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Car · Kia problems

2011 Kia Sorento problems

1,520 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2011 Kia Sorento. The most reported area is engine and engine cooling (21% of them). NHTSA also lists 130 service bulletins and 7 recall campaigns.

1,520owner complaints
42say a crash was involved
63say a fire was involved
50injuries and deaths reported

Counts are what owners told NHTSA, as filed. NHTSA does not confirm each report, and a complaint is not proof of a cause. Injuries: 50. Deaths: 0.

Complaints by area

Each bar is the share of this model year's 1,520 complaints that name that area. A complaint can name more than one area, so the shares add up to more than 100%.

19 smaller areas not shown (341 complaints in total).

Do not compare models by these numbers. NHTSA has no sales count for each model, so a model with more complaints may just have sold more cars. Use them to see which areas owners write about, not to rank cars.

Service bulletins

NHTSA's database lists 130 repair bulletins from Kia for the 2011 Kia Sorento. A bulletin is a repair instruction sent to dealers. It is not a recall and does not mean your car is covered. The 8 newest:

  1. TSB_BOD205_R3Received December 1, 2025

    Air bags

    New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area.

  2. SC291YZReceived February 4, 2025

    Engine and engine cooling

    Instructions on which procedures to follow if, after installation of the KSDS, any one of the subject vehicles below return to the dealer with Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC)...

  3. TSB_TRA046_R4Received June 4, 2024

    Power train (transmission and drive)

    Information relating to the correct transmission fluid type and fill quantity requirement for each Kia model.

  4. PS750Received October 1, 2023

    Power train (transmission and drive)

    PITSTOP: AWD system concern due to tire circumference - This Pitstop provides information regarding potential concerns with the All-Wheel-Drive (AWD) system due to tire sizes of differing...

  5. CS2304_TSB_R1Received April 6, 2023

    Electrical system

    New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area.This bulletin provides the procedure to upgrade the software logic of the Integrated Body Control Unit (IBU)...

  6. TSB_TRA046_R3Received December 6, 2022

    Power train (transmission and drive)

    Transmission fluid application guide - This bulletin provides information relating to the correct transmission fluid type and fill quantity requirement for each Kia model.

  7. TSB_SST067_R2Received September 17, 2022

    Engine and engine cooling

    Bearing clearance tester (BCT) PROCEDURES - This bulletin provides information regarding test procedure of the Bearing Clearance Tester (BCT) Special Service Tool (SST).

  8. PI2101YZReceived June 3, 2022

    Subsequent repair action: engine replacement instructions for DTC P1326 (PI2101Y/Z) - This bulletin provides information related to the Technical Service Bulletin previously published in (PI2101)...

Recalls

NHTSA lists 7 recall campaigns for the 2011 Kia Sorento. Recall repairs are free at a Kia dealer. The 3 to look at first:

  1. 23V877000December 21, 2023

    Engine

    An engine compartment fire can occur while driving.

  2. 15V626000October 6, 2015

    Power train

    In the affected vehicles, if excessive force is applied to the gear shift lever, the brake-shift interlock mechanism may chip or crack allowing the transmission being able to be shifted out of "Park"...

  3. 11V258000April 25, 2011

    Power train

    The intermediate shaft may suffer from noise and excessive wear due to a misalignment of the intermediate shaft with the right side output gear.

See all 7 recalls for the 2011 Kia Sorento, or check your VIN below to see which are open on your car.

Common repairs in this area (not a diagnosis)

These are repair jobs that sit in the areas owners report most. A complaint may need a diagnosis first: the same symptom can come from many causes, and a serious one such as engine failure is not fixed by a cheap part. They are not a forecast of what your Sorento will need. Ranges are US estimates for all makes.

This model year has an engine recall in NHTSA's data. Before you pay for an engine repair, check the recalls and ask the dealer about warranty extensions for your VIN. Those repairs can be free.

Start with a diagnosis

Engine and engine cooling 316 complaints · 21%

No repair price here: this area usually needs a diagnosis first. A diagnostic scan (check engine light) runs $55 to $250.

Body and structure 268 complaints · 18%

No repair price here: this area usually needs a diagnosis first. A diagnostic scan (check engine light) runs $55 to $250.

Power train (transmission and drive) 265 complaints · 17%

Electrical system 246 complaints · 16%

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Check your VIN

Complaints and bulletins cover a whole model year. Only the VIN shows what is open on your car.

0 of 17 characters

Recall and complaint data comes from NHTSA, the US government's vehicle safety agency, and is cached for up to a day. Recall repairs at a dealer are free. A recall that is not listed may not apply to your car or may not be filed yet. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls too.

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2011 Kia Sorento: questions

What are the most common problems on the 2011 Kia Sorento?

Of the 1,520 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2011 Kia Sorento, 316 (21%) name engine and engine cooling, and 268 (18%) name body and structure. A complaint can list more than one area, so the shares add up to more than 100%. These are owner reports, not proven causes.

Is the 2011 Kia Sorento reliable?

These numbers cannot say. NHTSA complaints have no sales count to compare against, so a high number on one model does not mean it fails more than another. Use them to see which areas owners write about, then check your own VIN for open recalls.

Do these complaints include crashes or fires?

Owners marked 42 of the 1,520 complaints as involving a crash and 63 as involving a fire. They also reported 50 injuries and 0 deaths. NHTSA records these as the owner reports them and does not confirm each one.

How many recalls does the 2011 Kia Sorento have?

NHTSA lists 7 recall campaigns for the 2011 Kia Sorento. Recall repairs are free at a Kia dealer. Enter your VIN to see which ones are open on your car.

What is a service bulletin?

A service bulletin is a repair instruction a maker sends to its dealers. It is not a recall, and it does not mean your car is covered. NHTSA lists 130 repair bulletins for the 2011 Kia Sorento.

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Sources

Complaint, bulletin and recall counts come from NHTSA as filed. Repair prices are estimates from our own ranges. Not a repair shop, estimates only.