2020 Kia Sorento — Known Issues & Recalls

Your 2020 Kia Sorento is consuming excessive oil between service intervals and has visible scoring (damage) on the cylinder walls inside the engine. This internal damage indicates the engine is deteriorating and could lead to sudden engine seizure, stalling, or loss of power while driving, creating a safety hazard. Kia has refused to replace the engine under warranty until it completely fails, requiring you to continue driving a vehicle with confirmed internal damage. Addressing this will likely require a full engine replacement or major internal engine repair.

Your engine is burning through oil rapidly even though you've kept up with all scheduled maintenance and have fewer than 80,000 miles on your car. The dealership confirmed oil levels were fine on December 31st, but just 30 miles later your engine failed completely due to oil starvation, even though no warning lights appeared. Your extended warranty is refusing to cover the repair, claiming lack of oil caused the failure. This is a recurring issue at your dealership, and your engine could have overheated dangerously or left you stranded on the road.

Your engine check light is on with a cylinder 4 misfire code (P0304). You're experiencing reduced power, slow acceleration, and difficulty starting even after replacing the battery and spark plugs. Your engine is also burning oil, and multiple mechanics have indicated the engine may need replacement. The vehicle has become unreliable as your primary transportation.

Your engine check light is on, and your car is consuming oil much faster than normal—you've had to add several quarts of oil before reaching 2,000 miles after an oil change. An inspection found that cylinder 2 is misfiring and has low pressure, which means your engine will likely need to be replaced. Kia has indicated your vehicle is not covered under a recall for this issue.

Starting around 100,000 miles, your engine began burning through oil rapidly — requiring an oil top-up every 1,000 miles and shortening oil change intervals from 5,000 to 3,000 miles. At 134,000 miles, your engine started shaking and the check engine light came on after losing 5 quarts of oil in just a week and a half, despite the oil warning light never illuminating. A mechanic determined a cylinder had blown and that your engine needs complete replacement, though Kia did not honor a recall claim for your specific vehicle. The repair will likely involve engine replacement or a complete engine overhaul.

Your 2020 Kia Sorento's engine began showing problems after 100,000 miles, but you were told you're not eligible for the ongoing class action lawsuit settlement even though the settlement documentation lists 2020 Sorento models as covered. You believe there's a timing issue with claim deadlines that's preventing you from filing, despite owning the car since new in 2020. Engine repairs or replacement may be needed to address the underlying problem.

Your car is leaking oil from the engine. The dealership has indicated that the engine may need to be replaced rather than repaired. This is concerning given your car's relatively young age of 6 years.

Your engine is leaking oil and burning oil, which means oil is escaping from the engine and being consumed during operation. You may notice oil spots under your car, low oil levels on the dipstick, or blue smoke from the exhaust. The repair will likely involve identifying the source of the leak (such as gaskets or seals) and replacing the damaged parts.

Your engine's oil pan developed a large crack near the drain plug. This could cause oil to leak out, potentially leading to low oil levels and engine damage if not repaired promptly. The oil pan will likely need to be replaced or professionally sealed.

While driving at 35 mph on a clear day, your dashboard suddenly lit up with warning lights, followed by a loud pop and smoke pouring through the vents. You pulled over immediately and discovered a fire under the hood caused by a piston cylinder piece that had failed, spilling oil, antifreeze, and brake fluid. A bystander helped extinguish the fire. The failure occurred at 75,000 miles despite regular maintenance, and Kia initially promised assistance but did not follow through. This issue requires engine diagnosis and likely replacement of the failed internal engine components.

You discovered that a part fell out of your engine. You're unsure what the part is and wanted to add this finding to a previous complaint you'd already filed. The exact component and cause aren't clear from the information provided.

Your vehicle is experiencing an electrical system issue that may also involve the engine. You should contact Kia directly or visit a dealership to have them diagnose which specific electrical or engine component is affected, as the complaint does not specify the exact problem.

While driving, all dashboard warning lights came on and smoke poured through your vents. You heard a loud pop while pulling over, and flames erupted from under the front of your car. A passerby extinguished the fire, and you discovered a wrist pin from your engine at the bottom of the vehicle along with significant fluid leakage. Kia corporate initially promised assistance but then stopped responding to your calls, and your insurance company denied the claim citing mechanical failure.

Your oil pressure switch has been diagnosed as faulty by both an independent mechanic and Kia's service center, causing your check engine light to display an oil pressure warning. Kia is refusing to cover the repair under warranty, though you believe it should be covered. The repair will likely involve replacing the oil pressure switch.

Your 2020 Sorento with the 2.4L engine has experienced repeated engine problems. You've brought it to the dealer three times for issues including engine knock, a P1326 code, valve cover oil gasket failure, and spark plug failures — each time receiving temporary fixes rather than a permanent solution. The engine knock was severe enough to cause sudden deceleration while driving on the highway, and oil leaks have continued despite repairs. The dealer is now recommending a complete engine replacement.

Your 2020 Kia Sorento's check engine light came on just 3 days after purchase, followed by black soot covering the back of the vehicle and smells of burnt oil and antifreeze. The vehicle is jerking during operation and occasionally smells like it's on fire. The shop found multiple trouble codes including an evaporative system issue and catalytic converter problem, along with airbag-related codes.

Your 2020 Kia Sorento was subject to a safety recall (22V703000) due to a fire risk from a potential electrical short in the tow hitch harness module. Despite attempting to schedule the recall repair at an authorized dealership, you were unable to get a confirmed appointment. Your vehicle caught fire while driving on a highway in Florida before the recall repair could be completed, and the vehicle was destroyed. The dealership did not follow up after you reported the fire and unresolved recall. Repairing this issue requires replacing or inspecting the tow hitch harness module and related electrical components to eliminate the short circuit risk.

Your 2020 Kia Sorento has a strong gasoline smell coming from the driver's side wheel well area and under the hood that persists whether the car is parked or running. Two independent mechanics have confirmed the odor but couldn't identify the source or any visible leak. The smell has also become noticeable inside the vehicle, which is concerning for safety. A fuel system inspection and possible replacement of fuel lines, fuel injectors, or the fuel filter housing may be needed to locate and fix the source of the odor.

Your check engine light came on indicating a misfire in cylinder 4. Even after replacing all spark plugs and the coil pack, your car still has trouble accelerating, especially at higher speeds, even though the light went out. The underlying issue may involve fuel delivery, compression, or valve timing that wasn't addressed by the spark plug and coil pack replacement.

Your car is consuming oil at an unusually high rate, which has caused your engine to require 8 spark plugs to be replaced and is making the vehicle dangerous to drive. The dealer is refusing to cover this issue under warranty.