Kia
Kia Sorento years to avoid
Years to avoid: 2014, 2016 and 2017. Best years: 2020 and 2024.
The 2014, 2016 and 2017 Kia Sorento draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2014 has 945 complaints (73 for each year on the road), 2016 has 1,252 complaints (114 for each year on the road) and 2017 has 804 complaints (80 for each year on the road), against a median of 41 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2016 is engine failure (357 reports).
- 5,229complaints
- 28recall campaigns
- 12model years with a page
Newest report Sep 29, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
Pick your model year
Owner complaints on file for each year.
Years to avoid
2014
Most reported: engine failure (183 reports, median 105,000 miles) and paint (147 reports, median 75,000 miles).
2016
Most reported: engine failure (357 reports, median 86,000 miles) and stalling (216 reports, median 77,000 miles).
2017
Most reported: engine failure (193 reports, median 71,000 miles) and stalling (142 reports, median 80,000 miles).
Best years
2020
Most reported: engine failure (27 reports, median 80,000 miles) and oil consumption (22 reports, median 80,000 miles).
2024
Complaints for each year on the road
Each model year's NHTSA complaints divided by the calendar years it has been on sale, counting this one (a 2018 model has had 9). Older cars have had longer to collect complaints, so raw totals flatter the new ones. Blue bars are the years to avoid. Too new to judge: 2025.
Within one model, sales change less from year to year than they do between models, so a jump here is mostly a jump in problems. The call: the years to avoid are the (up to three) highest at 1.5 times the model's median rate or more, and the best are the (up to three) lowest at two thirds of it or less, from 2016 on.
Guide How much should a years-to-avoid list decide? What these lists get wrong
At a glance
- Where the complaints sit
- The 2016 has the most complaints of any Kia Sorento year here: 1,252 of 5,229 (24%).
- Problem across the years
- The top problem changes over time: engine failure from 2014 to 2020; stalling from 2021 to 2025. Pooled across the years, half of the 564 owners who gave a mileage for engine failure were under about 87,000 miles.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 6% of Kia Sorento complaints report a crash, a fire or an injury, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The highest share is on the 2020, 23 of its 136 complaints.
- Recalls on the top problem
- 2 of the 7 model years where owners report engine failure have a recall on the same system: 2014 and 2017. A recall on the same system doesn't always cover the failure owners describe, so compare its summary with the complaints.
- When owners filed
- Filings peaked in 2023 at 801 and have dropped every year since, to 649 in 2025. So far in 2026, 499 more have come in. Filings on record start in 2015.
Photo: IFCAR, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Photo: Bull-Doser, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Third generation (UM)
| Year | Complaints | A year | Recalls | Most reported | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 avoid | 1,252 | 114 | 8 | Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing (357) | 69,008 |
| 2017 avoid | 804 | 80 | 4 | Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing (193) | 52,000 |
| 2018 | 254 | 28 | 3 | Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing (48) | 57,000 |
| 2019 | 428 | 54 | 2 | Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing (57) | 40,000 |
| 2020 best | 136 | 19 | 1 | Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing (27) | 58,325 |
Photo: Bull-Doser, Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Fourth generation (MQ4)
| Year | Complaints | A year | Recalls | Most reported | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 248 | 41 | 4 | Engine stalls or loses power while driving (63) | 30,000 |
| 2022 | 189 | 38 | 6 | Engine stalls or loses power while driving (32) | 21,016 |
| 2023 | 120 | 30 | 3 | Engine stalls or loses power while driving (16) | 21,700 |
| 2024 best | 41 | 14 | 2 | Engine stalls or loses power while driving (6) | 23,417 |
| 2025 | 74 | new | 3 | Engine stalls or loses power while driving (12) | 5,839 |
Year by year
2025 Kia Sorento
74 owner complaints so far; too new to call. Most reported: stalling (12 reports). 6 reports involved a crash and 4 people were hurt. 3 recalls, including 26V-046 on the electrical system and 25V-548 on the engine.
2024 Kia Sorento best
41 owner complaints, 14 for each year on the road (0.3 times the model median). 4 reports involved a crash and 4 people were hurt. 2 recalls, including 25V-006 on the electrical system and 24V-287 on the electrical system.
2023 Kia Sorento
120 owner complaints, 30 for each year on the road (0.7 times the model median). Most reported: stalling (16 reports), infotainment (14 reports) and brake wear (12 reports). 3 reports involved a crash and 3 people were hurt. 3 recalls, including 25V-649 on the electrical system and 23V-610 on the backup camera.
2022 Kia Sorento
189 owner complaints, 38 for each year on the road (0.9 times the model median). Most reported: stalling (32 reports), misfire (23 reports, median 39,000 miles) and transmission shudder (18 reports, median 12,000 miles). 4 reports involved a crash and 4 people were hurt. 6 recalls, including 25V-649 on the electrical system and 22V-760 on the transmission and drivetrain.
