MODELYEARINDEX

Which Kia Sorento years to avoid

Across 11 scored model years, the 2011, 2013 and 2012 model years carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates.

Ownership label · Kia Sorento Full report
F
Grade 2011–2021
2011 vs model median 2.1×
Model median3× median
Drivetrain 104
Engine 67
Electrical 57
Avoid

2011 · 2013

Best

2018 · 2020

Year by year

Severity-weighted complaints filed in each model year’s first 60 months on the road, so every year is measured over an identical window.

Year Complaint volume vs median Reports Grade
2011
2.05× 532 F
2012
1.17× 261 D
2013
1.50× 325 D
2014
0.87× 225 C
2015
0.88× 219 C
2016
1.29× 322 D
2017
1.19× 301 C
2018
0.50× 104 B
2019
0.76× 197 B
2020
0.34× 78 B
2021
1.00× 280 C
2022 P
1.19× 336 C
2023 P
0.87× 263 B
2024 P
0.33× 66 A
2025 P
0.75× 191 B

P — provisional. These years have not completed 60 months on the road, so their totals are incomplete and they are excluded from the verdict.

What owners report

The component groups most often named, with one representative report. These are unverified — allegations, not findings.

2011 F 532 reports · median 27,000 mi

  1. Drivetrain 104

    Front strut failure at 3k miles. Car randomly has a loud metallic clunk sound when starting, sometimes the car will surge/jump forward when starting (while the car is in park, parking brake on and foot on brake). owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Engine 67

    Took delivery of a 2011, kia sorento lx, with 2.4l engine, on 4/22/10. During the next 3.5 months and 4,800 miles, this vehicle has experienced the following safety issue seven times, two of which a collision was… owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Electrical 57

    While coming to a stop, the vehicle down-shifted hard and the engine started to sputter like it was going to cut off. Took to dealer and they found p0748- pressure control solenoid "a" electrical fault. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

37 crash · 8 fire · 37 injuries

2013 D 325 reports · median 30,000 mi

  1. Engine 113

    The contact owns a 2013 kia sorento. The contact stated that when the vehicle was idling, he felt a shimmy through the steering wheel. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  2. Lights & Visibility 38

    The front portion of the panoramic sunroof on my kia sorento 2013 exploded while I was driving the car. I did not see anything coming towards the car that could have hit the sunroof. owner complaint filed with NHTSA

  3. Electrical 33

    A day after I purchased a new kia sorento ex gdi 2013 (9/25/2012), I noticed that it had rough idle at stop. I took my car to dealership to fix the rough idle issue next day, however after 4 days of troubleshooting by… owner complaint filed with NHTSA

24 crash · 15 fire · 34 injuries

The best year for the Sorento

Ranked by overall score among years with a full 60 months on the road.

2020 is the best-scoring Sorento model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 84 out of 100 — a score that combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.

Yearvs medianReportsGrade
2020 0.34× 78 B
2018 0.50× 104 B
2019 0.76× 197 B

Recalls

36 campaigns on record, 4 carrying a Park It or Park Outside warning.

Campaign Component Model years Units affected
23V652000 Park it SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE 2011–2014 1,730,192
13V114000 EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH 2011 980,377
17V224000 ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE 2012–2014 618,160
20V519000 Park it SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE 2014, 2015 440,370
21V331000 Park it SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE 2014, 2015 440,370
15V626000 POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION 2011–2013 377,062
20V750000 ENGINE 2012, 2013 294,756
23V610000 BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA 2022, 2023 144,979
23V639000 BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA 2019 83,667
23V877000 ENGINE 2011 79,812
25V006000 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:BODY CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE 2024, 2025 74,469
18V907000 FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS 2012–2017 71,653

+ 24 further campaigns

How long do they last?

Complaint records show when problems get reported, not how long a car survives. Where owners gave an odometer reading, faults on the 2011 were reported at a median of 27,000 miles. Treat that as the point problems start being noticed, not a lifespan.

Common questions

Answered directly from this model’s record.

Which Kia Sorento years should you avoid?
2011, 2013, 2012 carry the highest severity-weighted complaint rates of any Kia Sorento model year measured over an identical 60-month window.
What is the best year for the Kia Sorento?
2020 is the best-scoring Kia Sorento model year with a full 60 months on the road, at 84 out of 100. The score combines complaint rate, recall campaigns and open investigations.
How many recalls does the Kia Sorento have?
36 distinct recall campaigns are on record across all scored Kia Sorento model years. A recall is a matter of record: the manufacturer filed a defect report with NHTSA.

How this was calculated

Every model year is scored over an identical window: complaints filed with NHTSA during the first 60 months after that model year went on sale. Without this, older cars look worse purely because they have had longer to accumulate reports.

Limitations. Complaints are unverified reports submitted voluntarily by owners; they are allegations, not findings, and reporting rates vary between models. Model years with fewer than 60 months on the road are marked provisional and excluded from verdicts. Cross-model comparison is withheld pending production-volume data.

Full methodology · Sources · Data vintage August 9, 2026

Working 2011 Sorento
Complaints in window
532
Severity-weighted
839
Model median (weighted)
409
vs model median
2.05×
Recall campaigns (weighted)
10
Open investigations
1
Score 30.4 F