Vehicles · Insights

2018 Kia Sorento

2018 Kia Sorento: engine problems dominate owner complaints

Across 247 owner complaints to NHTSA, the engine is by far the most-reported area at 101 reports (41%), well ahead of exterior lighting at 41 reports (17%) and the electrical system at 29 reports (12%). Most complaints did not involve a crash or injury. Fires show up across several categories: 6 in the engine reports, 3 in electrical, and 1 in steering, and the engine category holds the only injury in this data.

Most reported areas

Engine safety 41%
Most-reported area by a wide margin: 101 complaints (41%), including 6 fires and the only injury in this data. One owner describes smelling smoke while driving on the highway, pulling over, and finding flames after opening the hood.
Exterior Lighting0 17%
Second most-reported: 41 complaints (17%), with no crashes, fires, or injuries reported. Owners describe headlights that fail to illuminate properly, leaving poor visibility.
Electrical System safety 12%
29 complaints (12%), including 3 fires, with no crashes or injuries reported. Owners describe vent and heater controls failing, along with headlamps that do not illuminate.
Steering safety 11%
26 complaints (11%), including 1 fire, with no crashes or injuries reported. One owner describes the steering wheel seizing without warning while driving, forcing them to coast to the side of the road.
Fuel/Propulsion System0 5%
12 complaints (5%), with no crashes, fires, or injuries reported. One owner describes gasoline leaking from the bottom of the vehicle near the rear driver side.

Source: NHTSA owner complaints · 247 complaints

Track maintenance, recalls, and costs for your Kia, and see this inside the app.

Get Garage Story Maintenance schedule

General information compiled from public NHTSA complaint data, for reference only, not professional advice and not reviewed by automotive experts. Verify before acting; Studio AM is not responsible for decisions made from it.