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Kia Sorento Transmission Problems

2

Comments

  • sportsmom1908sportsmom1908 Member Posts: 6
    Thanks for the info mcdonald340. The trans in my 2011 KIA just went and I was over 300 miles from home. They provided me with the rental and hopefully they will have it fixed soon. I really do not need it shipped back to me as my son goes to school up there so we go and see him play hockey. Glad to hear they finally shipped it for you! I will contact the NHTSA with my problem as well. There is def an issue with the trans on this vehicle!
  • mcdonald340mcdonald340 Member Posts: 16
    All, our KIA is now broken again. The Transmission is not fixed and the symptoms are as follows: you put the car in Drive and the vehicle does not move and only a grinding sound occurs, then you move the transmission shift up and down and after a few moments it generally goes into gear. I am pursuing the State of Texas Lemon Law at this point and have already sent the certified letter to KIA Motorcars of America and I'm filing another NHTSA complaint via "Safecar.gov". After 7 KIA's, I don't know if I want another one? Will depend on how they handle the Lemon Law Complaint. Buyer beware on KIA Sorento's. :lemon:
  • sportsmom1908sportsmom1908 Member Posts: 6
    Thanks for the info. I am still waiting for mine to be fixed. I am supposed to have it back by Friday. I will look out for the problems you have mentioned. When did you buy yours? I was one of the first to purchase this model last January.
  • mcdonald340mcdonald340 Member Posts: 16
    Purchased vehicle in February of 2010 in Texas. Just filed second National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration complaint. www.safecar.gov
    Good luck and I sincerely hope, for all KIA owners, you and others whom suffer from same mechanical problem, you find the time to file a complaint on the aforementioned web site as this is the ONLY way a recall will take place. Good luck to you and yours. :)
  • sportsmom1908sportsmom1908 Member Posts: 6
    Yes I did file a complaint with the NHTSA. I am just glad I was going under 10mph when the trans went. I could have been on a major highway. I was over 300 miles from home when it happened.
  • mcdonald340mcdonald340 Member Posts: 16
    www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov please take note of the website. This is the address for online complaint to the Federal Agency with the power and authority to force a recall. If anyone whom has a problem with their vehicle will file a complaint, then and only then, will a recall ensue. It only takes a couple of moments and you can also review other complaints on a particular vehicle pre or post purchase. Please file your complaints and thank you to those whom do. The life you save may be your own!
  • sportsmom1908sportsmom1908 Member Posts: 6
    I got my Sorento back within a week of the transmission going. My husband drove it back from Massachusetts and so far so good. I was very happy with the service and attention I received. How are you making out with yours. I hope you get a speedy solution.
  • heahterheahter Member Posts: 1
    I also have a 05 sorento.. we have had noting but problems with it.. I bet in the last 6 years it has been in the shop.. 40 times,new batteries at 5,000 miles, wiring problems gas tank problems, a new transmission at 50,000 miles to a new exhaust at 60,000, now today we are blinkers dont work.. The best part is that fact that we live in WI and they gave us a car that was going to CA so every part we have to get cost more and more, This car was never made to be in the cold all the time and we also have freezing problems.. when ever we bring it in for a prob. the tec. describe the problem as something different for the transmission it was in for 6 different times before it just went out while we were driving so they had to fix it then..
  • mcdonald340mcdonald340 Member Posts: 16
    After 6 and 1/2 weeks of being fixed for transmission problems, and the vehicle accelerating on its own, KIA states "We cant duplicate your concern." As soon as I got off the phone, I submitted all the info to an Lawyer Referal site. Hope to be represented by tomorrow. Will let you all know and please file claims, on ANY BROKEN VEHICLE, with the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration at www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/. This is the only way a vehicle will be recalled by the US Government. It only takes a couple of moments and you could help save a life. Will keep you posted.
  • casskimmcasskimm Member Posts: 1
    edited February 2011
    Our First family vehicle has turned into a nightmare with a payment!" Driving in cruise control going abt 70 suddenly with no warning sounded like a bomb went off under the driver seat,Sorento stalled to nearly stopped and had no power,had to drive abt 20 mph on hwy to get home luckily was not far." This is what my husband said when he walked in from driving home from work!
