Anti-theft system won’t let my 2012 Kia Sorento start... any fixes?

Hey everyone, I’m having trouble with my 2012 Kia Sorento. After replacing the battery, the anti-theft system seems to be preventing the car from starting. The horn is honking, and I have power to all the functions, but the engine won’t turn over. I’ve tried unlocking the door, using the key fob to lock/unlock, and reconnecting the battery, but nothing seems to work. Any suggestions?

Try turning the key to the ON position and then disconnecting and reconnecting the battery cable while the key is on. I’ve seen that fix similar issues.

Harper said:
Try turning the key to the ON position and then disconnecting and reconnecting the battery cable while the key is on. I’ve seen that fix similar issues.

Thanks! I just tried it, and it worked. I really appreciate the help!

Sometimes the anti-theft system gets triggered when the battery is replaced. Your method sounds like a good workaround.

If it happens again, you might want to check the connections on the battery to make sure they’re tight and clean.

Mia said:
If it happens again, you might want to check the connections on the battery to make sure they’re tight and clean.

Good idea. I’ll double-check the connections just to be safe. Thanks for the advice!

For future reference, some models reset the anti-theft system automatically after locking/unlocking the doors a few times with the key fob.

Faithjones said:
For future reference, some models reset the anti-theft system automatically after locking/unlocking the doors a few times with the key fob.

I’ll keep that in mind. Thanks for the tip!

Glad you got it working! If the issue comes back, it might be worth having the anti-theft system checked by a mechanic to rule out any underlying problems.

TomHenry said:
Glad you got it working! If the issue comes back, it might be worth having the anti-theft system checked by a mechanic to rule out any underlying problems.

Thanks, I’ll do that if it happens again. Hopefully, it’s a one-time issue.