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Kia Sorento Reliability by Year

Every gasoline Sorento model year from 2004 to 2025, scored on reported failures weighted against how many were sold — and ranked against every other Mid-Size SUV of the same year.

Scored separately as its own vehicle: Sorento Hybrid (2021–2025).

The short answer

Best model year
2010
#1 of 40 that year
Year to avoid
2016
#37 of 38 that year
Latest scored
2025
#49 of 66

Across 22 scored model years the Sorento needs fixing more often than its class, but when it does, repairs cost about what you would expect. The spread between years is what matters: 2010 is its strongest, 2016 its weakest.

Every model year, scored

Longer bar is better. Rank is against every Mid-Size SUV sold that same model year.

YearRelative standingClass rankPctl
2004#20 /2624th
2005#22 /2719th
2006#17 /2841th
2007#18 /3651th
2008#25 /3835th
2009#19 /3953th
2010#1 /40100thBest year
2011#36 /398th
2012#37 /395th
2013#28 /3725th
2014#33 /3711th
2015#38 /405th
2016#37 /383thAvoid
2017#33 /3711th
2018#25 /4241th
2019#35 /4523th
2020#32 /4935th
2021#45 /5315th
2022#47 /5921th
2023#46 /6732th
2024#20 /7273th
2025#49 /6626th

The line has moved around across 22 model years, with its weakest stretch in 2011–2022. The recent trend is upward. This 2025 car falls in a middling stretch.

What tends to break

All 12 systems, measured against the class average for each model year.

Every Sorento model year is scored across 12 separate systems — engine, transmission, brakes, electrical, steering and suspension, structure, interior, and five more. Each system is compared against how often that same system fails on the average Mid-Size SUV of the same year, so a common failure is judged against how common it is everywhere else.

Across the last three model years (2023–2025), the trouble concentrates in one place: powertrain. That system draws issue reports more often than the same system on the average Mid-Size SUV of its year — which changes what you should be inspecting before you buy.

Full Dashboard Preview

Real charts, sample vehicle. Open the lookup to see these for your Sorento.

Reliability Matrix Sample Chart

2018 Mid-Size SUVs

Your Sorento is plotted against 66 rivals from 2025.

Look up your Sorento →
better than classtypicalworsebubble = units sold

System Breakdown Sample Chart

2018 Mitsubishi Outlander

Your Sorento is scored the same way, for every model year.

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below class averageabove class average

Common questions

What is the best year for a used Kia Sorento?

2010 is the strongest Sorento model year on record, ranking #1 of 40 Mid-Size SUVs that year.

Which Kia Sorento years should I avoid?

2016 is the weakest year in the model's history, ranking #37 of 38.

Is the latest Sorento reliable?

The 2025 Sorento ranks #49 of 66 Mid-Size SUVs — the lower half of its class.

Where does this data come from?

Failure reports filed with NHTSA — submitted by vehicle owners and repair shops alike — weighted against US sales volumes so a high-volume model is not penalised for selling well, then benchmarked within segment and model year.

See the full picture for your Sorento

All 12 systems scored, the whole class plotted, and a downloadable Full Model Report for any year — 6,000+ vehicles in the dashboard.

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How this was built. Scores derive from failure reports filed with NHTSA — submitted by vehicle owners and repair shops alike — weighted against US sales volumes and benchmarked within segment and model year. We measure two separate things: Fix Frequency — how often a vehicle needs fixing — and Fix Severity — how costly those fixes are. These figures describe a model line, not the specific vehicle in front of you; trim, mileage and service history still decide an individual car.