2005 Kia Sorento problems and complaints

Owners have filed 307 complaints with NHTSA about the 2005 Kia Sorento. The most-reported areas: Engine (63), Exterior Lighting (53), Electrical System (49).

Key takeaways

  • 307 owner complaints on file with NHTSA.
  • 17 involve a crash, 5 a fire, 20 reported injuries.
  • Complaints are unverified owner reports; recalls are confirmed defects.
Complaints by component
ComponentComplaintsShare
Engine6321%
Exterior Lighting5317%
Electrical System4916%
Engine And Engine Cooling4414%
Air Bags4314%
Steering3913%
Power Train3812%
Suspension258%
Unknown Or Other186%
Structure145%
Fuel/Propulsion System124%
Service Brakes124%

One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.

NHTSA 5-Star crash ratings
VersionOverallFrontSideRollover
2005 Kia Sorento 4-DR. w/SABNot ratedNot ratedNot ratedNot rated

Latest complaints, as filed

Owner-written and unverified by NHTSA.

Power Train,structure,unknown Or Other - filed 2024-04-07

Vehicle's rear end bolts rusted through had to replace the rear-end, we also had a 2004 that the frame rusted and broke in half, and the rear-end rusted out on it too. It was said it was caused by a design flaw that wouldn't allow the water to drain properly. They have recalls on it in the uk and other countries.

Fuel/Propulsion System - filed 2023-09-06

I am experiencing a recurring issue with gas backflow at the gas pump, whereby gasoline expulses back out of the nozzle and onto my hands and clothing. It happens every time.

Engine - filed 2023-07-18

When driving there was a clunking noise and then the steering was hard to steer and the battery light came on & had to have it towed to find out that the harmonic balancer bolt broke. There are hundreds of complaints online about this same issue happening with these engines as this is a poor design. This is a safety ...

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More for the 2005 Kia Sorento

Complaints are reports filed by owners with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA publishes them without verifying them, and counts rise with how many cars were sold, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Crash ratings are NHTSA's own 5-Star Safety Ratings results.