2020 Kia Sorento Problems, Recalls & Reliability

188 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2020 Kia Sorento, alongside 1 recall campaign and 1 defect investigation. It scores 12/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Engine leads the reports.

One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2020 Kia Sorento has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.

188Complaints
12/100Trouble index
1Recalls
18,250Typical trouble mileage

Better year

Where 2020 sits among all Sorento years

Darker = quieter yearsBrighter amber = more trouble

What owners report

Engine 66 complaints (35%)
“Oil is leaking from my car. The dealership said I would need to replace the engine. The car is only 6 years old.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2020 Sorento
Other 34 complaints (18%)
“The contact owns a 2020 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V703000 (Trailer Hitches) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2020 Sorento
Electrical 24 complaints (13%)
Transmission & drivetrain 18 complaints (10%)
Driver assistance 10 complaints (5%)
Fuel system 9 complaints (5%)

Mileage when trouble shows up

Among the 30 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 18,250 miles. Half of those reports fall between 7,000 and 71,188 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.

Recalls (1)

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.

2020peak 58 in 20252026

Questions buyers ask

Is the 2020 Kia Sorento reliable?

The 2020 Kia Sorento drew 188 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 12/100, scored against the model's worst year (2011).

What are the most common 2020 Kia Sorento problems?

The top reported problems for the 2020 Kia Sorento are engine (66 complaints), other (34), and electrical (24).

At what mileage do 2020 Kia Sorento problems show up?

Owners most often report 2020 Kia Sorento problems around 18,250 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 7,000 and 71,188 miles.

Does the 2020 Kia Sorento have recalls?

1 recall campaign applies to the 2020 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.