3.3

definitely annoying
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
40,200 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2005 Kia Sorento:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

problem #9

Mar 272012

Sorento 4WD 6-cyl

  • 105,800 miles
Headlight bulbs have gone out at least once a month since I have purchased vehicle used. Have to keep spare bulbs in vehicle in case it happened again at night which I would not be able to drive with my normal headlights ig I had not carried the spare ones in Sorento. Brake lights have gone out 3 times since I have purchased Sorento in March 2012. Lighting interior does not work unless you manually push the button from the top of ceiling. Door ajar" light came on and started beeping all doors were tightly shut. Was told that the seat belt harness metal part may have caused the drivers door to bend or knock off the diode button.

- Ennis, TX, USA

problem #8

Jun 172011

Sorento 4WD 6-cyl

  • 53,000 miles
While driving my vehicle, it began making a "knocking" noise. The power steering then began to fail and then I was unable to accelerate. The car died (on a busy 4 lane hwy with my 7 mos old daughter in the car). Once stopped, I looked under my hood to find a large bolt laying on the floor of the interior of the bumper. The vehicle was towed to a local auto repair shop where, after 2 days and $1300 in repairs, I was told that the "large bolt" I found was half of the crank pulley bolt. It had snapped clean in half leaving the other half inside the pulley. Extensive labor to remove this piece and then reset all the pulleys and belts (timing belt) attributed to the excessive cost. I was told that there was no reason why that bolt should have simply broke in half and that it was a faulty part. Kia refuses to take responsibility and I have read several posts that make it clear that this is not the first time it has happened. Electrically, I have had to change my headlight bulbs several times over the last 3 years and the accuator for the automatic door locks is faulty. The car randomly locks itself at any given time (while driving, when sitting in the driveway during the night, parked and running). I stopped in a parking lot to get my daughter's toy that she had dropped. When I got out of the car to walk around to the other side, the car lock defect locked my daughter inside the car while it was running.

- Toledo, OH, USA

problem #7

Feb 042006

Sorento

  • 101,000 miles
The contact owns 2005 Kia Sorento. Intermittently while driving the head-lights fail. Also the interior light does not come on when the doors are open. The vehicle was taken to the dealer for inspection. The technician could not identify the cause of the failure. The failure mileage was 101,000. The vehicle identification number was unavailable.

- Calhoun, GA, USA

problem #6

Mar 052008

Sorento

  • miles
Lighting problem in my 2005 Kia Sorento LX. In 2006, my dome light stopped working in the "door" position (I didn't get it fixed). Since 2006, I have replaced my Kia's left headlight 3 times and the right headlight 2 times. I now have my right headlight out again and the rear left brake light as well. Since this has happened too many times to be normal, I called Kia. The Kia dealership says it requires "Kia lightbulbs" at $50/each as well as a $75 diagnostic fee to check the electrical system. Kia claims there is a problem with after manufacture light bulbs and that only "Kia lightbulbs" will work. Checking the internet, I found numerous similar complaints from 2005 Sorento owners. This needs to be recalled. I lucked out that only one headlight went out at a time, otherwise, I would have had no headlights. Not to mention the cost in replacement lightbulbs.

- San Antonio, TX, USA

problem #5

Apr 012006

Sorento 4WD 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 47,000 miles
The contact owns a 2005 Kia Sorento. The contact noticed that the driver's side rear brake lights were not illuminating. The dealer replaced the light bulb, and, approximately three or four months later, the bulb was replaced again. The light bulb stopped working again three months later. The dealer replaced the bulb once more, but was unable to diagnose the failure. Also, the driver's side headlight stopped working. The dealer replaced the light bulb for the fourth time. Since the last remedy, there have been no other failures. The current and failure mileage were 47,000.

- Detroit, MI, USA

problem #4

May 222006

Sorento 6-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • miles
I purchased my 2005 Kia Sorento in the fall of 2004. It is now may of 2006. I have replaced 5 headlight bulbs in this time. They began to go bad about 6 months ago, and I have replaced one every 30-45 days. Both the driver and passenger side bulbs are effected. Kia dealership in lansing says they can't find anything. Vehicle is still under warranty.

- Lansing, MI, USA

problem #3

Feb 162006

Sorento 4WD 6-cyl

  • Manual transmission
  • 29,000 miles
Headlights frequently go out. I have had to change them twice since I bought the car one year ago. They get extremely hot and almost melt. This is extremely dangerous and it seems like there are many others with a similar problem.

- Ruther Glen, VA, USA

problem #2

Jul 172005

Sorento 4-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 26,000 miles
I have had the headlights O 2005 Kia Sorento replaced twice now. They both went out within a day of each other the first time. I had to pay $129 on the car was les than I year old. The second time they replaced under warranty. This is serious. Alot of Kia owners are complaining buy Kia says nothing is wrong. There must be. Can you help get Kia to recall & fix this problem?

- Douglasville, GA, USA

problem #1

Jun 112005

Sorento 4WD 6-cyl

  • Automatic transmission
  • 0 miles
On my 2005 Kia Sorento I have burned out 4 sets of low beams in 8 months. Kia has no answers for me and it seems that there is a growing group of owbers, on line, that are having the same problems.

- Borden, IN, USA