| 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
Expensive Kia Sorento repairs by problem area
Engine (52%)
Transmission and Drivetrain (21%)
Brakes and Traction Control (3%)
Suspension and Steering (12%)
Electrical and Air Conditioning (12%)
Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (0%)
Other (0%)
Chart based on 73 repairs.
Kia Sorento repair cost distribution
$2500+ (46%)
$1000 - $2499 (54%)
$500 - $999 (0%)
$100 - $499 (0%)
< $100 (0%)
Chart based on 54 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.
2016 Kia Sorento 4dr SUV
290-horsepower 3.3L V6 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD
| 43500 mi US $200 |
Cell went bad in the battery. Died just out of warranty. |
| 145000 mi US $1565 |
Body control module went out. Could not shift from park. |
| 144000 mi US $4400 |
Had to have transmission rebuilt from issues with 1st and 2nd gear. |
2012 Kia Sorento 4dr SUV
276-horsepower 3.5L V6 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD
| 35000 mi US $3500 |
worst choice in my life. oil leaking between engine and transmission. |
2012 Kia Sorento 4dr SUV
276-horsepower 3.5L V6 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD
| 58300 mi US $380 |
Squeak when steering wheel was turned. Steering rack was replaced. |
| 95000 mi US $300 |
Replaced inhibitor switch in attempt to fix intermittent failure to start. |
| 130000 mi US $1300 |
Once started, the engine ran roughly and slowly. No electronic items functioned; shifter was stuck in park. on a 95+ degree day, the engine cooling fans did not run and for about an hour, the engine could not be shut off. Tow truck driver was able to shut it off after jumping the battery. Car spent over TWO WEEKS at R K KIA before they even looked at it. The problem turned out to be simply a bad alternator. |
| 136000 mi US $200 |
Passenger (right) side outer rear door handle broke off. Was replaced by a new assembly. |
2011 Kia Sorento 4dr SUV
276-horsepower 3.5L V6 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD
| 65000 mi US $1400 |
Replace front strut assemblies and replace rear shocks |
2011 Kia Sorento 4dr SUV
175-horsepower 2.4L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD
| 71920 mi C $450 |
replaced drivers-side ball joint rear brake pads and calipers replaced |
| 96720 mi C $775 |
Front strut bearings were rough and binding. Replaced. Front CV boots were cracked and leaking grease. Replaced boots. |
| 109120 mi C $1300 |
Steering whining noise detected, was leaking steering fluid. Determined it was a leak in the steering rack. Replaced rack with KIA OEM part (was actually cheaper than non-OEM option) and did front end wheel alignment. |
| 112840 mi C $560 |
banging in front passenger side when hitting bumps. Replaced front passenger side strut, mount and wheel bearing |
| 113925 mi C $700 |
replaced rear brake pads and rotors Right front axle boot torn, axle grinding and had excessive play |
| 167400 mi C $2300 |
replaced 2 wheel bearings. also replaced worn back brake pads |
2008 Kia Sorento 4dr SUV
turbocharged 168hp 2.5L I4 Diesel 5-speed shiftable automatic 4WD, part-time w/low range
| 80600 mi $150 |
Front propeller shaft 2 x U joints |
| 89900 mi $1000 |
A/C compressor replacement A/C Electric Fan replacement A/C recharge |
| 99820 mi $100 |
mode actuator replaced |
| 106640 mi $700 |
Front wheel bearings , uperr control arms, shock absorbers, lower arm ball joints and bushes, stabilizer bar bushes and links, tie roads, All replacement are made for both front sides (left and right). |
2008 Kia Sorento 4dr SUV
turbocharged 168hp 2.5L I4 Diesel 5-speed manual 4WD, part-time w/low range
| 42000 mi £420 |
Turbo failure condenser leaking. it's rarely hot here, so no rush to fix it. |
| 44200 mi £300 |
A/c condensor leaking. New non OEM unit fitted. |
2008 Kia Sorento 4dr SUV
242-horsepower 3.3L V6 5-speed shiftable automatic 4WD, part-time w/low range
| 86800 mi US $100 |
Driver's side downstream O2 sensor replaced. |
| 75000 mi US $250 |
Replaced shocks and struts. They weren't leaking, but the system was no longer critically damped. |
| 75500 mi US $580 |
