Reliable Auto DB

2012 Kia Sorento reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2012 Kia Sorento holds 880 complaints after 15 years, a rate of 39 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Sorento years here — over the median of the other years, which is 26. NHTSA has 5 recalls on file, including Brake control module, Engine, and Hoses and fittings.

2012 Kia Sorento
Photo by Elise240SX, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

880

Per year

39

Recalls

5

Years on the road

15

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (461 of 880), then Electrical system (127) and Air bags (81). Those filings include 21 that report a crash, 77 that report a fire, and 22 that report an injury.

Next to 2013

The 2013 Sorento has 981 complaints, 48 per year. The 2012 has fewer complaints per year than the 2013.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2012 Kia Sorento. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (5)

Recall Brake control module 2023-09-25 · NHTSA campaign 23V652000
Summary Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2010-2019 Borrego, 2014-2016 Cadenza, 2010-2013 Forte, Forte Koup, Sportage, 2015-2018 K900, 2011-2015 Optima, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, Soul, 2012-2017 Rio, 2011-2014 Sorento, and 2010-2011 Rondo vehicles. The Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) may experience an electrical short, which can result in an engine compartment fire while parked or driving.
Remedy Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the HECU fuse, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed November 14, 2023. Owner notification letters were mailed March 29, 2024 through June 18, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC284.
Recall Engine 2020-12-02 · NHTSA campaign 20V750000
Summary Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2012-2013 Sorento, 2012-2015 Forte and Forte Koup, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, 2014-2015 Soul, and 2012 Sportage vehicles. An engine compartment fire can occur while driving.
Remedy Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine compartment for fuel and/or engine oil leaks, perform an engine test and make any repairs, including engine replacement, as necessary, free of charge. In addition, Kia dealers will update the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) software, free of charge. The recall began January 27, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC200.
Recall gasoline fuel system, delivery, hoses and fittings 2018-12-19 · NHTSA campaign 18V907000
Summary Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2011-2017 Optima, 2012-2017 Sorento and 2011-2018 Sportage vehicles that previously received an engine replacement under recall number 17V-224, warranty, or the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) Product Improvement Campaign. The high pressure fuel pipe that connects to the fuel pump outlet may have been damaged, misaligned or improperly torqued during the engine replacement procedure, possibly causing a fuel leak.
Remedy Kia has notified owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the fuel pipe, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 17, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC172.
Recall Engine 2017-03-31 · NHTSA campaign 17V224000
Summary Kia Motor Company (Kia) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Optima, 2012-2014 Sorento and 2011-2013 Sportage vehicles. Machining errors during the engine manufacturing process may cause premature bearing wear within the engine.
Remedy Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine assembly, and replace the engine if necessary, free of charge. The recall began June 20, 2017. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC147.
Recall powertrain, automatic transmission 2015-10-06 · NHTSA campaign 15V626000
Summary Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Kia Sorento vehicles manufactured October 19, 2009, to January 31, 2013. 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" without the brakes being depressed. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection."
Remedy Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake-shift interlock mechanism, free of charge. The recall began on November 9, 2015. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC124.

Complaints by component (880 total)

Engine
461
Electrical system
127
Air bags
81
Hydraulic brakes
69
Exterior lighting
60
Powertrain
55
Structure
35
Service brakes
33
Fuel and propulsion system
31
Speed control
29
Suspension
22
Steering
20
Visibility
17
Engine and engine cooling
15
Seats
15
Visibility and wipers
13
Electronic stability control (ESC)
11
Fuel system, gasoline
8
Forward collision avoidance
5
Wheels
5
Seat belts
4
Adaptive and mobility equipment
2
Air brakes
1
Back-over prevention
1
Fire-related
1
Latches, locks, and linkages
1
Tires
1
Traction control
1
Trailer hitch
1
Show 21 more Show less
Crash-flagged

21

Fire-flagged

77

Injury reports

22

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

7201127201229201353201432201544201686201710920181382019602020652021392022602023912024202025202026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a service center, where it was diagnosed and DTC: V1481 was…"
    Air bags · filed 2026-09-14
  • "While driving I smelled gas, a few minutes later I saw smoke coming from the hood of the car. I stopped, turned the car off, got my dog, exited the car, which then exploded into flames. I saw that I was not safe the…"
    Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-09-13
  • "The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the…"
    Hydraulic brakes, Air bags · filed 2026-08-19
  • "I am filing this complaint regarding a sudden and unexpected engine failure in my 2012 Kia Sorento LX equipped with the 2.4L Theta II engine. Vehicle Information: Year: 2012 Make/Model: Kia Sorento LX Engine: 2.4L Theta…"
    Engine · filed 2026-07-29

