Your vehicle report
2008 Kia Sorento
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 217
- Received Nov 2007 to Jul 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Airbag warning light stays on31 complaints · 14% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Passenger airbag sensor wrongly shows off15 complaints · 6.9% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Airbags fail to deploy in crashes12 complaints · 5.5% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #20V088000Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2006-2010 Sedona and 2007-2009 Sorento vehicles. Moisture may enter the Anti-lock Brake (ABS) Module and result in an electrical short.
- Recall #13V114000Kia Motors Corporation (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2007-2010 Rondo, model year 2007-2011 Sedona, Sorento and Sportage, model year 2010-2011 Soul, model year 2008-2011 Optima, model year 2010 Forte, model year 2007-2009 Amanti, and model year 2009 Borrego vehicles. Originally, in April 2013, Kia recalled 623,658 model year 2007-2010 Rondo and Sportage, model year 2007-2011 Sorento, model year 2007 Sedona, model year 2010-2011 Soul, and model year 2011 Optima vehicles. In September 2013, Kia informed the agency that it was adding an additional 356,719 vehicles to this campaign. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 980,377. In the affected vehicles, the stop lamp switch may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause an inability to deactivate the cruise control by depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, a malfunctioning stop lamp switch may also result in intermittent operation of the push-button start feature, affect the operation of the brake-transmission shift interlock feature preventing the shifter from being moved out of the PARK position and cause the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) malfunction light to illuminate.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 15 crashes, 9 fires, 17 people injured, 3 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 17 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2007 | 1 |
| 2008 | 8 |
| 2009 | 14 |
| 2010 | 9 |
| 2011 | 23 |
| 2012 | 14 |
| 2013 | 33 |
| 2014 | 17 |
| 2015 | 19 |
| 2016 | 13 |
| 2017 | 10 |
| 2018 | 11 |
| 2019 | 6 |
| 2020 | 20 |
| 2021 | 8 |
| 2022 | 4 |
| 2023 | 1 |
| 2024 | 2 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 4 |
| Total | 217 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbag warning light stays on | 31 | 14% | – | |
| Passenger airbag sensor wrongly shows off | 15 | 6.9% | – | NHTSA recall #11V473000 |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 12 | 5.5% | – | |
| Engine stalls and loses power while driving | 12 | 5.5% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 12 | 5.5% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 11 | 5.1% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 8 | 3.7% | – | |
| Anti-lock brakes fail or lock up | 6 | 2.8% | – | NHTSA recall #20V088000 |
| Vehicle suddenly loses engine power at speed | 6 | 2.8% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 5 | 2.3% | – | |
| Electronic throttle body fails and cuts power | 5 | 2.3% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 4 | 1.8% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 4 | 1.8% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 3 | 1.4% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 3 | 1.4% | – | |
| Brake lights fail or stay on | 3 | 1.4% | – | NHTSA recall #13V114000 |
| Tail light sockets melt and burn | 3 | 1.4% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #20V088000February 14, 2020228,829 vehicles affected
electrical system; service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip: control unit/module
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2006-2010 Sedona and 2007-2009 Sorento vehicles. Moisture may enter the Anti-lock Brake (ABS) Module and result in an electrical short.
An electrical short within the ABS Module may cause an engine compartment fire, even when the vehicle is turned off, increasing the risk of an injury.
Remedy
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will install a relay in the main junction box to prevent power from being directed to the HECU when the vehicle's ignition switch is turned off, free of charge. The recall began June 5, 2020. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC186.
NHTSA recall #13V114000April 1, 2013980,377 vehicles affected
exterior lighting: brake lights: switch
Kia Motors Corporation (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2007-2010 Rondo, model year 2007-2011 Sedona, Sorento and Sportage, model year 2010-2011 Soul, model year 2008-2011 Optima, model year 2010 Forte, model year 2007-2009 Amanti, and model year 2009 Borrego vehicles. Originally, in April 2013, Kia recalled 623,658 model year 2007-2010 Rondo and Sportage, model year 2007-2011 Sorento, model year 2007 Sedona, model year 2010-2011 Soul, and model year 2011 Optima vehicles. In September 2013, Kia informed the agency that it was adding an additional 356,719 vehicles to this campaign. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 980,377. In the affected vehicles, the stop lamp switch may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause an inability to deactivate the cruise control by depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, a malfunctioning stop lamp switch may also result in intermittent operation of the push-button start feature, affect the operation of the brake-transmission shift interlock feature preventing the shifter from being moved out of the PARK position and cause the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) malfunction light to illuminate.
Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, when the ignition is in the 'ON' position, the transmission shifter may be able to be moved out of PARK without first applying the brake. This may lead to unintentional movement of the car which may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Kia will send an interim notification to owners in May 2013. When parts are available, owners will receive a second notification and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. Owners may contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's recall campaign number is SC098.
NHTSA recall #11V473000September 7, 201110,631 vehicles affected
air bags: frontal: sensor/control module-inactive
Kia is recalling certain model year 2007-2008 Sorento passenger cars manufactured from june 15, 2006 through november 27, 2007. The front passenger air bag may be turned off when an adult is in the passenger seat. The front passenger air bag is designed to be turned off in limited circumstances including when children and small adults are seated in the front passenger seat, there is a child restraint in that seat or the seat is not occupied. The vehicle's occupant classification system (ocs), which classifies the occupant in the front passenger seat, may misclassify an adult passenger as a child or child seat and improperly turn off the passenger side air bag. When the air bag is deactivated the "passenger air bag off" light will illuminate on the center instrument panel.
The passenger side air bag is turned off when the ocs misclassifies an adult passenger. With the front passenger airbag off, the front passenger will not have the protection of the passenger air bags in some frontal collisions, thus increasing the risk of occupant injury.
Remedy
Kia will update the programming in the Sorento ocs control module at no charge. The recall remedy is currently available under service campaign SC076. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2008 Kia Sorento.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN