2017 Kia Sorento Recalls and Problems

NHTSA lists 4 safety recalls and 811 owner complaints for the 2017 Kia Sorento.

Recalled components: trailer hitch, fuel system, and engine and cooling. Most-described problem: engine failure or replacement (173 complaints, 21%). Most-reported area: engine (388 complaints, 48%; median mileage when it happened: 63,500).

Data: NHTSA recall, complaint and investigation filesUpdated Nov 12, 2026

Year to avoidBest year

4 safety recalls for the 2017 Kia Sorento

Do-not-drive and park-outside recalls first, then newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.

Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

NHTSA investigations

NHTSA has opened 1 investigation that names the 2017 Kia Sorento; it is closed. An investigation means NHTSA is reviewing reports of a problem. It is not a finding that the vehicle has a defect.

A preliminary evaluation is NHTSA's first step, to gather information and decide whether to look further. NHTSA lists investigations by make, model and model year only, so one can apply to only some versions of a model, such as one engine; its summary says which.

What owners report

Owners have filed 811 complaints with NHTSA about the 2017 Sorento. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.

Problems owners describe

• Engine failure or replacement173 · 21%
  Median 70,000 miles at failure, from 54 reports with mileage
• Excessive oil consumption118 · 15%
  Median 67,000 miles at failure, from 22 reports with mileage
• Stalling or shutting off94 · 12%
  Median 64,200 miles at failure, from 44 reports with mileage
• Check engine light90 · 11%
  Median 70,000 miles at failure, from 35 reports with mileage
• Headlight or exterior light problems81 · 10%
  Median 38,000 miles at failure, from 25 reports with mileage
• Loss of power or limp mode77 · 9%
  Median 62,700 miles at failure, from 34 reports with mileage
• Shaking, shuddering or vibration44 · 5%
• Smoke or a burning smell39 · 5%

Counted from the complaint text: a complaint counts once for each problem it describes (how we match them). Some complaints describe none of these. Compare other models in the problem owners report most for every model year.

Areas named in complaints

• Engine388 · 48%
  Median 63,500 miles at failure, from 108 reports with mileage
• Exterior lighting126 · 16%
  Most named: headlights (6) · Median 37,100 miles at failure, from 38 reports with mileage
• Electrical system99 · 12%
  Median 59,000 miles at failure, from 33 reports with mileage
• Steering97 · 12%
  Median 30,000 miles at failure, from 39 reports with mileage
• Fuel and propulsion system39 · 5%
• Powertrain37 · 5%
• Engine and cooling28 · 3%
  Median 93,500 miles at failure, from 28 reports with mileage
• Unknown or other104 · 13%
  Median 19,000 miles at failure, from 28 reports with mileage

A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.

Kia Sorento recalls and complaints by model year

The highlighted bars are the 2017 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2011 Sorento drew the most (281) and the 2017 drew 120.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

2017 Sorento MPG

Questions