2017 Kia Sorento: engine and transmission complaints
VERY HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
65%
434 of 666 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system
65% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2017 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 87% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).
Excludes 135 airbag, lighting and seat-belt recall complaints that would otherwise mask the signal (unadjusted: 54%).
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
AIR BAGS,STRUCTURE,ENGINE08/12/2019CRASH2 INJURED
I WAS STOPPED AT A RED LIGHT ON A CITY STREET AND STRUCK HEAD ON BY ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE DAMAGE IS SHOWN BELOW IN THE UPLOADED IMAGE. MY AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY.
UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM05/24/2021FIRE1 INJURED
On May 18,2021 my Kia Sorento SXL AWD V6 caught on fire for unknown reason. I was driving with windows open sunroof open and cruise set. Not a single warning light or any weird sounds at all. A car pulled up yelling at me that my car was on fire to pull over off the interstate. I saw nor smelled any smoke anywhere but …
POWER TRAIN12/26/20171 INJURED
VEHICLE WAS PARKED, AND RUNNING, ON SLOPED DRIVEWAY. MY WIFE, WHO HAD EXITED THE CAR, RETURNED TO TURN THE CAR OFF. SHE OPENED THE DOOR AND TURNED THE CAR OFF. THE CAR THEN BEGAN ROLLING DOWN THE DRIVEWAY. THE CAR DOOR WAS STILL OPEN AND MY WIFE ENDED UP RUNNING BACKWARDS WITH THE CAR, WHICH WENT INTO A STREET AND H…
Three of 434 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 (4)
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…
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.…
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 manufact…
This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.
Before you buy a 2017 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.
4 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.
