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2018 Kia Sorento

Gas Compact SUV

202720262025202420232022202120202019201820172016
Specs & fuel economyRecallsComplaintsCrash ratingsCompare
D
Safety Signal
69 / 100
DSafety Signal · 69 / 100
3Recalls · 1 critical
252Complaints · owner reports
5★Crash rating · NHTSA overall
24 mpgFuel economy · best combined
⚠️
Active NHTSA advisory: park outside and away from structures until repaired. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and see the recall details below.

The 2018 Kia Sorento is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact SUV with 7 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Sorento FWD, is EPA-rated at 24 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of D. Owners have filed 252 complaints, most often about engine. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Specs & fuel economy (EPA)

ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
Sorento FWDGasFWD2.4L 4-cyl212824$2,600
Sorento FWDGasFWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo202723$2,700
Sorento AWDGasAWD2.4L 4-cyl212522$2,850
Sorento AWDGasAWD2.0L 4-cyl turbo192522$2,850
Sorento FE AWDGasAWD3.3L 6-cyl182521$2,950
Sorento FWDGasFWD3.3L 6-cyl182520$3,100
Sorento AWDGasAWD3.3L 6-cyl172319$3,300

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year and EPA reference fuel/electricity prices. Source: fueleconomy.gov vehicle records.

Out of factory warranty soon?

The 2018 Kia Sorento is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.

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Recalls (3)

Trailer Hitches

critical
Park outside70,887 vehicles

Problem: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Sorento, 2021-2022 Sorento Hybrid (HEV), 2022-2023 Sorento Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV), and 2017-2022 Sportage vehicles equipped with a tow hitch harness installed as original equipment, or purchased as an accessory through a Kia dealership. Debris and moisture accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (PCB) may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire.

Risk: A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.

Fix: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will inspect the vehicle, and, as necessary, replace the fuse and/or tow hitch harness module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 11, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC249.

NHTSA campaign 22V703000 · reported Sep 19, 2022 · Kia America, Inc.

Steering

high
97 vehicles

Problem: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2018 Kia Sorento vehicles. The cowl crossbar that connects to the Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS) steering column may be improperly welded, allowing the steering column to separate.

Risk: If the steering column separates, it can cause a loss of steering ability, increasing the risk of a crash.

Fix: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the cowl crossbar, free of charge. The recall began October 26, 2018. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC167.

NHTSA campaign 18V656000 · reported Sep 21, 2018 · Kia Motors America

Air Bags

high
2,014 vehicles

Problem: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2018 Kia Sorento vehicles. The side curtain air bags on these vehicles have a component that may detach during deployment of the inflatable curtain air bag.

Risk: If the component detaches during deployment, it may enter the passenger compartment and be a projectile within the vehicle cabin, increasing the risk of injury.

Fix: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver and passenger side curtain air bags, free of charge. The recall began on December 18, 2017. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC159.

NHTSA campaign 17V784000 · reported Dec 8, 2017 · Kia Motors America

NHTSA investigations

Engine — Loss of Motive Power (closed)

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated July 13, 2022, petitioning the Agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain Hyundai Motor America, Inc. and Kia America, Inc. vehicles spanning Model Years (MY) 2005-2021. The Petitioners cited examples of complaints indicating that the subject vehicles were experiencing rapid loss of engine oil due to oil drain plug back outs, resulting in loss of motive power and/or catastrophic engine damage. Additional complaints were provided which alleged that the oil drain pans lack sufficient structural integrity and are

Opened Sep 12, 2022 · closed Dec 12, 2023 · action DP22003

Owner complaints

252 complaints filed

12 involved a crash, 11 a fire, 11 injuries, 1 deaths reported by owners.

Filed by year — 2017: 1 · 2018: 11 · 2019: 16 · 2020: 21 · 2021: 12 · 2022: 35 · 2023: 41 · 2024: 49 · 2025: 41 · 2026: 25

Most-cited components

  • Engine — 104
  • Exterior Lighting — 41
  • Unknown Or Other — 37
  • Electrical System — 29
  • Steering — 26
“STEERING IS STICKING BOTH RIGHT AND LEFT, CAN FEEL IT WHEN DRIVING LOW SPEED AND HIGHER SPEED ON ANY ROAD CITY OR HIGHWAY, TOOK TO DEALER THEY DID A 4 WHEEL ALIGNMENT, STILL DOING THE SAME THING”Dec 21, 2018 · Steering · NHTSA owner report
“STICKING STEERING THEN GIVES WHEN CONSTANT PRESSURE APPLIED MAKING A SIGNIFICANT SUDDEN STEERING MOVEMENT. HAPPENS WHEN DRIVING. SEEMS MORE ON RIGHT THAN LEFT. STARTED NOTICING IT A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO. HAVE NOT CHANGED ANYTHING. HAPPENS WHEN EVER DRIVING.”Dec 13, 2018 · Steering · NHTSA owner report
“WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY, THE STEERING SEEMS TO STICK TO THE RIGHT. THIS HAS NOT BEEN NOTICED WHILE DRIVING IN TOWN. THIS DOES NOT ALWAYS HAPPEN. IT IS RANDOM. I HAVE HAD THE CAR FOUR MONTHS AND IT HAS BEEN NOTICED 4 TIMES.”Dec 7, 2018 · Steering · NHTSA owner report

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
SUV AWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆15%
SUV FWD★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★☆16%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program.

Compare the 2018 Sorento with

2018 Hyundai Tucson

Other Sorento model years

A

2027 Sorento

0 recalls · 0 complaints

B

2026 Sorento

2 recalls · 5 complaints

D

2025 Sorento

4 recalls · 125 complaints

B

2024 Sorento

2 recalls · 47 complaints

F

2023 Sorento

4 recalls · 156 complaints

F

2022 Sorento

9 recalls · 221 complaints

F

2021 Sorento

5 recalls · 263 complaints

B

2020 Sorento

1 recalls · 134 complaints

C

2019 Sorento

2 recalls · 426 complaints

F

2017 Sorento

4 recalls · 801 complaints

F

2016 Sorento

8 recalls · 1,248 complaints

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records (ids 38689, 38720, 38693, 38726, 38750, 38746, 38751). Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

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