The 2015 Sorento has a pattern of brake failures that owners describe as both progressive and catastrophic. Brake pedal sinking to the floor is the most common complaint—owners report the pedal dropping so far that pressing it can accidentally engage the gas pedal, causing the two to fight each other. One owner was charged $70 for a brake inspection that found nothing wrong, while a dealer demonstrated the same condition in three other vehicles on the lot.
Brake fluid leaks are documented, including one case where fluid sprayed onto the exhaust manifold and produced smoke. Owners also report brake caliper failure destroying rotors and pads, brakes requiring hard pressure to engage, and rear brake lights staying on while driving. One rear wheel brake seized entirely at 25 mph, causing loss of steering control, rollover, and serious injuries.
Worst are the 28 complaints linking brake defects to engine fires—some while driving, others while parked. Vehicles stalled suddenly, lost all electrical function, or caught fire in driveways. Kia's recall campaign 21V331000 was issued to address these hydraulic brake issues, but owners report parts remained unavailable months after recall notification, leaving vehicles unsafe to drive. Dealer service has been inconsistent; some refused diagnosis, others blamed owners for weather-related corrosion.
Failure modes owners describe
Brake pedal travels to floor
Brake pedal sinks fully to the floorboard while vehicle is stationary with engine running. Owner reports dealer demonstrated the condition affects multiple vehicles. Possible causes cited by owner: master cylinder leak, wheel cylinder leak, disk brake piston leak, internal ABS leak, or internal master cylinder leak. In one case, low pedal travel allowed gas pedal engagement when foot overlapped accelerators, causing gas and brake to fight each other.
When: Vehicle stationary, engine running; intermittent condition occurring multiple times during freeway merge attempts
Symptoms owners cite: Brake pedal sinks to floorboard; Excessive brake pedal travel; Pedal low enough to engage accelerator if foot overlaps; Check engine light illuminating when gas and brake pressed together; Engine dying to idle when gas and brake pressed simultaneously
Repairs/costs cited: Owner was charged $70 for brake inspection with no findings; condition persists. No repair performed.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Kia corporate customer service stated they had no technical support for this condition and directed owner back to dealer.
Brake fluid leak onto exhaust manifold
Brake fluid leaked from brake system onto the exhaust manifold, causing smoke from under the hood. Leak occurred after recall inspection (Campaign 20V519000) was already completed. Root cause not determined.
When: At 224,000 miles; after recall service had been performed
Symptoms owners cite: Smoke coming from under hood; Brake fluid visible leaking onto exhaust manifold
Repairs/costs cited: Failure identified during inspection at Coral Springs Kia. Specific repair not documented.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: NHTSA Campaign 20V519000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) had been performed; failure occurred post-recall service.
Brake system malfunction with ABS light
ABS brake system malfunctioned; ABS warning light came on. After repair in February, light recurred in April along with emergency brake light. Manufacturer stated vehicle not covered under ABS recall and owner responsible for repair costs.
When: Initial failure prior to February; recurrence in April
Symptoms owners cite: ABS warning light illuminated; Emergency brake light illuminated; Brake system malfunction
Repairs/costs cited: Brakes repaired in February; ABS system repair quoted at $1,000 plus with no coverage.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Manufacturer declined coverage, stating vehicle not listed in applicable ABS recall and repair cost is owner responsibility.
Brake scrubbing/rust overnight
Brakes scrub as if they rusted overnight when vehicle sits overnight in rain. Dealer unable to determine cause, attributed to leaves around windshield (design issue acknowledged). Related to water leak into vehicle interior near VIN number on dash.
When: Vehicle less than 5,000 miles; after overnight rain
Symptoms owners cite: Brakes scrubbing/grinding overnight after rain; Water pooling around VIN area on dashboard; Water leaking into vehicle floor; Brake corrosion appearance
Repairs/costs cited: Service department unable to determine root cause; dealer blamed leaf buildup as design consequence.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: No determination made by service department regarding root cause or repair.
Brake caliper failure with rotor and brake damage
Brake caliper failed, destroying brake pads and rotors. Vehicle shook violently when brakes applied.
When: <UNKNOWN>
Symptoms owners cite: Brake caliper failure; Severe vibration when brakes applied; Destroyed brake pads and rotors
Repairs/costs cited: Caliper, pads, and rotors required replacement.
Brake pedal requires excessive pressure
Braking system malfunctioned requiring driver to press brake pedal extremely hard to stop vehicle.
When: <UNKNOWN>
Symptoms owners cite: Brake pedal requires excessive pressure to engage brakes; Reduced braking force
Codes mentioned: 0507
Rear brake lights stay on while driving
Rear brake lights remain illuminated continuously while vehicle is running. Lights turn off when engine shut off.
When: <UNKNOWN>
Symptoms owners cite: Rear brake lights on while engine running; Lights off when engine shut off
Multiple brake and electrical malfunctions
Vehicle experienced series of failures including passenger airbag light, battery issues, power steering noise, brakes not responding, and fuel injection problems.
When: <UNKNOWN>
Symptoms owners cite: Passenger airbag light illuminated; Battery failure; Power steering noise; Brakes not responding; Fuel injection malfunction
Brake system and steering seizure with stall
While driving 30 mph, brakes and steering wheel seized inadvertently and vehicle stalled. Vehicle failed to restart. Check engine light, ABS light, and other warning lights illuminated. Battery and alternator were replaced but failure recurred. Dealer attributed to electrical system but did not diagnose.
When: At approximately 127,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Brakes seized while driving; Steering wheel seized; Vehicle stalled; Failed to restart; Check engine light illuminated; ABS light illuminated; Multiple warning lights illuminated; Windows failed to respond; Sunroof would not open/close without repeated switch activation
Repairs/costs cited: Battery and alternator replaced by independent mechanic; failure recurred. Vehicle not repaired by dealer.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Dealer stated failure was electrical but did not diagnose or repair.
Synthesized from 28 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer
allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.