2003 KIA Sorento Engine and Engine Cooling Problems
Owners have filed 81 complaints with NHTSA about engine and engine cooling problems on the 2003 KIA Sorento, 27% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 67,290 miles. The words owners use most often: “crank shaft” (15% of reports).
- 81engine and engine cooling complaints
- 67,290median miles at failure
- 0mention a crash
- 0mention an injury
- 0related recalls
- $5,050typical repair cost reported by owners
- 32%of reports with a speed happened at 50+ mph
What owners describe
Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.
- Crank shaft: mentioned in 12 of 81 complaints (15%)
- Crankshaft bolt: mentioned in 9 of 81 complaints (11%)
- Coolant reservoir: mentioned in 6 of 81 complaints (7%)
- Tank cracked: mentioned in 5 of 81 complaints (6%)
How much does it cost to fix?
Owners who wrote down what they paid or were quoted put the typical engine and engine cooling repair on the 2003 KIA Sorento at $5,050, and half of them between $2,600 and $7,550.
Based on 13 NHTSA complaints about this problem alone that state a repair bill or quote (2006–2012), converted to 2026 dollars with the U.S. consumer price index. These are owners' own figures, not a quote: they include dealer quotes, and owners who file complaints often faced larger repairs, so they can run higher than typical shop prices. Prices vary by shop, region and warranty coverage. How we calculate this.
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems happen?
Based on 69 complaints that reported the odometer reading.
How serious are the reports?
Of 81 complaints, 1 a fire.
KIA Sorento engine and engine cooling complaints by model year
| Model year | Engine and Engine Cooling complaints | Share of that year | Median miles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 Sorento | 1 | 17% | 7,000 |
| 2024 Sorento | 1 | 2% | 23,417 |
| 2023 Sorento | 1 | 1% | 62,000 |
| 2022 Sorento | 1 | 1% | 3,200 |
| 2021 Sorento | 1 | 0% | 10,394 |
| 2020 Sorento | 3 | 2% | 79,163 |
| 2019 Sorento | 13 | 3% | 100,506 |
| 2018 Sorento | 7 | 3% | 100,000 |
| 2017 Sorento | 27 | 3% | 95,000 |
| 2016 Sorento | 30 | 2% | 98,910 |
| 2015 Sorento | 5 | 1% | 101,407 |
| 2014 Sorento | 22 | 2% | 121,500 |
| 2013 Sorento | 19 | 2% | 84,000 |
| 2012 Sorento | 15 | 2% | 101,541 |
| 2011 Sorento | 37 | 2% | 12,613 |
| 2008 Sorento | 8 | 4% | 15,703 |
| 2007 Sorento | 6 | 4% | 75,000 |
| 2006 Sorento | 19 | 8% | 63,000 |
| 2005 Sorento | 44 | 14% | 69,000 |
| 2004 Sorento | 46 | 21% | 68,000 |
| 2003 Sorento | 81 | 27% | 67,290 |
When owners reported it
Related recalls (0)
No safety recall lists engine and engine cooling for the 2003 KIA Sorento. A pattern of complaints does not always lead to a recall.
What owners report
Short excerpts of recent complaints, with personal details removed. Full reports are on NHTSA.gov.
The crank bolt broke july 23, 2013. The second time was, the crank bolt again and it broke december 19, 2014. The odometer was at 133181 for the second bolt break. *tr
Driving to store and heard noise. Several warning lights came on and i had no power steering. Returned home and found crank pulley and broken crank pulley bolt laying in the skid plate. *tr
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 kia sorento. While driving 40 mph, the contact noticed that the front end of the vehicle began to vibrate. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the crank shaft pulley bolt was replaced. The failure continued. The failure mileage was 83,000 and the current mileage…
Frequently asked questions
Do all 2003 KIA Sorentos have engine and engine cooling problems?
No. NHTSA has 81 owner complaints about engine and engine cooling for the 2003 KIA Sorento (27% of the 305 complaints for this model year). Complaint data shows that the problem is reported, not how many of all cars sold are affected.
Was there a recall on the 2003 KIA Sorento engine and engine cooling?
No recall currently lists engine and engine cooling for this vehicle.
At what mileage do engine and engine cooling problems start?
The median reported mileage is 67,290 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.
How much does it cost to fix engine and engine cooling problems on the 2003 KIA Sorento?
Owners report a typical cost of $5,050 (half paid between $2,600 and $7,550), from 13 complaints that state a repair bill or quote, in 2026 dollars.
What do owners say about engine and engine cooling problems on the 2003 KIA Sorento?
The most frequent phrase is “crank shaft”, in 12 of 81 complaints, followed by “crankshaft bolt” (9).
See all 2003 KIA Sorento problems or engine and engine cooling problems across all Sorento years.