Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (fuel pump, injectors, fuel tank, hybrid and EV propulsion).
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 his wife was driving at 65 MPH, an abnormal fuel odor began to emit from the vehicle without warning. His wife was then waved down by a fellow motorist that alerted her that the vehicle had caught fire. The contact stated that his wife had difficulty stopping the vehicle as depressed the brake pedal. Once the vehicle was stopped, an unknown color smoke filled the vehicle's front cabin as she and the other occupants exited the vehicle. No occupants were injured and no medical assistance was rendered at the scene. The vehicle was extinguished by the fire department and a fire report was filed. In the fire report, the investigator linked the cause of the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V907000(Fuel System, Gasoline; Engine); however, his vehicle was not included in the recall. …
On August 23rd 2024, I drove this vehicle all day. But, upon reaching our final destination (ER department entrance) smoke began rolling out from under the hood. Once getting out to inspection the vehicle someone hollered for a extinguisher. I turned to look at the vehicle and I could see underneath of the 2012 kia sorento had flames. My son was still in the car so my mother and I ran to get him out of his rear facing carseat and ran away from the vehicle. At this time the vehicle still had a fire that went out with extinguisher but quickly light back up. After this the whole are and car filled with smoke. Fire department was called and this took them awhile to fully extinguish the fire. This could have hurt myself, my child, and my mother. I lost alot of valuable things including my son's new carseat, my children's double stroller, a tablet, clothing, etc. …
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 that the vehicle would suddenly stall while idling. The contact was able to restart the vehicle to continue driving. The check engine warning light and several other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure persisted after the first repair and the check engine warning light remained illuminated. The dealer was contacted, and the vehicle was diagnosed, and it was determined that the purge valve had failed and needed to be replaced. The purge valve was replaced; however, the vehicle was not repaired, and the failure persisted. …
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 cruise control failed to operate as needed. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that later that day, the fuel door failed to open automatically. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 139,000. The VIN was not available.
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, he smelled an abnormally strong gasoline odor. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact exited the vehicle and unlatched the hood, only to discover gasoline flowing on top of the engine. The contact stated that he had made it home safely and ran water through the engine to clean the gasoline off. The contact researched the failure online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V907000 (Fuel System, Gasoline, Engine). The vehicle was not taken to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and confirmed that the vehicle was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 190,000.
The contact owns a 201 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 while driving 45 MPH, the contact became aware of fuel burning which caused her legs to sting and itch. The lights on the instrument panel then went dark. The contact was able to drive the vehicle to the residence. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The local dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was 210,875. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the fuel cap needed to be replaced. The mechanic replaced the fuel cap; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to file a complaint with NHTSA. The failure mileage was 17,272.
While driving I smelled gas, a few minutes later I saw smoke coming from the hood of the car. I stopped, turned the car off, got my dog, exited the car, which then exploded into flames. I saw that I was not safe the minute I saw the smoke. I was unsure that the gas smell was coming from my car until I saw that my gas needle was on E when I had filled up 3 hours prior. The police and the fire department was on scene. No warnings came up on the dash board other than the gas light.
Engine suddenly lost power while on 125 mile road trip. Tachometer flat lined at 60 mph and speed and engine power rapidly decreased ( as if in creeper mode) and I was not able to accelerate above the 20 mph , enough to get to the shoulder. I was towed to the Kia dealership and after a day the couldn't replicate the problem as the vehicle returned to it's proper operational mode. This happened again 3 weeks later at 80mph in the center lane under cruise control with the same issues, sudden loss of power, inability to accelerate and no tachometer reading yet still running at idle. This time I pulled into a gas station and took the battery cable off for 5 minutes then replaced it. The vehicle became fully operational and I drove another 125 miles home. I bare was able to get over as I couldn't accelerate the vehicle and had to creep up the exit ramp. …
We had some kind of fuel leak that caused smoke to come from the hood and the car to overheat. The check engine light did come on. We were on our way to the mechanic and the car died on us in the middle of the road. The car was taken to two different mechanics 3 different times. We had the thermostat housing replaced, the intake manifold, and the head gasket. Submitted documents to Kia showing our problem. They said they needed more proof showing there was some type of leak. I found the original papers today from the first mechanic that states "fluid leaking, smoke from under the hood, car shut down". I asked if I could submit those documents since they say exactly what Kia was looking for. I was told that those documents wouldn't make a difference in the outcome and they would not be reimbursing me anything on this matter. …
Fuel System complaints in other Sorento years
Frequently asked questions
How common are fuel system problems on the 2012 Kia Sorento?
NHTSA has 39 complaints about the fuel & propulsion system of the 2012 Kia Sorento, 4% of the model year's 880 complaints. The component named most often is storage › tank assembly › filler pipe and cap (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2012 Kia Sorento fuel system problems?
No. NHTSA lists no fuel & propulsion system recall for the 2012 Kia Sorento, though it has 5 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 2012 Kia Sorento fuel system problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 112,000 miles, and 17% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 11 fires and 0 injuries to fuel & propulsion system 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.