KIA Sorento Second Row Seat Problem

[@BQSTUDIOS]

8 years later and this video is still helping people out, thanks so much, your a life saver

[@crusinscamp]

Eight years, wow. I'm glad it helps people. After I lubed the mechanisms a bunch of times, the problem faded away. We still have the Sorento and the seats fold down as they should every time.

[@jasonbailey4308]

10 years now .

[@frankiecolon7497]

mines stuck down handle broke smh

[@sandragarcia4353]

@@frankiecolon7497did you get your seat fixed?

[@thatssoihssan]

11 years later and you saved my car tysm 😊 ❤

[@crusinscamp]

Glad it helped. We still have the Sorento, 210k mikes, my son drives it now.

[@chazoclock]

November 2023 in the UK, you have helped out of a jam, thank you so much.

[@crusinscamp]

Glad to be of assistance. Good to see many have gotten help out of this video. We still have the Sorento, although my son drives it now. 210,000 miles (338,000 kilometers) it did need a timing chain last year, but some repairs are to be expected. Have a good upcoming holiday.

[@susanallen1720]

Just bought a 2013 Serento in beautiful condition. Folded down the seat today and when I tried to put it back in the upright position, it stopped about 3/4 up. Found you video and did the seat shake and dislodged the mechanism in just a few shakes. Thanks for the tip. I'll try getting some lub into the latch.

[@crusinscamp]

I'm glad this video is still helping people almost 10 years on. We still have the Sorento, almost 200k miles, its been a good vehicle. Try spray lube into the locking mechanism at the hinge. Maybe put some rags around so you don't get oil on the seats. I suspect two or three treatments will be enough. Once our locking mechanisms got lubed, they've worked consistently since then.

[@crusinscamp]

You're welcome. I've had further thoughts about this. While the video goes into a lot of detail, and shows what goes on, I think a good way to lubricate these mechanisms would be to use a light spray lube. If you had a can of spray lube, with one of those red straws, I would carefully spray lube into the slot in the seat bracket to lube the mechanism. The video can show you where to direct the lube.

[@tomgarrett687]

Sept 1, 2021, still a good vid helping people. On the 2nd row 60/40 seat, the 60 was stuck in the forward position. Pulled the seat out and disassembled. Just under the lever, one of the cables had popped out of the bracket. Could have just unzipped the seat cover and saved about 4 hours, but I needed the aggravation, frustration, hair-pulling, and extended vocabulary. I did super glue the cable to the bracket and lube the gears...Thanks for the vid. This really is a sucky design flaw.

[@peterglevine3660]

Thanks, I did the surgery and it worked well enough for me to cancel my (long) trip to the dealership. You rule!

[@SaltPnutz]

Thanks so much for this information! I haven't greased it yet, but be wiggling the seat, I was able to at least move them up and down. I was getting so frustrated with the seats and it's 2013 that's less than a year old. You really made my day!

[@Kim-un4fe]

Thanks so much. My 2012 back seat was stuck in the down position, so I pull on latch & rocked seat like you said & it worked!

[@eganfo]

I'll have to try those on my wife's 2013 Sorento. Thank you for posting this video.

[@CheeseMrs1]

This method worked just now on our 2013 KIA Sorrento. Thanks for your video.

[@5000mrnomercy]

Thanks, I had this exact same issue with mine and it is a 2013. Mine was stuck in the down and up position. This worked like a charm.

[@aldis6186]

Thank you. Worked great on my 2012 Sorento.Watched your video and it only took me 5 minutes.

[@juanitahaizlip2916]

Al

[@crusinscamp]

The design appears to use a cable to transfer the pull from the release handle at the top of the seat to the latch at the bottom of the seat. I believe the problem is that the release cable they use is too "springy". It doesn't appear to provide a firm and positive pull on the release latch. I think a direct acting pull-rod would be ideal or at least a more robust release cable, with less "springiness". This change could only be made by the manufacturer, not the dealer. :(

[@katyb4843]

Thanks for the information. The second seat in our Kia jammed and I knew well enough not to force it, but was facing a long car trip with an unusable seat until I found this post.

[@meldzen]

Wish my dealer service dept had seen your video! My 2013 with this prob has had the latch repaired/ replaced 2-3 times already!

[@ManenbergFilms]

Thank you!! From Cape Town, South Africa.

[@KeithCastle]

Thank you so much for this. I have a 2010 Sorento and it looks like the design is identical. I was envisioning a large bill from the dealership to get this resolved but your trick worked perfectly. Thanks for sharing.

[@crusinscamp]

+Keith Castle Thanks for leaving a comment. Squirt a little lube in the hinge-latch from time to time and it should stay free.

[@KeithCastle]

+crusinscamp Thanks. That's good advice.

[@catumiriparvum9178]

Thank you! This also worked when my 2012 Sorento rear seats were jammed in the down/folded position.

