Keeping an eye on your car at all times is the best thing you can do. Although classic routine service is supposed to keep your Kia Sorento running smoothly with time, some unpredicted breakdowns can add heavily to your annual car budget. In this article we’re going to focus on your sense of smell, and the clues it can give you about a possible breakdown, that’s why our team has written this article to help you in the event you notice a burnt plastic smell coming from your Kia Sorento . To help you verify that it is nothing severe, first we will detail the different things that can produce a burnt plastic smell on your car, then, in a second step, how to locate the source of this burnt plastic smell on your Kia Sorento? .

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The different possible sources and risks of smell of burnt plastic on a Kia Sorento

So we start our content page with the different possible sources of burnt plastic smell on a Kia Sorento . In general, noticing a plastic or rubber smell is never a good indicator. In actual fact, recent vehicles are full of it and it could be the sign of a significant breakdown. Down below we will talk about the different possible origins of burnt plastic smell:

  • Transmission oil: This is the most important possible source of such an odor. In actual fact, the objective of gear or transmission oil is to lubricate the different components of your gearbox so that all the gears and pinions are not broken, it as well has a second objective as a temperature regulator. Nevertheless, with time, the oil will lose its effectiveness and will not lubricate the parts and control the temperature as well, which will cause the oil to overheat and thus give off that burnt plastic smell on your Kia Sorento. You risk pre-wearing your gearbox if you don’t take care of it.
  • The accessory belt: Although rarer, it is possible with wear and tear that your belt, which is specifically done of rubber, will deteriorate and no longer rotate totally on its axis. With the friction that this will cause the plastic will heat up and burn out, this reaction will produce a strong smell of burnt plastic or rubber in the engine unit block of your Kia Sorento.
  • Faulty hose wear: This case occurs especially on Kia Sorento that are starting to get a few years old or that have stayed a long time without rolling. In reality, storing your car contrary to what you might believe will cause the plastic parts to wear out more fairly quickly. Hoses are the first to be affected by this phenomenon. The rubber will disintegrate little by little and with the rise in heat of the fluid that circulates in it, it might melt. The risk of this issue is the breakage of the accessory belt.
  • A body component: Less common, especially present on Kia Sorento’s that have suffered a small shock. Following a front or rear impact, wheel arches, bumpers or other plastic body parts that might have been bent might rub against one of your wheels and give off that burnt plastic smell. This may as well pre-wear out your tyres.

How to find out where the smell of burning plastic comes from on a Kia Sorento?

And now, to finish our article, we’re going to try to help you locate the source of the smell of burnt plastic on your Kia Sorento . Now that you know the different possible origins of this smell, we’ll just have to do some checks to get rid of the tracks that don’t concern you and resolve your issue quickly. If your Kia Sorento smells hot, don’t hesitate to read our article on this topic.

  • Transmission oil: Nothing could be simpler, open your transmission oil cap (when cold) and verify that your oil is reddish in colour and fluid enough. If you see debris inside, and it is darker, it’s time to change it. Do not hesitate to seek advice from our article to find out how to change the gearbox oil on a Kia Sorento.
  • Accessory Belt: Visually check that your accessory belt is not in poor state, it might also make a whistling sound if it is in poor state. Do not hesitate to change it.
  • Hoses: For hoses, you will need to visually verify all your hoses to see if any are frayed or melted. If this is the case, replace them.
  • Body parts: Last but not least, the last element that can cause the smell of plastic or burnt rubber on your Kia Sorento, a body component, verify all wheel arches, that no component rubs against

    If you wish more tutorials on the Kia Sorento, go to our Kia Sorento category.