2017 Kia SORENTO
Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report
Quick Summary
The 2017 Kia SORENTO has 1019 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 12.7x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is engine problems (39% of all complaints), specifically: tl* the contact owns a 2017 kia sorento. while driving 52 mph, the vehicle stalled without warning. in addition, while the vehicle was parked, the engine indicator illuminated without warning. the contact stated that the rpms malfunctioned without warning. the vehicle was repaired, but the failure r. ⚠️ 42 fire reports filed.
1019
Total Complaints
0
Recalls Issued
—/5
Safety Stars
12.7x
vs Segment Avg
Known Problems
ENGINE
401 complaints- • TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 KIA SORENTO. WHILE DRIVING 52 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. IN ADDITION, WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RPMS MALFUNCTIONED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE R
- • 15-DEC-2016: TRAVELING APPROX. 50 MPH DURING HEAVY TRAFFIC IN MARIETTA, GA, THE VEHICLE HAD A COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER THEREFORE PREVENTING THE OPERATOR OF SAID MOTOR VEHICLE TO HAVE COMPLETE LOSS OF CONTROL OF THE VEHICLE, (MYSELF) THUS, ILLUSTRATING A SERIOUS SAFETY DEFECT. THIS ISSUE COULD HAVE RES
- • AFTER 650 MILES: MERGING ONTO A HIGHWAY: ENGINE RATTLED. ENGINE DIED. WE COASTED TO THE SHOULDER. WE STOPPED. I PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK. SMOKE WAS COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. LOOKING UNDERNEATH, WE SAW THE CAR WAS ON FIRE. INITIALLY THE FIRE WAS UNDER THE ENGINE. WE GOT AWAY FROM THE CAR
“TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 KIA SORENTO. WHILE DRIVING 52 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. IN ADDITION, WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RPMS MALFUNCTIONED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE R”
— NHTSA complaint filing
LIGHTING
125 complaints- • THE HEADLIGHTS DO NOT SHINE FAR ENOUGH FOR SAFE STOPPING IN AN EMERGENCY. DEER RAN ON TO ROAD AND ALMOST HIT IT.
- • THE HEADLIGHTS HAVE GONE OUT ON TWO SEPARATE OCCASIONS, WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE AT NIGHT WITH THE HEADLIGHT CONTROL IN THE AUTO MODE. THE HEADLIGHTS COMPLETELY SHUTDOWN FOR APPROXIMATELY 2 TO 3 SECONDS DURING THIS ISSUE AND AUTOMATICALLY CAME BACK ON. BOTH TIMES THIS OCCURRED AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS
- • WHILE ON AUTO, HEADLIGHTS TURNED OFF WHEN THEY SHOULD NOT HAVE. TWO TIMES DURING DUSK/TWILIGHT, AND ONCE DURING THE NIGHT WITHIN A THREE WEEK PERIOD. THE TIME IT HAPPENED AT NIGHT, AND THE ONE TIME DURING TWILIGHT WAS ON AN UNLIT RURAL ROAD . THE OCCURRENCE DURING DUSK WAS AT A LIGHTED RURAL INTE
“THE HEADLIGHTS DO NOT SHINE FAR ENOUGH FOR SAFE STOPPING IN AN EMERGENCY. DEER RAN ON TO ROAD AND ALMOST HIT IT.”
— NHTSA complaint filing
OTHER
109 complaints- • SUNROOF SPONTANEOUSLY IMPLODED WHILE DRIVING AT SLOW SPEED ON NEIGHBORHOOD STREET. A BRIEF INTERNET SEARCH HAS INDICATED THAT THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT ON SORENTOS AND HAS HAPPENED TO NUMEROUS OTHERS. THIS VEHICLE IS ONLY 2 MONTHS OLD.
- • THE COLLISION WARNING AND AUTONOMOUS EMERGENCY BRAKING SYSTEMS ON THIS VEHICLE ARE TOTALLY INOPERATIVE AND HAVE BEEN SINCE VEHICLE DELIVERY. VEHICLE NOW HAS ABOUT 1800 MILES ON IT. IT HAS BEEN TO TWO DEALERS FOR REPAIR AND BOTH SAY THEIR TESTS DO NOT INDICATE ANY FAILURE
- • AFTER 650 MILES: MERGING ONTO A HIGHWAY: ENGINE RATTLED. ENGINE DIED. WE COASTED TO THE SHOULDER. WE STOPPED. I PUT THE VEHICLE IN PARK. SMOKE WAS COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. LOOKING UNDERNEATH, WE SAW THE CAR WAS ON FIRE. INITIALLY THE FIRE WAS UNDER THE ENGINE. WE GOT AWAY FROM THE CAR
“SUNROOF SPONTANEOUSLY IMPLODED WHILE DRIVING AT SLOW SPEED ON NEIGHBORHOOD STREET. A BRIEF INTERNET SEARCH HAS INDICATED THAT THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT ON SORENTOS AND HAS HAPPENED TO NUMEROUS OTHERS. THIS VEHICLE IS ONLY 2 MONTHS OLD.”
