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2005 Kia SorentoProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 307 owner complaints about the 2005 Kia Sorento, most often about the engine. It has no vehicle safety recalls on record.

2005 Kia Sorento
50
CarFlaw IndexSolid year1.0× the Sorento median · #11 of 21 years by complaints
Safety recalls0None on recordOwner complaints30733 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage101kEngine, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through April 7, 2024. Updated daily. Photo: Vauxford, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Complaints by system

Where the 2005 Kia Sorento has problems

307 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Engine634
Exterior lighting530
Electrical system494
Engine and engine cooling442
Air bags438
Steering394
Power train381
Suspension250
Structure142
15 other systems6412

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

0 recalls

2005 Kia Sorento recalls and how many were fixed

No vehicle safety recalls are on record for this model year.

Mileage at failure

When do engine problems start?

101kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 59 engine complaints. 37% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
2under 30k miles22under 100k miles37100k miles or more
Owner-reported costs

What owners say repairs cost

Dollar amounts owners wrote in their complaints when describing a repair or a quote. These are not price estimates; a system is shown only when at least 8 owners mentioned a cost.

Engine

16 owners mentioned a cost

$3,000median

Middle half: $1,302 – $4,775

If a problem is covered by a recall, the dealer fixes it for free. Some manufacturers also reimburse owners who paid for a repair before a recall was announced.

Best & worst years

2005 vs. every other Sorento year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Sorento median. How we score

'03'04'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2005 Kia Sorento safety ratings

2005 Kia Sorento 4-DR. w/SAB in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

2005 Kia Sorento frontal crash test, NHTSA
Frontal crashNot rated
2005 Kia Sorento side barrier test, NHTSA
Side barrierNot rated
  • Stability control: No
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
In owners' words

What Sorento owners report

Recent engine complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

When driving there was a clunking noise and then the steering was hard to steer and the battery light came on & had to have it towed to find out that the harmonic balancer bolt broke. There are hundreds of complaints online about this same issue happening with these engines as this is a poor…
Complaint 11532923 · Jul 18, 2023
The contact owns a 2005 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while turning left, the steering wheel was very difficult to turn. The contact mentioned that all her strength was needed to turn the steering wheel. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the crankshaft…
Complaint 11458104 · Mar 24, 2022 · 100,000 miles
THE HARMONIC BALANCER MOUNTING BOLT SHEARED AND STRIPPED THE THREADS IN THE CRANKSHAFT OF MY 2005 KIA SERENTO. THE MECHANIC HAD MY CAR FOR 3 MONTHS TRYING TO FIX THIS PROBLEM. THIS IS EVIDENTLY A DESIGN ISSUE AND SHOULD HAVE A RECALL ISSUED. THIS PROBLEM COST ME A LOT OF MONEY TO FIX. (THE CAR WAS…
Complaint 11278111 · Nov 4, 2019 · 266,000 miles

Own a 2005 Sorento?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.