Midsize and three-row SUVs · model years 2014 to 2025
Kia Sorento vs Hyundai Santa Fe: problems and reliability
On the 7 measures below that do not grow with sales, the Sorento looks better on 3 and the Santa Fe on 2, with 2 too close to call.
Newest report Sep 24, 2026 · checked Sep 27, 2026
Scorecard
| Measure, 2014 to 2025 | Sorento | Santa Fe |
|---|---|---|
| Complaints that report a crash | 2.5% | 3.5% |
| Complaints that report a fire | 3.6% | 3.0% |
| Complaints that report an injury | 2.0% | 2.7% |
| Median miles when problems are reported | 68,000 | 50,000 |
| Recall campaigns per model year | 2.3 | 2.2 |
| Do-not-drive recalls | 0 | 0 |
| NHTSA investigations | 9 | 7 |
The shaded side is lower (for miles, higher). Values within about a tenth of each other count as too close to call.
What owners complain about
The system Sorento owners complain about most is engine, and it is the same for the Santa Fe. Complaints citing exterior lighting make up 8.5% of all Sorento complaints, against 1.2% on the Santa Fe. The Santa Fe leans the other way on transmission and drivetrain: 16% of its complaints, against 11% for the Sorento.
Kia SorentoHyundai Santa Fe
Share of each model's complaints that cite each system, from NHTSA's own component codes. One complaint can cite several systems, so the shares add up to more than 100%.
The most reported problems
The most reported problem on the Sorento is engine failure (21% of its complaints), and the Santa Fe shares it (25%).
| Problem | Sorento | Santa Fe |
|---|---|---|
| Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing | 21% 1,072most in 2016 · 87k mi | 25% 810most in 2017 · 91k mi |
| Engine stalls or loses power while driving | 16% 856most in 2016 · 80k mi | 19% 627most in 2017 · 73k mi |
| Check engine light or misfire | 11% 566most in 2016 · 88k mi | 11% 374most in 2017 · 87k mi |
| Burns oil or oil level rises | 7.8% 405most in 2016 · 70k mi | 8.4% 278most in 2017 · 80k mi |
| Brakes grind, pulse or wear early | 4.4% 232most in 2014 · 56k mi | 7.8% 258most in 2017 · 40k mi |
| Engine rattles or ticks | 4.0% 210most in 2016 · 80k mi | 3.7% 122most in 2017 · 90k mi |
| Infotainment, screen or backup camera fails | 3.0% 156most in 2019 · 52k mi | 4.1% 13517k mi |
| Headlights too dim or fail | 6.6% 342most in 2017 · 62k mi | 0.4% 14 |
Share of each model's own complaints, with the count beside it. "Most in" links to the symptom sheet for the model year with the most reports of it, and the mileage is the median from reports that gave one.
When problems start
Santa Fe owners report problems earlier. Half the Santa Fe complaints that give a mileage come before 50,000 miles; for the Sorento the halfway point is 68,000. 36% of Sorento reports and 50% of Santa Fe reports come before 50,000 miles. Older model years have had longer to reach high mileage, so a window that runs to recent years pulls both medians down.
Kia SorentoHyundai Santa Fe
Share of the complaints that state a mileage: 2,331 for the Sorento and 1,358 for the Santa Fe.
Worst and best years
The 2016 Sorento draws 2.8 times the complaints of a typical Sorento year for its age. The 2017 Santa Fe draws 3.2 times the complaints of a typical Santa Fe year for its age.
Kia SorentoHyundai Santa Fe
Each bar is that model year's complaints for each year on the road, divided by the same figure for a typical year of the same model (the dashed line). Measuring each model against itself takes the sales gap between the two out of the picture, so they can share a scale. Years too new to judge are left out.
Recalls and investigations
The two draw recalls at about the same rate: 2.3 campaigns per model year for the Sorento and 2.2 for the Santa Fe. A recall counts once however many cars it covers, so this figure does not grow with sales the way complaint totals do.
Kia Sorento
28 recall campaigns and 9 NHTSA investigations across these model years. Most recalled: engine and engine cooling (4), electrical (4) and service brakes, hydraulic (3).
- 22V-703 (trailer hitches) covers 7 model years
- 18V-907 (fuel system) covers 4 model years
Investigations
- PE23019: Loss of motive power (closed)
- DP22003: Loss of motive power (closed)
- EA21003: Engine fires (closed, led to a recall)
Hyundai Santa Fe
27 recall campaigns and 7 NHTSA investigations across these model years. Most recalled: airbags (4), engine and engine cooling (3) and electrical (3).
- 23V-181 (trailer hitches) covers 5 model years
- 17V-358 (latches/locks/linkages) covers 4 model years
Investigations
- DP24001: 3.3l engine loss of motive power (lomp) (closed)
- DP22003: Loss of motive power (closed)
- EA21003: Engine fires (closed, led to a recall)
Whether a particular car is included depends on its VIN. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Crashes, fires and injuries
A larger share of Santa Fe complaints report a crash: 3.5%, against 2.5% for the Sorento. Fire reports: 186 for the Sorento and 100 for the Santa Fe. Complaints on file report 2 deaths in the Sorento and 0 in the Santa Fe for these model years.
Kia SorentoHyundai Santa Fe
Share of each model's complaints in which the owner reported it. These are owners' own accounts as filed with NHTSA, and one report on its own doesn't prove a defect.
Questions
Is the Kia Sorento or the Hyundai Santa Fe more reliable?
On the 7 measures below that do not grow with sales, the Sorento looks better on 3 and the Santa Fe on 2, with 2 too close to call. NHTSA complaint totals cannot settle it alone: the Sorento has 5,221 complaints and the Santa Fe 3,306 for model years 2014 to 2025, and those totals follow how many of each were sold.
Which has more recalls, the Sorento or the Santa Fe?
The Sorento has 28 recall campaigns and the Santa Fe 27 across model years 2014 to 2025. The two draw recalls at about the same rate: 2.3 campaigns per model year for the Sorento and 2.2 for the Santa Fe.
What are the most common problems on the Sorento and the Santa Fe?
The most reported problem on the Sorento is engine failure (21% of its complaints), and the Santa Fe shares it (25%).