1.0

hardly worth mentioning
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
184,136 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2003 Kia Sorento drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

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2003 Kia Sorento Owner Comments

problem #10

Oct 012017

Sorento

  • 93,632 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My 2003 Kia Sorento drives for 15 minutes and stalls out. I wait 5 min and it'll start and drive for a block or 2and continues to that until I get it towed home

- Ypsilanti, MI, USA

problem #9

May 282014

Sorento

  • 989,000 miles
Vehicle broke down in traffic. Froze up, stalled. Loss of steering. Had it towed to shop & was told the crank shaft sensor & related parts to the crank shaft had to be replaced. Cost for towing & repairs were over $700.

- Menasha, WI, USA

problem #8

Dec 292015

Sorento

  • 237,361 miles
The contact owns a 2003 Kia Sorento. While driving at an unknown speed, the gear shifted independently into four wheel drive. The contact was unable to get it back into drive. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 237,361. The VIN was not provided.

- Birchwood, TN, USA

problem #7

Sep 112015

Sorento

  • 10,367 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

When go to shift truck in drive it makes a clank sound and when driving at a speed between 65-70 the truck starts vibrating, and when in reverse it squeaks when back up, at first my wife it was the U joints so we had it replaced but it all started happing again. Next our battery die had it replaced with a new one now the air bag indicator light stays on all the best time and at times it feels like the accelerator peddle gets stuck at times.

- Bladensburg, MD, USA

problem #6

Jan 112015

Sorento 4WD 6-cyl

  • 135,000 miles
I have service records showing I had the crankshaft pulley replaced at 55,000 miles under warranty by Kia. The crankshaft pulley broke off at 105,000 miles. I was able to have the vehicle repaired cost $1500 out of my pocket. On 1/11/2015 the crankshaft pulley broke off for a 3rd time, shearing the threads to the engine, and causing the engine to no longer work. All 3 events caused loss of power and able to steer the vehicle.

- Lisbon, WI, USA

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problem #5

Jun 022014

Sorento 6-cyl

  • 155,000 miles
The bolt on the crankshaft pulley as well as the pin broke off causing the motor to stop and overheat dumping all the antifreeze and stopping all belts. My mother could have been injured while driving but it ended up being she was just blocking traffic thankfully and not on the highway. This seems to be a very common issue with hundreds if not thousands complaining about the crankshaft pulley bolt and pin. Kia says they won't do anything as it is out of warranty and I am not the original owner. This may have been fixed once before on the vehicle due to failure and I am very worried this may happen again with worse consequences. My mechanic was able to provide a temporary/permanent fix but we really dodged a bullet and it could have caused immediate catastrophic damage. I'm disappointed with all of the serious complaints that Kia still has not recalled it for 2002-2009 Sorento models.

- Bloomington, MN, USA

problem #4

Sep 172012

Sorento

  • 26,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2003 Kia Sorento. While driving 70 mph, the vehicle failed to accelerate. The contact moved the vehicle off the roadway and the engine rpms increased as the vehicle began to perform normally. The contact also stated that once the fuel tank was below 3/4 full, the engine would lose power and began to idle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was inspected but was neither diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue but provided no assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 26,000.

- New York, NY, USA

problem #3

Jan 212011

Sorento 6-cyl

  • miles
Crankshaft bolt recalled 2007 they break off recall done crankshaft bolt broke on 2011crankshaft broke Kia will not fix recalled part.

- Wappingers Falls, NY, USA

problem #2

Dec 162011

Sorento 6-cyl

  • 127,000 miles
I brought the Kia Sorento used in 2/2011 with 108,00 miles and replaced all belts, transmission change, front brakes, driveshaft assembly, radiator. Now has 127,000 miles and every month I have been replacing parts.

- Marietta, GA, USA

problem #1

Jan 252008

Sorento 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 68,000 miles
1. engine started knocking ( mileage 68,000 ) 2. engine shut down and would not restart 3. a mechanic checked and found the harmonic balancer was loose on the crankshaft. In the attempt to remove the harmonic balancer, the mounting bolt broke off flush with the crank shaft and appears to have been cross threaded from the factory. The harmonic balancer was not pulled all the way up causing the failure. Due to the hardness of the mounting bolt and the crank shaft, removal of the broken bolt is impossible. The engine will need an overhaul to repair the problem and of course the warranty has just expired. ( please advise ).

- Sumrall, MS, USA

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