Which Years Of Used Kia Sorentos Are Most Reliable?
We've rounded up 12 of the most reliable Kia Sorento years on the market. See which ones (and which Sorento years you should avoid).
The Kia Sorento is a mid-size crossover SUV from the Kia brand. It first came on the market in 2003, starting slowly but picking up speed with exciting features and additions for drivers. If you’re interested in this vehicle, it’s vital to get the most out of your money. You might wonder - what are the most reliable model years for Kia Sorento?
No one’s idea of a dream day is spending every minute at the repair shop, waiting for a mechanic to fix an unexpected break in your vehicle’s system. You need something reliable. Read on to learn more about the most reliable model years for the Kia Sorento, the least reliable, the most common issues, and anything else you should know before investing.
Most Reliable Years For The Sorento
One of the biggest reasons people enjoy the Kia Sorento is the extensive interior room it offers. This selection is ideal for those with plenty of kids and cargo to cart from one place to the next. If you want to use a Sorento, it’s overwhelming to select one with twenty years of options. Luckily, we’ve narrowed down a few of the best selections.
THE KIA SORENTO YEARS TO AVOID
In this post, we’ll tell you which Kia Sorento years to avoid. We’ll make it easy for you to pick a used Sorento that won’t have you spending most of your days at the workshop for unnecessary repairs.
When it comes to the most reliable model years for Kia Sorento, here are your best options:
- 2003 Kia Sorento
- 2005 Kia Sorento
- 2007 Kia Sorento
- 2008 Kia Sorento
- 2009 Kia Sorento
- 2010 Kia Sorento
- 2015 Kia Sorento
- 2017 Kia Sorento
- 2018 Kia Sorento
- 2019 Kia Sorento
- 2020 Kia Sorento
- 2021 Kia Sorento
These will provide you with quality rides for years to come.
There are twenty years of options available for the Sorento, and it’s a good sign that so many of them are reliable. They tend to have much lower ownership costs than other selections because they don’t require as many repairs as other vehicles. You don’t have to anticipate as many sudden breakages with these.
Although these are excellent vehicles, they don’t speak for the Kia Sportage name. Let’s talk about the general reliability of the Kia Sorento when combining all years.
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Are Kia Sorentos Generally Reliable?
The most reliable years of the Kia Sorento tell you they are the best available in the model. However, they don’t tell you how reliable the Kia Sorento is in general.
Unfortunately, the Kia Sorento does not score too well in reliability. According to withclutch.com, the Kia Sorento scores 44.25, which makes it very low in reliability. It has the lowest score of all the Kias on this site.
Let’s examine a second source to check our accuracy. According to repairpal.com, the Kia Sorento scores a ⅘, making it okay in reliability. It comes in 12th out of 26 compact vehicles, which puts it in a solid position.
The annual repair cost of the Kia Sorento is $533, slightly higher than other compact SUV competitors. If there is a need for a sudden fix, there is an 11% chance it will be severe. This rate is average for other similar vehicles.
Those behind the wheel of the Kia Sorento report bringing them in for unexpected fixes an average of .3 times a year. Again, this number puts the Kia Sorento at an average spot in the category.
There are mixed reviews on the general reliability of the Sorento. The biggest factor is the year you purchase.
Which Kia Sorento Years Are The Least Reliable?
We’ve talked about the best options on the market for Kia Sorento for various years. Now, it’s critical to dive into the worst for dependability to help you make the right choice.
If you want the best for your money, here are the worst selections for your wallet:
- 2004 Kia Sorento
- 2006 Kia Sorento
- 2011 Kia Sorento
- 2012 Kia Sorento
- 2013 Kia Sorento
- 2014 Kia Sorento
- 2016 Kia Sorento
If you’re hunting for the most reliable model years for Kia Sorento, don’t go for these.
There were plenty of customer complaints in these years. The most common include issues with the seatbelts, body, and lighting. The 2011 was the worst, with reported troubles in the engine and brakes, warranting expensive repairs.
Most customer complaints and issues fall on these years. However, there are a few troubles that appear across the board when examining the history of the Kia Sorento.
What Are The Most Common Issues With A Kia Sorento?
One of the best things you can do before investing in a used Kia Sportage is to check our customer complaints. These help inform of the troubles with the Sportage, no matter how reliable the year.
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According to motorandwheels.com, here are the most common issues with the Kia Sorento:
- Engine failure
- Trouble with the door handles
- Burned-out headlights
- Irregular shifter in some models
- Timing chain slap
- Noisy air conditioner
These will warrant an unwanted trip to the repair shop.
No matter which vehicle you invest in, these issues may appear. However, they are more prominent in the worst years of the Kia Sorento.
We’ve gone over many details relating to the overall reliability of the Sorento. Now it’s time to ask - is the Kia Sorento worth it?
What Reddit Says About the Most Reliable Kia Sorento:
The Sorento is a fairly popular SUV, but what do owners think of its reliability? Below are some curated comments from several Reddit users:
On the reliability of the 2019 Sorento:
Comment
byu/Kaitlyn2198 from discussion
inKiaSorento
On the rock solid reliability of the 2017 model year:
Comment
byu/T1me_Sh1ft3r from discussion
inkia
On the Sorento’s value proposition:
Comment
byu/Crapricornia from discussion
inkia
Even the less reliable years can be a dependable choice:
Comment
byu/Marconator39 from discussion
inwhatcarshouldIbuy
Overall, many Reddit users have pros and cons regarding their Sorento, but the SUV has shaped up to be a dependable choice for many folks.
Is The Kia Sorento Worth It?
There are plenty of faults with the Kia Sorento, and it isn’t the most reliable choice for an SUV. However, the price difference matters. If you buy one of the most reliable used Kia Sorentos, you will get many features and plenty of room for a low price.
Owners of Sorentos should be ready for more issues than the average person. There are common faults every year. The Sorento isn’t the best, but you could do much worse.
Final Thoughts
Although there are many troubles with the reliability, it’s overall a decent selection if you’re hunting for a dependable SUV option. It will provide everything you need with average maintenance costs.
We hope this information was helpful! It might seem too much to pick a quality Sorento from twenty years of options, but we hope our analysis removes some of your stress.
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