2018 Kia Sorento: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
248 NHTSA owner complaints · 3 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Reviewed by the MotorJury data desk · 2 sources · Last updated 2026-08-20
248 NHTSA owner complaints · 3 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Complaints per year on the road: 31.0
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
My wife and I were Driving when I tried to stop and the brakes failed. Within seconds the vehicle caught fire in the engine compartment. I had to slam the transmission into park cause the doors would not open. When my wife tried to escape out the passenger side the flames came into the cabin towards her. I then opened my door and then had to help my wife escape out the driver's side door. Within minutes the car was e…
I have replaced my rotors and my brakes soon as I got the car I’ve had the car for a month now I was in a major accident. Someone walked in front of my car. My emergency brake system did not work my rotors and my brakes, have been scrubbing ever since I got the car. And I don’t know how to fix the situation. The brakes are still going out and sound very horrible. I can’t keep replacing them because I don’t think they…
I had the car for just 2 years and it's giving me a lot of problems the car smells like gas it has a gas leak the breaks don't work and the electrical system don't work properly
What the community is saying right now.
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 17V784000 | 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 … |
| 22V703000 | 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… |
| 18V656000 | 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… |
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Engine (102 complaints in our indexed sample).
Our data verdict is AVOID with a reliability score of 37/100, computed from 248 NHTSA complaints and 3 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
Yes — NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for the 2018 Kia Sorento, 2 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 08/12/2017. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorComplaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-08-20.