This is an online automotive information provider of a detailed information on complaints, defects and recalls for KIA SORENTO 2012 engine. Our users can find data on mass market car models from most popular brands. The service allows to compare and analyze statistics for reported problems, complaints, recalls for various manufacturers. We hope our site will help with selecting of a reliable and safe car. By using this tool, you will be able to get records with description of safety issues for vehicles, equipment, tires and child restraints. These issues include safety recalls for your KIA SORENTO 2012 engine and complaints other owners have filed.

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2012 KIA SORENTO Engine Problems, Complaints and Defects

Issue ID	1588639
Internal NHTSA #	11241352
Manufacurer	Kia Motors America
Brand	KIA
Model	SORENTO
Model Year	2012
File date	26/07/16
Component	ENGINE
Product type code	VEHICLE
Description of the problem	July 2016, while hwy driving my 2012 kia sorento (v6) (@69,000 mileage) the car abruptly stopped & smoldered (police called fire dept). Car was inoperable, towed to shop & then to kia dealership who advised that radiator cap melted & they found "metal in coolant & the engine" (as noted on the kia dealerhship documentation). He said he never saw such a thing. Dealer said engine needed replacement because of the metal found in engine & metal likely caused overheating which melted rad cap. Kia dealer installed new radiator & a used engine (w/43k mileage), costing me $14,000. The car has continued to make a knocking noise and recently 7/2019, @122k miles again smoldered & lost power. Radiator cap again "melted" requiring a 3rd radiator replacement. Gauges/dash showed no indication of car overheating. I fear problem is recurring with 2nd engine (same defect). Learned of 2012 sorento recalls for exact issues (metal in engine, overheating/fire, knocking & power loss). Kia dealer (8/2019) informed me only 4 cyl units were recalled for metal in engine & my 6 cyl unit with the same engine-metal issues was not covered by kia recall. I asked if anything related to car use or maintenance would have caused metal to contaminate an engine; dealer said no, problem is unrelated to car use or maintenance and a mfg problem was the only way the metal would show up it. But because there was no recall on the 6 cyl models repair costs were mine. They refused to contact kia. My vehicle has the exact same problem as the 4 cyl models & it's a unique defect known on numerous kia models. Kia dealer acknowledged my impeccable pm & service reord. They admit this problem would not be due to vehicle care or use, & know the problems w/ my 6 cyl are identical to 4cyls. I believe kia may be underreporting the problem & failed due diligence to identify same defects in 6 cyl models.
Vehicle Mileage at Failure	69900
Number of Occurences
Source of the issue	NHTSA WEB SITE
City and State	SAVAGE, MN
VIN pattern	5XYKWDA26CGXXXXXX
Was vehicle invloved in a crash?	N
Was vehicle involved in a fire?	Y
Was incedent reported to police?	N
Was medical attention required?	N
Was part original equipment?
No. of injured persons
No. of fatalities
Date of purchase	07/08/26
Was original owner?	N
Anti-lock brakes	N
Cruise control	N
Number of cylinders
Drive train type
Transmission type
Vehicle speed	55
DoT tire identifier
Tire size
Location of tire code
Type of tire failure code
Was defective tire repaired?
Date of manufacture
Type of child seat code
Type of restraint
Dealer's name
Dealer's telephone number
Dealer's city
Dealer's state code
Dealer's ZIP code

What is Recall?
A recall is when a product is removed from the market or a correction is made to the product because it is either defective or potentially harmful.
What is Failure?
Failure is the state or condition of not meeting a desirable or intended objective, and may be viewed as the opposite of success. Product failure ranges from failure to sell the product to fracture of the product, in the worst cases leading to personal injury, the province of forensic engineering.
What is Defect?
Non-conformance of a car component with the specified requirements, or non-fulfillment of user expectations, including the safety aspects.

Last decoded VIN:

4JGDF6EE5HA780246 W1K2060422R058132 1J4GA39178L504283 JF1VA1F68K8828456 L08YGJGBXC1000348 JT121JK1800007212 5J6RM4H93GL071833 JTEDP21A740014687 WVGZZZ5NZCW066404 WBA1A12050J211092 WDDBF5CB2FJ291935 MA1VE2RBCM6086426

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2012 KIA SORENTO Engine Problems, Complaints and Defects, Recalls and Failures

2012 KIA SORENTO Engine Problems, Complaints and Defects

What is Recall?

What is Failure?

What is Defect?