2012 KIA SORENTO — Owner-Reported Problems

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-08-22 875 complaints · 5 recalls
Most-reported system: ENGINE (385 complaints · 44.0%)
Safety signals:
  • Crashes 21
  • Fires 76
  • Injuries 36
  • Deaths 0
Compare with 2011 →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Component Problem Distribution

Share of owner complaints filed for each vehicle system (unaffected by sales volume)

Component Problem Distribution ENGINE appears in 385 of 875 owner complaints (44.0%) in this vehicle snapshot. ENGINE: 385 complaints, 44.0% of reports ENGINE 385 · 44.0% · 2 crash reports 40 fire reports SERVICE BRAKES: 68 complaints, 7.8% of reports SERVICE BRAKES 68 · 7.8% · 2 crash reports 6 fire reports AIR BAGS: 56 complaints, 6.4% of reports AIR BAGS 56 · 6.4% · 5 crash reports EXTERIOR LIGHTING: 53 complaints, 6.1% of reports EXTERIOR LIGHTING 53 · 6.1% · 1 crash reports 5 fire reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: 49 complaints, 5.6% of reports ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 49 · 5.6% · 6 fire reports POWER TRAIN: 42 complaints, 4.8% of reports POWER TRAIN 42 · 4.8% · 5 crash reports FUEL SYSTEM: 26 complaints, 3.0% of reports FUEL SYSTEM 26 · 3.0% · 8 fire reports VISIBILITY: 26 complaints, 3.0% of reports VISIBILITY 26 · 3.0% VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL: 25 complaints, 2.9% of reports VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 25 · 2.9% · 2 crash reports 1 fire reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER: 201 complaints, 23.0% of reports UNKNOWN OR OTHER 201 · 23.0% · 3 crash reports 17 fire reports 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

UNKNOWN OR OTHER is an NHTSA classification artifact and is always listed last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
ENGINE 385 44.0% 2 crashes · 40 fires
SERVICE BRAKES 68 7.8% 2 crashes · 6 fires
AIR BAGS 56 6.4% 5 crashes · 0 fires
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 53 6.1% 1 crashes · 5 fires
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 49 5.6% 0 crashes · 6 fires
POWER TRAIN 42 4.8% 5 crashes · 0 fires
FUEL SYSTEM 26 3.0% 0 crashes · 8 fires
VISIBILITY 26 3.0% 0 crashes · 0 fires
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 25 2.9% 2 crashes · 1 fires
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 201 23.0% 3 crashes · 17 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Problem & Recall Timeline