[@tristann3124]

I am so thankful for this video. Having three in car seats j just purchased a used 2012 sorento and today was mortified to not get the way to fold down while having tow in car seats in the third row! Decided to Google before panicking and found this. While I am extremely sad about it being a defect because I have heard so many great things about this car, I hope this will keep us in business for a few years so to speak. I wonder if Kia got overloaded with complaints if they would recall and /or fix.

[@crusinscamp]

As a follow-up, try spraying a little penetrating oil, not WD-40 but a penetrating oil (an auto parts store should have some) into the hinge mechanism. I did this several times and then operated the latch every month to keep it free. I did this after making the video and the seat latches have been working reasonably well since then. In fact I just tried them (after reading your post) because I had forgotten to "exercise" the latch recently. They both released fine.

[@SheLoveSports]

@@crusinscamp Thank you for clarifying the type of oil to use because I certainly was going to use WD40. Now, I know better. You should include this information in the video's description box as some people may not scroll to read the comment.

[@antwanthorogood4921]

“I stepped in the grease “ 😂😂 thanks for the video. Helpful

[@crusinscamp]

10 years later and I'm still stepping in grease, or sticking my finger in it. Thanks for leaving a reply.

[@ersinbalkan2959]

Thanks a lot . I had the same problem in my 2014 Model sorento in 2020. And this tip solved the problem.

[@mervin2832]

Thank you very much for the video, it help me a lot . I have a 2012 sorrento.....thanks again......mervin

[@dlynes]

I have a 2013 Sorento and mine just started having this issue...just rolled over 10k miles and purchased it new in October of 2012.

[@belalahmad3628]

Thanks for the useful video

[@adriancovich5139]

Thank you for this video!!!

[@bashar5929]

I see you from iraq and I want to fix my car thank you so much sir your a best

[@crusinscamp]

I'm glad you found it helpful. Best of luck to you.

[@dennislecompte6380]

Worked like a charm. Thanks

[@velvetslade]

Thank you, I thought I was going crazy! I will have the dealer grease the parts, meanwhile I have an ottoman to haul!

[@crusinscamp]

After I greased the latches, I applied a little spray lube, two or three times, at several month intervals. That was years ago, they've been working fine since then. The Sorento now has a little over 190k miles and runs well. It's been a pretty good vehicle. Regular maintenance is the key and keeping up on the occasional repairs.

[@DNzone1980]

They replaced my seats last year because the could not figure out the problem now less than 10 months later the same thing happened and the stated that it has a 12,000 mile war. on the seat -how do you have a 12,000 mile war. on a part that does not move the vehicle I don't know- When I get this resolved I will follow these instructions to better the life. I wish the would have told me this at the dealership so that I could have avoided this issue from happening again.

[@cherisemann4045]

thank you so much for posting this! this video really helped me a lot! so grateful 😊

[@jayrokkfit]

What if the seat is locked in the down position and you can't get it to unlock and fold back up at times?

[@jaffat12]

I had the exact same problem. 10 mins ago, I followed the wiggle method with slight pressure on the handle...and it worked!!! I didn't expect it to, but am so glad this video was posted! It's a bit awkward to wiggle the seat since it's locked down so tight. It took probably 2 mins of awkward wiggles in all sorts of directions. People driving by probably thought I was doing something dirty to the seat lol.

[@sirearlwilmerjoneskt3231]

On this seat Sunday evening 2 hours trying to take it apart and Lube play with it doesn't work it's easier to take for bolts out and take the whole darn seat out take it to the basement garage or something remove all the plastic coverings start lubricating because the grease tends to turn into concrete so WD-40 WD-40 and I kept WD-40 Ringgit took it apart grease that I find an issue other than anything being broken the top latch and I noticed that a couple of years ago when I spray WD-40 Don after pulling the top latch to release on top of the seat the darn thing would work so I would take the seat out and work on it it is much easier for simple bolts I hope I can help you.

[@ianlogan2410]

Great fix worked a treat thanks

[@nicolecarswell4113]

I have the same exact model and for the past 5+ years I can't move the seat fwd or backwards. Thankfully it's stuck in a natural position but I can't use my third row behind it. My metal thingy under the gear doesn't move when I hit the release. Is it the cable then? I keep doing your trick and it isn't budging 😭

[@nicolecarswell4113]

My snappy hinge thing is stuck to the gear and won't move even with a screwdriver.

[@crusinscamp]

Is the handle loose in operation? If the cable popped out of its anchors, or broke, that would be a problem. If the handle feels like it's developing tension, I'd try spraying some penetrating oil into the hinges, let it soak in and try again.

[@nicolecarswell4113]

@@crusinscamp Thanks for replying! The handle has tension and the cable does. The one side it moves but the other side it doesn't. We sprayed it with WD40 and PB blaster penetrating oil and it wont budge. Is there something better to use? Thanks for your help

[@garybunk1]

Thanks for the instructional video!

[@natevapes1954]

Great easy fix!! Thanks mate!!

