Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2015 Kia Sorento owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 50-55 MPH, he heard an abnormal popping sound and the vehicle spontaneously caught on fire. The contact was able to pull off the highway. The contact stated that he could see flames under the hood. The contact called 9-1-1 however, by the time the Emergency Services arrived on the scene, the fire was independently extinguished. The contact stated that the fire started in the engine compartment. The engine was previously replaced at 85,000 miles. The check engine warning light was occasionally illuminated and then disappeared on the vehicle. A Police report was filed. The Fire Department also arrived on the scene. There were no reported injuries. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. …
Motor shuts down completely disabling the car electronically. I lose my brakes and my steering. In February 2020, I almost died driving the vehicle the car engine seized while driving and was replaced by KIA. I never received an itemized bill from Dealership they stole the rental from my private driveway to and stole $5,000 and my belongings from the vehicle. One June 29.2021 I almost died again driving the car. The New Engine shuts down and I lose breaks and steering and hit an animal trying to get off the road for safety since I no longer have breaks to my vehicle. The animal ripped off my undercarriage and dented my radiator. The car was smoking and the engine would start and when driven 50 feet keep shutting down and locking no breaks no power no steering becoming a hazard to myself and others. …
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V331000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the ABS and oil warning lights illuminated. The vehicle then lost motive power. Upon inspection, the contact noticed there was no oil in the oil reservoir. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic and diagnosed with camshaft position sensor failure. The mechanic replaced camshaft position sensor; however, the failure recurred with a rattling sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer and diagnosed with engine damage and connecting rod failure. The dealer performed a Product Improvement Campaign: PI1802 (Knock Sensor Detection System - ECU Logic Improvement) software update. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. …
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at 10 MPH, he heard knocking sounds coming from the engine. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact continued to drive the vehicle. The contact stated that the failure reoccurred while driving at 50 MPH and the vehicle stalled. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the engine seized and that the rod bearing might have failed. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not included in any recalls related to the failure. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The contact stated that he was able to start the vehicle, but he would still hear abnormal sounds coming from the engine. …
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V331000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). The contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal, and the engine seized. The contact was able to coast to the side of the road, and the vehicle failed to restart. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that prior to the failure, the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The vehicle was towed to the residence. A mobile mechanic arrived at the residence to inspect the vehicle and removed the serpentine belt, but was unable to crank the engine. However, no cause for the failure was found. …
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 35 mph, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The vehicle loss motive power without warning. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where the oil level was inspected. The contact was informed that there was too much oil in the engine. The vehicle was then towed to Nucar Kia of Tilton (40 Tilton Rd lot a, Tilton, NH 03276) and diagnosed that the failure was related to a manufacturer's recall for the Occupant Detection System (ODS). The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The contact stated that the manufacturer declined to provide the recall repair since the contact had not gotten the manufacturer's recall for the ODS software update. …
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and coming to a stop, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle could not be restarted and was undriveable. The contact stated she was almost rear-ended twice before Police arrived on the scene to help. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, but the vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that upon speaking with the dealer, she was advised to have the vehicle towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact stated that the manufacturer was contacted and made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be disassembled to determine if the failure was due to a manufacturing failure. …
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal however, the vehicle failed to respond; instead, the vehicle gradually lost forward momentum and decelerated. The contact pulled off the highway. The contact turned off the vehicle and attempted to restart the vehicle however, the vehicle failed to restart. The contact opened the hood and smelled a burning odor. The contact checked the oil dipstick and saw that the dipstick was dry. The contact had recently had an oil change performed. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a local dealer or mechanic to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. …
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving approximately 40 MPH, he heard an abnormal rattling sound before the vehicle started to lose motive power. The contact depressed the accelerator pedal, but the vehicle failed to respond. The contact then depressed the accelerator pedal with much more force and the vehicle responded. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that nearly all the engine oil had been consumed. The mechanic determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched online and related the Failure to Kia Technical Service Bulletin Number: 222 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 84,000.
The contact's mother owns a 2015 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing an abnormal oil consumption. The contact stated that the vehicle consumed three quarts of oil after driving 367 miles. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who informed the contact that the vehicle could be experiencing an internal oil leak. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where an oil consumption test was performed. The dealer informed the contact to come back after 300 miles. Additionally, the contact stated that the air bag warning light was illuminated, and the front passenger's side seat belt pretensioner failed to operate as intended. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was opened. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.
Related recalls
Engine
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2011-2017 Optima, 2012-2017 Sorento and 2011-2018 Sportage vehicles that previously received an engine replacement under recall number 17V-224, warranty, or the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) Product Improvement Campaign.
Remedy: Kia has notified owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the fuel pipe, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 17, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542.
NHTSA investigations
Loss of Motive Power
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated July 13, 2022, petitioning the Agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain Hyundai Motor America, Inc. and Kia America, Inc. vehicles spanning Model Years (MY) 2005-2021.
Engine Oil Pressure Switch Leak
In a letter dated September 30, 2021, Mr. Gerald James (the petitioner) requested that NHTSA conduct an investigation of the Model Year (MY) 2015-2017 Kia Sorento equipped with 3.3L V6 ?Lambda? engines for ?severe oil leaks? from the oil pressure switch (OPS) that could ?lead to engine failure? with little warning to the driver. Mr.
Engine complaints in other Sorento years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2015 Kia Sorento?
NHTSA has 367 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2015 Kia Sorento, 49% of the model year's 754 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2015 Kia Sorento engine problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 18V-907 (engine, Dec 19, 2018). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2015 Kia Sorento engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 88,000 miles, and 6% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 6 crashes, 9 fires and 5 injuries to engine & cooling 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.