Coscienzios

Model years to avoid

Kia Sorento

What it says about you

Opinion

Three rows in a footprint that still parks. Kia's most quietly competent thing.

Not measured, not from the data, and offered in fun. Everything below this is not.

22 model years on record, 9,360 complaints filed.

The years to look at closely: 2017 (headlights), 2016 (paint), 2015 (paint), 2014 (paint), 2013 , 2012 (time recall), 2011 (outside). Everything else drew a normal number of complaints for this model.

What owners report, and when

Faults that dominated the complaints of more than one model year. Not the same question as which year to avoid — a car can have an ordinary number of complaints every year and have most of them be about the same thing.

  • bolt 2005, 2006 peak 38.4% of that year's complaints
  • power steering 2005, 2006 peak 34.2% of that year's complaints
  • gear 2007, 2022, 2023, 2025 peak 19.1% of that year's complaints
  • transmission 2022, 2025 peak 21.1% of that year's complaints
  • pedal 2008, 2009 peak 16.4% of that year's complaints

Every year

  1. 2026 2 recalls 4 complaints
  2. 2025 3 recalls 68 complaints
  3. 2024 2 recalls 36 complaints
  4. 2023 3 recalls 152 complaints
  5. 2022 6 recalls 185 complaints
  6. 2021 4 recalls 2 complaints
  7. 2020 1 recall 131 complaints
  8. 2019 2 recalls 419 complaints
  9. 2018 3 recalls 248 complaints
  10. 2017 headlights 795 complaints
  11. 2016 paint 1,241 complaints
  12. 2015 paint 747 complaints
  13. 2014 paint 982 complaints
  14. 2013 5 recalls 979 complaints
  15. 2012 time recall 876 complaints
  16. 2011 outside 1,517 complaints
  17. 2010 2 recalls 3 complaints
  18. 2009 3 recalls 55 complaints
  19. 2008 3 recalls 217 complaints
  20. 2007 4 recalls 154 complaints
  21. 2006 1 recall 242 complaints
  22. 2005 0 recalls 307 complaints

What does a Kia Sorento say about you?

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Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations, retrieved . A year is flagged when it drew at least 2.5× this model's median and at least 50 complaints — compared against itself rather than against other cars, so popularity and age do not decide the answer.