Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (power windows, windshield, wipers, mirrors, sunroof).
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).
This morning the panoramic sunroof on our 2012 Kia Sorrento spontaneously exploded. Shattered and chunks of safety glass came down on us. My son and I sustained superficial injuries (I sustained laceration over left eye and on left hand) - he has a lump on the right side of his skull. When we pulled over the glass was also on the rear portion of the roof. Nothing struck the vehicle. There was no vehicle/truck in front of us for potential debris. Open sky above. It sounded like a gunshot before the glass exploded over us.
Camera malfunctioning. Originally took vehicle in with camera problems in 09/2013. Service check could not duplicate problem. Said everything was fine. Have had same issues with camera working and not working off and on. Took in for service again for same issue with camera. Told at first by service tech. Our warranty was expired on item. Mileage on vehicle is 60,550. Informed them we purchased extended warranty. Had to go home and bring in proof of warranty to service dept. Which I did then was told I had to take it to dealer where I purchased it. For replacement part. Matt castrussi in dayton, ohio (dealership closest to where I live) would not replace part. Had to take it to Kia of dayton, ohio for replacement part.
Driving on a two lane state highway in minnesota (hwy 55) on a sunny, 60 degree day, I heard an explosion on the sun roof directly over my head. As I glanced in my rear view mirror, I noticed the vehicle behind me slowing down and debris flying toward that car. There was cracking and the sounds of debris hitting my car, luckily the interior cover was on so the glass did not get inside my vehicle. I pulled over as soon as I could and found the sun roof glass entirely shattered, many pieces having blown off and some hanging on to the side rails. I don't recall hearing any rock or object hitting the sun roof before the explosion so am wondering if the glass was faulty.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. While driving approximately 45 MPH, the sun roof exploded and glass fell onto the contact's head and inside the vehicle. There were no injuries. The contact pulled over onto the side of the road. The vehicle was driven to pete's car Smart Kia (4701 s soncy road, amarillo, tx 79119) for repairs. The cause of the failure was unknown. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 85,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. While the contact's wife was driving 55 MPH, the sun roof inadvertently exploded. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The dealer was contacted (evansville Kia at [phone], 4000 e division st, evansville, in 47715). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and had the vehicle towed to the same dealer, but the failure could not be replicated. The failure mileage was 95,000. The VIN was unavailable.
While driving on the freeway at 60 MPH, the panoramic sunroof/moonroof exploded for no reason and dropped glass down on me and also a meal bar swung down and hit me on the side of my head. Fortunately it was early morning and not a lot of traffic around me, or the situation could have been a lot worse. Nothin hit the roof prior to the explosion, a very scary situation. I have cuts on my hands and a welt where my head was hit.
I was traveling home at approximately 55 MPH at the time of the incident. The sunroof was fully closed and had imploded with no known cause. Glass had fallen on both the driver and passenger resulting in minor lacerations. No other vehicles were visible on the road at the time of the incident and no foreign objects such as rocks were found in the vehicle. ... Updated 03/19/15 updated 6/19/2015
Tl* the contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. While driving the vehicle, the sun roof shattered. The contact stated that glass particles fell onto the passengers. There were minor scrapes, but medical attention was not required. The manufacturer and dealer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The approximate failure mileage was 97,414.
I have faulty airbags in my vehicle why is there no recall vehicle hasn't been wrecked. Airbag were never deployed. My vehicle is not safe without airbag repair, as long as the airbag light is on on the dash the airbag system fails inspection. It needs to be a recall this is a safety hazard and cause death if I was to be involved in an accident.
The sunroof spontaneously shattered while the car was driven on the highway. There was nothing that impacted it, rather it broke all by itself. It made a loud noise and glass began to trickle into the car interior.
NHTSA investigations
Panoramic Sunroof Breakage
On October 21, 2013 the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened PE13-035 in order to further examine claims that the sunroof would spontaneously break on 2011-2013 Kia Sorento vehicles.The majority of these claims occurred while the vehicle was in motion.Glass shattering while driving may distract the driver, and the resulting glass particles which enter the passenger compartment may injure occupants.To date,…
Panoramic Glass Sunroof Breakage
The investigation focused on spontaneous breakage (fracture) of the panoramic sunroof (sunroof) on MY 2011-2013 Kia Sorento vehicles. The sunroof is constructed of tempered glass (often referred to as ?safety glass?), which, when broken, crumbles into granular chunks rather than splintering into jagged shards.
Window & Wiper complaints in other Sorento years
Frequently asked questions
How common are window & wiper problems on the 2012 Kia Sorento?
NHTSA has 28 complaints about the windows, wipers & sunroof of the 2012 Kia Sorento, 3% of the model year's 880 complaints. The component named most often is sun/moon roof assembly (16 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2012 Kia Sorento window & wiper problems?
No. NHTSA lists no windows, wipers & sunroof 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 window & wiper problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 49,000 miles, and 26% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 0 fires and 9 injuries to windows, wipers & sunroof 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.