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exact model and see every recall for it.
Recalls are issued for a make, model and model year. Whether the repair has already been done on one specific car is known only to its manufacturer and dealers. Check your vehicle's official status at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a dealer.
US recalls (3)
Park outsideTrailer 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 dealership. Debris and moisture accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (PCB) may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire.
Risk and remedy
Risk: A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will inspect the vehicle, and, as necessary, replace the fuse and/or tow hitch harness module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 11, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC249.
Steering: electric power assist system
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2018 Kia Sorento vehicles. The cowl crossbar that connects to the Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS) steering column may be improperly welded, allowing the steering column to separate.
Risk and remedy
Risk: If the steering column separates, it can cause a loss of steering ability, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the cowl crossbar, free of charge. The recall began October 26, 2018. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC167.
Air bags: side/window
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2018 Kia Sorento vehicles. The side curtain air bags on these vehicles have a component that may detach during deployment of the inflatable curtain air bag.
Risk and remedy
Risk: If the component detaches during deployment, it may enter the passenger compartment and be a projectile within the vehicle cabin, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver and passenger side curtain air bags, free of charge. The recall began on December 18, 2017. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC159.
Canadian recalls (7)
Show 7 Canadian recalls
Label
2024-08-15 · campaign 2024-549
Issue:
On certain vehicles, the compliance label may be missing information in French. The words listed on the label for "Tires", "Rims", "Front" and "Rear" appear in English only, when they should be listed as "Tires/Pneus", "Rims/Jantes", "Front/Avant" and "Rear/Arriere". Canadian regulations require this information to be listed on the label in both English and French.
Safety Risk:
These small errors do not affect vehicle safety.
Corrective Actions:
This is not a recall. Kia has corrected the compliance label for all new vehicles.
Lights and instruments
2023-08-11 · campaign 2023-449
Issue:
On certain vehicles, wear inside the multi-function switch could cause the headlights to turn off suddenly when the switch is in the AUTO mode.
Safety Risk:
A loss of headlights would reduce visibility and could increase the risk of a crash.
Corrective Actions:
Kia will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to replace certain parts in the multi-function switch. To reduce the safety risk, Kia recommends not to use the AUTO mode until the recall repairs have been completed.
Electrical
2021-11-05 · campaign 2021-680
Issue:
Certain vehicles may be equipped with an accessory trailer wiring harness that could fail. Over time, water could leak into the control module and cause a short circuit. If this happens, there could be loss of the trailer lights.
Note: This recall affects trailer wiring harness kits that may have been ordered at the time of a vehicle purchase, or purchased separately from a dealer as an aftermarket accessory.
Safety Risk:
A loss of trailer lights could make the trailer less visible. In addition, other drivers may not recognize that the vehicle ahead is braking or intends to turn. This could increase the risk of a crash.
Corrective Actions:
Kia will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to inspect the trailer wiring harness. If the harness is from the lot (batch) affected by this problem, the dealer will replace it. Kia recommends that you should always check to ensure that trailer lights work properly before towing.
Engine
2019-03-18 · campaign 2019-143
Issue:
Kia Canada is conducting a Product Improvement Campaign that provides an update to the engine control module to detect potential problems before an engine fails. An engine failure may cause a sudden loss of power with an inability to restart.
Safety Risk:
A sudden loss of engine power could increase the risk of a crash.
Corrective Actions:
The company will notify owners by mail. Owners will be instructed to take their vehicle to a dealer to update the software for the engine control module.
Note: Vehicles repaired under Service Campaign SC023 already have this software update.
Fuel system
2019-02-27 · campaign 2019-098 · 760 vehicles
Issue:
When the engine was replaced under warranty or under Kia's Product Improvement Campaign SC023, the high pressure fuel pipe may not have been properly installed on the fuel pump outlet. A fuel leak could occur if the pipe was damaged, misaligned or improperly torqued during the recall repair.
Safety Risk:
Leaking fuel in the presence of an ignition source could increase the risk of a fire.
Corrective Actions:
The company will notify owners by mail. Owners will be instructed to take their vehicle to a dealer for an inspection. If fuel leakage is detected, the fuel pipe will be replaced with a new one.
Steering
2018-09-26 · campaign 2018-533 · 31 vehicles
On certain vehicles, the bracket that secures the steering column assembly may have been improperly welded and could separate. If this occurs, a driver may notice a loose feeling and/or a loud clunking noise from the steering column while turning the steering wheel. Ultimately, this could cause a loss of steering control, increasing the risk of a crash causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will replace the cross cowl bar assembly to ensure the steering column assembly is properly secured.
Airbag
2017-12-21 · campaign 2017-657 · 350 vehicles
On certain vehicles, the inflator diffuser installed in certain side curtain air bag modules may not have been manufactured correctly. If the vehicle were involved in a crash that warranted side curtain airbag deployment, this could potentially lead to the diffuser detaching. If the diffuser were to detach, it could become a projectile in the occupant compartment, and could cause a tear that could result in the side curtain airbag to not fully inflate. Both of these conditions could increase the risk of injury in a crash. Correction: Dealers will replace both the right and left hand side curtain airbags.
Owner complaints (255)
Owners filed 255 complaints with NHTSA about the 2018 Kia Sorento (12 crashes, 11 fires, 11 injuries, 1 deaths reported). Among 24 model years of this model, it ranks #11 for the most complaints (median 255).
| Most-reported problem | Complaints | |
|---|
| Engine | 107 | |
| Exterior lighting | 41 | |
| Unknown or other | 37 | |
| Electrical system | 30 | |
| Steering | 26 | |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 13 | |
| Air bags | 10 | |
| Power train | 9 | |
Crash test ratings
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2018 Kia Sorento.
| Version | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover |
|---|
| 2018 Kia Sorento SUV FWD | 5★ | 5★ | 5★ | 4★ |
| 2018 Kia Sorento SUV AWD | 5★ | 5★ | 5★ | 4★ |
Fuel economy
EPA ratings for each 2018 Kia Sorento version.
| Version | City MPG | Highway MPG | Combined | Yearly fuel cost |
|---|
| Sorento AWD 2.0 L Automatic (S6) | 19 | 25 | 22 | $3,050 |
| Sorento AWD 2.4 L Automatic (S6) | 21 | 25 | 22 | $3,050 |
| Sorento AWD 3.3 L Automatic (S6) | 17 | 23 | 19 | $3,550 |
| Sorento FE AWD 3.3 L Automatic (S6) | 18 | 25 | 21 | $3,200 |
| Sorento FWD 2.0 L Automatic (S6) | 20 | 27 | 23 | $2,900 |
| Sorento FWD 2.4 L Automatic (S6) | 21 | 28 | 24 | $2,800 |
| Sorento FWD 3.3 L Automatic (S6) | 18 | 25 | 20 | $3,350 |
Need this data in your app?
Recalls, complaints, crash ratings and fuel economy as a JSON API. Decode up to 50 VINs per call and get a daily feed of new recalls.
Explore the API →Sources: NHTSA recalls, complaints and 5-Star Safety Ratings, US EPA fuel economy and Transport
Canada's Vehicle Recalls Database (contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada).
Recalls updated 2026-10-30.