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2015 Kia Sorento

Verified August 31, 2026Sources: NHTSA · EPA · vPIC

Compare
Safety
5
of 5 stars
Recalls
3
on record
MPG
combined

Open recalls on record

3 safety recalls. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer — check the VIN before you buy.

Vehicle Summary

2015 Kia Sorento

3 recalls
746 complaints
5/5 safety rating

Before You Buy

Confirm all 3 recalls were repaired — a dealer checks by VIN, free
Read the 20 complaints reporting a crash
Review the 746 owner complaints on record
Get a pre-purchase inspection
Check vehicle history report
Verify title is clean

Safety record at a glance

Recall campaigns
3
Owner complaints
746
Complaints citing a crash
20

These are raw counts from NHTSA records. They are not normalized by how many of these vehicles are on the road, so a model that sold in large numbers will tend to show more of everything. We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.

3 Recalls on Record

2 of these are high-severity. Contact a dealer to verify these have been completed.

Enter your VIN to check if specific recalls apply to your vehicle.

Safety recalls

3 NHTSA campaigns affecting this model year.

  • 18V907000high

    Fuel system issue

    FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

    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.

    Consequence

    A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.

    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.

    Full campaign record
  • 20V519000high

    Brake system issue

    SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE

    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.

    Consequence

    If the HECU short circuits, there is an increased risk of an engine compartment fire.

    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.

    Full campaign record
  • 21V331000high

    Brake system issue

    SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE

    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.

    Consequence

    An electrical short in the HECU increases the risk of a fire while parked or driving.

    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.

    Full campaign record

NHTSA crash-test ratings

NCAP star ratings and the underlying test breakdown for the 2015 Kia Sorento.

  • Frontal crash

    Driver
    5 / 5
    Passenger
    5 / 5
  • Side crash

    Driver
    5 / 5
    Passenger
    5 / 5
    Side pole
    5 / 5
  • Rollover

    Rollover risk
    15.5%
    Dynamic tip
    No Tip

Driver-assistance technologies

Electronic stability control
Standard
Forward collision warning
No
Lane departure warning
No

What the ratings mean

NHTSA gives the 2015 Kia Sorento 5 out of 5 stars overall. NHTSA does not publish enough comparable results for this class and year to rank it against peers.

NHTSA published results for every NCAP test in this program, so the overall star rating rests on a complete set of crash and rollover results.

NHTSA's dynamic test put this vehicle's rollover probability at 15.5% in a single-vehicle crash — the figure behind the rollover star rating, published here because the star alone hides how wide each band is.

NHTSA crash tests

2015 Kia Sorento Frontal crash crash test
Frontal crash Video
2015 Kia Sorento Side crash crash test
Side crash Video
2015 Kia Sorento Side pole crash test
Side pole Video

Fuel economy & emissions

The EPA holds no fuel-economy record for this model year.

The EPA does not publish a record for every model year.

Consumer complaints

746 owner reports filed with NHTSA.

746
Total
20
Crashes
14
Fires
24
Injuries

Most reported components

  • ENGINE363
  • STRUCTURE91
  • OTHER77
  • LIGHTING74
  • BRAKES37

Notable Issues

746 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 24 reports involve injuries. 20 reports involve a crash.

Most reported problems

engine problems (stalling, power loss, warning lights)363
body/structure issues (rust, door problems, trim)91
miscellaneous issues77

Safety timeline

Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2015 Kia Sorento, newest first.

  1. Investigation closed

    NHTSA closed investigation DP22003

    Loss of Motive Power

  2. Investigation opened

    NHTSA opened investigation AQ23002

    Hyundai and Kia ABS Module Fires

  3. Investigation closed

    NHTSA closed investigation DP21002

    Engine Oil Pressure Switch Leak

  4. Investigation closed

    NHTSA closed investigation DP21003

    Throttle control system vulnerabilities

  5. Investigation opened

    NHTSA opened investigation DP22003

    Loss of Motive Power

  6. Investigation opened

    NHTSA opened investigation DP21002

    Engine Oil Pressure Switch Leak

  7. Investigation opened

    NHTSA opened investigation DP21003

    Throttle control system vulnerabilities

  8. Recall

    Recall 21V331000

    An electrical short in the HECU increases the risk of a fire while parked or driving.

  9. Recall

    Recall 20V519000

    If the HECU short circuits, there is an increased risk of an engine compartment fire.

  10. Recall

    Recall 18V907000

    A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.

Dates are the NHTSA report-received date for recalls and the ODI open/close date for investigations. Crash-test ratings are not shown here because the source does not provide a reliable publication date for them.

Specifications & ratings

Specifications

Body class
Unknown
Drive type
Unknown
Engine
0L 0-cyl
Fuel type
Unknown
Transmission
Unknown
Seats
0

NHTSA crash ratings

Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover

Explore related

Adjacent model years

All Kia Sorento years

Common problems

Kia Sorento problems

3,965 owner complaints analyzed

Systems recalled

Safety timeline

Full timeline
  1. Investigation closed

    NHTSA closed investigation DP22003

    Loss of Motive Power

  2. Investigation opened

    NHTSA opened investigation AQ23002

    Hyundai and Kia ABS Module Fires

  3. Investigation closed

    NHTSA closed investigation DP21002

    Engine Oil Pressure Switch Leak

  4. Investigation closed

    NHTSA closed investigation DP21003

    Throttle control system vulnerabilities

  5. Investigation opened

    NHTSA opened investigation DP22003

    Loss of Motive Power