Replaced brake master cylinder. |
| 83000 mi US $1000 |
front left wheel bearing was failing and was replaced right downstream O2 sensor was replaced engine/transmission operating in reduced power/limp home mode. accelerator position sensor replaced |
| 105000 mi US $800 |
Timing cover and oil pan leaking oil |
2007 Kia Sorento 4dr SUV
turbocharged 168hp 2.5L I4 Diesel 5-speed shiftable automatic 4WD, part-time w/low range
| 151360 mi $2000 |
Engine overheated and caused the need for an engine job to be done. I also changed the turbo-charger. |
2007 Kia Sorento 4dr SUV
turbocharged 168hp 2.5L I4 Diesel 5-speed manual 4WD, part-time w/low range
| 77000 mi £1000 |
ABS light came on. Abs module ordered and replaced. |
2007 Kia Sorento 4dr SUV
262-horsepower 3.8L V6 5-speed shiftable automatic RWD
| 42000 mi US $150 |
Replaced rotors that were warped with new slotted and drilled rotors that hopefully won't warp. |
| 96000 mi US $375 |
ABS/ESC light came on. Had to replace rear wheel sensor |
| 99400 mi US $570 |
Master cylinder had to be replaced. Brakes failed without warning or any warning lights ever coming on. |
| 149000 mi US $400 |
Front right wheel bearing failed and tore up wheel hub. Replace bearing and hub. |
| 153000 mi US $970 |
Replaced struts and did a tune up |
| 170000 mi US $3500 |
Would not shift properly |
| 187000 mi US $700 |
U joint |
| 117800 mi R 7000 |
The no 4 injector was totally damaged and could not be repaired and had to be replaced this was after rust was found in the diesel pump |
2007 Kia Sorento 4dr SUV
262-horsepower 3.8L V6 5-speed shiftable automatic AWD w/low range
| 98000 mi US $1300 |
Front wheel bearings froze and stopped the 4wdLow from engaging. Transfer Case Control Module had to be replaced at my cost. Front axles had to be replaced due to severity of bearings. |
| 48000 mi US $1400 |
Transfer case was leaking, causing a clunk when stopping or starting. Repair included R&R of transfer case, trans pan gasket, and fluid flush of transmission. |
2007 Kia Sorento 4dr SUV
262-horsepower 3.8L V6 5-speed shiftable automatic 4WD, part-time w/low range
| 90000 mi US $2600 |
Check Engine light came on. Faulty Intake Manifold and bad front struts. Intake manifold was $1700 to fix. The dealer wanted almost double. It was very reliable prior to this issue. KIA offered no help to discount parts. |
| 126100 mi $2500 |
The Radiator was serviced and the Radiator hoses were changed. In an earlier repair trip another hose was replaced. Engine now making noises, unclear if related. The Air Conditioning system was serviced. |
| 142600 mi $4000 |
Engine had overheated and was replaced. The engine had an oil leak and was worked on. Evidently this work was not proper and then the engine overheated. Repeated repairs did not correct the problem. Changing the engine resolved the problem. |
| 166160 mi $3000 |
Engine was noise and some smoke was coming out of the exhaust pipe. The engine had been replaced and evidently the shop did not put in the engine properly. As such the vehicle was taken to another garage where the problem was identified and corrected. The injectors were changed as well as the piston rings changes. |
2006 Kia Sorento 4dr SUV
192-horsepower 3.5L V6 5-speed automatic AWD w/low range
| 49000 mi US $3500 |
The the crankshaft pulley bolt sheered of in the crankshaft (Unable to remove the bolt from the crank) |
2005.5 Kia Sorento 4dr SUV
turbocharged 138hp 2.5L I4 Diesel 5-speed automatic 4WD, part-time w/low range
| 91440 mi R 235 |
Gearchange problem. Strip&clean valve body, flush,new ATF fluid. No change in symptoms. Fuel pick up stripped and cleaned, new fuel filter fitted. Caused by fuel tank delamination. Problem still exists. Will contain with frequent filter changes. |
| 96100 mi R 1145 |
Cracked hydraulic pipe to power steering ram. New pipe made and fitted |
| 102920 mi R 500 |
New front brake pads fitted. |
| 104160 mi R 900 |
Air con dead |
| 105400 mi R 1700 |
Battery reached the end of life. New 900amp heavy duty fitted. |
| 108500 mi R 9500 |