    I am a stay at home mother of a 1yr old and the primary driver of this vehicle.Thank God it wasn't me and my daughter in the vehicle when this happened! As I am reading all these post I see many of them could have been a serious accident,not sure if KIA is just waiting for an accident before any action is taken to do something about this!!!!!! The KIA service department called the problem a pressure control solenoid valve,and would have to completely REPLACE the TRANSMISSION,it only took 3 days to replace BUT got it home and are experiencing a weird noise under the Sorento when going over bump, sharp turn, or just while driving sounds like something lifting and dropping back down sounds heavy! We are filing a claim into the Lemon Law with the BBB Auto Line. KIA Corp. contacted us and offered to pay a car payment for some compensation(sorry but thats not going to make me feel any safer traveling with my small child)The Dealer ship saying "this is the safest car on the road" is a joke.Corp also made the comment the Lemon Law doesn't apply unless the problem cant be fixed but we will see. We want OUT of this vehicle!!!So glad I found these post, The 2011 Sorento needs to be recalled before someones life is taken due to an un admittable prob. by KIA!
  • mcdonald340mcdonald340 Member Posts: 16
    Glad no one was injured. PLEASE File a complaint with the email I posted above or at www.safecar.gov then "Vehicle Owners" then "file a complaint". Once a certain number of complaints are filed, the United States Government (National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration) will force KIA to recall ALL SORENTO's. Thanks for replying. You may save someone's life by filing the complaint and you can do it online in 3 minutes!
  • stempelstempel Member Posts: 1
    :( bought 2011 sorenta feb/2010, loved the vehicle, big step up from the neon that we were driving. now, one year later, feb/2011 went to accel on entrance ramp to major hiway, heard crunching noises there was no acceleration w/ gas pedal pushed down, pulled to the shoulder, in park it ran fine, put it back in gear & crunching noises non stop. police came by & put out road flares for our safety, this occurred at night, we were lucky,had to tow to nearest dealer, next day they tell me that transmission needs replacing.gave me a loaner, supposed to be four days till it is ready. still waiting - hate it :(
    has anyone had any problems w/ the second transmission that was put in???
  • mcdonald340mcdonald340 Member Posts: 16
    We are still having problems with 2nd transmission. We now have an Attorney (that should pretty much tell the story). Hope you have better luck than we did with KIA, and by the way, it was our 7th KIA, and last. Hope you have time to file a complaint on www.safecar.gov - vehicle owners-file a complaint. If nothing else - you can view the multiple complaints on the KIA Sorento by other owners. Good luck. :lemon:
  • crissygcrissyg Member Posts: 4
    After doing a general search on kia's with transmission issues, I came accross this site. To be honest, I AM SICK! I bought a brand new 2011 Kia Sorento on December 2010. On April 14th, I was headed to work and it felt like I hit a brick wall. My car then would not shift gears and it would barely pull out. So I called a tow truck to haul to nearest Kia dealer. (Hometown Kia in Beckley) The tow truck was going to take 3 hours so my husband met me ad decided to drive it the 3 miles to the dealership. Once we got in there, the VERY FIRST thing the service guy said was "you didn't buy it from here did you?" That is when everything went down hill. Needless to say, I left that dealership and parked it at a local shopping center until my dealership in Princeton (Cole), who is awesome by the way, got back with me to tell me what I needed to do. In the mean time, the Sorento started shifting normally after shutting it off and starting it again. I was told that I could drive the Sorento to Cole's but to be careful. Cole's is about 40 miles away. Do not go over 60 miles an hour and the worst thing that could happen is that it would "hit the wa;; again." Oh, and I failed to mention my vehicle has 5,800 miles on it. So I took my car in on Thursday afternoon and got it back on Saturday morning. The "replaced" the transmission. All was good until Friday, April 22nd. My husband was driving it and BAM! It did it again. The second transmission with less than 1,000 miles on it and less than a week old is now doing the same thing. My car has 6,600 miles on it and they are getting ready to put a NEW tranmission in it again....the 3rd one!! What the heck?!?! I am located in WV and I think Lemon Laws here is 3 times with the same problem. Any advise?! Gosh this is horrible!
