Q: Steering wheel and noise - 2011 Kia Sorento

asked by on October 27, 2016

Yesterday I was driving and it seemed to be driving fine but when I got home and tried turning into my backyard and steering wheel became really hard to turn and the battery light came on. This morning it was driving fine but it makes a loud screeching noise. Do u know what's happening?

My car has 96000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.

Hello there, many faults will cause your 2011 Kia Sorento to have a screeching noise, heavy steering, and the battery light on. It is likely these faults are all related to the serpentine belt. If the serpentine belt fails it will cause the alternator to not function, the power steering pump to not function, and can cause the screeching noise. Driving without a belt can cause damage to the vehicle.

Common causes of belt failure are the belt tensioner, idler, faulty belt, alternator seized, or power steering pump pulley failure. To avoid any unnecessary repairs, a qualified technician such as one from YourMechanic will be able to diagnose the issue with your steering wheel and service your serpentine belt as necessary.

The statements expressed above are only for informational purposes and should be independently verified. Please see our terms of service for more details

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