Electric window winder motor replaced. Mechanic damaged fuel system pump, reconditioned. fuel system flushed, air leak cured. |
| 52500 mi £350 |
Underbody & Tow Bar corrosion, paint loss, serious pitting and surface corrosion. Sump guard showed new holes after blasting. Underbody stem cleaned, abraded, primed, chassis black and waxoyl. Tow Bar blasted, zinc primed and powder coate |
| 55000 mi £660 |
Rear Differential Pinion Bearings, spacer and seal replaced. The person who did my diff said it had been out before. It was less than 2 mnths old when I bought it. Main Dealer servicing also failed. |
| 64200 mi £2000 |
Diff locking up. Diff replaced but noisy - Kia notified but action delayed because of sickness - have to take up again with Kia |
| 68000 mi £120 |
Car would not start - flat battery - jump start needed. High internal resistance and battery charge capacity reduced to about 30%. Original Kia battery replaced with new non-Kia part. |
2005 Kia Sorento 4dr SUV
turbocharged 138hp 2.5L I4 Diesel 5-speed manual 4WD, part-time w/low range
| 103580 mi R 3000 |
Left front wheel bearing worn out. Also damaged the hub. Parts had to be imported from Korea. |
| 108500 mi R 500 |
Replaced heater core inder dash. |
2005 Kia Sorento 4dr SUV
turbocharged 138hp 2.5L I4 Diesel 5-speed automatic 4WD, part-time w/low range
| 63240 mi R 450 |
Repair cruise control - replace sensor and clock spring |
| 74400 mi R 310 |
Air conditioning compressor failed. Replaced with refurbished unit. Disc rotors warped, skimmed front and rear rotors and replaced disk pads. Second time this has been necccessary, same repair done at around 80,000 kms. Air conditioning compressor failed. Replaced with refurbished unit. |
| 98740 mi R 500 |
Air conditioning compressor failed. Replaced with refurbished unit. |
| 103540 mi R 100 |
Universal on front propshaft broke. Propshaft removed and universal joint replaced. Noise in transfer box when accelerating Replace front parking light Noise in transfer box when accelerating Replace front parking light Universal on front propshaft broke. Propshaft removed and universal joint replaced. |
| 112280 mi R 500 |
Replace front parking light |
| 114080 mi R 1400 |
Replaced transfer box - trust bearing faulty - with spare. Sent original case out for repair, took two months. Replaced transfer box - trust bearing faulty |
| 119040 mi R 1800 |
Replaced worn turbocharger Noisy transfer box repaired, chain and shaft replaced. Re-installed in car. Replaced worn turbocharger |
| 131220 mi R 700 |
Replace faulty Aircon pump clutch and pully |
| 142600 mi R 100 |
Bearing seized on A/C pump electric clutch. Clutch & Pulley replaced. |
| 143600 mi R 250 |
Fuel tank lining disintegrated and clogged diesel filter causing power loss and engine check light. Tank inside stripped, cleaned and flushed. Fuel lines flushed and filters replaced. |
| 151280 mi R 100 |
Repair transfer box electric operating motor, position sensor not working. |
| 157480 mi R 160 |
EGR valve sticking open causing black smoke and power loss. Inlet manifold removed and cleaned, blanking plate fitted to EGR pipe. |
| 160480 mi R 500 |
Aircon pump failed. Problem traced to failed fan at front of radiator, not replaced in previous repair. Pump and fan replaced, regassed. |
| 168020 mi R 280 |
Alternator not charging. Replaced regulator, diodes, bearing & alternator clutch and pulley |
| 171120 mi R 200 |
4 broken studs on exhaust manifold. All studs and nuts replaced. |
| 185320 mi R 200 |
Rear shock absorber leaking oil. Replaced both |
2005 Kia Sorento 4dr SUV
192-horsepower 3.5L V6 5-speed manual 4WD, part-time w/low range
| 85000 mi US $250 |
had exhaust flex pipe replaced |
| 89000 mi US $550 |
replaced radiator |
| 96000 mi US $1500 |
condenser failed |
| 101500 mi US $350 |
rear brake lines blew a hole |
| 105000 mi US $1528 |
bad water pump, also replaced timing belt new e-brake shoes, cable replacement |
2005 Kia Sorento 4dr SUV
192-horsepower 3.5L V6 5-speed automatic RWD
| 140000 mi US $1350 |
Radiator hoses needed replacement along with water pump. Plus oil system needed help. Old age. |
2005 Kia Sorento 4dr SUV
