FaultScore

Worst years for a KIA Sorento

Owners have filed 13,981 complaints about the KIA Sorento with NHTSA across model years 2003 to 2026. More of them are about the engine & cooling than anything else.

Avoid

2012 KIA Sorento

1,208 complaints — the highest FaultScore of any year, mostly engine & cooling.

Cleanest on record

2009 KIA Sorento

79 complaints — the lowest FaultScore of the graded years.

Every KIA Sorento year, graded

The grade compares each year against the rest of this model's own run — never against another car. Click any bar or row to open that year's report.

Complaints filed with NHTSA, by model year. Bar colour is the FaultScore grade: A B C D F ungraded
Year Grade Complaints Crashes Fires Median miles Most reported
2026 7 4 0 Engine & Cooling
2025 C 119 12 0 530 Other & Unspecified
2024 B 53 12 3 Electrical System
2023 B 201 5 4 12,000 Electrical System
2022 B 287 4 2 28,660 Transmission & Drivetrain
2021 B 357 9 1 36,000 Transmission & Drivetrain
2020 C 189 15 18 17,500 Engine & Cooling
2019 D 626 20 29 20,194 Engine & Cooling
2018 C 336 19 20 49,000 Engine & Cooling
2017 D 1,034 18 44 46,000 Engine & Cooling
2016 D 1,629 42 76 66,000 Engine & Cooling
2015 C 960 33 22 74,000 Engine & Cooling
2014 D 1,375 34 69 80,000 Engine & Cooling
2013 D 1,297 37 71 78,850 Engine & Cooling
2012 D 1,208 32 117 88,544 Engine & Cooling
2011 D 2,077 65 109 80,000 Engine & Cooling
2010 3 2 0 Engine & Cooling
2009 B 79 2 1 46,000 Airbags
2008 C 319 19 17 59,600 Airbags
2007 C 224 20 8 70,436 Airbags
2006 B 382 18 8 83,750 Engine & Cooling
2005 C 457 31 7 90,000 Engine & Cooling
2004 B 341 15 24 99,000 Engine & Cooling
2003 B 421 13 3 72,000 Engine & Cooling

What breaks on a KIA Sorento

Across every model year on file. Follow a row for that part's complaints and the year it was worst.

Engine & Cooling 4,214 30.1%

Worst in 2016

Electrical System 1,380 9.9%

Worst in 2011

Other & Unspecified 1,279 9.1%

Worst in 2011

Worst in 2011

Body & Structure 937 6.7%

Worst in 2011

Lights 864 6.2%

Worst in 2017

Airbags 719 5.1%

Worst in 2011

Brakes 703 5.0%

Worst in 2011

Steering 541 3.9%

Worst in 2017

Worst in 2003

Worst in 2011

Worst in 2013

Suspension 223 1.6%

Worst in 2011

Worst in 2019

Exactly what failed on a KIA Sorento

The named sub-assemblies behind those complaints, across every model year.

Body 840 64.0%
Sun/Moon Roof Assembly 91 6.9%
Automatic Transmission 75 5.7%
Headlights 51 3.9%
Frontal 46 3.5%
Engine 45 3.4%
Warnings 44 3.4%
Automatic Emergency Braking 43 3.3%
Door 42 3.2%
Sensor/Control Module 36 2.7%

Complaints filed over time

Every complaint about every KIA Sorento, by the month it reached NHTSA.

Dec 2002 peak 188 Aug 2026

KIA Sorento problems by state

Where owners filed from. Heavier states are usually just bigger markets, but a part that fails in heat or salt shows up here first.

Compare the KIA Sorento

Side by side on complaint history. Remember that raw totals track how many were sold as much as how good they were.