2007 Kia Sorento Electrical Problems

After receiving two manufacturer recall notices about potential fires in your braking circuit, you had the vehicle serviced in July 2020. In August, you noticed the ESC OFF warning light on your dashboard, and when you parked at home, your tail lights and brake lights stayed on even after turning off the engine. Your neighbor found warm wires under the dash and was able to manually turn the lights off. The dealership determined your braking circuit was damaged and replaced the hydraulic module, switch assembly, and HECU (braking control unit) at a cost of $2,516.07.

While your car was parked and off with a cold engine, smoke began pouring from the driver's side of the engine compartment and under the dashboard. The smoke grew worse and the area became very hot, filling the cabin with black and gray smoke that had a strange, unpleasant odor. Disconnecting the battery stopped the smoking, indicating an electrical fire was occurring. The repair will likely require a complete electrical system inspection to identify and replace the damaged wiring, components, or connectors that caused the short circuit.

Your 2007 Kia Sorento caught fire under the hood while parked at a drive-thru, with smoke visible but no warning lights appearing beforehand. You were able to extinguish the fire with a wet towel and no one was injured, but the vehicle is no longer drivable. The dealer is still investigating the cause, though Kia stated it's not related to any existing recall. The repair will likely involve diagnosing and replacing whatever electrical or fuel system component caused the fire hazard.

Your Kia Sorento has a recall for an electrical anti-lock brake system problem, and you're experiencing warning lights staying on related to this issue. This is affecting your confidence in the vehicle's safety, especially since you rely on it for daily transportation with your daughter. The fix will likely involve diagnosing and repairing the electrical connection or control module for the anti-lock brake system.

TAKATA RECALL. AIR BAG LIGHT ON DASH STAYS ON AT ALL TIMES AND "PASSENGER AIR BAG ON/OFF" INDICATOR INDICATES OFF, EVEN WHEN AN ADULT IS SITTING IN THE PASSENGER SEAT. ADDITIONALLY, HORN WON'T BLOW AT TIMES.

SERVICE BRAKE HYDRAULIC SWITCHES BRAKE LIGHT, EXTERIOR LIGHTING BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH, AIR BAG FRONTAL SENSOR/CONTROL MODULE. NO BRAKE LIGHT WHEN BRAKE IS PRESS, CRUISE ONTROL, ESC LIGHT, AIR BAG AND GEAR SHIFT WILL NOT MOVE FROM PARK.

TAKATA RECALL: VEHICLE IS UNSTABLE WHEN DRIVING, IT JUMPS WHEN ON MOTION. WHEN DRIVING IN THE NIGHT THE HEAD LIGHTS GOES ON AND OFF, REAR WIPER IS WORKING NON STOP EVEN WHEN THE CAR IS OFF. THIS ELECTRIC SYSTEM DYSFUNCTION ALSO AFFECTS THE RADIO SYSTEM.

MY 07 KIA SORENTO WHEN TRYING TO ENTER THE STATE HIGHWAY. WHEN YOU PUSH DOWN ON THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL. THE VIECHEL STATE TO ACCELERATE AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THE ESC. LIGHT COMES ON AND THE SUV. GOES INTO SAFE LIMP MODE. WHERE IT WILL NOT ACCELERATE AND WILL NOT CLIMB OVER 20MPH. FOR A VERY LONG PERIOD. MY FAMILY AND I HAVE BEEN IN A FEW SITUATIONS WHERE WE WERE ALMOST HIT. LOOKING ONLINE I CAN SEE THAT THIS IS FAR FROM BEING A ISOLATED ORDEAL. AND THAT BECAUSE OF THE AGE OF THE VIECHEL . I AM READING WHERE MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE DEALING WITH THE SAME ISSUE BUT NOT GOING TO THE DEALER BECAUSE OF THE COST INVOLVED. WITH THE NUMBER OF THE VIECHELS SOLD THERE HAVE TO BE QUITE A FEW THAT HAVE RESULTED IN A ACCIDENT THAT INVOLVES BODILY INJURY. IF NOT GOD FORBID EVEN DEATH. I JUST HOPE THIS REACHES THE DESK OR SCREEN OF SOMEONE WHO CAN INVESTIGATE THIS MATTER. A LOT BETTER THAN WHAT I AM CAPABLE OF DOING.

WHEN CAR IS IN MOTION EVEN WHEN CRUISE CONTROL IS ON GOING OVER 30 MILES AN HOUR, THERE WILL BE A HESITATION IN FORWARD MOTION. ITS NOT A TRANSMISSION JERK. ITS A PAUSE WHILE IN MOTION. THE HEADLIGHTS ALSO DO THE SAME WHEN ON. THEY WILL BE ON NORMAL THEN GO DIM WHILE IN MOTION. WE HAVE TROUBLE SHOOTED AND NO CODES COME UP. WE BELIEVE IT IS AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE. WE HAVE ONLY HAD VEHICHLE FOR 2 YRS AND ITS DONE THIS EVERY SINCE WE HAD IT BUT ITS GOTTEN WORSE. WASNT AS NOTICABLE WHEN WE PURCHASED BUT IT WASNT BEING DRIVEN FOR LONG DISTANCES. NOW IT HAS BEEN DROVE ON LONG TRIPS AND IS VERY NOTICEABLE. FEELS LIKE THE CAR WILL JUST STOP/SHUT DOWN IN MOTION.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2007 KIA SORENTO. WHILE DRIVING VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE STALLED AND SEVERAL WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ALTERNATOR FAILED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHERE IT WAS CONFIRMED THAT THE ALTERNATOR FAILED AGAIN AND WOULD NEED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS ONCE AGAIN REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE PERSISTED APPROXIMATELY A MONTH LATER. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE ALTERNATOR WAS REPLACED A TOTAL OF EIGHT TIMES SINCE APRIL OF 2016. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 100,000. . ..UPDATED 12/12/16 *BF

DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING THE VEHICLE WHEN THE TURN SIGNALS STARTED FLASHING. AS SHE PULLED TO A STOP, SOMEONE CAME UP TO HER WINDOW AND TOLD HER THERE WAS SMOKE COMING FROM THE BACK OF THE VEHICLE. SHE PULLED IN TO A PARKING LOT TO CALL ME. WHEN I ARRIVED AT THE VEHICLE THERE WAS A SMALL FIRE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE RIGHT REAR OF THE VEHICLE. FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED AND FIRE WAS OUT BY THE TIME THEY ARRIVED. FIRE DEPARTMENT LOOKED UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE AND FOUND THAT THE TRAILER HITCH WIRING HARNESS SHORTED OUT AND STARTED ON FIRE. MY DAUGHTER WAS NOT TOWING ANYTHING AT THE TIME. WIRING HARNESS IS OEM

TAKATA RECALL I HAVE HAD MY 07' SORENTO TO SEVERAL PLACES. I ORIGINALLY TOOK IT TO THE PLACE I BIOUGHT IT FROM. I WAS REFERRED TO A KIA DEALERSHIP, WHICH TOOK MY CAR APART TWICE AND RAN A CAMERA THROUGH IT AND REPLACED THE REAR CRANK SHAFT. THEN I REPLACED EVERY SENSOR AND SPARK PLUG ION THE THING AND ALSO HAD POWER STEERING PROBLEMS. IT SOUNDED LOUD AND WAS ALWAYS NEEDING PARTS BUT IN THE SPRING, I PULLED IN MY DRIVEWAY AND LEFT MY CAR RUNNING A FEW MINUTES WHILE I GOT THINGS OUTSIDE TAKEN CARE OF BECAUSE IT WAS DARK,( THE CAR HAS APPROX.124,000 MILES ON IT) WHILE IT SAT IN MY DRIVEWAY FOR MAYBE 5 MINUTES IT SPIT AND SPUTTERED AND DIED IN MY DRIVEWAY. I TRIED TO RESTART IT AND IT WOULD BARELY START RUNNING. I TOOK IT TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT ONCE AGAIN AND WAS TOLD TIMING CHAIN, ELECTRICAL AND CRANK SHAFT AGAIN. NEEDS NEW ENGINE MOST LIKELY AND NO ONE WANTS TO WORK ON IT BECAUSE IT HAS SOME MANY ISSUES! SO , I AM PAYING A LOAN FOR THIS CAR THAT HAS BEEN SITTING IN MY DRIVEWAY FOR MONTHS BECAUSE I WILL NOT AND CANNOT PAY FOR THIS VEHICLE TO HAVE ANYMORE WORK DONE!

I OWN A 2007 KIA SORENTO. RECENTLY, MY CHECK ENGINE AND ESC OFF LIGHTS BECAME ILLUMINATED ON MY DASHBOARD. I NOTICED THAT MY BRAKE LIGHTS WERE NOT ILLUMINATING WHEN I PRESSED THE BRAKE PEDAL. AFTER LOOKING UP MY CAR MAKE AND MODEL ON THE NHTSA WEBSITE, I NOTICED THERE WAS A RECALL FOR MY MODEL YEAR SORENTO FOR THE EXACT SAME PROBLEMS (NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER 13V114000/KIA SERVICE CAMPAIGN SC098). I TOOK THE CARTO MY LOCAL KIA DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME I WAS NOT ELIGIBLE FOR THE RECALL AS MY VIN WAS NOT INCLUDED. AS SUCH, I HAVE TO DRIVE AROUND WITHOUT FUNCTIONAL BRAKE LAMPS UNTIL I GET THIS PROBLEM RESOLVED--INCREASING MY CHANCES OF BEING REAR-ENDED. I TRAVEL CONSTANTLY FOR WORK SO I DO NOT HAVE THE LUXURY OF NOT DRIVING. THIS NEEDS TO BE INVESTIGATED AND RESOLVED.