  • mcdonald340mcdonald340 Member Posts: 16
    Sorry to hear about your troubles! WV Lemon laws should be on internet, however, you might call the Attorney General's Office. My wife and I lived in WV for 15 years and through politics, we met the Attorney General many times. Point is, the politicians were very easy to access and very helpful. Glad you were not hurt, or your husband. As with all my replys, I hope you might find time to file a complaint with the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration on the internet via www.safecar.gov and then go to "Vehicle Owners" and then "File a complaint" . Once enough complaints are filed, the US Govt will force a recall on the KIA Sorento. Good luck and we are on our 2nd Transmission and still have problems, however, the dealer cant "Duplicate our concern". :lemon:
  • antons911antons911 Member Posts: 66
    Planning to purchase a Sorento, got some worry after reading these posts.
    Can someone tell me, on which models the transmission problem occured?
    V6, AWD, 4 cylinder, automatic or manual?
  • crissygcrissyg Member Posts: 4
    Mine is a awd 4 cylinder. Just got it back yesterday with 3rd transmission installed. I have lost complete faith and really I am scared to drive it. What if it does it again on the interstate? I cannot spend my life going 40 mph.
  • mtnman1mtnman1 Member Posts: 431
    edited April 2011
    First off when you read a forum such as this it is going to appear that the vast majority of Sorento owners are having problems. People that are having problems are going to be attracted to these threads because it gives them an opportunity to vent. I have a 2011 Sorento EX V6 purchased in June 2010 and have had no problems with my transmission, knock on wood. I'm not sure, but it seems that the main problem for a small percentage of owners seem to be with the 4 cylinder. There is a TSB for a problem with the tranny in the 4 cylinder engines and it requires about 5 to 6 hours for the repair. They pretty much have to tear down the thing. Try this link it has a thread on this: http://www.kia-forums.com/2011-xm-sorento-forum/
    2012 Highlander Limited AWD V6 and 2015 Ford Fusion Hybrid SE
  • aballwienkaballwienk Member Posts: 3
    The transmission issues have been on V6 AWD Automatic. We currently own one with 9,900 miles and love it. No problems at this point. The V6 is Consumer Reports #1 family SUV.
  • sportsmom1908sportsmom1908 Member Posts: 6
    My transmission was a 4 cylinder auto, not a 6, and my trans went. Its been fixed, and luckily, no more problems. I believe there has not been a full recall issued, but Kia has sent I guess what they call a "service recommendation" that addresses the problem. I hope they issue a recall, because my the car just stopped accelerating when this happened. Luckily, I was just getting off an exit, so it was easy to pull over, but God forbid your in the center lane of an expressway doing 65. That could cause all kinds of trouble!!!
  • pj50pj50 Member Posts: 1
    We were hours away from purchasing a 2011 Sorento. I gotta tell you I was at first heartbroken when I stumbled accross all the complaints on safercar.gov. Then I was relieved & thankful that I did. On the surface a great car, all the bells and whistles, nice riding all at an affordable price, but all that doesn't mean a thing if the drivetrain can't get you from A to B safely. Whew!
  • blakebrittonblakebritton Member Posts: 1
    I don't know a whole lot about cars, but I do know that I have a problem...

    I was driving back home yesterday and when I got in the interstate, I noticed that the car was very sluggish. I also noticed that it wasn't going above 50mph, and that's even with the pedal floored. I then thought that I'd try it in manual and that did the trick. The manual shifting got me to 70mph with no problems. I noticed no noise issues or vibrations.

    When I stopped at a traffic light on the interstate exit, I put it back into auto mode, and when I put the gas on to move forward, I felt a jolt and then I was moving again.

    Can anyone tell me what's going on? I purchased my car used with 106K miles and now it's at 130K. 2005 Kia Sorento 4x4 V6.
