Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (door latches, locks, hood and tailgate latches).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2011 Kia Sorento owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2011 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while attempting to unlock the vehicle with the key fob, the contact heard the doors unlocking, but the rear doors failed to unlock. Additionally, the contact stated that the failure initially started after the vehicle was serviced by the dealer. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by a dealer or an independent mechanic. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 92,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the exterior front driver side door handle had malfunctioned and the door could not be opened from outside the vehicle. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were both notified. The contact was informed that the vehicle was previously serviced under a manufacturers TSB for the failure. The failure mileage was 185,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while attempting to open the passenger's side door from the outside, the door handle was inoperable. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 93,000.
The contact owns a 2011 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while attempting to unlock the vehicle with the key, the front driver side door opened; however, the other doors failed to open as intended. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The contact stated that on another occasion, the interior lights failed to work as intended and several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The check engine and ABS warning lights remained illuminated. The contact stated that the buttons on the steering wheel failed to operate as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that the vehicle could not be connected to the diagnostic machine. The contact stated that the dealer refused to update the antitheft system or perform the recall repairs linked to the VIN. …
The rear driver side door will not open from outside or inside and I have children who ride in the back seat in children's car seats. This is a definitive safety hazard. KIA issued a recall but just extended the warranty to 10 years for that part. It is obviously a known defect that is the fault of KIA. Since my car is now outside that 10 year extended warranty I have to pay $800 dollrs at teh dealership to have it fixed, This is unnacceptable.
On 1/16/2017 I went to a dr appointment. When I came out I unlocked the car and the outside handle on the driver's side door wouldn't work. The door was unlocked but the handle would not work. I had to go into the car from the passenger side and climb over to open the door from the inside. This was not easy as I am a short 67 year old woman. Took the car into a mechanic and he had to order the entire latch assembly $243.50. I checked on the NHTSA site and there are so many other cars that have had this safety issue also. It looks like that this problem is becoming a bigger problem as our cars age. Hopefully my other doors won't break also as was the case for several other owners. Please look into this extremely potentially dangerous issue and have Kia issue a recall. Thank you for your time.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Kia Sorento. While attempting to open the passenger side door from outside the vehicle, the lock failed to open the door. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact also received notification of NHTSA campaign numbers: 156260000 (power train) and 13V114000 (service brakes, hydraulic, exterior lighting). The part needed for the repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 78,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the front passenger and driver side doors failed to open from outside the vehicle. The contact mentioned that the failure occurred on two separate occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the latches for both doors needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failures. The failure mileage was 95,566. ....updated 07/05/16 the consumer stated the passenger and driver side doors would not open from the outside. Updated 07/20/16.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the rear driver and rear passenger side doors failed to open from outside and inside the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who replaced the parts with plastic locks, but the failure recurred. The front passenger side door failed to lock and unlock without warning. The vehicle was to be taken back to the dealer for a third repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided no recommendation. The VIN was not available. The approximate failure mileage was 28,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2011 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the front driver side door failed to open from outside the vehicle. The contact had to enter the vehicle from the front passenger side door. The failure recurred continuously. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the door actuator and latch failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000. The VIN was unavailable.
Door Lock & Latch complaints in other Sorento years
Frequently asked questions
How common are door lock & latch problems on the 2011 Kia Sorento?
NHTSA has 33 complaints about the locks & latches of the 2011 Kia Sorento, 2% of the model year's 1,520 complaints. The component named most often is doors › latch (17 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2011 Kia Sorento door lock & latch problems?
No. NHTSA lists no locks & latches recall for the 2011 Kia Sorento, though it has 7 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2011 Kia Sorento door lock & latch problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 95,000 miles, and 3% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 0 fires and 1 injury to locks & latches problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.