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The 2020 Kia Sorento has 134 NHTSA owner complaints and 1 active recall campaign on file. Here's the breakdown — what's serious, what's noise, and what a working mechanic would actually do about it.
The 2020 Kia Sorento has 134 NHTSA owner complaints and 1 recall on file (U.S. federal records, as of September 2026). The most-reported system is engine at 49 complaints (~$3,100 to repair). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.
| Model year | Owner complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 Sorento | 801 | 4 |
| 2018 Sorento | 252 | 3 |
| 2019 Sorento | 426 | 2 |
| 2020 Sorento (this page) | 134 | 1 |
| 2021 Sorento | 9 | 4 |
| 2022 Sorento | 187 | 6 |
| 2023 Sorento | 119 | 3 |
Solid reliability overall. Common issues are concentrated in a few systems.
Worth owning if you verify the specific issues below before you buy.
Our read of the federal NHTSA complaint and recall record for this exact year and model — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection. How we score.
Driver-assist features on the tested model: Electronic stability control: Standard · Forward collision warning: Optional · Lane departure warning: Optional
Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program — tested configuration: 2020 Kia Sorento SUV AWD. Stars rate crash protection in NHTSA's tests, not overall reliability — see the owner-complaint data below for what actually goes wrong.
Here's what this model is known to do — so you can inspect for it, price it in, or make the seller fix it before you sign.
⚠ The one to take seriously: engine is flagged severe on this model . Inspect it closely on a test drive.
Run the VIN from the listing — 1 active recall on this model. Recall repairs are always free.
Verdict for buyers: 7.4/10 model. The priciest documented failure is engine (~$3,100) — get the seller's service records for it or inspect closely. Otherwise an average-risk used buy at a fair price.
We tell you what this model is known for and what to inspect — a vehicle-history report tells you what this exact car has been through. Smart buyers get both.
See the full pre-purchase inspection checklist →A noise, a warning light, a repair quote, "should I buy this?" — get an answer grounded in this vehicle's actual NHTSA record, not generic advice.
Answers use this vehicle's NHTSA complaint & recall record — owner-reported and unverified, not a diagnosis. Verify anything safety-critical with a mechanic.
I wanted to add to a previous claim I had already submitted, I found an item that had fallen out of my engine, I don't know if I can submit a picture on here but I will try.
There already is a recall for my problem, NHTSA Recall #22V703, but Kia has refused to honor the recall after my vehicle electrical wires started burning, exactly as warned in the Recall. Kia asserts that the trailer hitch and wiring was not installed by Kia, but in fact it was…
Friday 12/16 car was being driven at 55 MPH on a rural road with no traffic around it when the Panoramic Sunroof exploded. Very loud boom and my wife thought she had a blow out. Immediately pulled over to check the vehicle. No tire or body damage was found until she looked on…
I was informed at routine maintenance that engine was burning oil. This was an issue since I purchased vehicle at 16k miles. Shortly after 80,000 engine spontaneous started knocking. I had it towed to the dealership that confirmed it was a spontaneous engine failure.
Drag to your current mileage. Numbers are derived from this vehicle's complaint history.
A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Mostly yes. With a reliability score of 7.4 out of 10 based on 134 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the 2020 Kia Sorento is generally a sound vehicle. The areas to watch are listed in the top problem section above — most are budget items, not deal-breakers.
The 2020 Kia Sorento is acceptable, with specific caveats. Worth owning if you verify the specific issues below before you buy. The record behind that call: Engine: 49 complaints, classified severe; Reliability score 7.4/10 — around the segment average; 1 recall campaign on file. This is our read of the federal complaint and recall data — not a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection.
Inspect the engine first — it's the most-reported issue on this model, with 49 owner complaints filed. Average repair cost runs about $3,100 at an independent shop. Also confirm any open recalls have been completed by running the VIN, and ask for service records covering the problem areas listed above.
It scores 7.4 out of 10 on our NHTSA-based read of 134 owner complaints. The main thing to watch is engine. Priced fairly and clean on inspection, it's a reasonable used buy. Our data covers what this model is known for — pair it with a vehicle-history report on the VIN to see what that specific car has been through.
Based on NHTSA records, the most-reported issue is engine, with 49 complaints filed. Average repair cost runs about $3,100 at an independent shop.
The engine is one of the costlier repair items. Average repair cost runs about $3,100 at an independent shop. Catching early warning signs can sometimes extend life by 20–30,000 miles.
Paste your VIN into the decoder at the top of this page. We pull live from NHTSA, so you'll see exactly which campaigns apply to your vehicle and whether the dealer has logged the fix. Recall repairs are always free regardless of mileage or warranty status.
Math is straightforward: a quality service contract runs $1,800–3,500 over 3 years. With 134 complaints on file and the costliest repair averaging $3,100, one major failure more than pays for it. The catch is reading the contract — many providers exclude wear items and require pre-authorization, so cheaper plans are not always better value.