Is the Subaru Forester more reliable than the KIA Sorento?

Slightly, yes. The Forester's most common problem, cracked windshields, is less severe than the Sorento's engine and power train failures. Federal recall records also show far fewer recalls for the Forester. The Sorento is cheaper to repair and has fewer complaints per vehicle sold, so the lead is small.

Which has more recalls, the Forester or the Sorento?

The Sorento has more. Federal recall records list 43 recalls across its nine model years, compared with 13 for the Forester. Check any specific VIN for open recalls before you buy, since some Sorento owners say their VIN was not covered by a steering recall.

Which is cheaper to repair?

The Sorento. Independent repair-cost data shows about $533 a year for the Sorento and $632 for the Forester, roughly $495 apart over five years. The Sorento also has fewer unscheduled shop visits and a lower chance that a repair is major.

What is the biggest problem with the KIA Sorento?

Engine trouble. Owners report oil disappearing between changes with no leak or warning light, followed by knocking, misfires, smoke, or a stall at highway speed. Failures tend to appear between 90,000 and 116,000 miles. Several owners say Kia refused coverage after the warranty ended.

Why do Subaru Forester windshields crack so often?

Owner complaints do not give a cause. They describe cracks that appear with no impact, often on a parked car, some near the wiper rest area or the EyeSight camera. Windshield complaints are the largest group for the Forester, and replacement is often quoted at over $1000.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Kia Sorento vs Subaru Forester: Reliability Compared

Kia Sorento

Good

More Reliable

Subaru Forester

Good

On reliability, the Subaru Forester edges out the KIA Sorento, with 13 recalls to the Sorento's 43. The Sorento is cheaper to repair. Forester owners mostly deal with cracked windshields and stalling, while Sorento owners report engine failure after oil loss.

How Do the Kia Sorento and Subaru Forester Generations Compare?

Generation timing differs for each model. The Forester's fourth generation ran from 2014 to 2018, so a 2018 is the last year of an older design. The fifth generation started in 2019, received a facelift in 2022, and ran through 2025, when a sixth generation also began. The Sorento's third generation ran from 2016 to 2020, with a facelift in 2019. Its fourth generation began in 2021, and a facelift followed in 2024. The 2019 model year ranks among the weakest for both. The newest years have had less time to collect complaints, so their clean records are not proof of better reliability.

Verdict

The Subaru Forester is more reliable than the Kia Sorento, scoring 74/100 vs 71/100.

A slight edge goes to the Forester, not a clear win. Its top complaint is windshield cracking, which is costly and annoying but not an engine failure. The Sorento's top complaints are engine and power train failures, including oil loss that ends in knocking, stalls, and replacement engines. Federal recall records also show 13 recalls for the Forester against 43 for the Sorento. The Sorento wins on running costs and complaints per vehicle sold, so the gap is narrow.

Key Differences

1Kia Sorento costs $99 less per year to repair
2Subaru Forester has 30 fewer total recalls
3Subaru Forester scores 3 points higher in reliability

Category Scoreboard

4Kia Sorento

—

2Subaru Forester

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsComplaint RateAnnual Repair CostRepair FrequencyMajor Repair RiskSafety Rating

Kia Sorento vs Subaru Forester: Which Is More Reliable?

Kia Sorento vs Subaru Forester at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Kia Sorento	Subaru Forester
Reliability Score	71/100	74/100
Years Tracked	9	9
Total Recalls	43	13
Complaints per 10k Sold	7.4	8.7
Annual Repair Cost	$533/yr	$632/yr
Repair Frequency	0.3/yr	0.4/yr
Major Repair Risk	11%	13%
Safety RatingNHTSA overall	2026 NHTSA	2026 NHTSA
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Year Wins	4 (1 tied)	4 (1 tied)

What Are the Common Problems With the Kia Sorento and Subaru Forester?

Glass and start/stop trouble dominate Forester complaints. Windshields crack with no impact, sometimes near the EyeSight camera, and the engine can shut off at stops with an "EyeSight Disabled" message. Sorento owners report oil that vanishes between changes, then knocking, heavy smoke, or a stall at highway speed. Headlights that go dark at night and steering that sticks at speed also show up. Crash-linked reports appear in electrical and engine areas for both models. The Sorento's power train area also has them, and the Forester's windshield areas have none. The Forester's air bag crash reports describe unintended acceleration, not air bag failure.

