2015 Kia Sorento: engine and transmission complaints
VERY HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
61%
396 of 644 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
61% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2015 Kia Sorento are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. Well over half of everything owners reported is the drivetrain. That is a severe model-level pattern; every model year we track at this level has a documented failure behind it.
Worse than 82% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 105 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 53%).
The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.
What owners reported
POWER TRAIN06/15/20193 INJURED
WAS DRIVING DOWN INTERSTATE AT 65 AND FELT LIKE HIT A WALL ME AND MY 2 CHILDREN'S HEAD FLEW FORWARD CAR WENT DOWN TO 15 MPH AND RPMS SKYROCKETED WOULD NOT GO OVER 15 PULLED OVER TO SIDE OF ROAD SHUT OFF CAR AND LET SIT RESTARTED CAR WOULD NOT GO OVER 15 MPH OR SHIFT NO LIGHTS EVER ILLUMINATED ON DASHBOARD AND STILL HA…
Motor shuts down completely disabling the car electronically. I lose my brakes and my steering. In February 2020, I almost died driving the vehicle the car engine seized while driving and was replaced by KIA. I never received an itemized bill from Dealership they stole the rental from my private driveway to and stole …
HOW CAN NHTSA GIVE A 5-STAR SAFETY RATING TO A 2015 KIA SORRENTO BASED ON A 2013 CRASH TEST DONE ON THIS MODEL VEHICLE WHEN THERE IS OBVIOUS A PROBLEM WITH THIS VEHICLE IN THE 2014/2015 KIA SORRENTO MODELS. SINCE 2014, THERE HAS BEEN AT LEAST 2 SERIOUS INJURIES AND OTHER COMPLAINTS DUE TO THIS DEFECT AND ITS NON-DEPL…
Three of 396 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.
Recall campaigns on this model year (3)
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 rec…
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Optima and 2014-2015 Sorento vehicles. Brake fluid may leak inside the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU), …
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Optima and 2014-2015 Sorento vehicles previously recalled under recall 20V-519. Brake fluid may leak inside the H…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2015 Kia Sorento
Ask the seller whether the engine has ever been repaired or replaced, and whether the car has shown stalling, loss of power, rough idle, oil consumption or a check-engine light.
Drive it from a cold start and long enough to warm up. Many engine faults hide once the car is warm.
Get an independent pre-purchase inspection from a mechanic you choose, and tell them to focus on the engine.
3 recall campaigns on this model year. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on the VIN; the report checks that.
Ask for service records. A engine already replaced under warranty is a different car from one that was not.
Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.
Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history
report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition
of any individual vehicle.
