Your vehicle report
2011 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
- 1,520
- Received Mar 2010 to Oct 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Rear door latch fails to open or close334 complaints · 22% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Engine stalls and loses power while driving115 complaints · 7.6% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Airbag warning light stays on94 complaints · 6.2% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #23V652000Park outsideKia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2010-2019 Borrego, 2014-2016 Cadenza, 2010-2013 Forte, Forte Koup, Sportage, 2015-2018 K900, 2011-2015 Optima, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, Soul, 2012-2017 Rio, 2011-2014 Sorento, and 2010-2011 Rondo vehicles. The Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) may experience an electrical short, which can result in an engine compartment fire while parked or driving.
- Recall #23V877000Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2011 Sorento vehicles. An engine compartment fire can occur while driving.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
- Engine stalls and loses power while drivingFirst signal: Oct 2010
Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 42 crashes, 63 fires, 50 people injured, 0 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 20 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 |
|---|---|
| 2010 | 35 |
| 2011 | 118 |
| 2012 | 71 |
| 2013 | 57 |
| 2014 | 65 |
| 2015 | 111 |
| 2016 | 203 |
| 2017 | 118 |
| 2018 | 158 |
| 2019 | 181 |
| 2020 | 89 |
| 2021 | 68 |
| 2022 | 58 |
| 2023 | 52 |
| 2024 | 95 |
| 2025 | 28 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 13 |
| Total | 1,520 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 334 | 22% | – | |
| Engine stalls and loses power while driving | 115 | 7.6% | 19× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Oct 2010 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 0.3% |
| Airbag warning light stays on | 94 | 6.2% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 64 | 4.2% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 62 | 4.1% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 54 | 3.5% | 12.2× | NHTSA recall #23V652000, #23V877000 |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 43 | 2.8% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 33 | 2.2% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 29 | 1.9% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 29 | 1.9% | – | |
| Paint peels off roof and hood | 22 | 1.5% | – | |
| Transmission will not engage reverse gear | 21 | 1.4% | – | |
| Engine knocking from rod or main bearings | 19 | 1.3% | – | |
| Transmission fails or loses power while driving | 19 | 1.3% | – | NHTSA recall #11V258000 |
| Engine won't start or cranks intermittently | 17 | 1.1% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 16 | 1.1% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 16 | 1.1% | – | |
| Gear shifter fails to register Park | 16 | 1.1% | – | NHTSA recall #13V114000, #15V626000 |
| Passenger airbag sensor wrongly shows off | 14 | 0.9% | – | |
| Brake lights fail or stay on | 13 | 0.9% | – | NHTSA recall #13V114000 |
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 #23V652000September 25, 20231,730,192 vehicles affected
Park outside: NHTSA advises this until the repair is done.
service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip: control unit/module
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2010-2019 Borrego, 2014-2016 Cadenza, 2010-2013 Forte, Forte Koup, Sportage, 2015-2018 K900, 2011-2015 Optima, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, Soul, 2012-2017 Rio, 2011-2014 Sorento, and 2010-2011 Rondo vehicles. The Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) may experience an electrical short, which can result in an engine compartment fire while parked or driving.
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.
NHTSA recall #23V877000December 21, 202379,812 vehicles affected
engine
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2011 Sorento vehicles. An engine compartment fire can occur while driving.
A fire increases the risk of injury.
Remedy
Dealers will install Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) software and replace the engine as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 9, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC291.
NHTSA recall #15V626000October 6, 2015377,062 vehicles affected
power train: automatic transmission
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Kia Sorento vehicles manufactured October 19, 2009, to January 31, 2013. In the affected vehicles, if excessive force is applied to the gear shift lever, the brake-shift interlock mechanism may chip or crack allowing the transmission being able to be shifted out of "Park" without the brakes being depressed. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection."
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.
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 #11V258000April 25, 201112,690 vehicles affected
power train: driveline: driveshaft
Kia is recalling certain model year 2011 Sorento 2WD vehicles equipped with automatic transmissions and 2.4L engines manufactured from the start of production through may 22, 2010. The intermediate shaft may suffer from noise and excessive wear due to a misalignment of the intermediate shaft with the right side output gear. Continuing to drive the vehicle in this condition leads to the development of a whirring/whining noise and Can eventually cause damage to the automatic transmission.
Damage to the transmission may cause loss of motive power, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the right side output gear and intermediate shaft free of charge. The safety recall is expected to begin during may 2011. Owners may contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542.
NHTSA recall #10V599000November 24, 20107,697 vehicles affected
service brakes, hydraulic: foundation components: disc: caliper
Kia is recalling certain model year 2011 Sorento vehicles manufactured from september 14, 2010, through october 4, 2010. Some of the rear brake calipers may not have been properly machined.
As a result, brake fluid will leak, followed by illumination of the malfunction indicator light indicating the brake fluid level is low and should be checked, then a soft or spongy brake pedal feel, and if not serviced, reduced braking power which could increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will inspect the rear calipers and replace it if necessary free of charge. The safety recall began on december 10, 2010. Owners may contact Kia consumer assistance center at 1-800-333-4542.
NHTSA recall #10V388000August 31, 201035,185 vehicles affected
electrical system: wiring
Kia is recalling certain model year 2010 soul and model year 2011 Sorento vehicles manufactured from september 7, 2009 through july 30, 2010. A limited number of wiring harnesses supplied by jci and used for the lighting in the Kia soul vehicle's advanced lighting speakers, located in the front door trim panels, and the Kia Sorento vehicle's interior accent illumination, located in the front and rear door trim panels, may have been improperly soldered.
When the lights are illuminated under certain conditions, an electrical short may occur that Can result in a fire.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the wiring harnesses for the lights in the Kia soul vehicle's advanced lighting speakers, and the wiring harness for the Kia Sorento vehicle's interior accent illumination. This service will be performed free of charge. The safety recall began on september 13, 2010. Owners may contact Kia consumer assistance center 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 2011 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