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Share your annoying things about your Sorento

74K views 301 replies 67 participants last post by  CrazyBiker 
#1 ·
Had my Sorento for about 3 months and I couldn't find a thread for annoyances about the Sorento so here it goes..

-When car is running you get out to go pass side or any door other than driver side ie(forgot to get something or let my dog out) and the doors are locked.. even with the key fob in the pocket press the button it doesnt do anything. This goes for the rear hatch as well. Then have to go all the way back to driver side to hit unlock.. my top complaint!!

-Overhead buttons are not lit up at night. (map lights, moon roof etc)

-Sunvisor LED mirror lights are worthless.

-No LED plate lights on models with LED tail lights.

-Side mirrors have no dimming (not sure if this is part of the tech package)

-Lock/Unlock button on both sides no LED on unlock.. I mean a .25 cent LED Kia really?

-No front parking sensors when you have the rear ones.

-Rear Parking sensor button on LED goes on and off at will. But it does work when the LED is on or off when reversing.

-No daytime running LEDs like most other 2016 higher end cars have.

-Getting the spare tire in and out if you have a hitch installed.

-Front engine splash guard a bit pita to remove to do oil changes.

-Front license plate mounting.. no bracket provided..
 
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#2 ·
Had my Sorento for about 3 months and I couldn't find a thread for annoyances about the Sorento so here it goes..

-When car is running you get out to go pass side or any door other than driver side ie(forgot to get something or let my dog out) and the doors are locked.. even with the key fob in the pocket press the button it doesnt do anything. This goes for the rear hatch as well. Then have to go all the way back to driver side to hit unlock.. my top complaint!!
Doesn't do it on mine
-Overhead buttons are not lit up at night. (map lights, moon roof etc)

-Sunvisor LED mirror lights are worthless.
They do the job, unless you are a woman :D

-No LED plate lights on models with LED tail lights.
Easily Fixed

-Side mirrors have no dimming (not sure if this is part of the tech package)

-Lock/Unlock button on both sides no LED on unlock.. I mean a .25 cent LED Kia really?

-No front parking sensors when you have the rear ones.

-Rear Parking sensor button on LED goes on and off at will. But it does work when the LED is on or off when reversing.

-No daytime running LEDs like most other 2016 higher end cars have.

-Getting the spare tire in and out if you have a hitch installed.

-Front engine splash guard a bit pita to remove to do oil changes.

-Front license plate mounting.. no bracket provided.. Dealer already had a bracket mounted
Agreed to all
Adding mine and I have already made separate threads on them.

  1. Poor POI database
  2. No Key linked memory seat/mirror settings
  3. No memory mirrors and infotainment settings
  4. No rain sensing wipers
  5. No Auto high beam
  6. No access lever to 3rd row on driver side
  7. No memory and power steering adjustment
  8. No self park as it is available in Europe
  9. It allows inputting addresses while driving but requires to be in P for all other settings including Yelp app
  10. No 4-way adjustable headrests even if features mention it
  11. No LED headlights - not sure its a good or bad thing
  12. No cooling glove box as Sedona has it
  13. No sports steering wheel like the Sportage
 
#6 ·
-Sunvisor LED mirror lights are worthless.
They do the job, unless you are a woman

-No LED plate lights on models with LED tail lights.
Easily Fixed
Well when you wear contacts it's helpful and yes my woman tells me they are too dim lol

Yes the LED plate light is matched now.. just annoyed it did not match from the factory.

No steering adjustments like on the Hyundai. I really miss that.
Lack of DRL is just silly
What do you mean by steering adjustment? You mean like a telescopic adjustment?
DRL was not a must have.. just would have been nice to have!

BrianC
Agreed no cutout on the hitch. But it doesn't look too bad I guess. The hitch is pretty high up right under the bumper.

Dardsa
I'll let you know if anything changes. But honestly doesnt really bother me as long as it works.
 
#4 · (Edited)
I can only think of 3 worth mentioning..... 2 are because I have an ex. Otherwise I love it.

The ring volume is the she as the call volume so it is crazy loud at times when the phone rings..... very frustrating.

The rear camera screen is too small and the radio interface isn't so good.

The rear bumper has no cut out for a trailer hitch.....absurd Kia! Why wouldn't they have a freaking cut out/design it this way!
 
#5 ·
Parking Sensor LED on / off

Had my Sorento for about 3 months and I couldn't find a thread for annoyances about the Sorento so here it goes..

-Rear Parking sensor button on LED goes on and off at will. But it does work when the LED is on or off when reversing.

..
I had a separate thread on this item. And have noticed had the same behaviour

To recap - for the summer i installed a bike rack. therefore i depress the button (i.e. LED is on and parking sensor is off). the switch stays this way for the day (vehicle parked in an open garage for the time) i am then able to reverse with no noise alert. However next morning when i reverse the car the button is now lifted (that is, LED is off and parking sensor is on). appeared to be on a 24-hour cycle which led the dealer to think this might be a software setting not available to users. However Kia engineers were not willing to look at this unless he confirmed this behaviour by keeping the vehicle for a few days.

the dealer did replace teh switch to isolate teh problem but no change in behaviour. car parked over night outside wil have the LED off once and on another time. I did notice that with the car in an open parking garage and on a very humid day the parking sensor LED was off 4 hours after LED being set to on. I noticed then that my closed home garage is also very humid because of the heat from the engine when parked. The dealer thinks there is no connection given the vehicle is turned off for the duration.

if youu can track the behaviour of this LED sensor and report it might get Kia to pay attention. Vast majority of drivers never turn off the sensor and those who do will do so only for the duration of the summer so it is a minor irritant rather than a safety issue - given as you noted it works once the button is set. Thanks in advance
 
#8 ·
@scosgt and @CrazyBiker - both of you mentioned steering adjustment. like @benzo555 i'd like to understand that one better. the SX model does have tilt and telescopic but manual, not power which if it existed would likely be saved in memory as well
@benzo555 - agree with you on the LED switch. a minor irritant but i figured i would log it with teh dealer in teh event time (or humidity) do kill or otherwise cause that switch to malfunction.
 
#10 ·
The Hyundai, both my Sonata and my Santa Fe, have three different steering settings - comfort, normal and sport. The comfort being the "lightest". The Sorento is set closest to the "sport" on the Hyundai. I find the comfort too light, but it is good in city driving. I use normal most of the time. But it is nice to have the choice, the comfort setting does make slow speed driving and parking much easier.
 
#12 ·
He means that the button on the interior armrest to lock/unlock the doors is only illuminated on the "lock" side.

In my opinion, the illumination allows you to find the button, if you can't by feel. I don't see why you would need both sides of the switch to be illuminated.
 
#13 ·
So I have a few new annoyances:

1. The handle button on the drivers side works intermittently. Sometimes if will lock/unlock the door, other times it is DEAD.

2. Yesterday I had no sound from the sound system. Had to turn the car off to reboot the system.

3. Sometimes have no backup camera. Have to turn the car off to reboot the system.
 
#26 · (Edited)
At least our list doesn't have anything like this on it! :laugh: That is more than annoying!

2016 Honda Pilot Elite Review - Long-Term Update 3

The ZF 9 speed auto is a piece of crap!!!! Honda needs to fast track their in house 10 speed auto!

There was a part of me that after getting my Sorento thought maybe I should have considered the Pilot harder. It wasn't too different in price, is much quicker (especially with the 9 speed auto), and is bigger (which for me in some ways is a negative) but...... it isn't as refined, has worse handling, the interior isn't as nice, to me it doesn't look as good, it has a worse warranty, and the 9 speed is pure garbage! I believe the 6 speed in the Pilot is a decent trans but not available on the higher level models....
 
#27 ·
I'll never buy a Honda/Acura ever again besides their 4 bangers. Had an older Acura TL and they were notorious for transmission failures. This included all their V6 Accords, Odysseys, MDX CL from that era. Sounds like they still can't build a proper transmission on their V6s.
 
#30 ·
"[The ZF 9 speed auto is a piece of crap!!!! Honda needs to fast track their in house 10 speed auto!
There was a part of me that after getting my Sorento thought maybe I should have considered the Pilot harder. It wasn't too different in price, is much quicker (especially with the 9 speed auto), and is bigger (which for me in some ways is a negative) but...... it isn't as refined, has worse handling, the interior isn't as nice, to me it doesn't look as good, it has a worse warranty, and the 9 speed is pure garbage! I believe the 6 speed in the Pilot is a decent trans but not available on the higher level models"

The Sorento gives you all the safety features (package or all on SXL 2017) AND navigation with its 6 speed transmission. I don't want the 9 Speed Pilot and you can't get the navigation and all the safety features on a top of the line 6 speed 2016 Pilot (EX-L), only one or the other, the reason I am giving Honda a chance to combine them on the 2017 Pilot which I would test drive again. I would then need a test drive of the 2017 Sorento to see about the headrests before deciding. The 2016 Sorento had a very nice feel and should give exactly the same ride, shouldn't it ? As I will keep it for 8-10 years I am not concerned with differences in Kia resale value.
 
