2019 Kia Sorento Problems, Recalls & Reliability

622 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2019 Kia Sorento, alongside 2 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 30/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Engine leads the reports, typically around 83,537 miles.

622Complaints
30/100Trouble index
2Recalls
27,895Typical trouble mileage

Typical

Where 2019 sits among all Sorento years

Darker = quieter yearsBrighter amber = more trouble

What owners report

Engine 163 complaints (26%) · typically ~83,537 miles
“The engine is completely burning all of the oil. I can feel a hesitation in the engine while driving”— owner report to NHTSA, 2019 Sorento
Other 117 complaints (19%)
“Infotainment center failure that hat been ongoing since 2019 and Kia will not address”— owner report to NHTSA, 2019 Sorento
Electrical 89 complaints (14%) · typically ~18,000 miles
“Infotainment center glitching Attemped to resolve with KIA but they do not feel that this is a safety concern or feel it needs to be investigated appropriately. This occurs when driving typically on the highway because most of my travel is highway. When this occurs it is a distraction for the…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2019 Sorento
Body & structure 54 complaints (9%)
“2019 Kia Sorento Snow White Peal peeling paint on hood and roof of car. Per body shop this "delamination"”— owner report to NHTSA, 2019 Sorento
Transmission & drivetrain 50 complaints (8%) · typically ~15,000 miles
“The transmission hesitates while accelerating. Acceleration is very slow in every mode except sport. The transmission still hesitates. Very unsafe. This occurs when kia is first started or accelerating after a turn. It's also noticeable when accelerating while merging onto the interstate.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2019 Sorento
Driver assistance 43 complaints (7%)
“Multiple lights on dash same time. Auto Hold, Fwd Collision, Adaptive Cruise and ABS. Code said ABS Module faulty. Multiple Safety System affected and rendered useless.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2019 Sorento

Mileage when trouble shows up

Among the 130 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 27,895 miles. Half of those reports fall between 11,000 and 75,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.

Recalls (2)

BACK OVER PREVENTION 23V639000 2023

Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2019 Sorento vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, water may leak into the rearview camera, which can cause the rearview camera image not to appear on the display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with…

Fix: Dealers will inspect the rearview camera and add additional water proofing to the camera harness, or replace the camera as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 8,…

TRAILER HITCHES 22V703000 2022 Park outside

Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Sorento, 2021-2022 Sorento Hybrid (HEV), 2022-2023 Sorento Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV), and 2017-2022 Sportage vehicles equipped with a tow hitch harness installed as original equipment, or purchased as an…

Fix: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will inspect the vehicle, and, as necessary, replace the fuse and/or tow hitch harness…

Federal defect investigations

Loss of Motive Power DP22003 opened 2022, closed 2023

Complaint history for this model year

When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.

2018peak 208 in 20242026

Questions buyers ask

Is the 2019 Kia Sorento reliable?

The 2019 Kia Sorento drew 622 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 30/100, scored against the model's worst year (2011).

What are the most common 2019 Kia Sorento problems?

The top reported problems for the 2019 Kia Sorento are engine (163 complaints), other (117), and electrical (89).

At what mileage do 2019 Kia Sorento problems show up?

Owners most often report 2019 Kia Sorento problems around 27,895 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 11,000 and 75,000 miles.

Does the 2019 Kia Sorento have recalls?

2 recall campaigns apply to the 2019 Kia Sorento. At least one carries a do-not-drive or park-outside warning — check your VIN before driving.

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Data updated 2026-08-12 from NHTSA's public records

Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.