Observed complaint volume and manufacturer recall actions over time

Problem & Recall Timeline Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jul 2011; the first recall shown was reported in Oct 2015. 2011-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 2011-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2012-Q1: 11 owner reports 11 2012-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2012-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 2012-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2013-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2013-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2013-Q3: 10 owner reports 10 2013-Q4: 10 owner reports 10 2014-Q1: 14 owner reports 14 2014-Q2: 22 owner reports 22 2014-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 2014-Q4: 9 owner reports 9 2015-Q1: 9 owner reports 9 2015-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2015-Q3: 7 owner reports 7 2015-Q4: 10 owner reports 10 2016-Q1: 9 owner reports 9 2016-Q2: 8 owner reports 8 2016-Q3: 15 owner reports 15 2016-Q4: 12 owner reports 12 2017-Q1: 12 owner reports 12 2017-Q2: 30 owner reports 30 2017-Q3: 27 owner reports 27 2017-Q4: 17 owner reports 17 2018-Q1: 20 owner reports 20 2018-Q2: 21 owner reports 21 2018-Q3: 38 owner reports 38 2018-Q4: 30 owner reports 30 2019-Q1: 30 owner reports 30 2019-Q2: 37 owner reports 37 2019-Q3: 45 owner reports 45 2019-Q4: 26 owner reports 26 2020-Q1: 9 owner reports 9 2020-Q2: 11 owner reports 11 2020-Q3: 20 owner reports 20 2020-Q4: 20 owner reports 20 2021-Q1: 23 owner reports 23 2021-Q2: 14 owner reports 14 2021-Q3: 18 owner reports 18 2021-Q4: 10 owner reports 10 2022-Q1: 15 owner reports 15 2022-Q2: 13 owner reports 13 2022-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2022-Q4: 5 owner reports 5 2023-Q1: 10 owner reports 10 2023-Q2: 10 owner reports 10 2023-Q3: 14 owner reports 14 2023-Q4: 26 owner reports 26 2024-Q1: 32 owner reports 32 2024-Q2: 44 owner reports 44 2024-Q3: 11 owner reports 11 2024-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2025-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2025-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2025-Q3: 5 owner reports 5 2025-Q4: 4 owner reports 4 2026-Q1: 10 owner reports 10 2026-Q2: 5 owner reports 5 2026-Q3: 1 owner reports 1 Owner reports Jul 2011 Jul 2026 Recall campaign 15V626000 ◆ Recall campaign 15V626000 Recall campaign 17V224000 ◆ Recall campaign 17V224000 Recall campaign 18V907000 ◆ Recall campaign 18V907000 Recall campaign 20V750000 ◆ Recall campaign 20V750000 Recall campaign 23V652000 ◆ Recall campaign 23V652000 Investigation PE13035 ● Investigation PE13035 Investigation EA14002 ● Investigation EA14002 Investigation RQ17003 ● Investigation RQ17003 Investigation DP18003 ● Investigation DP18003 Investigation PE19004 ● Investigation PE19004 Investigation PE20008 ● Investigation PE20008 Investigation DP21003 ● Investigation DP21003 Investigation EA21003 ● Investigation EA21003 Investigation DP22003 ● Investigation DP22003 Investigation AQ23002 ● Investigation AQ23002
  • Campaign 15V626000 was reported 1,499 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 17V224000 was reported 2,066 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
  • Campaign 23V652000 was reported 4,273 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2011-Q3 Owner reports 3
2011-Q4 Owner reports 4
2012-Q1 Owner reports 11
2012-Q2 Owner reports 4
2012-Q3 Owner reports 8
2012-Q4 Owner reports 4
2013-Q1 Owner reports 5
2013-Q2 Owner reports 4
2013-Q3 Owner reports 10
2013-Q4 Owner reports 10
2014-Q1 Owner reports 14
2014-Q2 Owner reports 22
2014-Q3 Owner reports 8
2014-Q4 Owner reports 9
2015-Q1 Owner reports 9
2015-Q2 Owner reports 6
2015-Q3 Owner reports 7
2015-Q4 Owner reports 10
2016-Q1 Owner reports 9
2016-Q2 Owner reports 8
2016-Q3 Owner reports 15
2016-Q4 Owner reports 12
2017-Q1 Owner reports 12
2017-Q2 Owner reports 30
2017-Q3 Owner reports 27
2017-Q4 Owner reports 17
2018-Q1 Owner reports 20
2018-Q2 Owner reports 21
2018-Q3 Owner reports 38
2018-Q4 Owner reports 30
2019-Q1 Owner reports 30
2019-Q2 Owner reports 37
2019-Q3 Owner reports 45
2019-Q4 Owner reports 26
2020-Q1 Owner reports 9
2020-Q2 Owner reports 11
2020-Q3 Owner reports 20
2020-Q4 Owner reports 20
2021-Q1 Owner reports 23
2021-Q2 Owner reports 14
2021-Q3 Owner reports 18
2021-Q4 Owner reports 10
2022-Q1 Owner reports 15
2022-Q2 Owner reports 13
2022-Q3 Owner reports 5
2022-Q4 Owner reports 5
2023-Q1 Owner reports 10
2023-Q2 Owner reports 10
2023-Q3 Owner reports 14
2023-Q4 Owner reports 26
2024-Q1 Owner reports 32
2024-Q2 Owner reports 44
2024-Q3 Owner reports 11
2024-Q4 Owner reports 4
2025-Q1 Owner reports 5
2025-Q2 Owner reports 6
2025-Q3 Owner reports 5
2025-Q4 Owner reports 4
2026-Q1 Owner reports 10
2026-Q2 Owner reports 5
2026-Q3 Owner reports 1
Recall campaign 1 15V626000
Recall campaign 1 17V224000
Recall campaign 1 18V907000
Recall campaign 1 20V750000
Recall campaign 1 23V652000
Defect investigation 1 PE13035
Defect investigation 1 EA14002
Defect investigation 1 RQ17003
Defect investigation 1 DP18003
Defect investigation 1 PE19004
Defect investigation 1 PE20008
Defect investigation 1 DP21003
Defect investigation 1 EA21003
Defect investigation 1 DP22003
Defect investigation 1 AQ23002
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-08-22 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Safety Recalls (5)

Official safety recall campaigns filed with NHTSA

  1. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 15V626000

    Report date
    Component:
    POWER TRAIN
    Consequence:
    Without requiring the brake to be pressed, the vehicle may be unintentionally shifted out of Park, allowing it to roll, which may result in a crash.
    Remedy:
    Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake-shift interlock mechanism, free of charge. The recall began on November 9, 2015. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC124.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 17V224000

    Report date
    Component:
    ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
    Consequence:
    Bearing wear may result in the engine seizing, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine assembly, and replace the engine if necessary, free of charge. The recall began June 20, 2017. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC147.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  3. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 18V907000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
    Remedy:
    Kia has notified owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the fuel pipe, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 17, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC172.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  4. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 20V750000

    Report date
    Component:
    Not available in the source record
    Consequence:
    An engine compartment fire increases the risk of injury.
    Remedy:
    Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine compartment for fuel and/or engine oil leaks, perform an engine test and make any repairs, including engine replacement, as necessary, free of charge. In addition, Kia dealers will update the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) software, free of charge. The recall began January 27, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC200.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  5. Manufacturer action

    Recall campaign 23V652000

    Report date
    Component:
    SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
    Consequence:
    An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
    Remedy:
    Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the HECU fuse, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed November 14, 2023. Owner notification letters were mailed March 29, 2024 through June 18, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC284.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Complaint Narrative Explorer

Verbatim owner-reported defect narratives from NHTSA public records

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-08-21
Safety incident filters
Showing 0 of 875 complaints · page 1 of 35

No complaints match the current filters.
EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Data sourced from NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Snapshot date: 2026-08-21.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources