2013 KIA Sorento Structure Problems

Source: NHTSA · Updated Sep 1, 2026 · 91 complaints analyzed

Owners have filed 91 complaints with NHTSA about structure problems on the 2013 KIA Sorento, 9% of all complaints for this model year. Half of the reports with a mileage happened before 63,000 miles. The words owners use most often: “paint peeling” (31% of reports).

What owners describe

Phrases that appear unusually often in these complaints compared with complaints about other cars.

  • Paint peeling: mentioned in 28 of 91 complaints (31%)
  • Pearl white: mentioned in 19 of 91 complaints (21%)
  • Above windshield: mentioned in 8 of 91 complaints (9%)
  • Chipping off: mentioned in 5 of 91 complaints (5%)

At what mileage do structure problems happen?

Based on 30 complaints that reported the odometer reading.

Under 10k miles4 · 13%
10k–25k miles1 · 3%
25k–50k miles4 · 13%
50k–75k miles9 · 30%
75k–100k miles5 · 17%
100k–150k miles5 · 17%
150k+ miles2 · 7%

How serious are the reports?

Of 91 complaints, 1 mention a crash, 2 a fire, 2 an injury.

KIA Sorento structure complaints by model year

Peak: 2011, with 268 complaints
2003: 1220032004: 282005: 1420052006: 72007: 920072008: 22009: 120092011: 2682682012: 3520122013: 912014: 16020142015: 1002016: 11120162017: 172018: 920182019: 552021: 520212022: 12023: 220232024: 72025: 120252026: 1

n = 936 complaints · Source: NHTSA

Model yearStructure complaintsShare of that yearMedian miles
2026 Sorento117%—
2025 Sorento11%—
2024 Sorento717%—
2023 Sorento22%—
2022 Sorento11%—
2021 Sorento52%—
2019 Sorento5513%43,500
2018 Sorento94%48,000
2017 Sorento172%44,000
2016 Sorento1119%46,000
2015 Sorento10013%60,000
2014 Sorento16016%72,000
2013 Sorento919%63,000
2012 Sorento354%71,165
2011 Sorento26818%89,000
2009 Sorento12%600
2008 Sorento21%64,000
2007 Sorento96%97,735
2006 Sorento73%111,901
2005 Sorento145%124,000
2004 Sorento2813%122,500
2003 Sorento124%45,000

When owners reported it

Peak: 2021, with 23 complaints
2013: 4201342014: 3201432015: 1201512016: 1201612017: 2201722018: 2201822019: 5201952020: 102020102021: 232021232022: 192022192023: 102023102024: 5202452025: 3202532026: 320263

n = 91 complaints · Source: NHTSA

Related recalls (0)

No safety recall lists structure for the 2013 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 paint is peeling really bad .It's been peeling and rusting horribly.

Received Sep 1, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11761187

The paint on the car is peeling off down to the metal of the car.

Received Aug 18, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11757795

My car paint is peeling very bad the color is snow white pear the hole car

Received Feb 24, 2026 · NHTSA complaint 11720274
KIA Sorento
Kia Sorento 2.2 CRDi DCT AWD Platinum (IV, Facelift). Representative photo; appearance varies by model year. Photo: © M 93, CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons.

Frequently asked questions

Do all 2013 KIA Sorentos have structure problems?

No. NHTSA has 91 owner complaints about structure for the 2013 KIA Sorento (9% of the 981 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 2013 KIA Sorento structure?

No recall currently lists structure for this vehicle.

At what mileage do structure problems start?

The median reported mileage is 63,000 miles: half of the reports with a mileage came before that.

What do owners say about structure problems on the 2013 KIA Sorento?

The most frequent phrase is “paint peeling”, in 28 of 91 complaints, followed by “pearl white” (19).

Other 2013 KIA Sorento problems

See all 2013 KIA Sorento problems or structure problems across all Sorento years.