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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 KIA says this was due to outdated software.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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.