Reliable Auto DB

2014 Kia Sorento reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 986 complaints with NHTSA about the 2014 Kia Sorento over 13 years — 26 per year. The other Sorento years sit at about the same rate: their median is 27 complaints per year. NHTSA has 6 recalls on file, including Brake control module, Hoses and fittings, and Engine.

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

986

Per year

26

Recalls

6

Years on the road

13

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (387 of 986), then Structure (160) and Electrical system (153). Those filings include 23 that report a crash, 46 that report a fire, 16 that report an injury, and 1 that reports a death.

Next to 2013 and 2015

The 2013 Sorento has 981 complaints, 48 per year, and the 2015 has 750 complaints, 21 per year. The 2014 has fewer complaints per year than the 2013. The 2014 has more complaints per year than the 2015.

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 2014 Kia Sorento. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (6)

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 Brake control module 2021-05-10 · NHTSA campaign 21V331000
Summary Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Optima and 2014-2015 Sorento vehicles previously recalled under recall 20V-519. Brake fluid may leak inside the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU), possibly resulting in an electrical short.
Remedy Owners are advised to park outside and away from other vehicles and structures until the recall repair is completed. Dealers will install a new multi-fuse, and inspect the HECU for leaks, replacing the HECU if necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed on July 2, 2021. This recall supersedes previous NHTSA recall number 20V-519. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC212.
Recall Brake control module 2020-08-27 · NHTSA campaign 20V519000
Summary Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2013-2015 Optima and 2014-2015 Sorento vehicles. Brake fluid may leak inside the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU), possibly resulting in an electrical short.
Remedy Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the HECU for leaking brake fluid and replace the HECU if necessary, free of charge. Owners are advised to park outside and away from other vehicles and structures until the recall repair is completed. The recall began October 20, 2020. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC197.
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, axle assembly, axle shaft 2013-08-13 · NHTSA campaign 13V356000
Summary Kia Motors Corp. is recalling certain model year 2014 front wheel drive Sorento vehicles manufactured January 7, 2013, through March 12, 2013; and equipped with 2.4 liter engines. Due to a manufacturing issue, the right front axle shaft may fracture.
Remedy Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front axle shaft assembly, free of charge. The recall began on September 9, 2013. Owners may contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542 . Kia's recall number is SC099.

Complaints by component (986 total)

Engine
387
Structure
160
Electrical system
153
Exterior lighting
86
Powertrain
71
Air bags
51
Fuel and propulsion system
46
Service brakes
44
Hydraulic brakes
37
Steering
35
Speed control
31
Engine and engine cooling
21
Visibility
18
Suspension
16
Electronic stability control (ESC)
11
Seats
11
Visibility and wipers
11
Wheels
8
Latches, locks, and linkages
5
Fuel system, gasoline
4
Lane departure
4
Seat belts
4
Tires
4
Air brakes
3
Back-over prevention
3
Fire-related
3
Forward collision avoidance
3
Adaptive and mobility equipment
1
Show 20 more Show less
Crash-flagged

23

Fire-flagged

46

Injury reports

16

Death reports

1

Complaints filed per year

152013272014192015172016462017692018116201913620201232021119202211220231092024432025352026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. There was no warning light illuminated. A local dealer was contacted, and the contact was advised…"
    Engine · filed 2026-09-16
  • "Took car in to get recalls fixed and they did not repair the vehicle and my car caught on fire"
    Unknown or other · filed 2026-09-14
  • "The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorrento. The contact stated that while driving, the engine suddenly seized in the middle of traffic. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was coasted to the side of the road.…"
    Powertrain · filed 2026-09-08
  • "I am filing an official safety complaint against the manufacturer for refusing to perform federally mandated safety recall repairs on my vehicle. My vehicle is impacted by critical safety recalls involving high-severity…"
    Electrical system, Service brakes, Engine · filed 2026-08-28
  • "2015 KIA Sorento v6 engine failed and seized. VIN was not included in KIA extended warranty offered for this year and engine."
    Powertrain, Engine · filed 2026-08-11

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2014 Kia Sorento SUV AWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2014 Kia Sorento SUV FWD 5 stars 5 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 20 26 22 MPG $2950
Sorento two-wheel drive 3.3L, 6-cyl Automatic 6-speed Front-wheel drive 18 25 21 MPG $3100
Sorento two-wheel drive 2.4L, 4-cyl Manual 6-speed Front-wheel drive 19 27 21 MPG $3100
Sorento four-wheel drive 2.4L, 4-cyl Automatic 6-speed Four-wheel drive 19 24 21 MPG $3100
Sorento four-wheel drive 3.3L, 6-cyl Automatic 6-speed Four-wheel drive 18 23 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 2013 Kia Sorento Next year 2015 Kia Sorento See every Kia Sorento model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2014 Kia Sorento reliable?

Owners have filed 986 complaints with NHTSA about the 2014 Kia Sorento over 13 years — 26 per year. The other Sorento years sit at about the same rate: their median is 27 complaints per year. NHTSA has 6 recalls on file, including Brake control module, Hoses and fittings, and Engine.

What are common problems with a 2014 Kia Sorento?

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (387 of 986), then Structure (160) and Electrical system (153). Those filings include 23 that report a crash, 46 that report a fire, 16 that report an injury, and 1 that reports a death.

Is the 2014 Kia Sorento more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2013 Sorento has 981 complaints, 48 per year, and the 2015 has 750 complaints, 21 per year. The 2014 has fewer complaints per year than the 2013. The 2014 has more complaints per year than the 2015.

Has the 2014 Kia Sorento been recalled?

The 2014 Kia Sorento has 6 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 2014 Kia Sorento?

Owners have filed 986 complaints about the 2014 Kia Sorento with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2014 Kia Sorento get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2014 Kia Sorento is 21 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.