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Home›Kia›Kia Sorento› engine problems
Owner complaints · Engine · every model year

Kia Sorento engine problems, 2016–2027

1,729 of the 3,710 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the Kia Sorento 2016–2027 name the engine (NHTSA’s “Engine” heading — the engine and its cooling system). The loudest years: 2016 (726), 2017 (412), 2019 (169). Filed under the same heading across these years: 9 manufacturer bulletins, 3 recall campaigns, 3 NHTSA investigations. Every figure is a linked federal record; none is a failure rate, none a repair cost, and none a verdict on one car.

1,729 complaints, 12 model years 47% of everything filed about the Sorento typically at 75k miles

Kia Sorento engine problems by model year

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications

One row per model year on file, newest first. A year marked in depth has its own page: the complaints, the owners’ words and every document under this heading for that year.

Model yearComplaints naming the engineShare of the year’sTypically atOn file under the heading
20270———the year →
2026350%—6 TSBsthe year →
20254333%—6 TSBs · 1 recallthe year →
20241020%—9 TSBsthe year →
20234730%—23 TSBsthe year →
2022 in depth6027%—49 TSBs · 1 recallthe record →
2021 in depth7829%—38 TSBs · 1 investigationthe record →
2020 in depth6850%—29 TSBs · 1 investigationthe record →
2019 in depth16939%84k44 TSBs · 1 investigationthe record →
2018 in depth11344%78k94 TSBs · 1 investigationthe record →
2017 in depth41251%67k97 TSBs · 1 recall · 3 investigationsthe record →
2016 in depth72658%85k104 TSBs · 3 investigationsthe record →

Two things the counts carry that are not the car: how many of each year were sold, and how long each has been on the road — an older year out-counts a newer one before anything is wrong with it. The share column is the honest comparison across years: what part of that year’s complaints named the engine. Nothing here is a rate.

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When the engine complaints were filed, and at what mileage

Source: NHTSA complaint database
1,729complaints name the engine, all years

Filed per calendar year, every model year together: 2015: 3 · 2017: 11 · 2018: 30 · 2019: 63 · 2020: 73 · 2021: 118 · 2022: 265 · 2023: 329 · 2024: 318 · 2025: 301 · 2026: 218

75kmiles, typically

Across the model years, half of the 454 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the engine problem between 40,000 and 102,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.

In owners’ own words

Source: NHTSA complaint database

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the engine, from the model years with the most to say. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.

On my drive home from the city, vehicle started making a ticking sound. 10 minutes after it started my car was shaking and trugging along barely. Barely made it safely into a parking lot. And only pulled over because I immediately called the dealership to find out what to do.
Engine at 36,000 miles May 2, 2018 NHTSA owner report
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. While driving approximately 69 MPH, a clicking noise was heard from the engine and the vehicle stopped. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road. The vehicle was taken to the same dealer and the technician diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced.
Engine at 40,000 miles Mar 23, 2018 NHTSA owner report
Lost power,unable to accelerate. Engine labored forced to drive at slow speed to dealer shop. Car at dealers shop for 7 days. Unable to get a pick up date. Car has 16500 miles was in shop for factory recall prior to this problem
Engine at 16,500 miles Jan 20, 2019 NHTSA owner report
Engine just lost almost all power,car has only 5000 miles, had same problem when we first bought new car after 24 hrs took it back and they gave US this one ,someone is going to get seriously hurt if not killed with engine losing power,car is in Kia shop now ,very dissapointed in this car, have been a Kia owner15 yrs with 5 new cars
Engine at 5,200 miles Jan 17, 2019 NHTSA owner report
Stumbles horribly through the low gears during acceleration until hitting ~45-50mph on cold start-up (after sitting several hours or overnight). After engine warmup the effect begins to moderate, though it remains present at all times. Worse in eco and comfort drive modes.
Engine at 27,895 miles Jun 18, 2020 NHTSA owner report

What is on file about the engine, across the years

Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications

Recall campaigns filed under this heading, any model year

NHTSA investigations

9 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading, any model year

The 8 newest are listed; each model year’s page lists every one filed on that year. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.

Other systems with a record on the Kia Sorento

Source: the same files

Every system, every model year: Kia Sorento problems by year →

From here
Every 2027 model on file, by price Compare two vehicles, trim vs trim See what a VIN was priced at See what owners reported

Common questions

Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communications

Which Kia Sorento years have the most engine complaints?

2016, 726; 2017, 412; 2019, 169. Raw counts, and an older year has had longer to collect them; by share of each year's own complaints the loudest is the 2016 (58%).

Is there a recall for the engine on the Kia Sorento?

Yes — 3 campaigns are filed under this heading across these model years: 25V548000 (2025), 22V202000 (2022), 17V586000 (2017). A recall is matched by VIN, and applies to specific years; check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

When do engine problems show up on the Kia Sorento?

Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 75,000 miles across the model years; half of them between 40,000 and 102,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.

What does NHTSA's "Engine" heading cover?

The engine and its cooling system. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.