Sorentosite.com Discussions

Have any of you folks experienced problems with (continually) warped rotors?  I have been looking on line to determine if anyone else has experienced these problems, and it seems I am not alone.

I love my '05 Sorento but have had nothing but problems with the rotors.  The service folks, of course, blame my driving but I just had them turned, and 9,000 miles later, they are warped again.

This seems to be the only problem I'm having and really enjoy the vehicle but I seriously don't want to have these problems going forward and if the vehicle is too darn heavy for the rotors the engineers decided should be installed, then they should fix it don't ya think?

It is a problem, but it does have a lot to do with driving. When the same people come in with warped rotors over and over, you can't exactly blame the rotors since most other people don't have the problem and you are changing the faulty part.

If the dealer is just turning them though, they will be more likely to warp again because they are thinner.

The Sorento is pretty heavy, and the brakes could have been beefed up some, but if you don't change your driving, there's not a whole lot you can do about it. Some people on here have bought the slotted rotors, but I don't know if the problem has went away. Even then, it's hard to say if the rotors fixed it because it's not a controlled environment and it only takes once to get them to warp.

Avoiding fast stops on or exiting the freeway will help.

Avoiding stopping at the bottom of a large hill will help or riding the brakes as your going down the large hill.

And avoiding going through large puddles of water, especially when the brakes are hot will also help.

The wheels should also be torqued properly. Hopefully your dealer is doing this and not just running the lugs down with an impact gun. So many people don't understand that you torque so every lug is tightened evenly, not just to ensure they are tight.

With all due respect, a LOT of other people HAVE had rotor warping problems so one CAN blame the rotors. I base this on the fact that my 2003 Sorento has been terrific in most every way EXCEPT repeatedly warped rotors. My wife is the primary driver of the truck and she is VERY easy on it ... her driving style pretty much epitomizes the "little old lady" (though in her case leave out the "old") and yet the OEM rotors continually warped until I replaced them with aftermarket performance rotors from http://www.brakeperformance.com.

It never occurred to me to take the truck back to Kia with the brake issues ... I just assumed it was due to "bad luck" with our crazy Chicago weather conditions contributing to early warping.

When I finally discovered that other Sorento owners were also experiencing repeated problems with the OEM rotors, it was already too late to make a warranty claim on mine so I decided to go aftermarket performance and found http://www.brakeperformance.com.

I bought their performance slotted and dimpled (not drilled through) rotors about two years ago and I have been VERY VERY pleased with them! Not only have I NOT had any further warpage problems, but the stopping power seems improved (as I would have expected). They sell OEM, slotted and drilled, and slotted and dimpled, and the reason I went with the slotted and dimpled is because according to the info they provided the dimples provide the advantages of the fully drilled holes without compromising strength as much. According to Brake Performance they are much more resistant to warping, and since that's always been my main problem on the Sorento I wanted to "hedge my bet" as much as possible.

Suffice it to say, now that the rears are in need of replacement I'm going right back to them - in fact I JUST hung up the phone after placing the order! Based on the phone call, it seems they are a small operation but very responsive - my rotors are being manufactured this week (I tried to expedite shipping, but was told they actually have to machine/plate/finish the rotors before they can go out). Also, I left a message for them and got a response within half an hour! I like good customer service!

Anyway, price is good, my experience with the quality/durability has been good, and I definitely recommend them to anybody who has been repeatedly aggravated with the stock Sorento brakes! It is only fair to report that there IS more noise with the performance rotors, but that is to be expected from slots and drill holes (or dimples). The sound I get is a slight "moaning" sound when slowing from speed with moderate to heavy braking. Most of the time it's not too noticeable and I'm happy to trade the increased noise for the elimination of more serious brake problems!

Oh, one more thing ... they are the ONLY place I found that actually gives a lifetime warranty on their premium rotors (the ones I have). If you're going to keep your Sorento a long time this is a compelling reason to consider the top of the line rotors, especially since our trucks have a history of rotor issues!

Hope this is helpful! I know it sounds like I must work for this company but "Scouts Honor" I have no connection to them at all except for being a VERY satisfied customer!

Regards,
Steve

Hey Steve, from Chicago... how come you don’t come out and play with the Midwest boys...

Anyways, I too am from Chicago and I am hard on the brakes but not to hard. 55k on original rotors and pads and still not ready to change them.

Maybe there was a bad batch that happened to get out into the wild...

Hey I just got here ... give me a day or two to get familiar with the crazies (read "regulars") who frequent this place! I'll come out and "play" eventually!

Regarding the rotors, I could understand if there was an initial bad batch out there, but when you consider the fact that people with virtually every model year have had the same problems (I've seen this reported in several Kia forums and from what I understand it is a "known problem" to Kia) AND I've had recurring problems even when I've used aftermarket (but OEM spec) rotors, one can pretty much draw the conclusion that it's a design issue ... Kia failed to properly design a brake system up to the task of stopping our heavy little SUV's without building too much heat. The fact that going to slotted and drilled (or dimpled) alternatives (again, I've heard several people who went with a variety of brands attest to this) solves the problem would seem to confirm this as well.

I'm pleasantly surprised that a few of you out there have had good luck with the OEM rotors. It stands to reason that a few owners would be "ok," but when you consider how few people are "enthusiasts" and never find sites like this it's easy to imagine that many more unreported cases of rotor warping have occurred. Heck, I AM an enthusiast and I didn't find out about the problem until several years (and lost $$) had gone by.

Anyway, at least we all have a known "solution" to the problem!

I'll keep my eyes out for opportunities to come out and "play!"

Regards,

well said...

keep an eye out in the midwest section. april we have a downstate meet and eat...
http://www.sorentosite.com/forum/showthr...p?tid=1199

I'll do that! I notice you're a "night owl" like me. I rarely go to bed before 2am, even though I have two young kids who have to be up early each day. Needless to say, I NEED my afternoon siesta!! Haha!!