Vehicle starting 'eating' excessive amounts of oil about 95,000 miles. We are now about 115,000 miles and I am adding nearly 5 quarts of oil every 3,000 miles
2019 Kia Sorento
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2019 Kia Sorento do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 242.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Sorento years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
114 reports with mileage · 312 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine. Review the 155 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 68 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Structure. Review the 54 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Engine complaints
155 reportsOn Saturday February 7th, while driving home, the vehicle suddenly caught fire without any warning. Within moments, the fire intensified, and I was forced to jump out of the vehicle to save my life. Shortly afterward, the vehicle exploded. The car was completely destroyed. Every item inside was charred, and I barely escaped wit…
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On Saturday February 7th, while driving home, the vehicle suddenly caught fire without any warning. Within moments, the fire intensified, and I was forced to jump out of the vehicle to save my life. Shortly afterward, the vehicle exploded. The car was completely destroyed. Every item inside was charred, and I barely escaped with my life. A police report was filed. Both the manufacturer and insurance company were notified as well as the bank that the vehicle was purchased from. There were no warning lights or messages prior to. When the vehicle caught fire, all warning lights came on at the same time. Following this incident, I began researching similar cases and was alarmed to learn that fires and engine‑related failures appear to be a common issue in this model. Despite this, I was never notified of any recall, safety advisory, or service campaign related to fire risks. Had I been informed, I would have taken immediate action to prevent such a catastrophic and dangerous event.
A failing alternator caused me to take my kia into a mechanic for OEM replacement. The mechanic informed me that the engine rattles. I got to talking with the mechanic and told him that my car has been experiencing high oil consumption with no 'low oil' warning light on the dash and ive checked my oil periodically between change…
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A failing alternator caused me to take my kia into a mechanic for OEM replacement. The mechanic informed me that the engine rattles. I got to talking with the mechanic and told him that my car has been experiencing high oil consumption with no 'low oil' warning light on the dash and ive checked my oil periodically between changes and have found the dip stick bone dry multiple times. A year later, my alternator failed AGAIN and was replaced with another OEM part. The same mechanic told me that the engine is still rattling (i hadnt gotten it fixed/diagnosed because i am low income) and that he found out there had been a recall for Kia Sotento engines with my vehicle date range. Upon research, I find thousands of people on different platforms are also experiencing high oil consumption and there was actually a recall. When I checked my VIN, my vehicle was NOT part of the recall. There seems to be a high number of consumers who have the SAME issue, but are also NOT included in the original recall and we are all being told that unless we pay for a new engine out of pocket, there's NOTHING that can be done. High oil consumption with NO warning light is DANGEROUS. How is it possible that only HALF of the vehicles with the SAME defect are eligible for a recall/repair and the rest of us are S.O.L? I am the second owner of this vehicle and purchased from a used lot, however Kia knew about this defect before I purchased the vehicle from the used lot. The used car dealership no longer exists so I can't even ask them if Kia made them aware (which they potentially did not since my VIN isn't considered eligible anyways) This issue needs to be rectified for the thousands of consumers/customers that are experiencing this problem and I strongly suggest a new investigation be conducted for the remaining vehicles that were manufactured in the same time frame as the vehicles that ARE covered. My vehicle has only 90K miles on it!
The oil pressure switch on my 2019 KIA Sorento comes on when coming to a stop. This has occurred even after an oil change and checking the oil the dip stick showed full. I understand that Kia had a recall on these sensors for Kia Sorentos up to year models 2018 but evidently the problem with this sensor has not been resolved and…
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The oil pressure switch on my 2019 KIA Sorento comes on when coming to a stop. This has occurred even after an oil change and checking the oil the dip stick showed full. I understand that Kia had a recall on these sensors for Kia Sorentos up to year models 2018 but evidently the problem with this sensor has not been resolved and presents a major possibility of fire occurring due to oil leakage. I believe Kia for safety sake should be required to replace this faulty sensor at no cost to the owner
The contact owns a 2019 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that there was an engine oil leak on the driveway. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a fractured oil pan, causing the engine oil leak. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer; however, the …
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The contact owns a 2019 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that there was an engine oil leak on the driveway. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a fractured oil pan, causing the engine oil leak. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to the VIN not being under recall. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign: 19V101000 (Engine); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 38,500.
The engine is completely burning all of the oil. I can feel a hesitation in the engine while driving
The contact owned a 2019 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed in stop-and-go traffic, the driver noticed smoke emerging from under the hood, pulled over, exited the vehicle, opened the hood, and saw flames. The contact removed items from the vehicle and exited safely. The fire department was ab…
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The contact owned a 2019 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an unknown speed in stop-and-go traffic, the driver noticed smoke emerging from under the hood, pulled over, exited the vehicle, opened the hood, and saw flames. The contact removed items from the vehicle and exited safely. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire. There were no reported injuries, airbag deployment, or crash. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The local dealer was contacted, who referred to the manufacturer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by the insurance company. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 90,000.
