2004 Kia Sorento Electrical Problems

Your vehicle caught fire while driving at highway speed, about 200 miles into a trip. Smoke appeared under the hood, then flames erupted around the hood area, causing the paint to bubble from the heat. The fire started in the engine bay near where the engine meets the dashboard on the driver's side and spread forward and underneath. You'll need a complete electrical and engine inspection to identify what caused the fire.

THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM GOES HAYWIRE. WE WILL BE DRIVING ALONG AND THE INTERIOR LIGHTS COME ON, THE FRONT DOORS OPEN LIGHTS COME ON AND STARTS BUZZING AND SO DOES THE THE LOCKING MECHANISM ON THE DOORS. WE CHECK TO MAKE SURE THE DOORS ARE CLOSED PROPERLY BUT THEY ALWAYS ARE. THIS IS WHEN THE CAR IS IN MOTION USUALLY BUT SOMETIMES WHILE STATIONARY AS WELL. SOMETIMES THE DOORS UNLOCK TOO. WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT CAUSED THIS BUT FEEL IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD AS WELL AS A NUISANCE WHILE DRIVING. IT NEVER SEEMS TO MATTER IF YOU ARE DRIVING STRAIGHT OR TURNING.. WE HAVEN'T TAKEN IT ANYWHERE FOR REPAIRS YET, BECAUSE IT SEEMS TO BE ELECTRICAL AND KNOW THAT IT CAN BE EXPENSIVE.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 KIA SORENTO. WITHIN LESS THAN 30 DAYS OF OWNING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FUEL GAUGE ON THE INSTRUMENT CLUSTER CONTINUED TO INDICATE FULL WHETHER THE CONTACT REFUELED THE VEHICLE OR NOT. ALSO, WHEN THE AIR CONDITIONER WAS TURNED OFF, SMOKE EMITTED INTO THE INTERIOR OF THE VEHICLE AND UNDER THE HOOD. THE CONTACT EXITED THE VEHICLE AND LIFTED THE HOOD TO FAN AWAY THE SMOKE. THE CONTACT DROVE THE VEHICLE TO HER JOB. ANOTHER CONSUMER CALLED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT BECAUSE THE VEHICLE ERUPTED INTO FLAMES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES. NEITHER A FIRE NOR A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 107,000. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE.

FAN RELAY SENSOR IS FAULTY. ALL THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM IS IS QUESTIONABLE, FROM HEADLIGHTS ALWAYS NEEDING REPLACEMENT TO DASH LIGHTS THAT TURN ON OR OFF AT ANY GIVEN TIME. MY NEWEST ISSUE IS WITH THE HEATER, IT WILL ONLY BLOW WARMED AIR IF THE MOTOR IS BEING REV'D..TEMP IS WARM ON ENGINE BUT IF I AM DRIVING DOWN HILL, IT WILL FEEL LIKE AIR CONDITIONER INSTEAD. FOR A FEW MONTHS MY DRIVER SIDE DOOR WOULD OPEN FROM INSIDE ONLY. MAGICALLY IT HAS RESOLVED THAT ONE AND ONLY ISSUE... *TR

MY 2004 KIA SORENTO HAS AN INTERMITTENT CHECK ENGINE LIGHT THAT DISPLAYS ERROR CODE P0446. THE LIGHT COMES ON AND OFF AS IT PLEASES. THERE IS A TSB FOR THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM, BUT THERE ARE NO DETAILS. THIS INTERMITTENT LIGHT IS CAUSING MY VEHICLE TO FAIL IT'S SMOG INSPECTION. I HAVE REPLACED THE GAS CAP AS INDICATED BUT THIS DID NOT FIX THE PROBLEM. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT NOTICED SMOKE AND FLAMES UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 161,000.

BATTERY WAS LOW AND THEN THE AIR BAG WARNING LIGHT WAS ON. THE BATTERY WAS REPLACED AND THE LIGHT STILL ON. LOOKING ONLINE AND FIND OUT THIS ISSUE IS TYPICAL ON ALL KIA SORENTOS. WONDERING WHY THIS ISSUE IS NOT BEING RECALL. CALLED DEALER AND THEY MENTIONED THAT A $130 DIAGNOSE TEST NEEDS TO BE PAID IN ORDER TO KNOW WHAT IS THE PROBLEM. *TR

FEBRUARY 21, 2013 LOS ANGELES, CA ELECTRICAL I BOUGHT MY KIA BRAND NEW. I HAVE HAD SEVERAL PROBLEMS: COMPLAINT 1: I AM WRITING THIS COMPLAINT AGAINST KIA MOTORS WHO WILLINGLY KNOWS OF ISSUES WITH ITS FUEL SYSTEMS IN ALL 2004 KIA SORENTOS. EVEN LOOKING ONLINE YOU SEE THOUSANDS OF KIA OWNERS WHO HAVE HAD THE SENSOR GO OUT ON THIS MODEL CAR AFTER THE CARS 100000 WARRANTY, AND THEN KIA CLAIMS IT IS PAST THE WARRANTY THEY HAVE AND THERE IS NOTHING THEY CAN DO. THIS CAUSES THE GAS TO ALWAYS READ INCORRECTLY EVEN WITH A FULL TANK THE CAR READS "E" I HAVE TO KEEP PUTTING GAS IN THE CAR IN FEAR OF RUNNING OUT OF GAS. *TR

