2020 Kia Sorento Reliability Report

Reports here are scattered. Two describe the sunroof glass shattering at highway speed, with one driver veering off the road and passengers getting glass in their eyes. Others describe a sudden boom and shutdown with all warning lights on and no power steering, forward collision warning stopping the car in interstate traffic and causing a rear-end crash, and a fire after the dashboard lights up. One fatal crash involves the vehicle burning. A moon roof that will not close and a key fob that sets off the horn or opens the hatch also appear.

These reports concern a recall repair, not breakdowns. Recall 22V703000 covers the trailer hitch, but repair parts are unavailable for long stretches and dealers cannot say when they will arrive. Most of these complaints involve no failure at all, only the wait. One describes a burning odor in the cabin while the repair is pending. Fire reports under the electrical heading tie hitch wiring to this same recall, so an unrepaired car carries real risk.

Braking fails to stop the car as expected in hard stops. Reports describe the ABS pushing the foot off the pedal and releasing, the car pulling hard left as if only one side is braking, a pedal that does not engage until pumped, and brakes grabbing with a metal-on-metal sound at low speed. Two reports involve crashes, one into a concrete wall, and four people were injured across these complaints.

Headlights and taillights go out together in the main lighting report, with brake lights dark too, and the dealer quotes $150 just to diagnose it. Another report links failed fob locking and inoperative windshield wipers to the anti-theft software update. A third complaint is actually about oil burning and a burnt oil smell, not lighting. The risk is driving at night or in traffic with no working lights.

Noise and stalling make up these few reports. One describes loud clunks and a shaking wheel that keep the car under 20 mph. Another describes a rattle behind the steering wheel during acceleration that the dealer cannot reproduce. A third is really a stall and shutdown while pulling away. Three complaints are too few to show a pattern, but a clunking, shaking wheel is a serious drivability problem.

Fire breaks out while driving at about 55 mph in one report, followed by a stall. The driver coasts to the shoulder and the fire department puts out the fire. The other report describes oil consumption so heavy that oil must be added daily, with the pan found low or empty at around 100,000 miles. Both match the oil burning and fire patterns reported under the engine heading.

Airbags fail to deploy in a frontal crash at 65 to 70 mph, according to one report, with head, neck, back, and abdomen injuries to the driver and passenger. The second report involves a side impact near the front door and gives no detail on airbag behavior. Both complaints are crash-related, with four people injured in total. Two reports are too few to show a pattern.