigations are over headlight failure, non-crash vehicle fires, and a late-2021 investigation into throttle control system vulnerabilities.
The newly-opened investigation was sparked after consumer reports that allege their vehicles exhibited a range of concerning speed control problems such as random acceleration and loss of engine power, both due to various defects in the electronic throttle control system.
The ongoing Office of Defects Investigation’s look into the headlight issue comes after reports that drivers have experienced both headlights going out momentarily when they were making a turn, and for others, it happened while driving on the highway. The headlights apparently turn off on their own and then turn back on after a moment or two later, but mechanics apparently could not figure what the problem is, and owners mentioned that lightbulbs may prematurely burn out due to this problem.
The third and most recent open investigation is similar to a recall launched in 2018 over the potential for non-crash vehicle fires in 2011 Sorentos equipped with the Theta II engine, which reportedly suffers from engine failure that may cause stalling and fires.
2011 Sorento’s Sunroof Panels are the Subject of Two Investigations Over Glass that may Spontaneously Fracture and then Drop into Passenger Seats
The NHTSA has nearly 1,270 registered complaints, and many center around 2011 Sorentos equipped with a sunroof, which is the subject of two NHTSA investigations. Kia Sorento models equipped with a panoramic sunroof may experience the tempered glass panel spontaneously crack.
In some reported cases, the sunroof’s tempered glass made a loud noise before randomly breaking while the vehicle was in motion. The NHTSA launched an investigation into the issue on two occasions, in 2013 and 2014.
If the sunshade is open when the sunroof fractures, glass particles can drop into the passenger seats. Reported injuries generally were minor in nature, such as nicks and cuts that often occurred when complainants were cleaning-up glass particles post-incident. No crash incidents have been identified, and complaints display a declining trend since 2014.
Kia claims the incidents nay be caused by external objects striking the glass. The NHTSA investigation was unable to determine any specific trends in the reported cases of sunroof breakage.
Poorly Machined Brake Calipers can Lead to Reduced Braking Power and Increase Stopping Distance
The NHTSA launched a safety recall in November 2010 after it was reported that the rear brake calipers on affected 2011 Sorento vehicles were not properly machined. Over time, improper machining of these calipers can lead to a gradual brake fluid leak, which can reduce braking power and increase the vehicle’s stopping distance. Ultimately, these issues could increase the risk of a crash.
In vehicles that are affected by this issue, a dashboard warning will typically illuminate drivers that the brake fluid level is low and needs to be checked. From there, drivers may also notice a less responsive brake feel.
2011 Kia Sorento is a Decent, Reliable SUV Despite a Few Serious Problems that are Being Investigated
Even taking into account that the 2011 Kia Sorento has some reportedly dangerous problems and safety recalls over random acceleration, engine stalls, and glass sunroof panels that can drop broken particles of glass into your lap while driving, these are problems that are either being investigated or have been investigated, and solutions found for many of these issues. And when you consider the automaker’s reputation for building reliable automobiles like the Sportage and Rio, you can be confident that the 2011 Kia Sorento is a decent, reliable, and capable vehicle.
Photos: Kia
