2008 KIA Sorento Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Sorento years
- About as many complaints as other years 15th of 24 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 217 complaints with NHTSA about the 2008 KIA Sorento. That ranks 15th out of 24 Sorento model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (66 complaints, 30%), typically at around 42,000 miles. Complaints mention 15 crashes, 9 fires, 17 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 3 defect investigations involving it.
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- 217owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 3NHTSA investigations
- 15complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2008 KIA Sorento problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags problems | 66 | 30% | 42,000 | “air bag” (67%) | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 44 | 20% | 50,500 | — | — |
| Engine | 35 | 16% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 32 | 15% | 63,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 28 | 13% | 57,100 | — | — |
| Power Train | 23 | 11% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 19 | 9% | 60,300 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 13 | 6% | 72,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 12 | 6% | 122,500 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 8 | 4% | 15,703 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 8 | 4% | 62,600 | — | — |
| Suspension | 6 | 3% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 5 | 2% | 143,000 | — | — |
| Tires | 5 | 2% | 15,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 3 | 1% | 62,500 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 2 | 1% | 78,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 2 | 1% | 64,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 2 | 1% | 72,500 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 0% | 43,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 0% | 24,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 0% | 85,422 | — | — |
| Visibility | 1 | 0% | 7,300 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 0% | 48,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2008 KIA Sorento recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Electrical system; service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip:control unit/module
Problem: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2006-2010 Sedona and 2007-2009 Sorento vehicles. Moisture may enter the Anti-lock Brake (ABS) Module and result in an electrical short.
Risk: An electrical short within the ABS Module may cause an engine compartment fire, even when the vehicle is turned off, increasing the risk of an injury.
Fix: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will install a relay in the main junction box to prevent power from being directed to the HECU when the vehicle's ignition switch is turned off, free of charge. The recall began June 5, 2020. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC186.
Exterior lighting:brake lights:switch
Problem: Kia Motors Corporation (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2007-2010 Rondo, model year 2007-2011 Sedona, Sorento and Sportage, model year 2010-2011 Soul, model year 2008-2011 Optima, model year 2010 Forte, model year 2007-2009 Amanti, and model year 2009 Borrego vehicles. Originally, in April 2013, Kia recalled 623,658 model year 2007-2010 Rondo and Sportage, model year 2007-2011 Sorento, model year 2007 Sedona, model year 2010-2011 Soul, and model year 2011 Optima vehicles. In September 2013, Kia informed the agency that it was adding an additional 356,719 vehicles to this campaign. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 980,377. In the affected vehicles, the stop lamp switch may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause an inability to deactivate the cruise control by depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, a malfunctioning stop lamp switch may also result in intermittent operation of the push-button start feature, affect the operation of the brake-transmission shift interlock feature preventing the shifter from being moved out of the PARK position and cause the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) malfunction light to illuminate.
Risk: Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, when the ignition is in the 'ON' position, the transmission shifter may be able to be moved out of PARK without first applying the brake. This may lead to unintentional movement of the car which may increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Kia will send an interim notification to owners in May 2013. When parts are available, owners will receive a second notification and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. Owners may contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's recall campaign number is SC098.
Air bags:frontal:sensor/control module-inactive
Problem: Kia is recalling certain model year 2007-2008 sorento passenger cars manufactured from june 15, 2006 through november 27, 2007. The front passenger air bag may be turned off when an adult is in the passenger seat. The front passenger air bag is designed to be turned off in limited circumstances including when children and small adults are seated in the front passenger seat, there is a child restraint in that seat or the seat is not occupied. The vehicle's occupant classification system (ocs), which classifies the occupant in the front passenger seat, may misclassify an adult passenger as a child or child seat and improperly turn off the passenger side air bag. When the air bag is deactivated the "passenger air bag off" light will illuminate on the center instrument panel.
Risk: The passenger side air bag is turned off when the ocs misclassifies an adult passenger. With the front passenger airbag off, the front passenger will not have the protection of the passenger air bags in some frontal collisions, thus increasing the risk of occupant injury.
Fix: Kia will update the programming in the sorento ocs control module at no charge. The recall remedy is currently available under service campaign sc076. Owners may contact kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Throttle control system vulnerabilities (DP21003) — opened Nov 12, 2021, closed Jun 20, 2023.
- Air Bag Occupant Classification System (EA09017) — opened Nov 19, 2009, closed Sep 26, 2011, led to recall 11V473000.
- Air bag ocs (PE09034) — opened Jul 17, 2009, closed Nov 30, 2009.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Their brake lights are NOT working even when stopped during stopped traffic there is no indication of them braking
I took my car to a mechanic. Said ABS Control Module failed. This is a safety issue and should be replaced. Brakes are not stopping as well as they should should and don't vibration while going down a steep incline. Had to push really hard for the brakes to stop. Just put me and my family at risk…
My 2008 Kia Sorento parked inside a garage for 2 days, not running, not idling, without the key in the ignition, all of a sudden cut fire by itself, consuming the entire engine compartment and part of the front seat, and also caused substantial damage to the the garage. Filed a claim with Kia which…
My ABS sent codes saying there's moisture in the ABS Module,Brake Light Switch may malfunction are cause Accidents due to malfunction of Brake Lights...
The contact owns a 2008 Kia Sorrento. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, the passengerâs side air bag warning light illuminated and remained illuminated. The contact stated that the failure also occurred with the driver's side air bag. The contact had not taken the vehicle to a…
Other KIA Sorento years
← 2007 Sorento · 2009 Sorento →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Sorento | 6 | 2 |
| 2025 Sorento | 76 | 3 |
| 2024 Sorento | 42 | 2 |
| 2023 Sorento | 123 | 3 |
| 2022 Sorento | 192 | 6 |
| 2021 Sorento | 253 | 4 |
| 2020 Sorento | 137 | 1 |
| 2019 Sorento | 430 | 2 |
| 2018 Sorento | 255 | 3 |
| 2017 Sorento | 806 | 4 |
| 2016 Sorento | 1,254 | 8 |
| 2015 Sorento | 752 | 3 |
| 2014 Sorento | 988 | 6 |
| 2013 Sorento | 981 | 5 |
| 2012 Sorento | 880 | 5 |
| 2011 Sorento | 1,519 | 7 |
| 2010 Sorento | 3 | 1 |
| 2009 Sorento | 55 | 2 |
| 2008 | 217 | 3 |
| 2007 Sorento | 154 | 4 |
| 2006 Sorento | 242 | 1 |
| 2005 Sorento | 307 | 0 |
| 2004 Sorento | 220 | 0 |
| 2003 Sorento | 305 | 1 |
See all KIA Sorento problems by year, every KIA model, or the KIA VIN decoder.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2008 KIA Sorento?
Owners most often report air bags, electronic stability control (esc), engine problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 66 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2008 KIA Sorento?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2008 KIA Sorento a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Sorento model years, the 2008 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.