#38 ·
Getting back on-topic for my 2016 SX-T:

1. Moonroof needs constant rubber guide lubrication or it will not close. (Design flaw IMO)
2. A/V Nav system constantly "Updating Contacts" when you start the car and BT connects.

Other than that, not much about this vehicle is annoying. It is a real pleasure to drive and the general population has no clue what a hidden gem this SUV is for luxury and comfort. Instead they shell out $5-10K more on a Nissan or Toyota and get less comfort and options and look down on the Sorento just because of the brand. Little do they know it drives like a luxury model (MDX etc.)...

I now own my 2012 Optima EX outright and have had ZERO issues w/it unlike all the other cars I have previously owned that were North American. KIA is still certainly the most underrated brand on the market.
 
#39 ·
If it makes you feel better, the Ford Edge 2015/2016 has the same issue with the panoramic sun/moon/star roof. Although I thought I read on this forum that Kia had an actual fix for the roof issue as people had reported that lubrication didn't solve the issue always? But maybe I'm remembering wrong.

thanks for the Nav unit info. Will remember to test for that on the 2017 if our local dealers ever get any of the SXL V6 in stock.
 
#43 ·
I picked the Graphite paint color as it closely matched the plastic trim running around the lower perimeter of the car. However, has anyone else noticed that it gets dirty and is very hard to clean? It turns a brown/light grey color when it is dirty and does not come off with soap and water. I have some Turtle Wax Ice synthetic wax and detailer which does help return it to the original color.

Also, the plastic trim inside the cargo area scratches and marks very easily. I'm not that concerned since I bought this CUV more as a tool than a piece of art. But I was surprised that it got scratched after the first use.
 
#48 ·
Nice to see fellow graphitee here :)

No, I did not notice the effect you are describing on my car. I actually like how graphite masks dust and dirt very well. We did not have much rain this summer, so I don't know what the look would be after driving though puddles of water, but so far the color really pays off on my car. On the other hand, my friends have also decided to lease Sorento SXL, but preferred Black exterior. They now complain constantly that their car looks dirty.
 
#44 · (Edited)
I had this list in another thread but here it is, somewhat truncated, for the sake of posterity.

1. The paint job is probably the worst I've seen on a car in 15 years. Aside from orange peel on every panel, the panels were dirty when they sprayed them. There are all sorts of below paint defects from debris on the panel they just sprayed over. The drivers side mirror trim (the black "trim" part on the inside, next to the mirror) is particularly horrid. Honestly I could get over it, but these are going to turn into places where the paint chips off after a bunch of years.

2. The metal scuff plates aren't stainless or at least aren't a high-grade stainless. Mine came to me with rust marks. I detailed it all off, but still. And they are already scuffed thanks to my wife. Going to order replacements and have clear vinyl (3M?) applied over them as a sacrificial layer.

3. Drivers seat range of seat adjustment is fairly limited. In order to get the seat to bucket, we have it bottomed out on the floor and the front tilt all the way up. Kia saved a buck by limiting how far the motors moved the seat.

6. The cooled seat option doesn't work all that well. Either the perforations are too small or, more likely, the helper fan is weak. Compared to an explorer I sat in recently, it's like the Kia's aren't even on. You could play air hockey on the Explorer seats when it was turned all the way up.

7. I have to press the "confirm" button on the infotainment display every single time I start the car. Extremely obnoxious. It does not go off by itself either. I've waited quite a while.

8. We've had the backup camera go dark on us several times now if we start the car and immediately switch into reverse. It seems to do it occasionally as part of a boot-up cycle. Not fun if you are already moving and looking at it.

9. No DRL. Seriously? It's been said before but it's almost standard procedure now for a car that MSRP's in the mid-40's. Even an $18K honda civic has them. Big miss here. If someone came out with aftermarket fogs that had them integrated as a trim piece, I'd probably get them. But again, for a car that aspires to play in this price range, this is a big miss.

10. The drivers seat has a convenience feature to move down and back to help you get in and out if you are short. The problem is, you can't set how far down and how far back it moves. This is an issue because we have a car seat behind the driver (and passenger) and we realized it crushed the car seat the first time it did this with one installed as it moved down and back. So, we had to disable it. It wouldn't have been difficult if you could have set the extent to which it went down and back. Sadly, it's all or nothing, and the "normal" and "extended" modes don't help.