  • twest08kiatwest08kia Member Posts: 1
    i have a kia sorento which i bought in 2009. it was a new vehicle, i purchased it in march of 2009. In May of the same year, I had to take it in for service because it was making a loud whining noise. I thought it was transmission related but I had it checked out by an independent mechanic because I was very worried driving with 2 children and there was not a dealership at that time in the area....he stated the transmission was fine but that it was a problem with the drive train/rear end. I called Kia made a service appt. and took it in the following day..I received a call from them 2 hrs later, it was the rearend and would have to be replaced! Are you kidding brand new car and replace the rearend? ok they fixed cost nothing due to warranty, went to get it and was told by service manager that this was a widespread problem, but just on kia sorento 2008 models. Nothing else. There was a recall on passenger side air bag they corrected that. I still have problem whining sound again. They said it was nothing this time but i dont believe it. i think they dont want to replace again, hoping warranty will run out.....Never again....
  • erinhaferinhaf Member Posts: 1
    I experienced the same "hitting a brick wall" feeling while driving on I-75 at 75 MPH. It was the scariest thing, especially since I am 8 months pregnant and was unable to get my car started again after I pulled over.
    What did the dealer tell you was the issue. I got the "we can't replicate the problem" speech from them today. I wish I could predict when it would happen again, but unfortunately, my crystal ball is broken.
    How long did it take before they admitted there was an issue and replaced the transmission?
  • mcdonald340mcdonald340 Member Posts: 16
    So sorry to hear about your ordeal and thankful you, and your unborn child, were not injured. Good news on the Transmission. Go to WWW.SAFECAR.GOV and you can look at the service bulletins as well as the recalls on the KIA Sorento 2011 and you will see that there is now a recall to replace the transmission. Call you dealer or call the :):) National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration and good luck to you. Thanks to all whom complained on this site as well as the NHTSA (Safecar.gov) website. We did it!!! :shades:
  • herbfangherbfang Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2004 Sorento with a 116,000 km on it. When travelling on the highway and/or going up hills with high rpms about 4 thousand the transmission fluid comes out the dipstick and drips on the manifold leaving a nice smoke screen behind us. I have checked the transmission fluid is not overfilled. Anyone experiencing the same problem. This has just started.
  • vsammonsvsammons Member Posts: 1
    I have a very simular problem and still within the warranty (96k). I plan to take it to dealer soon to see what is up. The transmission never did feel right inspote of the dealer claiming it was fine.
  • cheryl05cheryl05 Member Posts: 19
    we have a 2003 kia and had problems with the crankshaft bolt...ours was a recall which i think they half-assed fixed because about 40,000 miles later it broke again and they would only repair it at our expense. we have had so many problems with our kia that we have decided to get rid of it finally ...it is just too expensive to keep. we spend around 1200.00 a year just to keep it running.. and every repair is around 600 to 1000. every time. "> i think the majority of these kias are LEMONS.... NEVER AGAIN
  • mcdonald340mcdonald340 Member Posts: 16
    I finally took KIA to Court. While I can't tell anyone what to do, as I'm not an Attorney... I can tell you what I did. In Texas, we have the "Lemon Law" Court with an Administrative Law Judge. It cost $35 only. I find it an excelent way to fight back. Remember, as taxpayers, we also have the right to file with the National Highway Traffic and Safety Administration. It takes some looking on the website, however you have the right to file a complaint AND there is a place on the site whereby I look up recalls as well as "Service Notices" which are voluntary recall measures. Good luck to anyone whom owns a rotten KIA Sorento! :lemon:
  • diosdadodiosdado Member Posts: 1
    Hello,
    my 2011 kia sorento was fixed on recall regarding the tranny. After driving for 26 days I had a bad accident. It takes 20 minutes from home to work and I'm positive that the vehicle engine is in normal temperature. I stopped at MCDONALD REST. to buy my breakfast. the vehicle is facing towards the building of the restaurant. I got on and started my veh. step on my brakes to engage in reverse. the car started shaking, reversed and start spinning 360 degrees, hit the railings and the ramp of the restaurant and drive forward inrto the middle of the parking lot, and it stop because the two rear control arm (axles) were broken. I was shaken and it was hard to remember what really happened. what i explained was the same as what the witness saw while lining up on the drive thru to order her breakfast. The witness came over and helped me. The cost of the damaged was so expensive that I have to go thru my insurance. I had the vehicle fixed by reliable shop not Kia in order for me to verify that the accident was the result of the recall repair. The vehicle is drivable and I'm still waiting for some parts from KIA. I almost forgot that on that early morning before the accident the vehicle reversed on unreasonable speed on its own. I have to control by applying the brakes. My husband is driving the vehicle and he told that he is always alert everytime he backs up. I need your advice before i will informed KIA. Thank you very much, Nelda
  • seascoutdsseascoutds Member Posts: 1
    I also have a 2005 KIA Sorento and I was experiencing the same problem while on the way home to Indiana last year my car kept jumping into 3rd gear; so when I returned home to Florida I took her to the dealer and was told that I had water in my transmission housing unit he said that this happens on Kia's. He drained the transmission fluid and flushed the water from the housing unit and the check engine light went off. Now this is doing it again and not only that but my lights are out in the back when I turn on my headlights. I do have brake and praking lights but after that when I am going down the road (after being pulled over by the police) I was told I have no back lights on. I don't know what would cause this problem because I had the fuses and bulbs checked out and they all function fine. I was advised that the BCM might need reflashed. What is your opinion.
