2025 Kia Sorento: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
73 NHTSA owner complaints · 3 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Editor's note
The Sorento shares Hyundai's Theta II 2.4-litre and 2.0-litre turbo engines, and the 2011 and 2016 model years are where its engine-failure complaints concentrate — the same bearing wear, knocking and stalling that hit the Sonata and Optima, covered by the same recall campaigns and warranty extensions. Between those years the record is moderate, and from 2018 the Sorento becomes one of the better three-row crossovers on the site, with the 2020 model year scoring 91. Read the full note on the model page. 2025 specifically: a year the record favours — 73 complaints, score 72/100. The caveats in the note apply to other years of this nameplate more than to this one.
Read the guide
Used Kia Sorento, Sportage and Soul: the recall years and the good years after them, including 2025 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-01.
Owner complaints: 73 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 73.0
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
About a minute into my drive, I heard an explosion. I looked back thinking something happened to my twin toddlers and saw nothing. I heard the sound of glass cracking and looked up to see the front glass of my moonroof shattered. I pulled over to safety and closed the sun cover for the moonroof before any more glass could fall into the car in fear of my toddlers getting injured. The car itself had been on for maybe 5…
During highway trips the info cluster starts chiming and a coffee cup light comes on the dash saying I should consider taking a break! This happens frequently and is distracting as I need to look down from the road to access what the warning is. I'm being told now that it is not able to be disabled. It's distracting and there's no way I would have bought the car with such a distraction during highway driving.
The dashboard has a screen display. I couldn’t see my fuel tank information. Every time I would use my turn signal a large green circle would take over the screen. Followed by loss of the screen, meaning no speedometer, rpm, etc. As the problem continued the speedometer started displaying incorrect numbers. Saying I was going 70 miles an hour when I was actually going about 55. Gage for fuel and heat (notifying i…
Recalls: 3 campaigns (2 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 25V006000 | Electrical System:Body Control Module:Software | Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Sorento, 2025 Sorento Hybrid, and 2025 Sorento Plug-In Hybrid vehicles. |
| 25V548000 | Engine And Engine Cooling:Critical Fasteners | Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2025 K4 and Sorento vehicles. |
| 26V046000 | Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel | Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2025 Kia K4, 2025-2026 Sorento, Sorento Hybrid, Sorento Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV), 2026 Sportage, Sportage Hybrid, Sportage PHEV, K5, EV9, Carnival, and Carnival Hybrid vehicles. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a mid-size SUV of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 23 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,650
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Electrical System21 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Unknown Or Other20 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Engine19 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Power Train19 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Forward Collision Avoidance8 complaints · typical job: Radar or camera module replacement and calibration (3.0 h labour + parts)$780–$2,160
- Vehicle Speed Control7 complaints · typical job: Throttle body, pedal sensor or cruise module replacement (2.5 h labour + parts)$520–$1,150
Other Kia Sorento years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2025 Kia Sorento?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Electrical System (21 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2025 Kia Sorento a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 72/100, computed from 73 NHTSA complaints and 3 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2025 Kia Sorento's most common problem?
21 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2025 Kia Sorento sit in the Electrical System group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement: about 3.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $540–$1,310 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2025 Kia Sorento cost to run per year?
About $4,847 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $24,235 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2025 Kia Sorento have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 3 recall campaign(s) for the 2025 Kia Sorento, 2 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 13/01/2025. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other midsize suvs of about the same age.
What will a 2025 Kia Sorento really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & 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: 2026-10-04.
Moderate evidence — 73 complaints, 3 recalls on record
- 73 NHTSA complaints on record (73.0/yr of exposure) — in line with a typical year of this model (62.6/yr)
- 3 recall campaigns, 2 touching safety-critical systems