2010 KIA Sorento Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Sorento years
- Not enough data 24th of 24 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 3 complaints with NHTSA about the 2010 KIA Sorento. That ranks 24th out of 24 Sorento model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (1 complaints, 33%), typically at around 40 miles. Complaints mention 2 crashes, 1 injury. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
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- 3owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 2complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2010 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 | 1 | 33% | 40 | — | — |
| Engine | 1 | 33% | 52,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 1 | 33% | 24,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2010 KIA Sorento recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
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.
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.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 kia sorento. While driving at any speed, the vehicle pulled to the right without warning. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who re-balanced the tires and re-aligned the wheels, but the failure recurred. The contact notified two kia dealers about the…
Tl* the contact owns a 2010 kia soul. The contact stated that the engine oil notification system failed to indicate that the engine oil was empty, causing the contact to crash into a curb before the engine stalled. The contact sustained injuries to the right side of her body. A police report was…
I had an accident while getting off highway the person in front of me suddenly stopped and i rear ended her car. My car was pushed in from front and air bags did not pop out. It concerns me. At what speed should they deployed? *tr
Other KIA Sorento years
← 2009 Sorento · 2011 Sorento →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Sorento | 6 | 2 |
| 2025 Sorento | 76 | 3 |
| 2024 Sorento | 42 | 2 |
| 2023 Sorento | 123 | 3 |
| 2022 Sorento | 193 | 6 |
| 2021 Sorento | 254 | 4 |
| 2020 Sorento | 137 | 1 |
| 2019 Sorento | 431 | 2 |
| 2018 Sorento | 255 | 3 |
| 2017 Sorento | 806 | 4 |
| 2016 Sorento | 1,254 | 8 |
| 2015 Sorento | 753 | 3 |
| 2014 Sorento | 988 | 6 |
| 2013 Sorento | 981 | 5 |
| 2012 Sorento | 880 | 5 |
| 2011 Sorento | 1,520 | 7 |
| 2010 | 3 | 1 |
| 2009 Sorento | 55 | 2 |
| 2008 Sorento | 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.
Similar KIA models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2010 KIA Sorento?
Owners most often report air bags, engine, suspension problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 1 complaint.
Was there a recall on the 2010 KIA Sorento?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2010 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 2010 has too little data to compare. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.