2012 KIA Sorento Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Sorento years
- Far more complaints than other years 5th of 24 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 5 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 4 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 880 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 KIA Sorento. That ranks 5th out of 24 Sorento model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine (461 complaints, 52%), typically at around 99,612 miles. Complaints mention 21 crashes, 77 fires, 36 injuries. There are 5 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 10 defect investigations involving it.
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- 880owner complaints
- 5safety recalls
- 10NHTSA investigations
- 21complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2012 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine problems | 461 | 52% | 99,612 | “engine seized” (9%) | $8,050 |
| Electrical System problems | 127 | 14% | 71,329 | “caught fire” (6%) | — |
| Air Bags problems | 81 | 9% | 97,000 | “air bag” (38%) | $2,700 |
| Unknown or Other | 81 | 9% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic problems | 69 | 8% | 116,863 | “hydraulic contacted” (29%) | — |
| Exterior Lighting problems | 60 | 7% | 95,500 | “low beam” (30%) | — |
| Power Train problems | 55 | 6% | 33,000 | “automatic transmission” (9%) | — |
| Structure | 35 | 4% | 71,165 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 33 | 4% | 57,111 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 31 | 4% | 89,730 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 29 | 3% | 14,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 22 | 3% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 20 | 2% | 38,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 17 | 2% | 50,400 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 15 | 2% | 101,541 | — | — |
| Seats | 15 | 2% | 82,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 13 | 1% | 52,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 11 | 1% | 74,322 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 8 | 1% | 139,000 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 5 | 1% | 130 | — | — |
| Wheels | 5 | 1% | 41,578 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 4 | 0% | 67,500 | — | — |
| Equipment Adaptive/mobility | 2 | 0% | 25,000 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 1 | 0% | 55,000 | — | — |
| Firerelated | 1 | 0% | 150,000 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 0% | 20 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 0% | 65,000 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 0% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Trailer Hitches | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2012 KIA Sorento recalls (5)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip:control unit/modulePark outside
Problem: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2010-2019 Borrego, 2014-2016 Cadenza, 2010-2013 Forte, Forte Koup, Sportage, 2015-2018 K900, 2011-2015 Optima, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, Soul, 2012-2017 Rio, 2011-2014 Sorento, and 2010-2011 Rondo vehicles. The Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) may experience an electrical short, which can result in an engine compartment fire while parked or driving.
Risk: An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the HECU fuse, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed November 14, 2023. Owner notification letters were mailed March 29, 2024 through June 18, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC284.
Engine
Problem: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2012-2013 Sorento, 2012-2015 Forte and Forte Koup, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, 2014-2015 Soul, and 2012 Sportage vehicles. An engine compartment fire can occur while driving.
Risk: An engine compartment fire increases the risk of injury.
Fix: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine compartment for fuel and/or engine oil leaks, perform an engine test and make any repairs, including engine replacement, as necessary, free of charge. In addition, Kia dealers will update the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) software, free of charge. The recall began January 27, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC200.
Engine; fuel system, gasoline:delivery:hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Problem: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2011-2017 Optima, 2012-2017 Sorento and 2011-2018 Sportage vehicles that previously received an engine replacement under recall number 17V-224, warranty, or the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) Product Improvement Campaign. The high pressure fuel pipe that connects to the fuel pump outlet may have been damaged, misaligned or improperly torqued during the engine replacement procedure, possibly causing a fuel leak.
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: Kia has notified owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the fuel pipe, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 17, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC172.
Engine and engine cooling:engine
Problem: Kia Motor Company (Kia) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Optima, 2012-2014 Sorento and 2011-2013 Sportage vehicles. Machining errors during the engine manufacturing process may cause premature bearing wear within the engine.
Risk: Bearing wear may result in the engine seizing, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine assembly, and replace the engine if necessary, free of charge. The recall began June 20, 2017. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC147.
Power train:automatic transmission
Problem: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2011-2013 Kia Sorento vehicles manufactured October 19, 2009, to January 31, 2013. In the affected vehicles, if excessive force is applied to the gear shift lever, the brake-shift interlock mechanism may chip or crack allowing the transmission being able to be shifted out of "Park" without the brakes being depressed. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 114, "Theft Protection."
Risk: Without requiring the brake to be pressed, the vehicle may be unintentionally shifted out of Park, allowing it to roll, which may result in a crash.
Fix: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake-shift interlock mechanism, free of charge. The recall began on November 9, 2015. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC124.
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
- Hyundai and Kia ABS Module Fires (AQ23002) — opened Nov 17, 2023, still open.
- Loss of Motive Power (DP22003) — opened Sep 12, 2022, closed Dec 12, 2023.
- Engine Fires (EA21003) — opened Dec 22, 2021, closed Feb 5, 2024, led to recall 23V877.
- Throttle control system vulnerabilities (DP21003) — opened Nov 12, 2021, closed Jun 20, 2023.
- Headlight Failure (PE20008) — opened Jun 1, 2020, closed Jan 25, 2022.
- Non-crash Vehicle Fires (PE19004) — opened Mar 29, 2019, closed Dec 22, 2021, led to recall 20V088000.
- Non-crash Vehicle Fires (DP18003) — opened Aug 21, 2018, closed May 10, 2019, led to recall 18V907000.
- Scope and Timeliness (RQ17003) — opened May 18, 2017, closed Dec 22, 2021, led to recall 17V224000.
- Panoramic Glass Sunroof Breakage (EA14002) — opened May 12, 2014, closed Jan 15, 2021.
- Panoramic Sunroof Breakage (PE13035) — opened Oct 21, 2013, closed May 21, 2014.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
Unknown
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the air bag warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a service center, where it was diagnosed and DTC: V1481 was retrieved. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer. The failure mileage was…
While driving I smelled gas, a few minutes later I saw smoke coming from the hood of the car. I stopped, turned the car off, got my dog, exited the car, which then exploded into flames. I saw that I was not safe the minute I saw the smoke. I was unsure that the gas smell was coming from my car…
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to exceed 20 MPH. There were several unknown warning lights…
I am filing this complaint regarding a sudden and unexpected engine failure in my 2012 Kia Sorento LX equipped with the 2.4L Theta II engine. Vehicle Information: Year: 2012 Make/Model: Kia Sorento LX Engine: 2.4L Theta II VIN: [XXX] While driving, my vehicle experienced a sudden engine failure and…
Other KIA Sorento years
← 2011 Sorento · 2013 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 | 880 | 5 |
| 2011 Sorento | 1,520 | 7 |
| 2010 Sorento | 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.
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2012 KIA Sorento?
Owners most often report engine, electrical system, air bags problems. The top one, engine, accounts for 461 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2012 KIA Sorento?
Yes, 5 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2012 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 2012 has far more complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 4 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.