TSB: SERVICE ACTION: HYDRAULIC ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (SA269) - This bulletin provides the procedure to improve the logic of the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) on some Smart Cruise Control equipped 2017MY Sorento (UMa) vehicles, produced from April 5, 2016 to December 22, 2016, which may experience a deactivation of the Smart Cruise Control, followed by a malfunction indicator lamp and diagnostic trouble code (DTC) C238001 stored. To correct this concern, apply the improved logic to the HECU by using the KDS download, as described in this bulletin.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2017 Kia Sorento cruise control problems
severe Owners of the 2017 Kia Sorento have filed 14 NHTSA complaints about the cruise control, typically surfacing around 15,000 miles at roughly $600 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See cruise control across all vehicles →
Failure mileage
Complaints
14
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$600
| Model year | cruise control complaints |
|---|---|
| 2013 Sorento | 14 |
| 2014 Sorento | 19 |
| 2015 Sorento | 13 |
| 2016 Sorento | 47 |
| 2017 Sorento (this page) | 14 |
| 2018 Sorento | 6 |
| 2019 Sorento | 11 |
1crash
When does it fail?
Of the 14 cruise control complaints filed for the 2017 Kia Sorento, here's the actual mileage breakdown — failures cluster heaviest at 0-25,000 mi.
0-25k
25-50k
50-75k
75-100k
100-125k
125-150k
150k+
Each bar shows the share of total complaints filed at that mileage range. Peak failure window highlighted. Some owners report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 miles symptom-free. Maintenance habits and driving conditions shift the curve as much as mileage alone.
What stands out
No new NHTSA cruise control complaint has been filed on this vehicle in over 6 years — the issue may be aging out of the active population.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering cruise control on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
Owners of 2017 Sorento vehicles report multiple cruise control failures: the system won't set speed, won't cancel when button-pressed, engages erratically, and in one case climbed from 65 to 70 mph without driver input. Advanced smart cruise control has shut down randomly on highways with no warning, triggering multiple dash lights and requiring a power cycle to restore function. The autonomous braking feature fails to stop the vehicle when approaching traffic, forcing owners to take emergency evasive action.
More critically, several owners report complete engine shutdown while driving—at 40, 60, and 65 mph on expressways and highways. One vehicle completely lost power in heavy traffic; another stalled after being put into drive. Engine violent shaking, knocking, and RPM spiking have also occurred. The accelerator pedal has become physically stuck on two separate vehicles, and in another case the gas pedal failed entirely during a highway turn. Dealers have disconnected and reconnected the smart cruise camera, ordered throttle body replacement (then halted the repair), and replaced wires without resolving the underlying problems. One vehicle spent seven days at a dealer with no resolution. Multiple owners report dealers cannot replicate the faults or cannot diagnose them at all.
Same Kia Sorento cruise control reports on nearby years: 2014 · 2015 · 2016 · 2019
Failure modes owners describe
Smart cruise control random shutdown with warning lights
Advanced smart cruise control system shuts down randomly on highway, triggering multiple dashboard warnings (check smart cruise control, ABS, EBFD, electronic stability control, master warning). System requires power cycle to reset. Dealer identified camera connection issue; replacement camera not readily available.
When: Under 500-1100 miles; early in vehicle ownership
Symptoms owners cite: Smart cruise control shuts down without warning; Dashboard warnings illuminate simultaneously (CHECK SMART CRUISE CONTROL, ABS, EBFD, ESC, master warning); Cruise control will not engage until vehicle powered off and on; Occurs intermittently on clear highway days; No diagnostic codes initially stored; code appeared after third dealer visit
Codes mentioned: Camera connection fault (dealer identified)
Repairs/costs cited: Dealer disconnected and reconnected camera; attempted fix ineffective. New camera on order but unavailable nationwide at time of report.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: KIA Motors Consumer Affairs directed owner back to dealer; no resolution provided.
Autonomous braking failure to stop vehicle
Smart cruise control autonomous braking feature fails to stop vehicle when approaching stopped traffic, requiring owner to take emergency evasive action. System stops autonomously most of the time but not consistently.
When: Under 500 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle slowed but did not stop when approaching stopped vehicle despite smart cruise enabled; Failure occurred on three occasions on straight road in clear conditions; Required emergency evasive action by driver; System works correctly other times
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: KIA representative disputed that vehicle can stop in smart cruise control mode, despite marketing materials and owner's documented experiences. Follow-up promised but never occurred.
Cruise control won't set or maintain speed
Cruise control fails to set, won't engage properly, or once set will unexpectedly increase speed without driver input. Control buttons become unresponsive.
When: 1-2 weeks after purchase; recurring 1-2 times per week; approximately 62,334 miles for one incident involving stall
Symptoms owners cite: Cruise engaged but speed cannot be set; Once set, speed climbs unexpectedly (e.g., 65 to 70 mph without input); Cancel button unresponsive; must use brake pedal to deactivate; Intermittent failure to turn on; Erratic on/off behavior
Codes mentioned: P2106, P2110, P0063, Limp mode detected
Repairs/costs cited: One owner reported codes P2106, P2110, P0063 indicating throttle actuator control range issue. Dealer inspection fee $160; dealership refused warranty coverage at 62,334 miles (5yr/60k warranty exceeded). No repairs documented.
Complete engine power loss while driving
Engine completely shuts down or loses power while vehicle is in motion at highway and city speeds, creating serious safety hazard. Occurred multiple times on same vehicle.
When: One instance at 60 mph; one at 40 mph; one at 65 mph (expressway); one at 15 mph. 16,500 miles on one vehicle.
Symptoms owners cite: Complete loss of engine power while driving at various speeds; Vehicle unable to accelerate; Engine shaking and violent vibration; Knocking noise from engine; Check engine light illumination; RPM spiking (5000 rpm with little power output); Engine surge sound; Vehicle can restart after shutdown
Codes mentioned: Check engine light triggered
Repairs/costs cited: One owner forced to drive slowly to dealer after power loss. Vehicle spent 7 days in dealer shop with no pickup date provided. Another owner reported timing cover gasket and oil pan gasket leaks identified during unrelated service.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: One vehicle previously in shop for factory recall before power loss occurred.
Accelerator pedal malfunction
Gas pedal stops responding, becomes physically stuck, or vehicle accelerates without pedal input. One case involved complete loss of throttle response during turn; another involved unintended acceleration.
When: On highway and interstate; one at 60 mph during acceleration attempt
Symptoms owners cite: Accelerator pedal stops working without warning; Physically stuck accelerator pedal stays depressed even with foot removed; Vehicle continues accelerating with stuck pedal; Engine RPM drops significantly when throttle pressed (4000 to 1000 rpm); Throttle unresponsive to input; Vehicle tries to drive itself (unintended acceleration); Accelerator faster than intended; Pedal requires hard tap to disengage
Repairs/costs cited: One case required wire replacement connecting to computer. Dealer ordered throttle body replacement but received halt order due to another unspecified issue. Another case attributed (by dealer) to hose assembly air intake part under SA303 procedure, though owner disputes connection to acceleration problem.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Factory halt order placed on throttle body replacement for one vehicle.
Cruise control deactivation with parking brake light false alert
Cruise control unexpectedly deactivates while driving; parking brake warning light illuminates even though brake is not engaged. Resets after power cycle.
When: During highway cruise after approximately 4 hours of use
Symptoms owners cite: Cruise control shuts off unexpectedly; Parking brake warning light illuminates without brake engaged; Additional amber warning light appears (description not recalled); Lights disappear and cruise resumes after vehicle power cycle; One prior incident of cruise deactivation without warning lights
Speed sensor failure disabling safety systems
Rear speed sensors fail, disabling adaptive safety features including cruise control and speed-dependent safety systems.
When: <UNKNOWN>
Symptoms owners cite: Rear speed sensors inoperative; Safety speed systems disabled; Speed control disabled
Repairs/costs cited: One sensor replaced under warranty; subsequent sensor failure occurred outside warranty period.
Synthesized from 14 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 2 most recent
1 week after purchasing my 2017 Kia sorento fe AWD from rochester tom kadlec Kia in august 2019, I went to use my cruise control and it wouldn't set. "cruise" came on, but could not be set to my speed. Issue happened around 1-2 times a week on 45 mile commute on highway. Later on about a month later, I set my cruise control and once set, the speed began to climb. Starting at 65, and going up to…
As I was making a right hand turn on to a busy highway, my gas peddle stopped working and I was stuck in the middle of the road with on coming traffic. My car was taken to Kia and had a wire replaced that connected to the computer. A few days later as I was on the interstate my car was trying to drive itself. My car was trying to excel faster than I wanted it to go. I was behind a tracker…
Had cruise control trouble with your 2017 Kia Sorento?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the cruise control problem on the 2017 Kia Sorento?
It's a meaningful issue. 14 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $600.
At what mileage does the cruise control typically fail?
Across the 10 complaints that reported odometer mileage, most cruise control failures cluster between 4,750 and 21,000 miles, with the median around 15,000. A quarter of owners report trouble before 4,750; a quarter make it past 21,000. Maintenance history matters more than the odometer alone — this is the reported failure window, not a guarantee.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $600 for cruise control repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to cruise control?
No active recalls currently cover cruise control issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2017/Kia/Sorento.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.