2021 Kia Sorento
248 owner complaints, 41 for each year on the road (1.0 times the model median). Most reported: stalling (63 reports, median 43,000 miles), transmission shudder (38 reports, median 45,000 miles) and transmission failure (31 reports, median 62,500 miles). 4 reports involved a crash and 1 person was hurt. 4 recalls, including 25V-649 on the electrical system and 22V-760 on the transmission and drivetrain.
2020 Kia Sorento best
136 owner complaints, 19 for each year on the road (0.5 times the model median). Most reported: engine failure (27 reports, median 80,000 miles), oil consumption (22 reports, median 80,000 miles) and misfire (17 reports, median 100,000 miles). 10 reports involved a crash and 21 people were hurt. 1 recall: 22V-703 on the trailer hitches.
2019 Kia Sorento
428 owner complaints, 54 for each year on the road (1.3 times the model median). Most reported: engine failure (57 reports, median 79,096 miles), oil consumption (50 reports, median 89,600 miles) and infotainment (48 reports). 10 reports involved a crash and 16 people were hurt. 2 recalls, including 23V-639 on the backup camera and 22V-703 on the trailer hitches.
2018 Kia Sorento
254 owner complaints, 28 for each year on the road (0.7 times the model median). Most reported: engine failure (48 reports, median 85,798 miles), stalling (41 reports, median 72,000 miles) and misfire (31 reports, median 88,000 miles). 12 reports involved a crash and 11 people were hurt. 3 recalls, including 22V-703 on the trailer hitches and 18V-656 on the steering system.
2017 Kia Sorento avoid
804 owner complaints, 80 for each year on the road (1.9 times the model median). Most reported: engine failure (193 reports, median 71,000 miles), stalling (142 reports, median 80,000 miles) and oil consumption (120 reports, median 50,000 miles). 13 reports involved a crash and 17 people were hurt. 4 recalls, including 17V-586 on the engine and 22V-703 on the trailer hitches.
2016 Kia Sorento avoid
1,252 owner complaints, 114 for each year on the road (2.8 times the model median). Most reported: engine failure (357 reports, median 86,000 miles), stalling (216 reports, median 77,000 miles) and misfire (163 reports, median 79,000 miles). 29 reports involved a crash and 19 people were hurt. 8 recalls, including 22V-703 on the trailer hitches and 22V-612 on the transmission and drivetrain.
2015 Kia Sorento
738 owner complaints, 62 for each year on the road (1.5 times the model median). Most reported: engine failure (209 reports, median 88,000 miles), stalling (138 reports, median 88,000 miles) and paint (88 reports, median 70,000 miles). 19 reports involved a crash and 23 people were hurt. 3 recalls, including 21V-331 on the brakes and 20V-519 on the brakes.
2014 Kia Sorento avoid
945 owner complaints, 73 for each year on the road (1.8 times the model median). Most reported: engine failure (183 reports, median 105,000 miles), paint (147 reports, median 75,000 miles) and stalling (138 reports, median 104,000 miles). 19 reports involved a crash and 20 people were hurt. 6 recalls, including 17V-224 on the engine and 23V-652 on the brakes.
Recalls that cover several model years
Debris and moisture accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (PCB) may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire.
The high pressure fuel pipe that connects to the fuel pump outlet may have been damaged, misaligned or improperly torqued during the engine replacement procedure, possibly causing a fuel leak.
The heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) blower motor wiring harness may be inadequate, which can result in a fire.
A software error in the Body Domain Control Unit (BDC) may cause a loss of low beam headlights and taillights.
The mounting clips for the rearview camera may break, which can cause the rearview camera image not to appear properly on the display.
The vehicle's "fail-safe" limited-mobility drive mode may be impaired, when prompted by a transmission oil pump malfunction, which can result in a complete loss of drive power.
Compare the Sorento with its rivals
Side by side over the model years both have on file: what owners complain about, the mileage problems start at, recalls, investigations and crash reports.
- Sorento vs Hyundai Santa Fe2014 to 2025
Questions
What Kia Sorento years should you avoid?
The 2014, 2016 and 2017 Kia Sorento draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2014 has 945 complaints (73 for each year on the road), 2016 has 1,252 complaints (114 for each year on the road) and 2017 has 804 complaints (80 for each year on the road), against a median of 41 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2016 is engine failure (357 reports).
What are the best years for the Kia Sorento?
The 2020 and 2024 draw the fewest complaints for their age: 2020 has 136 (19 a year) and 2024 has 41 (14 a year). Model years before 2016 aren't called best, because complaints filed before 2015 aren't in the files this site reads and their counts run short.
What is the most common problem on the Kia Sorento?
Engine failure, with 1,074 reports across the 12 model years that have a page here. It's the single most reported problem on the 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.
How many recalls does the Kia Sorento have?
28 recall campaigns cover the Kia Sorento model years 2014 to 2025 on this site. The widest, 22V-703 on the trailer hitches, covers 7 model years.
How many Kia Sorento complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
6% of them, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The 2020 has the highest share.
Is there a recall for engine failure on the Kia Sorento?
On 2 of the 7 model years where owners report it: 2014 and 2017.