2013 Kia Sorento reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2013 Kia Sorento has 981 complaints with NHTSA after 14 years, or 48 per year. That is the most complaints per year among the 13 Sorento years on this site. 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

981

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (496 of 981), then Electrical system (116) and Structure (91). Those filings include 23 that report a crash, 44 that report a fire, and 22 that report an injury.

Next to 2012 and 2014

The 2012 Sorento has 880 complaints, 39 per year, and the 2014 has 986 complaints, 26 per year. The 2013 has more complaints per year than the 2012. The 2013 has more complaints per year than the 2014.

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 2013 Kia Sorento. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

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 (981 total)

Engine

496

Electrical system

116

Structure

Exterior lighting

Powertrain

Air bags

Hydraulic brakes

Service brakes

Fuel and propulsion system

Seats

Speed control

Visibility

Steering

Engine and engine cooling

Suspension

Visibility and wipers

Electronic stability control (ESC)

Seat belts

Wheels

Tires

Fuel system, gasoline

Back-over prevention

Fire-related

Latches, locks, and linkages

Show 16 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"The paint is peeling really bad .It's been peeling and rusting horribly."
Structure · filed 2026-09-01
"The paint on the car is peeling off down to the metal of the car."
Structure · filed 2026-08-18
"The contact owns a 2013 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that there was a knocking sound coming from the vehicle with the engine warning light illuminated. The contact used a diagnostic machine to retrieve DTC: P0136,…"
Engine · filed 2026-07-30
"AC stopped, engine began to struggle, engine light came on and engine over heated. Pulled off highway to be towed. Dealer found metal in oil and suggested possible manufacturer defect issue."
Engine, Fuel and propulsion system · filed 2026-07-23
"The head gasket blew. This car has been meticulously maintained. All maintenance records with kia dealer. I hear there is secondary engine problems related to the 2013 kia sorento. I have all maintenance records as well…"
Engine · filed 2026-06-27

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2013 Kia Sorento SUV AWD	4 stars	4 stars	5 stars	4 stars
2013 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	Automatic 6-speed	Front-wheel drive	21	30	24 MPG	$2700
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	Manual 6-speed	Front-wheel drive	20	26	22 MPG	$2950
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

Previous year 2012 Kia Sorento Next year 2014 Kia Sorento See every Kia Sorento model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2013 Kia Sorento reliable?

What are common problems with a 2013 Kia Sorento?

Is the 2013 Kia Sorento more reliable than the years next to it?

Has the 2013 Kia Sorento been recalled?

The 2013 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 2013 Kia Sorento?

Owners have filed 981 complaints about the 2013 Kia Sorento with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2013 Kia Sorento get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2013 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.