192-horsepower 3.5L V6 5-speed automatic 4WD, part-time w/low range
| 90200 mi US $2200 |
Loss of coolant due to bad design of system. New heads, pistons, bearings,r&r of block, new timing belt, bolt. New temp sensors. Water coolant line failed at tank. Sensor not able to measure temp due to poor design location. |
| 91500 mi US $250 |
ECM & eng fuse relay box replaced. AC/ high switch causing blown fuses in INJ fuse. Issue is endemic to kia sorento 2003-2006 shows DTC CODE OF crankcase sensor. ECM CONTINUES TO EXHIBIT UNUSUAL SIDE EFFECTS AFTER ENG ISSUE AS NOTED IN PAST |
| 127000 mi US $215 |
Replaced both flex pipes in the exhaust. Removed and welded in new flex pipes. |
| 139000 mi US $800 |
Check Engine Light. Purge valve needed replaced. Leaking hose in vapor recovery system repaired |
| 160800 mi US $2100 |
Leak in the gas tank at a seam |
| 197600 mi US $240 |
Coolant leaking from hose at rear of engine compartment |
| 211500 mi US $160 |
Radiator and upper hose replaced |
2004 Kia Sorento
Engine not specified
| 88300 mi US $1000 |
Car very difficult to start. Just had the dealer replace all three coils and tune up. Cost over $1,000 incl tax. Now starting problem after tune up. Dealet wants $80 to even check the car out. |
| 88600 mi US $4500 |
Coolant overflow canister cracked again. Just replaced a year ago by Kia dealer. |
| 120280 mi R 1000 |
Replaced Clutch Slave Cylinder |
| 134540 mi R 22000 |
Repair injectors and wiring harness Engine big end bearing failure |
| 143080 mi R 26000 |
Crankshaft broke on no 2 Big end journal due to improper machining on the previous repair. Engine was rebuilt, and the crankshaft replaced. |
2004 Kia Sorento 4dr SUV
192-horsepower 3.5L V6 4-speed automatic RWD
| 82800 mi US $3000 |
ICV recall...butterfly screw came loose and damaged the number 6 valves and piston head. Had to take engine apart to find out about the recall. Had head resurfaced, new gaskets, new ICV and put back together. After ICV was replaced, the engine was in safe mode and chewed up 1/4 tank of gas for 60 miles. We were told that all 3 cat converters were toast. $1600 thru shop, quoted $4000+ thru dealer. Should be done 4 more business days. |
| 92000 mi US $400 |
Timing was off and shop replaced belt and fixed it. A day later it went back into the shop because the passenger side head gasket is blown. |
2004 Kia Sorento 4dr SUV
192-horsepower 3.5L V6 4-speed automatic 4WD, part-time w/low range
| 112260 mi A $1865 |
Used car dealer paid 4000 for replacement 2nd hand engine and I paid the rest |
| 148780 mi A $4800 |
Big end bearing. Replaced engine with reconditioned one |
| 153760 mi A $400 |
Front right wheel bearing |
| 155900 mi A $3020 |
Harmonic balancer bolt came loose number of items damaged, three ignition coils and all leads replaced. |
| 70000 mi US $2000 |
Transmission went out at 64,000 miles. Car would not go forward nor in reverse. Had to replace transmission. |
2003 Kia Sorento 4dr SUV
turbocharged 138hp 2.5L I4 Diesel 5-speed manual 4WD, part-time w/low range
| 50840 mi $5000 |
Bushings for upper eyes of front swing arm of suspension, both sides. part purchased at Davao City @ 130 kms. more delay due to having purchased a size for Sorento but the eye size is for Sportage. |
| 57040 mi $2800 |
Halfway in a trip, the air con failed. At service it was seen that the compressor clutch was broken into pieces, leaving only the central part. Repaired for 3 hours including stuck up bolts and nuts, replacement of surplus clutch, oil, R-134? |
| 58280 mi $700 |
upon leaving the garage, engine stopped. Restarted and started the 3rd time, with the engine check up indicated. The computer indicated something like: u0002 high speed can bus performance. mechanic just said he just disabled the same? |
| 60140 mi $4000 |