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2012 Kia Sorento SUV AWD 4 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2012 Kia Sorento SUV FWD 4 stars 4 stars 5 stars 4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Sorento two-wheel drive 2.4L, 4-cyl Manual 6-speed Front-wheel drive 20 26 22 MPG $2950
Sorento two-wheel drive 2.4L, 4-cyl Automatic 6-speed Front-wheel drive 21 28 24 MPG $2700
Sorento two-wheel drive 3.5L, 6-cyl Automatic 6-speed Front-wheel drive 20 25 22 MPG $2950
Sorento two-wheel drive 2.4L, 4-cyl Automatic 6-speed Front-wheel drive 21 30 24 MPG $2700
Sorento four-wheel drive 2.4L, 4-cyl Automatic 6-speed Four-wheel drive 21 26 23 MPG $2800
Sorento four-wheel drive 2.4L, 4-cyl Automatic 6-speed Four-wheel drive 20 26 22 MPG $2950
Sorento four-wheel drive 3.5L, 6-cyl Automatic 6-speed Four-wheel drive 18 24 20 MPG $3250

Specs and fitment

3rd generation (UM), 2012–2020
Body styles SUV
Oil 5W-20 or 0W-20 (2.4L and 3.3L V6 per manual) , 5 qt capacity
Tire size 235/65R17 to 235/55R19 (trim dependent)
Towing capacity 5,000 lbs

Known issues for this generation

Safety recall 17V-224 covers certain 2012-2014 Sorentos (among Optima and Sportage): machining errors during engine manufacturing may cause premature bearing wear that can seize the engine; dealers inspect and replace the engine as needed. That campaign does not list 2015-2020 model years. For later GDI/T-GDI years, Kia ran a Knock Sensor Detection System product-improvement campaign (not a safety recall) on certain 2015-2018 Sorentos with 2.4L GDI and 2016-2018 with 2.0L turbo GDI to add ECU software that detects early connecting-rod bearing wear. Safety recall 18V-907 covers certain 2012-2017 Sorentos that previously received an engine replacement under 17V-224, warranty, or the KSDS campaign: the high-pressure fuel pipe may have been damaged or mis-torqued during that replacement and can leak; dealers inspect and replace the pipe. Safety recall 16V-480 covers certain 2016 Sorentos whose rear-suspension cross-member welds may be improper; dealers inspect and replace the cross-member as needed.

Compare

Next year 2013 Kia Sorento See every Kia Sorento model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2012 Kia Sorento reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2012 Kia Sorento holds 880 complaints after 15 years, a rate of 39 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Sorento years here — over the median of the other years, which is 26. NHTSA has 5 recalls on file, including Brake control module, Engine, and Hoses and fittings.

What are common problems with a 2012 Kia Sorento?

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (461 of 880), then Electrical system (127) and Air bags (81). Those filings include 21 that report a crash, 77 that report a fire, and 22 that report an injury.

Is the 2012 Kia Sorento more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2013 Sorento has 981 complaints, 48 per year. The 2012 has fewer complaints per year than the 2013.

Has the 2012 Kia Sorento been recalled?

The 2012 Kia Sorento has 5 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2012 Kia Sorento?

Owners have filed 880 complaints about the 2012 Kia Sorento with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2012 Kia Sorento get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2012 Kia Sorento is 22.4 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Kia Sorento take?

UM (2012-2020): 5W-20 or 0W-20 for 2.4L and 3.3L V6. MQ4 (2021+): 0W-20 for 2.5L and turbo/hybrid where equipped (about 5 qt with filter).

Does safety recall 22V-202 cover a 2022 Kia Sorento?

Yes for certain 2022 Sorentos: the turbocharger oil supply pipe may crack and leak oil near hot components; dealers replace that pipe.

What generation is a 2020 Kia Sorento?

UM generation (2012-2020). The MQ4 redesign starts in 2021.