11. The climate control system doesn't actually ever turn off when it is off. If at any speed over 20, you can feel air coming through the vents when the system is off. I had a 20-year old Audi that didn't do this. A simple flap actuated when the system was off stopping air getting forced through. When I'm sitting behind a belching diesel in stop and go traffic, I like to turn this off until I move away from that vehicle. Also, it's a bit fiddly to get the AC compressor to turn off. You have to get off auto mode, turn on the ac, and then turn it off again to apparently turn the compressor off. If you just switch off auto, the compressor stays on despite the AC light not being on.

12. The USB cables for the center console under the black shiny plastic cubby doesn't have an escape route for the cable. I have seen other manufacturers do this and it makes sense. Also, the center console arm rest also doesn't have an escape hole for a USB cable. Yes, you can still close it if you get a cheap/soft USB cable, and we do that but it really locks the cable in place. It's a 1-second design decision Kia didn't think about.

13. The "carpet" that tucks under the second row seat when you are using the third row seat is sort of dangling there. It's supposed to be helped in place by a bit of elastic but it's cheap and doesn't really work, so it sort of hangs down on one side of the car while it's tucked up nice and tight on the other side. Just cheap materials.

14. The transmission won't stay in sport mode and only remembers normal and "eco". I'm learning to live with Eco, but I prefer sport and it's obnoxious to have to click the silly button every time I get in the car.

15. The interior sunshade for the pano roof squeaks a bit when closing after being all the way open. Meh. I can probably fix with some waterproof grease and a qtip, but I'll just use it a few more months and see if it will self-lube itself a bit before I try.

16. The bug screen on the sunroof just seems like something that isn't durable and how do you clean the bugs out of it? Other vehicles have plastic air/bug deflectors that pop up rather than some sort of mesh fabric.

17. I'm not confident the forward collision auto-braking actually works. Someone said this is speed-dependent? It seems like a feature you'd like at anything over 10MPH. My wife nearly creamed someone in stop-and-go heavy traffic on the highway and the car never did anything about it on its own, so I'm pretty sure it doesn't really work. The sonar-powered auto-cruise does work however, so I don't know, but she was pedal-to-the-floor braking and really she must have missed the car by inches. Just to say in her defence, not her fault, someone pulled in front of her and came to a full stop, so she didn't have/wasn't aggressive about increasing the following distance between cars. Just one of those d-bags who switches lanes every minute in stop and go like they will get somewhere faster, without ever considering they just pulled right in front of someone.

18. No forward parking sensors. Again, on a $40K car, I expect to have them.

19. I don't think the third row seat is actually leather. Kia doesn't seem to state this anywhere, but it's clearly made of different material than the front seat.

20. It feels like only the perforated leather on the drivers and second row seats are leather, and the rest is vinyl. I know that supposedly they all have a vinyl spray on them, but really, they feel like vinyl so I think they are. Nothing like other leather seats I've owned or test drove from other manufacturers.

21. The transmission is just okay. Basically, in eco mode, it shifts up into high gears very aggressively for the sake of gas mileage and then if you encounter a hill or any sort of resistance, the engine/transmission shudders a little. This is more than likely the torque converter and you can feel it because of the low engine RPM's, but it just feels unsettling/cheap. They should have used a sensor to identify when you are on a hill and force a downshift. Sport mode just obnoxiously holds the gear forever. At 65MPH in sport mode it won't shift into 6th. That's not what defines sport for me. Faster shifts are. In general, the transmission is OK for most situations, but I guess I'm just used to a better auto transmission.

22. You have to pay extra for a cargo net or cargo cover and for floor mats. Again, for a car positioning itself in the mid to upper 40's, this is not in keeping with the competition which just include these items rather than making them dealer profit centers. I haven't seen a good aftermarket or OEM unit at any significant savings off fleabay either.

23. No multi-color interior lighting. Ford has this on their least expensive cars. Sure, not a big deal, but not expensive to implement either.

24. Random bulbs are not LED's like the bulb illuminating the driver footwell and the rear plate. I guess Kia saved a few pennies not using LED's?

25. There isn't any way to actually get back to the CD screen or activate playing the CD again after stopping (like switching to the radio) without ejecting and re-inserting the disc. There is an icon for CD's but it's buried way down in a menu somewhere - I saw it once. Clearly not something you are going to do while you are driving. Now, if you could only set it to favorites or something.

26. The little clear film on the rear doors. I get the idea, but the square is so small, it's not really doing much there. They saved a few pennies by not having it larger I guess.

