Problems · NHTSA complaints

2011 Kia Sorento problems

Owners filed 1,520 complaints about the 2011 Kia Sorento with NHTSA between Mar 2010 and Oct 2026. The most-cited component is engine (284).

Complaints
1,520
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
42
Reported by owners
Fires
63
Reported by owners
Injuries
50
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Engine284
  2. Structure268
  3. Power train265
  4. Electrical system246
  5. Air bags183
  6. Exterior lighting102
  7. Service brakes72
  8. Vehicle speed control63
  9. Service brakes, hydraulic59
  10. Suspension56
  11. Steering53
  12. Engine and engine cooling37
  13. Latches/locks/linkages33
  14. Visibility24

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Nov 9, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
201035
2011118
201271
201357
201465
2015111
2016203
2017118
2018158
2019181
202089
202168
202258
202352
202495
202528
202613

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Engine

284 reports7 crashes36 fires1 related recall
“I was driving my car, while at a stop light I noticed some smoke coming from under my hood. I thought it might have been the cold I turned off the main road onto my street and noticed the smoke increasing, I pulled over turned off my car opened the hood and a fire started at the back of my engine.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 27, 2026Electrical system, Unknown or other, EngineFire reportedODI 11713565

Structure

268 reports2 crashes9 fires
“Non working door handles which is a KNOWN issue with Kia! Extremely dangerous obstruction in an event of an emergency where occupants need to get in and out of the vehicle. The ineffective door handles also makes the car less secure because someone who is not authorized can access the safety measures that the vehicle has. This is not right that Kia customers have to spend hundreds for an ongoing issue! This is two out of the four doors now. I replaced one door handle already for well over $300.00! Now will need to spend ANOTHER three hundred plus dollars for the same issue! Again, this is a KNOWN Kia issue! I was originally told there was a recall but only for the back handles and not the front handles in 2020. Now, I am being told it was a warranty and it expired in 2021/2022. A warranty was never relayed to me in any way. No email or mailed letter explaining this. If under "warranty" and again, a known Kia issue why were the backs covered but not the front if they are the same handles? Why not replace all four handles under the said "warranty"? This is a major issues for Kia owners like myself. Also having an issue where when it rains, water will come in from…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 23, 2024StructureODI 11610451

Power train

265 reports8 crashes1 fire2 related recalls
“The vehicle is shifting weird out of first, knocking sound. A code of p1326 skds is showing on diagnostic. This was supposedly repaired by kia a few months ago from a recall. I am questioning if they corrected and inspected the recall appropriately, due to this being the issue. The car is now unable to be driven because I do not want to do more damage.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 16, 2025Power train, EngineODI 11693934

Electrical system

246 reports3 crashes23 fires1 related recall
“My 2011 Kia Sorrento caught fire while parked in my garage. Kia is saying it's not due to any recall they have and that it was an electrical fire store behind the steering wheel and they're refusing to take any responsibility financially for it or otherwise due to it being through previous owners and an older vehicle”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Feb 10, 2026Electrical systemFire reportedODI 11716993

Air bags

183 reports19 crashes2 fires
“In a letter dated August 14, 2019, KIA advised that the warranty coverage for the driver's front airbag clock spring assembly was extended to 15 years. the clock spring is an electrical connection which rotates with the steering wheel to maintain proper functioning of the airbag unit. If the airbag light stays on, and the car continues to be used without repair, the driver's airbag may eventually not deploy in a frontal impact. This is a safety issue, since the airbag may not work, KIA knew about it in 2019!! The 2011 KIA that I own is now 16 years old, and of course KIA refuses to pay for the repair. Now I am faced with an approximately $500.00 repair bill to make sure I'm safe in case of an accident. This should be investigated, and KIA should pay for the repair since it is an airbag safety issue.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 22, 2026Air bagsODI 11712727

Exterior lighting

102 reports1 crash6 fires1 related recall
“I was driving and my Kia started over heating and smoking and smelled like plastic burning I got it towed to the Hendricks of Kia and it sat there for 2weeks and I contacted them about giving me a lender until they fix my engine problem and they told me that my engine is not under warranty but is a recall I didn’t blow my engine I recently bought it about 6 months ago”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 27, 2025Electrical system, Exterior lighting, EngineFire reportedODI 11690083
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 9, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.