2013 Kia SORENTO

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Avoid This Year

Quick Summary

The 2013 Kia SORENTO has 1292 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 16.1x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is engine problems (40% of all complaints), specifically: i test drove the vehicle which had only 5 miles on it and had not been test driven prior to me. i noticed a very slight vibration from 0mpg to 10mpg, and asked the sales associate if that was normal. he said it was fine and was nothing to be concerned about. i did not notice any further issues while. ⚠️ 61 fire reports filed.

61 fire reports 27 crash reports 32 injuries

1292

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

16.1x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

ENGINE

512 complaints

40%

• I TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE WHICH HAD ONLY 5 MILES ON IT AND HAD NOT BEEN TEST DRIVEN PRIOR TO ME. I NOTICED A VERY SLIGHT VIBRATION FROM 0MPG TO 10MPG, AND ASKED THE SALES ASSOCIATE IF THAT WAS NORMAL. HE SAID IT WAS FINE AND WAS NOTHING TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT. I DID NOT NOTICE ANY FURTHER ISSUES WHILE
• DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY IN SLOW TRAFFIC. SUDDENLY THE ENGINE DIED WITH NO WARNING. I HAD TO STOP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE FREEWAY TO ATTEMPT TO RESTART THE CAR. IT DID NOT IMMEDIATELY START, BUT AFTER A FEW MOMENTS THE ENGINE KICKED OVER. I DROVE IT OFF THE FREEWAY AND HAD IT TOWED THE NEXT DAY TO THE DE
• WHILE ON VACATION (JUNE 15) WE WERE TO STOP BY THE DEALER AND GET OUR NEW TAGS. ON I77 AT MILEAGE MARKER 33 IN VERY HEAVY TRAFFIC, THE ENGINE QUIT RUNNING. I IMMEDIATELY TURNED ON THE EMERGENCY FLASHERS. WE WERE IN THE MIDDLE LANE AND WASN'T ABLE TO GET OVER TO THE RIGHT (NOBODY WOULD LET US GET OU

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 34 fire reports💥 7 crashes

“I TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE WHICH HAD ONLY 5 MILES ON IT AND HAD NOT BEEN TEST DRIVEN PRIOR TO ME. I NOTICED A VERY SLIGHT VIBRATION FROM 0MPG TO 10MPG, AND ASKED THE SALES ASSOCIATE IF THAT WAS NORMAL. HE SAID IT WAS FINE AND WAS NOTHING TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT. I DID NOT NOTICE ANY FURTHER ISSUES WHILE”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ELECTRICAL

116 complaints

• I TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE WHICH HAD ONLY 5 MILES ON IT AND HAD NOT BEEN TEST DRIVEN PRIOR TO ME. I NOTICED A VERY SLIGHT VIBRATION FROM 0MPG TO 10MPG, AND ASKED THE SALES ASSOCIATE IF THAT WAS NORMAL. HE SAID IT WAS FINE AND WAS NOTHING TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT. I DID NOT NOTICE ANY FURTHER ISSUES WHILE
• 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 MECHANIC WITH KIA SUPPORT ENGINEER, THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO RESOLVE IT. TSB#122 (E
• DRIVING ON INTERSTATE AT NIGHT AT 65 MPH LIGHTS FLICKER INSIDE AND HEADLIGHTS. BATTERY WARNING LIGHT COMES ON AND OFF SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE HAS ALSO HAD HARD SHIFTING AROUND 20 TO 30 MPH, ALMOST LIKE APPLYING BRAKES ON SLOW DOWN AND AN ENGINE REV WHEN SPEEDING UP. NEXT NIGHT (SUNDAY) VEHICLE

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 9 fire reports💥 3 crashes

— NHTSA complaint filing

BODY/STRUCTURE

90 complaints

• REAR RIGHT DOOR HANDLE ASSEMBLY FELL APART WHEN MY WIFE WAS OPENING THE DOOR TO PLACE GROCERIES ON REAR SEAT. THIS INCIDENT HAS NEVER HAPPENED TO ME ON THE DIFFERENT CARS I HAVE OWNED. *TR
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE DRIVER'S DOOR WOULD STRIKE HIM IN THE FOREHEAD WHENEVER ENTERING THE VEHICLE .THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE EDGES AROUND THE DOOR WERE SHARP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER FOR DIAGNOSIS BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO DUPLICATE TH
• WHEN I BOUGHT THIS VEHICLE I DID NOT REALIZE THAT IT WOULD HAVE SO MANY ISSUES. I THINK IT STARTED IN MARCH OF 2013. I STARTED SMELLING A BAD ODOR WHEN I START MY TRUCK UP AND REALIZED IT WAS COMING FROM THE AC UNIT. HAD IT CHECKED OUT AND WAS INFORMED THAT IT WAS THE CABIN FILTER AND I WOULD HAVE T

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 2 fire reports💥 1 crashes

“REAR RIGHT DOOR HANDLE ASSEMBLY FELL APART WHEN MY WIFE WAS OPENING THE DOOR TO PLACE GROCERIES ON REAR SEAT. THIS INCIDENT HAS NEVER HAPPENED TO ME ON THE DIFFERENT CARS I HAVE OWNED. *TR”