— NHTSA complaint filing
STEERING
94 complaints- • WHILE DRIVING THE CAR ON ANY ROAD (CITY OR HIGHWAY) IT WANTS TO DRIFT TO THE SIDE AND WHEN YOU GO TO CORRECT THE STEERING IT FEELS STICKY, FOR LACK OF BETTER WORDS, AND THERE IS A DELAY IN THE RESPONSE. SO I END UP OVER CORRECTING, AND I'M ALL OVER THE ROAD. THIS CAR IS SO UNSAFE AS IT IS RIGHT NOW.
- • A FEW MONTHS AFTER PURCHASING THE 2017 KIA SORENTO WE BEGAN NOTICING STEERING ISSUES. IT DOESN'T HAPPEN ALL THE TIME BUT APPEARS TO HAPPEN AFTER THE CAR WARMS UP. YOU MUST CONSTANTLY ADJUST THE STEERING TO DRIVE STRAIGHT. THE CAR WILL DRIFT TO THE LEFT AND WHEN YOU TRY TO CORRECT, THE CAR FIGHTS
- • STEERING DRIFTS AND VERY DIFFICULT TO CORRECT HAPPENS IN CITY DRIVING AND HIGHWAY. CONSTANTLY HAVE TO CORRECT STEERING
“WHILE DRIVING THE CAR ON ANY ROAD (CITY OR HIGHWAY) IT WANTS TO DRIFT TO THE SIDE AND WHEN YOU GO TO CORRECT THE STEERING IT FEELS STICKY, FOR LACK OF BETTER WORDS, AND THERE IS A DELAY IN THE RESPONSE. SO I END UP OVER CORRECTING, AND I'M ALL OVER THE ROAD. THIS CAR IS SO UNSAFE AS IT IS RIGHT NOW.”
— NHTSA complaint filing
ELECTRICAL
92 complaints- • THIS PROBLEM IS IDENTICAL TO NHTSA ID NUMBER 10917569. ON THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS THE SMART CRUISE CONTROL/ABS/STABILITY CONTROL WARNING: BASICALLY ALL WARNING LIGHTS LIT ON THE DASHBOARD. CAR HAD LESS THAN 500 MILES, DOING 65MPH ON A CLEAR DAY. STOPPED AND RESTARTED CAR, ALL LIGHT S CLEARED. DEA
- • THE COLLISION WARNING AND AUTONOMOUS EMERGENCY BRAKING SYSTEMS ON THIS VEHICLE ARE TOTALLY INOPERATIVE AND HAVE BEEN SINCE VEHICLE DELIVERY. VEHICLE NOW HAS ABOUT 1800 MILES ON IT. IT HAS BEEN TO TWO DEALERS FOR REPAIR AND BOTH SAY THEIR TESTS DO NOT INDICATE ANY FAILURE
- • TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 KIA SORENTO. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED OUTSIDE OF AN AUTO BODY SHOP OVER THE WEEKEND, THE CENTER CONSOLE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE MELTED CENTER CONSOLE AND BURNT DRIVER SIDE SEAT WERE DISCOVERED BY AN AUTO BODY TECHNICIAN. A POLICE REPORT AND A FIRE
“THIS PROBLEM IS IDENTICAL TO NHTSA ID NUMBER 10917569. ON THREE DIFFERENT OCCASIONS THE SMART CRUISE CONTROL/ABS/STABILITY CONTROL WARNING: BASICALLY ALL WARNING LIGHTS LIT ON THE DASHBOARD. CAR HAD LESS THAN 500 MILES, DOING 65MPH ON A CLEAR DAY. STOPPED AND RESTARTED CAR, ALL LIGHT S CLEARED. DEA”
— NHTSA complaint filing
Estimated Repair Costs
Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.
🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist
Based on 1019 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:
- ☐ENGINE: TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2017 KIA SORENTO. WHILE DRIVING 52 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING. IN ADDITION, WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED, THE ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE RPMS MALFUNCTIONED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED, BUT THE FAILURE R
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐LIGHTING: THE HEADLIGHTS DO NOT SHINE FAR ENOUGH FOR SAFE STOPPING IN AN EMERGENCY. DEER RAN ON TO ROAD AND ALMOST HIT IT.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐OTHER: SUNROOF SPONTANEOUSLY IMPLODED WHILE DRIVING AT SLOW SPEED ON NEIGHBORHOOD STREET. A BRIEF INTERNET SEARCH HAS INDICATED THAT THIS IS NOT AN ISOLATED INCIDENT ON SORENTOS AND HAS HAPPENED TO NUMEROUS OTHERS. THIS VEHICLE IS ONLY 2 MONTHS OLD.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐STEERING: WHILE DRIVING THE CAR ON ANY ROAD (CITY OR HIGHWAY) IT WANTS TO DRIFT TO THE SIDE AND WHEN YOU GO TO CORRECT THE STEERING IT FEELS STICKY, FOR LACK OF BETTER WORDS, AND THERE IS A DELAY IN THE RESPONSE. SO I END UP OVER CORRECTING, AND I'M ALL OVER THE ROAD. THIS CAR IS SO UNSAFE AS IT IS RIGHT NOW.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
- ☐General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)
Kia SORENTO — Year Comparison
How does 2017 compare to other years? Fewer complaints = more reliable.
NHTSA Safety Rating
No NHTSA safety rating available
At a Glance
- Complaints
- 1019
- Recalls
- 0
- Fire reports
- 42
- Crash reports
- 6
- Injury reports
- 6
- Segment avg
- 80
Check a Specific VIN
See recalls for YOUR 2017 Kia SORENTO