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Free public service · Official NHTSA & EPA data

2017 Kia Sorento

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

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Safety
5
of 5 stars
Recalls
4
on record
MPG
combined

Open recalls on record

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

Vehicle Summary

2017 Kia Sorento

4 recalls
788 complaints
5/5 safety rating

Before You Buy

Confirm all 4 recalls were repaired — a dealer checks by VIN, free
Read the 12 complaints reporting a crash
Review the 788 owner complaints on record
Get a pre-purchase inspection
Check vehicle history report
Verify title is clean

Safety record at a glance

Recall campaigns
4
Owner complaints
788
Complaints citing a crash
12

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 We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.

4 Recalls on Record

1 of these is 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

4 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
  • 17V586000high

    Engine issue

    ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE

    Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017 Sorento vehicles equipped with 3.3L engines. The engine crankshaft may have been improperly heat treated and may fail.

    Consequence

    If the crankshaft fails, the engine will stall, increasing the risk of a crash. A failed crankshaft also increases the risk of a fire.

    Remedy

    Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the crankshaft, and, as necessary, replace the engine sub assembly, free of charge. The recall began November 6, 2017. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC153.

    Full campaign record
  • 16V862000high

    Trailer hitches

    TRAILER HITCHES

    Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Sorento vehicles manufactured October 27, 2014, to August 25, 2016, and 2017 Sportage vehicles manufactured December 10, 2015, to August 26, 2016. The affected vehicles are equipped with an accessory trailer hitch wiring harness that, due to a malfunction of the tow hitch module, may result in the trailer brake lights being constantly illuminated. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, " Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."

    Consequence

    If the trailer brake lights stay illuminated while being used, other drivers may be confused, increasing the risk of a crash.

    Remedy

    Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the trailer tow hitch harness, free of charge. The recall began January 18, 2017. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC142.

    Full campaign record
  • 22V703000high

    Trailer hitches

    TRAILER HITCHES

    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.

    Consequence

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

    Remedy

    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.

    Full campaign record

NHTSA crash-test ratings

NCAP star ratings and the underlying test breakdown for the 2017 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%
    Dynamic tip
    No Tip

Driver-assistance technologies

Electronic stability control
Standard
Forward collision warning
Optional
Lane departure warning
Optional

What the ratings mean

NHTSA gives the 2017 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% 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

2017 Kia Sorento Frontal crash crash test
Frontal crash Video
2017 Kia Sorento Side crash crash test
Side crash Video
2017 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

788 owner reports filed with NHTSA.

788
Total
12
Crashes
31
Fires
16
Injuries

Most reported components

  • ENGINE406
  • LIGHTING89
  • STEERING87
  • OTHER73
  • ELECTRICAL51

Notable Issues

788 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 16 reports involve injuries. 12 reports involve a crash.

Most reported problems

engine problems (stalling, power loss, warning lights)406
lighting problems (headlights, taillights)89
steering issues (play, noise, loss of assist)87

Safety timeline

Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2017 Kia Sorento, newest first.

  1. Investigation closed

    NHTSA closed investigation PE23019

    Loss of Motive Power

  2. Investigation closed

    NHTSA closed investigation DP22003

    Loss of Motive Power

  3. Investigation opened

    NHTSA opened investigation PE23019

    Loss of Motive Power

  4. Investigation closed

    NHTSA closed investigation DP21002

    Engine Oil Pressure Switch Leak

  5. Recall

    Recall 22V703000

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

  6. Investigation opened

    NHTSA opened investigation DP22003

    Loss of Motive Power

  7. Investigation opened

    NHTSA opened investigation DP21002

    Engine Oil Pressure Switch Leak

  8. Recall

    Recall 18V907000

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

  9. Recall

    Recall 17V586000

    If the crankshaft fails, the engine will stall, increasing the risk of a crash. A failed crankshaft also increases the risk of a fire.

  10. Recall

    Recall 16V862000

    If the trailer brake lights stay illuminated while being used, other drivers may be confused, increasing the risk of a crash.

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 PE23019

    Loss of Motive Power

  2. Investigation closed

    NHTSA closed investigation DP22003

    Loss of Motive Power

  3. Investigation opened

    NHTSA opened investigation PE23019

    Loss of Motive Power

  4. Investigation closed

    NHTSA closed investigation DP21002

    Engine Oil Pressure Switch Leak

  5. Recall

    Recall 22V703000

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