Back in December 2021, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened an engineering analysis to investigate engine fires in Kia and Hyundai vehicles produced for the 2011 to 2016 model years with 2.4-liter Theta II MPI engines. At the time, the NHTSA was aware of 78 vehicle owner questionnaires alleging engine failures, and a total of 161 fires potentially caused by engine failures.
The federal watchdog issued an information request letter to Kia North America in April 2022. Somewhat petty of the South Korean automaker's part, Kia told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that there's no safety defect warranting a recall. On the one hand, every automaker out there doesn't want to disappoint shareholders with costly recalls. But still, the folks at Kia North America blatantly ignored the 161 engine fires documented by the federal agency, therefore putting many customers at risk.
On December 5, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigation recommended a recall of the 2011 model year Sorento. The automaker finally relented, agreeing to recall in the ballpark of 80,000 vehicles. The vehicles in question comprise 2011 Kia Sorento crossovers equipped with the 2.4-liter Theta II MPI. Depending on the state of the naturally aspirated four-cylinder engine, the remedy comes in two forms.
First and foremost, dealers will conduct an inspection. If anything seems off, the 2.4-liter Theta II MPI will be replaced at no charge. If the original engine seems alright, service techs will install software intended to detect impending engine failures. The so-called Knock Sensor Detection System also alerts the driver and limits engine power to lessen the likelihood of a failure.
Upon installation, Kia North America will provide 15 years or 150,000 miles (240,000 kilometers) of extended warranty coverage for the long block. If you're curious, the answer is no; Kia still hasn't identified the root cause of these potentially dangerous engine failures.
Photo: Kia
The recalled 2011 Kia Sorento vehicles were manufactured between October 24, 2009 and June 24, 2011. Dealers will be informed about recall 23V-877 on February 7, 2024. As for the owners, notification letters will be mailed no later than February 9, 2024. In the meantime, owners can check whether their crossovers are included in this campaign by running the 17-character VIN on the NHTSA's website.
The 2011 model year Sorento was the first of the second-generation Sorento in North America. The third launched for model year 2016, whereas the fourth arrived for model year 2021. A mid-size crossover that is front-wheel drive by default, Kia's long-running Sorento is available in three flavors: combustion-only, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid.
The combustion-engined Sorento is listed on Kia's online configurator with a 2.5-liter engine and a starting price of $30,090 (sans destination charge). Said engine is the Smartstream G2.5, a free-breathing powerplant shared with the Hyundai Santa Fe. Level up to the Sorento Hybrid or Sorento Plug-In Hybrid, and Kia replaces the Smartstream G2.5 with the Smartstream G1.6T turbocharged inline-four.
The Sorento Hybrid starts at $36,690, whereas the Sorento Plug-In Hybrid retails at $49,990 at the moment of reporting. The combined fuel economy of the Sorento Hybrid is a respectable 37 miles per gallon (6.4 liters per 100 kilometers) with front-wheel drive. The Sorento Plug-In Hybrid promises the very same 34 (6.9) as the Sorento Hybrid with all-wheel drive. As for electric range, make that 32 miles or 51 kilometers if you prefer the metric system.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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