2017 Kia Sorento: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 788 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 4 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
788
Complaints
4
Recalls
12
Crash reports
31
Fire reports
16
Injuries
45.9
Severity index
Severity index 45.9 - Medium. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 136 2017 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2017 Kia Sorento ranks 83 of 136 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 39% of its model-year peers. See the full 2017 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| ENGINE | 379 | 48.1% |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 124 | 15.7% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 102 | 12.9% |
| STEERING | 94 | 11.9% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 92 | 11.7% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 38 | 4.8% |
| POWER TRAIN | 36 | 4.6% |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 25 | 3.2% |
The single most-reported system is ENGINE, cited in 379 of 788 complaints (48.1%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2016 | 4 |
| 2017 | 24 |
| 2018 | 34 |
| 2019 | 58 |
| 2020 | 64 |
| 2021 | 64 |
| 2022 | 134 |
| 2023 | 137 |
| 2024 | 121 |
| 2025 | 106 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 42 |
Complaint volume is rising - the last three years carry 1.4x the filings of the three before them, which usually signals a wear-related defect surfacing with age.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18V907000 | 19/12/2018 | FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS | Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2011-2017 Optima, 2012-2017 Sorento and 2011-2018 Sportage vehicles that previously received an engine replacement under recall number 17V-224, warranty, or the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) Product Improvement Campaign. The h |
| 17V586000 | 21/09/2017 | ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE | Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017 Sorento vehicles equipped with 3.3L engines. The engine crankshaft may have been improperly heat treated and may fail. |
| 16V862000 | 30/11/2016 | TRAILER HITCHES | Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Sorento vehicles manufactured October 27, 2014, to August 25, 2016, and 2017 Sportage vehicles manufactured December 10, 2015, to August 26, 2016. The affected vehicles are equipped with an accessory trailer hitc |
| 22V703000 | 19/09/2022 | TRAILER HITCHES | Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Sorento, 2021-2022 Sorento Hybrid (HEV), 2022-2023 Sorento Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV), and 2017-2022 Sportage vehicles equipped with a tow hitch harness installed as original equipment, or purchased as an accessory through a Kia d |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.