  • aglaxaglax Member Posts: 1
    I had the same problem! Bought the 2008 Nov. 2010 used with 23,700 miles on it and over the summer was hearing a whining noise that kept getting worse. By that time I had 40K on it and the repair man said it was the differential that needed replacing. I submitted for warranty and KIA refused sayig that I failed to perfrom the 22k mile check on the vehicle which included changing the fluyid in differential.. I had done routine service each month on the vehicle by a local service station and had all records. I told them that I bought it after that service check from the Kia delearship so it should be covered, they said No , used vehicle is bought as is. i told them that the dealer sold me the car with the 60K Warranty from KIA and if that was the case it is false advertising since they knowingly sold me a car that was not kept up to date on maintenance.. they still refused. Tehy didn't even bother to open up the differential to make sure what the part failure was . I called 1-800 LEMON LAW for breach of warranty. (awesome resource) I faxed them all my repair records, I paid nothing. The attorney fees were paid by KIA and my repair was fully paid for. However, they had my vehicle 19 days and would not reimburse me for a car rental. also they replaced the parts in the differential that were bad (bearings) but i still hear and feel a small vibration. The repair was done Oct of 2011 and it is only Dec and I am concerned that it will break before the 60K warranty is up (at 53K now) and the repair is only guaranteed for 12K. KiA warranty is crap, they gurantee a new car for 100K but once it changes hands it is only covered to 60 K. also if you go over the mile checks by 500 miles then it voids the warranty. sounds like a good deal at first but KIA is hgih maintenance!!!! due to the ability of the vehicle to go between 2WD and 4WD, if youget a flat tire and need it rplaced, they suggest you change all four so that there is even tread wear and thus not dmaging the drivetrain. So everytime you change tires it is 4 at a time? small fortune... I get it but i would not buy AWD or such ever again if that is the case.. good luck. I am giving it to my daughter as a first car, can't take the hit on the re-sale. just good for around town but not for serious driving to and from work (hour each way)
  • dalinkodidalinkodi Member Posts: 1
    Did you ever find out what was wrong with your transmission? I just started having the same problem. :(
  • mcdonald340mcdonald340 Member Posts: 16
    Just received order from Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) in Texas: KIA must repurchase my vehicle!!! On the day of the hearing, a KIA representative accompanied myself for a test ride and the transmission was still jerking and slipping. That carried significant weight with the Judge. Thanks all and stay away from 2011 :) KIA Sorento's.
  • jph291jph291 Member Posts: 1
    I have a 2010 Sorento with 10K miles and was driving on I-95 last night. I thought someone hit me from behind because there was such a jolt. There was no car close enough to have hit me so I pulled over to see if I had hit something. There was no damage, but when I pulled back onto the highway the car was sluggish. As I continued to accelerate I noticed the car was not shifting. I pulled over again and put the shifter in the manual mode and the transmission was stuck in fourth. It could not be manually shifted into any other gear. I proceeded to drive the rest of the way home, about 15 more miles, and it remained in fourth. Once in my driveway I shifted into neutral and reverse and drive. It went into each range, but in drive it was always in fourth. This morning it was fine and I drove over 50 miles with out incident. I looked on the NHTSA website and see some recalls for the Sorento, but none for the transmission. Do you have the recall number for NHTSA?