— NHTSA complaint filing

OTHER

90 complaints

• THE VEHICLE IS A FEW MONTHS OLD. TODAY 6/9/13 TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER BECAUSE IT IS SPUTTERING AND SHUTTING OFF. KIA IN CHARLOTTE, NC PUT IT ON THE COMPUTER AND SAID THEY CAN NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG? A VEHICLE A FEW MONTHS OLD THAT SPUTTERS AND SHUTS OFF HAS A PROBLEM! I DO NOT CARE WHAT T
• THE DASHBOARD REFLECTS ONTO THE WINDSHIELD REDUCING VISIBILTY AS THE REFLECTIONS CAUSE DISTORTED VISION THRU THE WINDSHIELD. THIS IS EXTREMELY HAZARDOUS ON SUNNY DAYS AS THE REFLECTIONS INCREASE DEPENDING ON THE ANGLE OF THE SUN REFLECTING OFF THE SHINY DASHBOARD ONTO THE WINDSHIELD. MAYBE THE DASHB
• MY 2013 KIA SORRENTO'S PARKING LIGHTS WERE ON THIS AFTERNOON ON SATURDAY AUGUST 22, 2015 AT APPROXIMATELY 2:30 PM EST. I WENT OUTSIDE TO PLACE SOMETHING IN MY VEHICLE WHEN I NOTICED THE PARKING LIGHTS WERE ON. I HAD PARKED MY VEHICLE AT 1:00 AM WHEN I RETURNED FROM RUNNING AN ERRAND. I PARKED, MADE

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 7 fire reports💥 3 crashes

“THE VEHICLE IS A FEW MONTHS OLD. TODAY 6/9/13 TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER BECAUSE IT IS SPUTTERING AND SHUTTING OFF. KIA IN CHARLOTTE, NC PUT IT ON THE COMPUTER AND SAID THEY CAN NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG? A VEHICLE A FEW MONTHS OLD THAT SPUTTERS AND SHUTS OFF HAS A PROBLEM! I DO NOT CARE WHAT T”

— NHTSA complaint filing

BRAKES

89 complaints

• I WAS BACKING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY AND TURNING SLIGHTLY TO THE LEFT, I ATTEMPTED TO STOP MY 2013 KIA SORENTO BY PRESSING THE BRAKES BUT IT WOULD NOT STOP. IT CONTINUED TO COAST BACKWARDS WITHOUT STOPPING EVEN THOUGH I CONTINUED TO PRESS BRAKES NUMEROUS TIMES.. THE BRAKE PEDAL ITSELF WOULD NOT GO ALL T
• TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THERE WAS AN EXPLOSIVE SOUND FROM THE BRAKES. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER WHERE THEY REPLACED THE BRAKES AND ROTORS. THE REPAIR LASTED FOR FOUR MONTHS BEFORE THE FAILURE RECURRED. THE CONTACT HAD THE VEHICLE TAKEN BACK T
• DRIVING THROUGH NEIGHBORHOOD APPROXIMATELY 25 TO 30 MPH, VEHICLE SUDDENLY SCREECHED TO HALT (I DID NOT DEPRESS THE BRAKES), ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON. ALL PARTS OF VEHICLE WERE DISABLED (UNABLE TO STEER, START, ETC.) I WAS THROWN FORWARD DESPITE SEAT BELT ON DUE TO SUDDEN AND COMPLETE STOP. THANKFULLY

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500🔥 1 fire reports💥 5 crashes

“I WAS BACKING OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY AND TURNING SLIGHTLY TO THE LEFT, I ATTEMPTED TO STOP MY 2013 KIA SORENTO BY PRESSING THE BRAKES BUT IT WOULD NOT STOP. IT CONTINUED TO COAST BACKWARDS WITHOUT STOPPING EVEN THOUGH I CONTINUED TO PRESS BRAKES NUMEROUS TIMES.. THE BRAKE PEDAL ITSELF WOULD NOT GO ALL T”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

ENGINE(~50K mi)

$500

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

BODY/STRUCTURE(~50K mi)

$500

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

BRAKES(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 1292 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
ENGINE: I TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE WHICH HAD ONLY 5 MILES ON IT AND HAD NOT BEEN TEST DRIVEN PRIOR TO ME. I NOTICED A VERY SLIGHT VIBRATION FROM 0MPG TO 10MPG, AND ASKED THE SALES ASSOCIATE IF THAT WAS NORMAL. HE SAID IT WAS FINE AND WAS NOTHING TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT. I DID NOT NOTICE ANY FURTHER ISSUES WHILE
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ELECTRICAL: I TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE WHICH HAD ONLY 5 MILES ON IT AND HAD NOT BEEN TEST DRIVEN PRIOR TO ME. I NOTICED A VERY SLIGHT VIBRATION FROM 0MPG TO 10MPG, AND ASKED THE SALES ASSOCIATE IF THAT WAS NORMAL. HE SAID IT WAS FINE AND WAS NOTHING TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT. I DID NOT NOTICE ANY FURTHER ISSUES WHILE
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
BODY/STRUCTURE: REAR RIGHT DOOR HANDLE ASSEMBLY FELL APART WHEN MY WIFE WAS OPENING THE DOOR TO PLACE GROCERIES ON REAR SEAT. THIS INCIDENT HAS NEVER HAPPENED TO ME ON THE DIFFERENT CARS I HAVE OWNED. *TR
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
OTHER: THE VEHICLE IS A FEW MONTHS OLD. TODAY 6/9/13 TOOK THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER BECAUSE IT IS SPUTTERING AND SHUTTING OFF. KIA IN CHARLOTTE, NC PUT IT ON THE COMPUTER AND SAID THEY CAN NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG? A VEHICLE A FEW MONTHS OLD THAT SPUTTERS AND SHUTS OFF HAS A PROBLEM! I DO NOT CARE WHAT T
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)