Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2012 Kia Sorento owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owned a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed he smelled a burning fuel odor, and smoke began coming into the vehicle from the vents. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact pulled over and unlatched the hood of the vehicle only to find a sizeable amount of fire coming from the engine, which left him with burned hairs on his left arm, no medical treatment was needed. The contact stated there was a cop parked nearby who came to extinguish the fire with a fire extinguisher. The fire department was called to make sure the fire was extinguished. The contact did not recall filling out a fire department report. A police report was filed, however the contact did not have the information available. The insurance company towed the vehicle and deemed it totaled. …
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated the vehicle was serviced at the local dealer for the NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000(SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC) regarding a safety fire hazard. Days later, while the vehicle was idling, smoke was suddenly present coming from under the hood. The contact opened the hood of the vehicle and discovered flames and smoke coming from the fuse box located in the front of the engine bay. The contact, who was a local fire investigator, retrieved a fire extinguisher and extinguished the flames. The fire department was called to the scene, and a fire report was filed. The vehicle was later towed to the home, and the manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the incident. The manufacturer sent an investigator to the home to examine the vehicle. …
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH, the contact detected a burning rubber odor. The TPMS and check engine warning lights were illuminated. There was smoke coming from underneath the hood and through the air vents, causing the front windshield to fog. The contact was unable to see and crashed into the side of a residential porch, scraping the driver's side mirror and front driver's side quarter panel. The contact did not sustain any injuries, and no medical attention was received. No police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to Firestone, where a leak test was performed, and it was determined that an unknown fluid had leaked onto the starter. The starter was replaced; however, the vehicle hesitated to start. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). …
The contact owned a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while her son was driving approximately 25 MPH, he noticed that the front end of the vehicle caught on fire. No further information was provided. The contact stated that her son immediately pulled to the side of the road and exited the vehicle. The vehicle became engulfed in fire and exploded, causing damage to another parked unoccupied vehicle. The fire was extinguished with the assistance of the fire department. The contact stated that the front end of the vehicle burned to the ground. The contact was unsure whether a fire department report was filed. A police report was filed. There was no injury sustained. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot, where it was totaled. The contact became aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic), which she related to the failure. …
The contact owned a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH he observed that the check engine light had illuminated and he was losing forward momentum. The contact pulled off of the road and noticed that smoke was being emitted from under the hood. The contact exited the vehicle and saw that flames were issuing from under the engine compartment. The contact stated that the fire department and police arrived. The fire was extinguished with water, and no reports were filed. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot. The contact's insurance provider declared the vehicle a total loss. The contact had recently received a recall letter from the manufacturer, NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic), and related the engine compartment fire to the recall. The vehicle manufacturer was not notified of the failure. …
The contact owned a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked and unoccupied, she was informed by an individual if she was the owner of the vehicle since it was smoking and caught on fire. Prior to the fire, unknown warning lights would illuminate and un-illuminated intermittently. The Fire Department was on the scene and extinguished the fire. The vehicle was towed to an impound lot and then towed by the insurance company. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by the insurance company. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not repaired due to the VIN not being included in a recall at the time the failure occurred. The contact received NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC) after the vehicle caught fire and was destroyed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 142,739.
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that upon parking the vehicle at his home, an abnormal burning odor began to emit from the vehicle's vents. Upon inspection of the vehicle, the contact discovered that the engine had caught fire and did not engulf beyond the vehicle's firewall. The contact used his home's water hose and sprayed the engine for approximately 25-30 minutes until the fire was fully extinguished. The police and fire departments were not notified of the failure and no injuries were reported. Upon investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulics) which was linked to the failure. The dealer nor the manufacturer had yet to be notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 MPH, the vehicle stalled and lost motive power. The contact stated that numerous warning lights were illuminated on the instrument panel. The contact stated that the power steering and brakes had ceased normal functionality. The contact was able to stop the vehicle but was unable to restart the vehicle. The contact stated that she smelled a burning odor and observed that smoke was coming from under the hood. The contact exited the vehicle. The contact had the vehicle towed to the residence. …
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) and the ABS warning lights were illuminated. The contact noticed a burning odor on the interior of the vehicle. The contact stated that there was a knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact drove the vehicle to her place of employment and turned off the vehicle. A coworker checked the engine oil level and discovered that there was no engine oil in the engine. The contact stated that the vehicle was not due to have an engine oil change for another month. …
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 20V750000 (Engine) and 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repairs. The contact stated that while driving into a parking spot, the vehicle suddenly lost power and stalled. The contact later replaced the battery, but the vehicle failed to start. The vehicle was towed to a certified mechanic, who diagnosed the vehicle with engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and informed the contact that, due to the vehicle not having the sensor changed before the failure, the engine could not be replaced. …
Related recalls
Service brakes, hydraulic › Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip › Control unit/module
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2010-2019 Borrego, 2014-2016 Cadenza, 2010-2013 Forte, Forte Koup, Sportage, 2015-2018 K900, 2011-2015 Optima, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, Soul, 2012-2017 Rio, 2011-2014 Sorento, and 2010-2011 Rondo vehicles.
Remedy: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the HECU fuse, free of charge.
NHTSA investigations
Hyundai and Kia ABS Module Fires
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received eight Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) and eight Kia America, Inc. (Kia) Part 573 Recall Reports between 2016 and 2023. The combined 16 safety recalls all involve the antilock braking system (ABS) modules or Hydraulic Electronic Control Units (HECU) manufactured by the equipment supplier Mando.
Brake complaints in other Sorento years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2012 Kia Sorento?
NHTSA has 103 complaints about the brakes of the 2012 Kia Sorento, 12% of the model year's 880 complaints. The component named most often is pedals and linkages (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2012 Kia Sorento brake problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 23V-652 (control unit/module, Sep 25, 2023). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2012 Kia Sorento brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 90,000 miles, and 20% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 3 crashes, 9 fires and 7 injuries to brakes 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.