2015 Kia Sorento · symptom sheet
Engine overheats or leaks coolant
- 35owner reports
- 85,786median miles
- $5,000median quote
- 1involved a crash
Newest report Mar 18, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
363 of the 738 complaints on this car are about the engine. 35 of those describe overheating.
Tick what matches of 35 reports
Overheating on other Sorento years
Report counts are for each model year on its own, so a newer car has had less time to collect them. Model years with too few reports of it for a sheet: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025.
What this problem usually is
Most owners in this group notice the coolant before they notice the heat: a reservoir that keeps dropping, a sweet smell, or a bright puddle under the front of the car. Across the vehicles on this site, about four in five of these complaints mention coolant, a leak or a puddle, and roughly two in five mention the temperature gauge or overheating.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the head gasket (15 reports), the coolant hose or reservoir (6 reports) and the radiator (3 reports).
Recalls and investigations
No recall on the engine covers the 2015 model year as of Oct 2, 2026.
NHTSA investigations into the engine on the Sorento
Loss of motive power. Closed jul 23, 2024.
Loss of motive power. Closed dec 12, 2023.
Engine fires. Closed feb 5, 2024, led to recall 23V-877.
Engine oil pressure switch leak. Closed jun 26, 2023.
Scope and timeliness. Closed dec 22, 2021, led to recall 17V-224.
What owners paid
6 of the 35 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $700 to $5,500.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 70,000 and 125,000 miles, from the 19 reports that gave a mileage.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 5 service bulletins or notices for the 2015 Kia Sorento that deal with this problem. Newest first.
Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.
ENGINE SUB ASSEMBLY INSPECTION/REPLACEMENT (WTY039 REVISION 7) - This bulletin provides information associated with the ‘Warranty Extension Program’ (WTY039) to diagnose a coolant leak from the cylinder head gasket area and, if necessary, replace the engine sub assembly on 2014-2015 MY Sorento, 2014-2017 MY ...
ENGINE SUB ASSEMBLY INSPECTION/REPLACEMENT (WTY039 REVISION 6) This bulletin provides information associated with the ‘Warranty Extension Program’ (WTY039) to diagnose a coolant leak from the cylinder head gasket area and, if necessary, replace the engine sub assembly on 2014-2015 MY Sorento, 2014-2017 MY Cadenza, and ...
WARRANTY EXTENSION CAMPAIGN (WTY039) This bulletin provides information associated with the ‘Warranty Extension Program’ (WTY039) to diagnose a coolant leak from the cylinder head gasket area and, if necessary, replace the engine sub assembly on 2014-2015 MY Sorento, 2014-2017 MY Cadenza, and ...
ENGINE SUB ASSEMBLY: INSPECTION/REPLACEMENT (WTY039) This bulletin provides information associated with the ‘Warranty Extension Program’ (WTY039) to diagnose a coolant leak from the cylinder head gasket area and, if necessary, replace the engine sub assembly on 2014-2015 MY Sorento, 2014-2017 MY Cadenza, and ...
1 more on the 2015 Kia Sorento page.
What owners wrote
“Car had a blown head gasket. Took it to my mechanic and upon inspection determined that the head bolts had stretched. My mechanic said that it was a common problem and service advisor at dealership also agreed it was a common problem. After a little research found a lot of complaints about this problem. Talked to KIA and was told no warranty or recall for this problem”
Filed Aug 8, 2025
“What's driving home from work doing 65 mph postal speed limit car begin to overheat and then went in the complete engine failure engine light flashing”
Filed Jun 18, 2025
“There is oil leaking into my coolant. I had it flushed, hoping it was just a fluke. Then noticed there was more oil getting into my coolant. I had the vehicle inspected again and they stated it was probably a blown head gasket, or a cracked head.”
Filed Jun 17, 2024
“Ongoing issue with coolant mixing in the oil causing overheating in the engine. I believe this a safety risk as driving the vehicle for longer than 30 minutes causes the engine temperature to rise dramatically and risks complete engine failure, potentially when driving at speed. Vehicle has not been examined by a dealer. We've just become aware this is apparently due to Kia's known soft block issue.”
Filed Jun 13, 2024
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 1 of 35 reports involved a crash and 2 people were hurt. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.
File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.
Guide Which lights mean pull over now? Warning lights by color and urgency
Other problems on this car
- Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing 209 reports
- Engine stalls or loses power while driving 138 reports
- Paint peels or body rusts 88 reports
- Headlights too dim or fail 81 reports
- Check engine light or misfire 78 reports
- Brakes grind, pulse or wear early 37 reports
- Engine rattles or ticks 36 reports
- Windshield cracks or distorts 31 reports
- Burns oil or oil level rises 30 reports
- Airbag warning light or recall 27 reports