  • kel12kel12 Member Posts: 1
    Hi, i have 2005 2.5 man xe kia sorento,just had gaer box fixed,any body know what the best oil is for them? :sick:
  • bent4bent4 Member Posts: 3
    I have a 2011 Sorento SX with 24,000 miles on it. I love the car but the other day I shifted from park to reverse with a loud thud and shake. Did it over and over with same results so I took it in to dealer( Classic Kia in Texarkana). Dealer has a good service department and after checking it out told me that it had a tsb for a transmission software update. They did update and all was good for ten days. My wife got in the car ten days later and here we go again. Same thing. Back at dealer again. They were having trouble replicating it this time so they kept it overnight. I know that Kia issued a transmission recall for the 2011 Sorento 4-cylinders but the 6-cylinders were not included. I'm beginning to think they should have been. I know I've got the 100,000 powertrain warranty, but I would really like to just get this fixed and regain my trust with the car.
  • garettmgarettm Member Posts: 1
    Hey bent4, my wife is having exact same issue, when she puts in reverse it suddenly jolts w a loud noise stopping the car instantly like she suddenly hit something. She gets out and sees nothing as usual. I was starting to believe it was user error like she wasnt releasing the emergency brake or something, but she finally had it happen today with a witness so now I know its not her and now I believe its a problem w the car. 2011 kia sorento like yours exact same problem. Took it in several times for same issue, first time they did that software update, but keeps happening. The other issue of the car suddenly stalling on the freeway hasnt happened since they updated that software, but this issue is not going away and I'm getting ready to contact someone about our rights in this matter! Feel free to email me fiercextreme@yahoo.com. Thanks! Garett
  • smorgantxsmorgantx Member Posts: 1
    I have a Kia Sorrento 2011 with about 22k miles on it. I drove it this morning and when I pulled in to park, I could not move the shifter (sorry, don't know what the name is for the thing you use to change gears for an automatic). It was stuck in Drive. I tried to jiggle it free, then turned off the car while in drive, then back on. Jiggled it some more and it finally moved into Park. Drove home and the exact same thing happened, and I followed the same steps. Reading all of the comments above I am concerned. Obviously has something to do with the transmission but not sure what. Any ideas? Seems like it could be something that could get worse.
  • mds47mds47 Member Posts: 1
    edited July 2012
    I am having trouble with my Sorento 2011, I was backing out of my drive way and when I put my foot on the brakes and shift to drive, it jumped backward and bumped my neighors car. It is a 4 cylinder. I did not receive a recall notice. I am very upset over this issue. I have 21,000 mile on my car. I like my car but I don't appreciate not being notified when there is a problem with my car to have it checked.
  • j2hj2h Member Posts: 1
    To bent4 and garettm
    Same problem. And me too it happened to my wife at first. I have a 2011 EX V6 AWD. It happened 3 or 4 times so far in 2 weeks. We had that noise and sudden stop when backing up from driveway. Then, when shifted to Drive, the car woudn't move forward on idle (just like it's on neutral), unless we press the gas pedal.

    We took it to the dealer, and, like you, they updated the software. But it did it again (I knew it would, I had read your articles before).

    But the last time it did that, we had a check engine warning. So we took it back to the same garage. They finally identified the Park Range Switch as faulty. That sensor sent wrong signals to the transmission control module.

    I can't tell for sure this will solve the problem, because the car is still at the garage at this time since the part is B.O. Hopefully tomorrow I will have good news.
  • rexpopprexpopp Member Posts: 2
    I have the exact same issues described in other posts except it's happening with my 2011 Sportage. Dealership is no help because it malfunctions on occasion and everytime I bring it in it is working fine. They say there is nothing they can do. It's like they don't believe me or something.
  • carsforcarolyncarsforcarolyn Member Posts: 1
    The exact thing has been happening to me. I have pulled into my garage and I cannot get the car into park to turn the engine off.
    I have to put it in neutral ...turn the car off....restart it and place in drive inch it up a bit and then try to place it in park.
    It happened twice today. Once when I parked at work and again when I came home.