27. POI and nav database is weak like others have said.
 
#45 ·
6. The cooled seat option doesn't work all that well. Either the perforations are too small or, more likely, the helper fan is weak. Compared to an explorer I sat in recently, it's like the Kia's aren't even on. You could play air hockey on the Explorer seats when it was turned all the way up.
It is a ventilated seat. It just has a fan integrated into the seat blowing whatever temperature air it is in the car through the seat. There is no connection to the climate control system...which is why they just call it a ventilated seat and not a cooled seat.

7. I have to press the "confirm" button on the infotainment display every single time I start the car. Extremely obnoxious. It does not go off by itself either. I've waited quite a while.
This was an issue on early software versions for this head unit but was fixed long ago. Should go off after approx. 15 seconds.

9. No DRL. Seriously? It's been said before but it's almost standard procedure now for a car that MSRP's in the mid-40's. Even an $18K honda civic has them. Big miss here. If someone came out with aftermarket fogs that had them integrated as a trim piece, I'd probably get them. But again, for a car that aspires to play in this price range, this is a big miss.
If you pay attention I think you'd be surprised how many cars DON'T have DRL's...including cars/trucks that cost more than the Sorento.

11. The climate control system doesn't actually ever turn off when it is off. If at any speed over 20, you can feel air coming through the vents when the system is off. I had a 20-year old Audi that didn't do this. A simple flap actuated when the system was off stopping air getting forced through.
Every car I've owned has worked this way. It is just air flowing through the car due to movement. If there was no airflow through the car with the way they are sealed these days there would be no fresh air and on a long trip you'd probably eventually pass out.

19. I don't think the third row seat is actually leather. Kia doesn't seem to state this anywhere, but it's clearly made of different material than the front seat.
It isn't and they do. The leather seating is listed as first and second rows.


And wow...you seem pretty unhappy with the Sorento to have found that many complaints about it.
 
#47 ·
Paint is perfect on my car and looks awesome. Only thing is I noticed some droplets from overspray inside the door panels. Not a biggie. And in SXL we have Nappa leather on all seats as well as doors and handrests.
 
#52 ·
And in SXL we have Nappa leather on all seats as well as doors and handrests.
The headrests and armrests are not leather, they're vinyl or what some refer to as pleather (plastic leather). The seats are sort of kind of leather. They're made from hides that don't make the cut for real leather seats. They're embossed with a simulated leather grain pattern and then coated with urethane (also plastic).

Real leather seats smells like leather, these seats don't.
 
#58 ·
I would like the auto-open rear hatch to also work when the vehicle is unlocked. I do not usually lock the vehicle when running in for groceries or carrying things from the house etc. I have found myself standing and waiting for the hatch to open only to realize it is not going to happen!

I am not sure if there is a safety reg on this one but when I pull up to drop someone off and I just leave it in D and apply the brake they cannot open the doors. I need to either use my door unlock switch or put the vehicle in P. When the vehicle is stopped I think the doors should be able to open.
 
#59 ·
I would like the auto-open rear hatch to also work when the vehicle is unlocked. I do not usually lock the vehicle when running in for groceries or carrying things from the house etc. I have found myself standing and waiting for the hatch to open only to realize it is not going to happen!
When researching the Sorento the salesperson specifically mentioned on 3 different occasions that the rear hatch auto open would not work if I had unlocked the car first. because of that I figured this was a much complained about issue. He did tell me that if i had unlocked the vehicle the solution would be to lock the vehicle step away a few metres and then go around to the hatch and it should work as expected.
 
#62 ·
Smart Cruise Control Conditions Not Met...WTF??

I engage the Cruise button, the Cruise light comes on on the panel. Then I click the 'Set' on the steering wheel and get:

Smart Cruise Control Conditions Not Met...WTF??

Still don't see the orange circle showing the Cruise setting on the speedometer.

What 'Conditions"??

I press the "Cancel" button and the Cruise indication stays on and no change.

I've had this happen before and after the engine is shut down and restarted later it works. This really sux when on a trip.

There are some real glitches on this vehicle!! And KIA services just shrugs!

Well... what do we expect for $40+K??
 
#63 ·
I engage the Cruise button, the Cruise light comes on on the panel. Then I click the 'Set' on the steering wheel and get:

Smart Cruise Control Conditions Not Met...WTF??

Still don't see the orange circle showing the Cruise setting on the speedometer.

What 'Conditions"??

I press the "Cancel" button and the Cruise indication stays on and no change.

I've had this happen before and after the engine is shut down and restarted later it works. This really sux when on a trip.

There are some real glitches on this vehicle!! And KIA services just shrugs!

Well... what do we expect for $40+K??
All I can comment is RTFM!
 
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