[@RealCertifiedJJ]

Thanks it was so help full

[@njdevils040]

I think I just busted the cables after forcing it. Wife is going to kill me

[@PratPai]

How did you end up fixing that? Because I believe I have done the exact same thing on my 2012 Sorento!

[@maplem00se]

Lol... I think my husband did that to mine as well! Did you find a fix?

[@TrashyOtaku113]

You're a life saver thankyou!

[@YellowSkinn12]

I have a 2013 stuck in the down position. The rocking method is not working for me and I don’t wanna pay to have someone mess with it. Is their something else I can do to get it to pop up?

[@crusinscamp]

It is possible the cable popped out of it's retainer, just behind the lever. There should be a small,square, pry-out cover on the lever cover. This hides a screw that retains the lever housing. It's possible to fidget the cable back in place, but not easy. The only other option I'm aware of involves disassembly of the seat, which looks like a miserable procedure.. There's a video of the process on KZbin, I saw it some time ago.

[@nikkurafaelhamoy4966]

2014 sorento. 2023 problem. working hahaha. Thanks

[@mrsmilly12345]

that happened to me same year ect pull on the lever hard rocking the seat back and forward well thats how i got mine unjammed

[@VinodKumar-bf1uc]

2013 sorento ..same problem ..wiggle the seat already nothing happens..now after watching this video will do it again ..

[@crusinscamp]

If the latch comes up too easily (you can pull it up all the way to the stop with little resistance) the cable sheath (jacket) may have popped out of it's retainer. That would require some disassembly to fix. Good luck.

[@pennyriley6266]

I have a 2011 Sorento with 78,000 miles on it. Bought it new and had this issue in beginning. Kia wiggled it loose. Well now went to vacuum back and problem with issue again. Rarely use this mechanism only one child so no need for 3rd row access. Well, it jammed because husband could not get it to move without using full strength on lever and unfortunately did not see this video and now once moved once and stuck as in video will not budge no movement at all and can't even tumble because it is locked. Kia dealership said $845.00 to fix because 40%hinges locked up. I am working with Kia corp on repairing this for me because obviously it is a defect but do not know what will become of it. So just be aware if you are still having problems get it resolved before your warranty is up because very expensive and frustrating.

[@crusinscamp]

As long as the cables are not broken, I would not pay one cent (much less $845) to have it "repaired", because unless they changed the design I believe the problem will reappear. Every few months, I have been spraying a short burst of penetrating oil into the hinge mechanism at the bottom of the slot. Also, I try to "exercise" the mechanism by working it monthly. This seems to help, although not perfect, the seats do still give me a struggle at times but at least I can free them. You raise a good point about having it resolved under warranty. If it continues to give problems after the warranty has expired, at least you have proof that it was a pre-existing condition. Thanks for leaving a comment.

[@jllawell]

crusinscamp i've the same problem,, just 8,000 miles over the 60,000 mile warranty. I believe the cable is broken. No support from the dealership or a call to Kia. it's an apparent defect but since it's not engine related or a safety issue they won't recall it. $850 is what the dealship wants for $20 cable.. I'm thinking a whole seat can't be much more than that. I'll never buy another Kia and would not recommend it to anyone, since they clearly could have handled this differently.

[@annariley1342]

+J Lawell im pissed too. this has cost me several hours sitting in a service waiting room. it is stuck again. poor design, defect. should be a recall

[@sujeshsuresh1142]

that grease smells kinda funky

[@aaronhannaman4235]

The latch releases but the seat doesn’t move even after shaking it back and forth. Must be the cables

[@crusinscamp]

If the latch pulls freely to it's stop, it may be that the cable popped free at one of the ends. The cable has a jacket and a core wire. The jacket is retained at both ends. When you pull the latch, it pulls the core wire inside the jacket, transmitting the pull to the latch end. If the jacket pops out of it's retainer, the cable assembly can't transmit the pull to the other end. The cable jacket retainer can be accessed behind the latch, but it is a bit difficult. I'm not sure about access for the cable at the latch end.

[@aaronhannaman4235]

crusinscamp I removed the housing from the latch and the seat released but when I put the housing back on the seat stuck again. I think the housing is keeping the the casing for the wires from moving up enough. Thank you for your help!

[@fernandomerisio0]

Lot of cicadas around there

[@senor250]

Do you live near a rattle snake nest?

[@crusinscamp]

No, I shot the video in August of last year. It was a pretty heavy year for cicadas in our area. They sure were noisy!

[@duchy4u]

kia does not stand behind their product I have a 2005 purchased in oct 2011 The Sorento has a defect crankshaft bolt no matter how many times you fix it it will break again due to it not being properly manufacatured if you have problems with your kia contact attorney shmuel klein at [e-mail]

[@Gdwmartin]

sprinkler makes the sound in video almost unintelligible

[@crusinscamp]

It's cicadas, they were bad that year, not much I could do about them. Sorry.

[@Gdwmartin]

crusinscamp Wow, we don’t have them here. I swear it sounds just like a sprinkler turned up to 11