Solenoid valve assembly, otherwise known as actuator for the crdi. The old part was already sensitive to shock that when hurdling potholes at high speed, the engine sounds choked, losing power. After turning engine off, power is restored Replaced the upper control arm ASSEMBLY on passenger side, problem solved. Previously, only the bushings were replaced, using Sportage bushing. 6 months later, Sorento bushing which the bores are undersized, thus needed machining. as reported earlier, I replaced the solenoid valve assembly with new replacement from mobis, costing Php4000. Presto, the problem is solved! No more of the "ngorrrrk" sound of the engine after turning off, no more engine choking after shock |
| 68820 mi $1700 |
Removal of fuel pump assembly. Draining fuel. Cleaning of tank. Removing black gelatin-like residues (about 1 cup) inside the pump assembly. Blowing fuel lines clear. Replaced with clean diesel and a new fuel filter. CHECK ENGINE sign off and no more fuel starve stops. |
| 70060 mi $1000 |
removal, cleaning re-installation of exhaust gas recirculation valve. |
2003 Kia Sorento 4dr SUV
turbocharged 138hp 2.5L I4 Diesel 5-speed automatic 4WD, part-time w/low range
| 94240 mi $800 |
water coolant overflow when the engine getting hot but temperature meter is below half level |
| 101000 mi $4035 |
WATER COME OUT FROM COOLING TANK |
| 109120 mi $1456 |
water mix up with the engine oil |
2003 Kia Sorento 4dr SUV
192-horsepower 3.5L V6 4-speed automatic AWD w/low range
| 100500 mi £3100 |
Crankshaft pulley bolt sheared. Replacement engine required. Also replaced radiator. Shop also said the transmission needed work, but when I told them to do nothing else it was suddenly ready. |
| 115000 mi US $1500 |
front differential rebuilt, two new tires and battery required to pass state inspection |
| 205000 mi US $450 |
Replacement right rear wheel bearing and hub. |
| 230000 mi US $150 |
Exhaust system repair |
| 91760 mi C $500 |
Intake repaired by dealer. There were no signs of an issue, but they wanted to do the repair to prevent possible engine damage. Brake lines replaced due to corrosion discovered during annual MVI. |
| 35000 mi US $450 |
Aftermarket shocks and struts fitted OME (Australia) brand. Much better ride and handling after they were fitted - recommended |
| 61000 mi US $770 |
timing belt replacement, front differential serviced - shudder from front end when turning. front brakes replaced and rotors surfaced |
| 31000 mi US $1550 |
Front axle (AWD)bind up when cornering. Axle lubed - seemed to fix problem. 60K service performed at same time also new timing belt.2 weeks after the visit noticed they had drained the AC (both caps missing) - $200 to refill AC - I'm pissed with dealer. Discovered dealer had drained AC (both caps missing) during the 60K service. 2 weeks until hot weather to discover Never taking car back there again. Paid $200 to a repair shop to test cooling system (OK) and refill with fluid. Never going back to Kia. |
| 62000 mi US $320 |
Both headlights have badly darkened lenses purchased new headlights with clear lenses |
| 63000 mi US $290 |
Replaced both headlights because the headlight lenses had fogged badly. UV maybe? New headlights make the car see better at night and improve the look of the vehicle to like new. |
| 78000 mi US $125 |
Power steering system was leaking badly - had to fill the reservoir every day. Mechanic found the low pressure return hose was leaking and replaced it. |
| 78000 mi US $740 |
Power steering hose developed a leak again after a couple months. Dealer replaced hoses and refilled power steering system. Steering wheel now crooked - not level when driving straight - and loose. |
| 85560 mi C $2700 |
Found used transfer case for $2000 plus $700 labour |
| 90520 mi C $300 |
had to replace stabalizer arms front and rear. |
| 96100 mi C $500 |
had to replace upper ball joints, left wheel hub assembly, outer tie rod ends. |
| 97340 mi C $450 |
Crank sensor went and left me stranded |
| 108500 mi C $220 |
Blower Transistor resistor, fans would not turn off. |
2003 Kia Sorento 4dr SUV
192-horsepower 3.5L V6 4-speed automatic 4WD, part-time w/low range
| 119600 mi US $525 |
The air conditioning compressor was bad. |
| 152900 mi US $1100 |
replaced the part that tells the transmission when to shift. |
| 225000 mi US $190 |
Front brake pads were bad. |
See TrueDelta's information for all SUVs
See TrueDelta's information for all Kia models.
