Kia Sorento Reliability: Best and Worst Years

The Kia Sorento is a midsize SUV sold in the U.S. since the 2003 model year. The first version was body-on-frame, and later versions moved to unibody crossover construction with seating for up to seven. Recent generations have been built in West Point, Georgia, and offered with four-cylinder, V6, turbocharged, hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains. This page lines up every Kia Sorento model year from 2010 to 2024 on one scale, so you can see which years drew unusual numbers of owner reports and which stayed quiet.

Why these years stand out

2011: most complaints. The 2011 Kia Sorento scored 1167 complaints per 100,000 sold, 2 times the model average. Of its 1,520 complaints, 581 involve the engine or transmission, and the parts named most often are engine (284), electrical system (242) and body (234). NHTSA lists 7 recalls for this model year and 10 defect investigations.

2010, 2020 and 2023: fewest complaints. The 2010 drew 3 complaints, or 3 per 100,000 sold; The 2020 drew 140 complaints, or 187 per 100,000 sold; The 2023 drew 158 complaints, or 178 per 100,000 sold. These years have been on the road at least three years, which gives owners time to report problems, so a low count means something.

What Kia Sorento owners report most

Engine complaints lead for the Kia Sorento, at 43% of all complaints for 2010-2024. Engine and transmission reports together make up 54%. One complaint can name more than one system, so the bars can add up to more than the total.

When problems are reported: mileage

4,196 Kia Sorento complaints list the odometer reading at the time of the problem. 31% were reported before 50,000 miles and 32% after 100,000. A large share comes after 100,000 miles, where wear items and age-related failures become more common.

Kia Sorento compared with other midsize suvs

In 4 of 15 model years the Kia Sorento drew fewer complaints per 100,000 sold than the average midsize suv we track for the same year. For 2024, the Kia Sorento scored 53 against a class average of 140. The class average only uses models with clean, published sales figures.

Kia Sorento generations

• 2005-2009
  First generation (BL)

  3.5L V6; 3.3L V6 and 3.8L V6 (2007-2009) · 5-speed manual (through 2006); 5-speed automatic

  A 2007 update brought new V6 engines and revised styling.

• 2011-2015
  Second generation (XM)

  2.4L four; 3.5L V6 (2011-2013); 3.3L V6 (2014-2015) · 6-speed automatic

  This redesign switched to unibody construction and added an optional third row.

• 2016-2020
  Third generation (UM)

  2.4L four; 2.0L turbo four; 3.3L V6 · 6-speed automatic; 8-speed automatic (V6, later years)

  The body grew in length, and a later update gave V6 models an eight-speed automatic.

• 2021-2024
  Fourth generation (MQ4)

  2.5L four; 2.5L turbo four; 1.6L turbo four hybrid and plug-in hybrid · 8-speed automatic; 8-speed dual-clutch (2.5L turbo); 6-speed automatic (hybrids)

  The V6 was dropped, and hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions were added.

Kia skipped the 2010 model year for the Sorento in the U.S. The fourth generation received a refresh for the 2024 model year.

Kia Sorento fuel economy

The 2026 Kia Sorento is rated at 23 to 37 MPG combined by the EPA, depending on the version. Every year and engine will be on its own MPG page.

Crash test stars

NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program gave the Kia Sorento these overall ratings (out of 5) for the model years it tested: 2011: 4, 2012: 4, 2013: 4, 2014: 5, 2015: 5, 2016: 5, 2017: 5, 2018: 5, 2019: 5, 2020: 5, 2021: 4, 2022: 4, 2023: 4, 2024: 5. Ratings can differ between body styles and drive types of the same year.

Questions