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAN RELAY FUSE HAD TO BE REMOVED IN ORDER TO GET THE FAN TO STOP RUNNING. THE CONTACT HAD TAKEN THE VEHICLE TO SEVERAL MECHANICS FOR SERVICE OF ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS HOWEVER, THE MECHANICS WERE NEVER ABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE EXACT CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN, BUT THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 138,000.

WHEN SHUTTING OFF THE ENGINE THE COOLING FAN STAYS RUNNING. IF THIS IS NOT NOTICED IT WILL RUN UNTIL THE BATTERY DIES AND THEN THE VEHICLE WILL NEED JUMPED. AS I WAS RESEARCHING ON THE INTERNET IT LOOKS LIKE THERE ARE ISSUES WITH RELAYS IN KIA'S FROM 2003 TO 2006. THIS PROBLEM HAPPENS AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH SOMETIMES MORE. THIS TIME THE BATTERY HAD TO BE DISCONNECTED TO GET THE FAN TO SHUT OFF.. THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE RESEARCHED FARTHER IN REGARDS TO HOW OFTEN THIS HAPPENS. I HAVE NOT TAKEN MY KIA TO A MECHANIC YET DUE TO THE FACT IT IS VERY COSTLY TO TRACK AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM DOES NOT HAPPEN ALL THE TIME BUT IF YOU ARE UNAWARE OF THIS PROBLEM YOU MAY GO TO START YOUR CAR AND IT DOES NOT RUN. THERE ARE A HIGH AND LOW FAN ON THIS KIA. BOTH OF THE FANS ARE RUNNING BUT THE HIGH FAN IS ALMOST SILENT. IF THIS PROBLEM HAS BEEN GOING ON FOR AT LEAST FOUR YEARS THERE SHOULD BE SOME WAY TO HOLD THE MANUFACTURER RESPONSIBLE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THEY HAD TO REPLACE THE HEADLIGHTS ON THE VEHICLE 74 TIMES. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THEY HAD TO PURCHASE A NEW BATTERY EVERY YEAR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT EVERY TIME THE VEHICLE HIT A BUMP SHE COULD HEAR THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM SURGING AND THE LIGHTS BEGAN TO FLICKER. THE DEALER STATED THAT THEY COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE HEADLIGHTS OR THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 12000.

I HAVE A 2004 KIA SORRENTO WITH 57,000 MILES. I HAVE OWNED IT FOR 2 YEARS. THE HEADLIGHTS AND BRAKE LIGHTS CONTINUOUSLY GO OUT. I HAVE REPLACED EACH HEADLIGHT 4 TIMES IN THE PAST YEAR AND THE BRAKE LIGHTS HAVE BEEN REPLACED 5 TIMES IN THE PAST YEAR. THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD AS I NEVER KNOW WHEN MY BRAKE LIGHTS ARE OUT UNLESS SOMEONE STOPS AND TELLS ME. *TR

THE ORIGINAL BATTERY FAILED AT 2 1/2 YEARS AND THE REPLACEMENT BATTERY (KIA BATTERY) FAILED AFTER ONLY 1 1/2 YEARS. I HAVE REPLACED THE HEADLIGHTS (4 TIMES), FOG LIGHTS (2 TIMES), TAIL LIGHTS (2 TIMES), AND LICENSE PLATE LIGHT. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM CHECK SHOWED NO PROBLEMS THAT COULD BE CAUSING ALL OF THESE FAILURES. *TR

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 KIA SORENTO. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH SHE COULD SMELL SOMETHING BURNING. THE VEHICLE WAS PULLED OVER AND TURNED OFF. THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THERE WAS FLUID LEAKING UNDER THE VEHICLE AND CATCHING FIRE AS IT HIT THE GROUND. THE VEHICLE BURST INTO FLAMES WITHIN 5 MINUTES. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A TOW YARD, THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS UNDETERMINED. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 60,000.

IN LESS THAN A YEAR CONSUMER HEADLIGHT WENT OUT AND THE BACK HATCH WINDOW WAS LEAKING INSIDE THE VEHICLE EVERY TIME IT RAINED. *TS THE HEADLIGHT ASSEMBLY WAS REPLACED ON NOVEMBER 30, 2004 AND FIVE MINUTES AFTER THE NEW BULB WAS INSTALLED IT SHATTERED. ON THAT SAME DATE THE CONSUMER EXPERIENCED PROBLEM WITH THE CLOCK AND HVAC INDICATORS. UPDATED 03/30/07. *JB