It need to fill the oil ever two to three weeks - oil consumption? Now this morning it has the a lot of oil in the ground - I won’t drive the car
At 79,000, the engine started running very rough. I took it to the dealer. It’s got a cylinder that won’t fire. I have an extended warranty( big $!) but I’m getting the runaround from Kia. It’s been almost 3 weeks. They’re dragging their feet because they know these Theta II engines are JUNK! I’ve maintained my own vehicles my e…
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At 79,000, the engine started running very rough. I took it to the dealer. It’s got a cylinder that won’t fire. I have an extended warranty( big $!) but I’m getting the runaround from Kia. It’s been almost 3 weeks. They’re dragging their feet because they know these Theta II engines are JUNK! I’ve maintained my own vehicles my entire adult life, and I don’t drive crazy either. It also had a knock sensor recall, which most likely kept this issue from being a recall
Oil pressure sensor light came on when I would stop or park after 10-20 minutes of driving. Vehicle was low on oil so I added a quart. About a week later the light came on again so I took it to get oil changed at an independent shop. They said a change wasn’t necessary as I still had 2000 miles left, but said they would top it o…
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Oil pressure sensor light came on when I would stop or park after 10-20 minutes of driving. Vehicle was low on oil so I added a quart. About a week later the light came on again so I took it to get oil changed at an independent shop. They said a change wasn’t necessary as I still had 2000 miles left, but said they would top it off if needed. It was half a quart low so they topped it off. On the way home the light came on again. Took it to the dealership where it was diagnosed as an oil pressure sensor failure. Vehicle has 103,000 miles so I was out of warranty. This vehicle is not eligible for the extended warranty for the oil pressure sensor issue provided by Kia as the extended warranty was only for models up to 2018, or vehicles manufactured up until March 2018. This is a 2019 that was manufactured in April 2018. Because of how close the model year and manufacture date is to the Kia provided extended warranty, it is apparent the issue was not corrected for this model year either and it should be part of the extended warranty.
Official recalls
223V639000 · Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera
Sep 15, 2023
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2019 Sorento vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, water may leak into the rearview camera, which can cause the rearview camera image not to appear on the display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A rearview camera that does not display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the rearview camera and add additional water proofing to the camera harness, or replace the camera as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 8, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC282.
22V703000 · Trailer Hitches
Sep 19, 2022
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Sorento, 2021-2022 Sorento Hybrid (HEV), 2022-2023 Sorento Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV), and 2017-2022 Sportage vehicles equipped with a tow hitch harness installed as original equipment, or purchased as an accessory through a Kia dealership. Debris and moisture accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (PCB) may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will inspect the vehicle, and, as necessary, replace the fuse and/or tow hitch harness module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 11, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC249.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1DP22003 · Loss Of Motive Power
Opened Sep 12, 2022 · Closed Dec 12, 2023
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated July 13, 2022, petitioning the Agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain Hyundai Motor America, Inc. and Kia America, Inc. vehicles spanning Model Years (MY) 2005-2021. The Petitioners cited examples of complaints indicating that the subject vehicles were experiencing rapid loss of engine oil due to oil drain plug back outs, resulting in loss of motive power and/or catastrophic engine damage. Additional complaints were provided which alleged that the oil drain pans lack sufficient structural integrity and are susceptible to cracking. The petition itself can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI number 11481745. On September 12, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Defect Petition (DP22-003) to evaluate the Petitioners’ request. The Petitioners have provided additional complaints within four supplemental letters dated January 31, 2023, March 21, 2023, May 23, 2023, and August 4, 2023. ODI’s evaluation included the review and analysis of the complaints and supporting information submitted by the Petitioners, as well as additional complaints submitted directly to NHTSA which referenced either the oil drain plug or a crack in the oil pan. After reviewing the available data, ODI has not identified evidence that would support opening a defect investigation into the oil drain pan assemblies of the subject vehicles. Based on a review of the available information, a loss of motive power resulting from an oil drain plug back out has not occurred between the initial sale of a vehicle and the completion of its first oil change. If during an oil change service, a technician fails to remove the existing drain plug gasket before installing a new gasket, it is likely that a proper seal between the drain plug and the oil pan will not be made. An improper seal between the drain plug and oil pan could lead to the backing out on the drain plug, resulting in the sudden loss of oil while driving. Additionally, the provided examples of oil pan cracks were localized to the immediate vicinity of the oil drain plug and/or appeared to be the result of direct-contact with a tool during servicing. There is no information to support that a vehicle-based defect exists relating to the oil pan assembly, and instead the documented incidents are related to the failure to follow the proper maintenance procedures during oil change service. In October 2023, Hyundai published a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) that provided detailed instructions for oil change service on its gasoline powered vehicles, specifically highlighting the need to remove and replace the existing drain plug gasket prior to reinstalling the drain plug. After a thorough review of the material submitted by the petitioner, the information already in NHTSA's possession, and the potential risks to motor vehicle safety implicated by the petitioners' allegations, NHTSA does not believe that a formal investigation is warranted. Therefore, the petition is denied. A Federal Register Notice (FRN) further detailing NHTSA’s reasons for denial of the petition will be published. The reference numbers for the complaints to NHTSA cited by the petitioner can be found in the petition submission documents in the public file for DP22-003. To review those complaints and the additional complaints ODI added to its evaluation which are cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.
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