Kia Sorento vs Subaru Forester common problem areas comparison
Component	Kia Sorento	Subaru Forester
VISIBILITY/WIPER	0.1Very Low	3.1Average
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	1.1Low	1.2Low
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	1Very Low	1.2Low
POWER TRAIN	1.5Low	0.4Very Low
ENGINE	1.4Low	0.4Very Low
AIR BAGS	0.1Very Low	0.5Very Low
VISIBILITY	0.1Very Low	0.5Very Low
STEERING	0.3Very Low	0.1Very Low
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	0.3Very Low	0.1Very Low
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	0.2Very Low	0.2Very Low
STRUCTURE	0.2Very Low	0.1Very Low
SERVICE BRAKES	0.1Very Low	0.1Very Low
TRAILER HITCHES	0.1Very Low	—None
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE	—None	0.1Very Low
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING	—None	—None
SEAT BELTS	—None	—None
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	—None	—None
LANE DEPARTURE	—None	—None
SUSPENSION	—None	—None

Complaints per 10,000 units sold, aggregated across all tracked model years from NHTSA owner reports.

Which Is Cheaper to Maintain: Kia Sorento or Subaru Forester?

Running costs favor the Sorento. Independent repair-cost data puts its annual repair cost at $533 against $632 for the Forester. That is $99 a year, or about $495 over five years. The Sorento also averages 0.3 unscheduled shop visits a year against 0.4, and its chance that a repair is major is 11% against 13%. The savings are modest, and a single engine replacement on a Sorento would wipe them out.

How Does Kia Sorento vs Subaru Forester Reliability Compare by Year?

Kia Sorento vs Subaru Forester year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Kia Sorento	Subaru Forester	Edge
2026	80/1004R / 0C	77/1001R / 0C	Kia Sorento
2025	75/1008R / 72C	79/1002R / 48C	Subaru Forester
2024	79/1002R / 35C	78/1002R / 26C	Kia Sorento
2023	70/1007R / 120C	79/1001R / 61C	Subaru Forester
2022	66/10010R / 171C	77/1001R / 86C	Subaru Forester
2021	66/1006R / 217C	76/1000R / 196C	Subaru Forester
2020	71/1001R / 115C	71/1000R / 584C	Tie
2019	64/1002R / 383C	63/1003R / 825C	Kia Sorento
2018	68/1003R / 232C	66/1003R / 475C	Kia Sorento

Best years to cross-shop: The 2024 Kia Sorento scored 79/100 and the 2023 Subaru Forester scored 79/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.

Who Should Buy the Kia Sorento vs the Subaru Forester?

If you want to avoid engine-failure risk and can live with glass trouble, buy the Forester. Its complaints center on windshields that crack with no impact, and owners often report replacement quotes over $1000. Target 2023, one of its strongest years, and avoid 2018 and 2019. Test that start/stop restarts the engine cleanly at a stop, and ask about past windshield replacements. If lower running costs and a midsize body matter more, buy the Sorento, but keep it under the mileage where engine failures cluster. Those reports fall between 90,000 and 116,000 miles. Target 2024, one of its strongest years, and avoid 2019 and 2021. Ask for oil change records and any history of oil top-ups. Check the headlights in Auto mode at night. Pass on any high-mileage Sorento with no documented engine care, since owners say Kia refused coverage once the warranty ran out.

Kia Sorento vs Subaru Forester: Common Questions

Is the Subaru Forester more reliable than the KIA Sorento?: Slightly, yes. The Forester's most common problem, cracked windshields, is less severe than the Sorento's engine and power train failures. Federal recall records also show far fewer recalls for the Forester. The Sorento is cheaper to repair and has fewer complaints per vehicle sold, so the lead is small.
Which has more recalls, the Forester or the Sorento?: The Sorento has more. Federal recall records list 43 recalls across its nine model years, compared with 13 for the Forester. Check any specific VIN for open recalls before you buy, since some Sorento owners say their VIN was not covered by a steering recall.
Which is cheaper to repair?: The Sorento. Independent repair-cost data shows about $533 a year for the Sorento and $632 for the Forester, roughly $495 apart over five years. The Sorento also has fewer unscheduled shop visits and a lower chance that a repair is major.
What is the biggest problem with the KIA Sorento?: Engine trouble. Owners report oil disappearing between changes with no leak or warning light, followed by knocking, misfires, smoke, or a stall at highway speed. Failures tend to appear between 90,000 and 116,000 miles. Several owners say Kia refused coverage after the warranty ended.
Why do Subaru Forester windshields crack so often?: Owner complaints do not give a cause. They describe cracks that appear with no impact, often on a parked car, some near the wiper rest area or the EyeSight camera. Windshield complaints are the largest group for the Forester, and replacement is often quoted at over $1000.

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How we score the Kia Sorento and Subaru Forester

Scores weight complaint severity at 35%, repair costs at 30%, recall impact at 20%, and the spread of complaints across systems at 15%, with complaint counts adjusted for US sales. Read the full methodology.

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