    I called Kia service dept and have an appt for next Tues Aug 7th.
    I am worried. This should not happen.
  • bent4bent4 Member Posts: 3
    I had an earlier post on this forum regarding my 2011 Kia Sorento SX transmission problem. My transmission had been slipping into neutral from reverse and also shifting hard into reverse. When I did put it into drive, it seemed to be in 3rd gear at take-off. The dealership (Classic Kia in Texarkana, Texas) had updated my software after the first dealership visit but ten days later it happened again. Nothing was done on the second visit because it would not act up for them over the four days they had it. After the episodes became more frequent, we arranged to put it into the shop a third time. Classic Kia had been super great about the whole thing. After consulting with Kia Tech and detailing our problem they have replaced the transmission range switch. It is too early to tell if this fixed the problem, but I will post later if it did indeed solve my transmission issue.
  • bobster8bobster8 Member Posts: 1
    Hi bent4, I have 33k miles and the vehicle will not go into reverse or park, only neutral and drive. The key cannot be removed with the car in neutral so I carry a wrench set with me to disconnect the battery and then manually lock the car with a second set of keys. This started today without warning and the ESC & DBC lights are on. The ESC & DBC lights go off when I restart the car but come on when I try to put it in park.
    I go back to the dreaded dealer tomorrow.
  • bent4bent4 Member Posts: 3
    It appears that replacing the transmission range switch has fixed my transmission problems of slipping into neutral, thudding into reverse, and sluggishly taking off in drive. I have had exactly two problem free weeks and it was happening every few days before they replaced the switch. I credit Classic Kia in Texarkana, Texas for having the patience to figure it out. Hopefully, replacing the same switch will fix everyone else's transmission problem. Kia should probably issue a new tsb about this problem and offer a transmission range switch replacement.
  • kkarieskkaries Member Posts: 1
    Hey bolster, had the exact same problem. Couldn't get out of park from a cold star occasionally, and couldn't get back into park ( couldn't get into reverse first) after driving, and when I tried to get into park the downhill and esc brake lights came on. Took it to the dealer, they knew exactly what it was - brake switch. Warranty covered it, but for those out of warranty the switch was $18.79.

    Hope that helps, the dealer was awesome. My only question is if they knew it was a problem why no recall???
  • sad2012sad2012 Member Posts: 1
    Hey bent4,

    I did have the same problem once with my kia sorento 2010. When I put my foot on the breaks, started the car, shifted the gear to drive, it went forward straight away with my foot still on the break. I was lucky nobody's in front of the car. Do you have an advise from Kia in regards to this issue.
  • sww99cmsww99cm Member Posts: 1
    I have an '06 Sorento with over 100,000 miles. A few months ago a transmission line broke while my daughter was driving and all the fluid pumped out. Luck was that she was in town and not going but about 35 mph. When the car started acting odd she pulled over and cut it off, called me, I checked it out and found the fluid puddle, called the service company and they towed it in. For a while it did good then got to the place that when you put it in Drive it would hesitate about 3 or 4 seconds then go into gear. We took it back and had a full $150 transmission service done and now it hesitates for 5 to 10 seconds before it engages. This is my wife's car and this is dangerous. I've contacted the service company and they are looking for a TSB on this model to see if the tranny has been tagged or recalled.
    Has anyone had this problem and if so how was it correctedd?
    Thanks.
  • larryyelmwalarryyelmwa Member Posts: 1
    edited January 2013
    The transmission on my 2012 is a piece of crap. They replaced the tranny one time already and now it is doing the same thing again. The first shift in the morning jerks. This time Hanson motors in Olympia, WA claims it isn't doing anything out of the normal. Bullcrap, I knew what it was doing the first time and I know it is doing it again. They are lying to avoid having to invest any more money in it! In it's normal driving position the tranny is a deathtrap waiting to happen. When you accelerate from a stop too fast the power to the wheels cuts out. It's an AWD so that is the power to all wheels. The engine just seems to go dead! If traffic is coming at you fast the car renders you at the mercy of their brakes! I guess they want me to just drive it till it goes out, or kills me! But I am not going to do that willingly. I am going to the Attorney General in my state. I'll keep you posted.
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