Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2014 Kia Sorento owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The car engine started on fire while I was driving after all the recalls were fixed and new engine installed. The car was completely destroyed the whole engine compartment was completely burned. Kia says it was an oil leak but that's not true the car oil change was done regularly and was serviced within 3 months of the engine fire. I also had this vehicle parked inside my garage for 5 years and not a single drop of oil in the garage floor. Kia is also refusing to send me a full report of their findings from the fire inspection. Kia adjuster is acting in bad faith by not providing the fire report. The car engine was replaced new due to an earlier recall and within 10,000 miles the new engine caught fire. They don't want to be liable for this engine fire but cars don't just burn without any reason. …
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the traction control, ABS and the tire pressure warning lights remained illuminated. Additionally, while operating the vehicle, the power steering inadvertently deactivated and the steering wheel would become difficult to turn in either direction. During the failure, the power steering, battery, and air bag warning lights were illuminated. The cause of the failures was not determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were both notified of the failures. The failure mileage was 120,000.
The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds and steering left or right, the steering wheel would seize. The contact would have to maneuver the steering wheel back and forth for it to unlock and continue driving. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic, who diagnosed a notch in the lower steering shaft as the cause of the steering failure. The steering joint assembly was replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 132,538.
The component that malfunctioned was the dashboard. The dashboard began flashing and caused the wheels on the KIA Sorento to lock while on the highway. The car also had a burn smell. The car was turned off and then I was able to drive normally. A couple of weeks later the Malfunction Indicator Light has turned of intermittently. The electrical issues are causing the cars blind spot warning system to not work properly and as well as seats to stop moving in the car. I have reached out to KIA Customer care line so that they could tow the vehicle once the MIL came on and they said they I would have to pay out of pocket since the recall is in the "interim" phase. I called Southern KIA in Chesapeake, VA and they stated the car would have to be evaluated but that they do not have appointments any time soon.
The component that malfunctioned was the steering wheel. The steering wheel locked up while driving. The problem has not been reproduced by the dealer or independent service. We have taken in to the dealership 2 times already and they cannot find any error codes from the event. Therefore, they say the car has no issues. The problem has not been inspected by manufacture, police, insurance or others. There were no warning signs before it happened. There were small glitches that we noticed on the monitor prior to the incident occurring but no check engine lights turned on. When the event occurred all warning lights turned on and the computer system wanted to shut off the car while drive mode.
My vehicle has always been well-maintained with the dealer with regularly scheduled oil changes. On the captioned date, my vehicle failed the state emissions test. Immediately after leaving the testing facility, the check engine light came on and the engine began to rumble. The vehicle barely made it to the Kia dealership. Kia told me the entire engine needs to be rebuilt for $6,500 and that may not even solve the "timing" issues.
Steering column vibrates when on uneven surfaces. Also makes noise when turning wheel. Shakes when braking. I believe it is a problem with the steering column coupling. The MDPS Steering Coupling is probably worn. This is an ongoing problem with kia vehicles such as this.
All of it. Car randomly shuts off and lose power steering. No. Dealership has inspected. ALL the lights in the dash light up, screen says battery discharge warning, car shuts off and lose power steering while driving down the road.
I was driving 70 MPH down highway when car shutdown and sterling locked, unable to control vehicle. Come to find out next few days it was the accelator that caused it. I had no control and almost got killed by a 18 wheeler driving in next lane.
1st occurrence: on July 10, 2017, at about 11:30 a.m., I made a left turn on a city street in las cruces, nm, which took me through an underpass. It was a 'wide' turn and I was probably moving at about 25 MPH. About half way through the turn I lost power steering and by brute force, was able to turn my car and avoid the wall of the underpass. Had there been another car to my right, I would most likely have hit it on the driver side. I brought my Sorento to a stop and was able to restart the engine. I am unsure which came first, the loss of power steering or the engine stopping. Later that day, I took the car to the local Kia service facility where no problem(s) could be found. I was the sole occupant of my Sorento at the time of this first incident. 2nd occurrence: on July 27, 2017, at about 2:00 p.m., I made a right turn on a city street in las cruces, nm. …
Steering complaints in other Sorento years
Frequently asked questions
How common are steering problems on the 2014 Kia Sorento?
NHTSA has 35 complaints about the steering of the 2014 Kia Sorento, 4% of the model year's 988 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2014 Kia Sorento steering problems?
No. NHTSA lists no steering recall for the 2014 Kia Sorento, though it has 6 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 2014 Kia Sorento steering problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 40,000 miles, and 26% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 1 fire and 1 injury to steering 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.