WHEN OPENING DOORS, THE DOME LIGHT NO LONGER WOULD TURN ON. THIS EVENTUALLY CONTINUED UNTIL THE FRONT LIGHTS NO LONGER TURN ON, AND NOW THE REAR HATCH LIGHTS DO NOT TURN ON EITHER. THE LIGHTS WORK WHEN THEY ARE MANUALLY TURNED ON, JUST NOT WHEN THE DOORS OPEN. IT WAS CHECKED BY A REPAIR SHOP AND THEY SAY IT IS NOT A SWITCH ISSUE (AS THE LIGHTS ON THREE OF THE DOORS STILL LIGHT WHEN OPEN). THEY FEEL IT IS AN ELECTRICAL ISSUE AND FOUND HUNDREDS OF POSTS FROM AS FAR BACK AS 2003 SORENTOS WITH THE SAME ISSUES. THE LIGHTS NOT TURNING ON IS A HUGE SAFETY ISSUE FOR MYSELF AND MY FAMILY TRYING TO ENTER A PITCH BLACK VEHICLE AT NIGHT TIME. *TR

PART WAS ALREADY REPLACED ON A MANDATORY RECALL. NOW THE REPLACEMENTS FOR THE RECALL ARE FAILING. KIA WILL NOT STAND BEHIND THE REPAIR COSTS, THIS MEANS MANY PEOPLE WILL BE DRIVING WITH OUT BRAKE LIGHTS. I AM ON MY THIRD SWITCH- THE PART SHOULD EASILY OUT LIVE THE CAR! I AM SURE THEY REPLACED IT WITH THE SAME EXACT PART THINKING MOST PEOPLE WOULD BE OUT OF THE VEHICLE BY THE TIME IT FAILED AGAIN. I AM SURE THIS IS NOT WHAT YOU HAD IN MIND WHEN YOU ISSUED THE OTHER RECALLS ON THIS PART. *TR

SUNDAY MORNING, I WAS DRIVING MY VEHICLE AT A SPEED OF LESS THAN 45 MPH. THE "CHECK ENGINE" LIGHT AND "ESC OFF" LIGHT CAME ON SIMULTANEOUSLY. AT THE SAME TIME, MY VEHICLE LOST POWER AND WOULD NOT CHANGE OUT OF 2ND GEAR. I PULLED INTO A NEARBY PARKING LOT, TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE, AND WAITED FOR ONE MINUTE. I RESTARTED THE VEHICLE AND IT CRANKED JUST FINE. I PULLED OUT OF THE PARKING LOT AND WENT NO MORE THAN 30 YARDS WHEN THE LIGHTS CAME BACK ON AND MY VEHICLE LOST POWER COMPLETELY - NO RESPONSE WHEN PRESSING THE GAS PEDAL. I COASTED INTO A LOADING AREA WHERE I WAS FORCED TO CALL AAA TO HAVE MY VEHICLE TOWED TO THE NEAREST CAR REPAIR CENTER. I COMMUNICATED WITH THEM THROUGHOUT THE DAY MONDAY, AND THE END RESULT WAS THIS: MY VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE CHARLOTTE KIA DEALERSHIP AND A TEST WAS DONE TO READ AND DETERMINE THE ERROR. THE DIAGNOSIS WAS A FAULTY "TRANSFER CASE DECODER MOTOR", SOMETHING I HAD NEVER EVEN HEARD OF. THE REPAIR IS GOING TO COST APPROXIMATELY $1,000 BECAUSE OF ASSOCIATED DIAGNOSTIC TESTS AND THE PART ITSELF COSTING $570. ACCORDING TO WHAT I READ ON THE INTERNET, THERE IS A "SERVICE" FOR THIS COMPONENT THAT IS TO BE DONE AROUND 45,000 MILES. MY VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO THE SAME KIA DEALER NUMEROUS TIMES AND THIS COMPONENT HAS NEVER BEEN ADDRESSED. NOT ONCE WAS THE "SERVICE" MENTIONED TO ME BY THE SERVICE TEAM. THIS IS A SERIOUS ISSUE THAT COULD RESULT IN INJURY OR DEATH IF IT OCCURRED ON AN INTERSTATE OR IN AN INTERSECTION. THANKFULLY, I WAS IN A SAFE AREA AND NO ONE WAS AT RISK OF ACCIDENT OR INJURY. THIS PROBLEM IS WIDESPREAD AMONG KIA VEHICLES - THE SERVICE MANAGER AT AAA STATED HE HAS A 2007 KIA SEDAN IN THERE RIGHT NOW WITH THE SAME PROBLEM. I FEEL KIA IS AT FAULT AND NEGLIGENT FOR THIS MALFUNCTION. *TR

VEHICLE IGNITED FROM REAR LEFT TAIL LIGHT. IT WAS NOT RUNNING NOR WERE THE KEYS IN THE IGNITION. UPON CONTACTING KIA, THEY ASKED FOR PHOTOS OF THE DAMAGED VEHICLE TO SUBMIT TO ENGINEERS. THE ENGINEERS SAID THAT THE FIRE DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH A BRAKE LIGHT SWITCH RECALL AND OFFERED NO OTHER EXPLANATION TO WHAT STARTED THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS JUST SITTING IN THE DRIVEWAY. *TR

SPEEDOMETER READ SLOWER THEN THE CAR IS MOVING. I HAVE BROUGHT THIS TO THE DEALERS ATTENTION, AND GOT NO GOOD RESULTS. *TR