2011 Kia Sorento Kia Sorento 2011

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2011 Kia Sorento repairs by problem area

Engine (18%)

Transmission and Drivetrain (8%)

Brakes and Traction Control (7%)

Suspension and Steering (18%)

Electrical and Air Conditioning (31%)

Paint, Rust, Leaks, Rattles, and Trim (9%)

Other (8%)

Chart based on 265 repairs.
See TSBs and recalls for the 2011 Kia Sorento.

2011 Kia Sorento engine repair cost distribution

$2500+ (2%)

$1000 - $2499 (0%)

$500 - $999 (2%)

$100 - $499 (15%)

< $100 (80%)

Worried about potential repair costs? An extended warranty can provide peace of mind.

Chart based on 41 repair trips. The repair cost chart excludes repairs made under warranty, do-it-yourself repairs, and repair trips that include maintenance.

2011 Kia Sorento

Engine not specified

1000 mi Engine overheated resulting in coolant overflow. Towed to dealer. In repair for 1 week -found coolant in engine oil. Flushed 3 times, all hoses replaced & new thermostat placed. 
3200 mi Went to dealer for routine oil change--tech found anti-freeze in the oil again. They checked head gasket-concluded no problem. Ordered Anti freeze/oil filter and installed.Dealer not sure the problem will reoccur. 
3000 mi Transmission jolt occured while traveling down the interstate. KIA says this was due to outdated software. They upgraded the software and said no transmission damage occured. 
90000 mi

US $2600
Check Engine light came on. Faulty Intake Manifold and bad front struts. Intake manifold was $1700 to fix. The dealer wanted almost double. It was very reliable prior to this issue. KIA offered no help to discount parts. 

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2011 Kia Sorento 4dr SUV

276-horsepower 3.5L V6 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD

43700 mi Fan belt tensioner wore out 
107000 mi

US $200
Accessory belt tensioner 
6150 mi CEL Code P2422Evap System Valve stuck closed. Replaced 31430-0W000 Valve under warranty. CEL Code P2422 Evap System Valve stuck closed. Used compressed air on a hose, cleared code CEL Code P2422 Evap System Valve stuck closed. Replaced 31430-0W000 Valce- Canister Close. Cleared code. 
47100 mi ECM UPDATE, FUEL DOOR TSB OPERATION UPGRADE 
22100 mi Fuel sensors and wiring harness failure caused misfire and poor running. Entire harness replaced as well as all electrical components of fuel system. 
47200 mi

US $600
Oil leak found during major service. Looks like head gasket issue. 

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2011 Kia Sorento 4dr SUV

276-horsepower 3.5L V6 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD

60140 mi replace the engine, had metal shavings inside 
57300 mi Car when cold and shifted into reverse engages immediately. Shifted into D from N/P and foot off brake, takes 1/2-1 second to move forward/engage. When Car is warm, no delay going from N/P to D/R. Dealer said this is normal... 
12000 mi replaced knock sensor 
13000 mi replaced throttle body, then had to flash computer. failed to correct the problem 
75000 mi

US $225
Changed drive belt 
76000 mi

US $168
Serpentine belt worn Replaced 
100000 mi

US $200
Had to replace leaking/failing water pump. Common issue with Kia's >100k miles. Took me and my friend about 4+ hours to do it, and it was pretty difficult due to placement of the pump on the side of the engine bay. 
6200 mi Slow engine oil leak (4-5 drops/day). Defect in silicon gasket application left too little or bubbled silicon at leak site that eventually broke down. Dealer mechanic re-caulked leak site with new silicon gasket material. No further leak. 
9300 mi

C $70
Slow engine oil leak from September 2010 service reappeared(4-5 drops/day). Suspect defect in silicon gasket application. In for oil change - have to book a separate one day appointment for dealer to trace/fix oil leak problem. 
66220 mi

C $100
Engine light comes on and off sporadically. Code P0200A (VVT Sensor). Dealer not able to solve problem in approx. 1 year. No performance issues - just the light. Many parts have been replaced. Light still comes on. Still trying to fix. 
16000 mi Intermittent starting issue with push button start. Bad break sensor was the problem. 
29000 mi Oil leak, Dealer resealed Oil pan, coveredrnunder warranty 
33500 mi Engine oil leak. Leak was repaired by replacing gasket. Work completed by Dealer under warranty. 
42160 mi While driving at approx 60 kmh, vehicle lost power, service engine light on. Engine stopped. Pulled over, engine restarted, vehicle into limp mode. Close by dealer. Problem - throttle body replaced. Since, fuel economy vastly improved. 
50840 mi Oil Leak from oil pressure sending unit. The dealership stated they just received a technical service bulletin to commence replacement of the units. They say if it hadn't have leaked, it would have been replaced at the next service. 

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2011 Kia Sorento 4dr SUV

175-horsepower 2.4L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic FWD

5000 mi Transmission would unexpectedly slam in to 4th with a loud bang. Car would have to be restarted to get out of 4th. Dealer updated TCM and PCM (computers). 
29000 mi Check engine light on & read, parts ordered for emissions. 
5000 mi the wiring harness was replaced after coming loose while driving. It felt like the transmission fell out of the car. Since the repair was done there is no problem with that aspect of the vehicle but, the front struts are still making noise 
59700 mi oil pan gasket was leaking. The dealer changed the oil pan gasket and oil. 
39000 mi After three trips in which they couldn't replicate a loss of power problem or pull any codes, they replaced the ignition coil pack and electronic throttle body. 
44800 mi Replace gas pedal, ECU; didn't fix problem, so replaced brake lamps. very odd. Then said the throttle body has a known problem with armature, and replaced it. Then sent factory tech, replaced harness. 
67000 mi Problem returned in September. Engine would cut out unexpectedly for a second or two, idiot lights would flicker, engine would usually come back quickly, but sudden deceleration was unnerving. Traded car. 
6000 mi Engine oil leak. Dripping from filter. I thought it was a filter mount problem. They said engine cover leaking. Repaired. Still leaking. 
16000 mi Engine cover still leaking oil when traded. 
83000 mi

US $490
Ignition switch (key tumbler) 

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2011 Kia Sorento 4dr SUV

175-horsepower 2.4L I4 6-speed shiftable automatic AWD

9920 mi Small oil leak. Dealer repaired under warranty 
15500 mi Whining noise caused by abnormal wear on tensioner pulley assembly. Replaced by shop 
2000 mi Update computer. 
9000 mi Push start quit working. Had to have car towed to dealer. Brake switch replaced. 
5000 mi Purge sensor control valve went bad. Ordered new part for replacement to be installed next week under warranty. Purge sensor control valve installed 
5000 mi check engine light came on and I was told they had to reset the computer according to a TSB that the manufacturer issued. 
9000 mi Engine leaking oil, problem seems to be finally identified, waiting to get pieces next week for repair 

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2011 Kia Sorento 4dr SUV

175-horsepower 2.4L I4 6-speed manual FWD

5100 mi

US $20
The oil pan was leaking. 

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2011 Kia Sorento 4-door

6-cylinder automatic AWD

35100 mi The ECO chip went out 
43000 mi Eco chip was bad, replaced. 

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2011 Kia Sorento Engine Problems

See our lemon odds and nada odds page to see vehicles with no repairs or vehicles with more than three repairs. To see how frequently 2011 Kia Sorento problems occur, check out our car reliability stats.