2003 Kia Sorento Problems

What owners report

Owners of this model year most often describe fuel spraying or spitting back out of the filler neck during refueling, and a recurring crankshaft pulley/harmonic balancer bolt failure that can take out the belts and power steering. Engine and cooling complaints, including cracked coolant reservoirs and overheating, are the other large group, and many reports arrive at high mileage on a vehicle that is long out of warranty.

1. 1
   Engine

   Crankshaft pulley bolt breaks, belts come off

   • 69 complaints (23%)
   • median 83,000 mi at 8.0 yrs old (59 state mileage)
   • owner-quoted repair $1,500 (median of 19 quotes)
   • filed 2004–2017

   Owners describe a screeching or banging noise from the engine bay followed by loss of power steering, battery and brake warning lights, and the belts and pulley coming off. Shops and dealers in these complaints identify the crankshaft pulley or harmonic balancer bolt as sheared or backed out, sometimes damaging the crankshaft, sprocket or other engine components. Several owners report the repair was done, sometimes more than once, and the bolt failed again later; some mention a prior bolt replacement or recall-related service. Reports range widely, from about 25,000 up to 170,000 miles, with many between 50,000 and 135,000; failures are described during normal driving and at low speed.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Ask for records of any crankshaft pulley bolt or harmonic balancer work and whether the bolt was replaced with the updated part; have a mechanic check the pulley for wobble and the bolt for looseness.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “A screw that hold the crank shaft & the tamper get broken while I was driving to my house. The dealer in puerto rico said that I have to pay$2,521.00 to fix it. But I heard from an insurance agent that Kia was told by some government agency, I think that agency is NHTSA; to modify the screw involved in my incident, causing the lost control of my Sorento. The steering get hard to move.”

   NHTSA complaint #10177458, filed 2007-01, 67,290 miles

   “I have service records showing I had the crankshaft pulley replaced at 55,000 miles under warranty by Kia. The crankshaft pulley broke off at 105,000 miles. I was able to have the vehicle repaired cost $1500 out of my pocket. On 1/11/2015 the crankshaft pulley broke off for a 3rd time, shearing the threads to the engine, and causing the engine to no longer work. All 3 events caused loss of power and able to steer the vehicle.”

   NHTSA complaint #10672207, filed 2015-01, 135,000 miles
2. 2
   Fuel system

   Fuel spits or sprays back out when refueling

   • 59 complaints (19%)
   • median 102,250 mi at 9.8 yrs old (48 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2005–2018

   Complaints describe fuel spraying or gushing back out of the filler neck during refueling, often onto the owner, the vehicle and the ground, and the tank refusing to take fuel at a normal pump rate. Owners say the only workaround is pumping very slowly, sometimes taking many minutes for a partial tank, and some report the gauge reading full then dropping toward empty. Dealers and shops are variously described as unable to identify the cause, quoting a diagnostic fee, or recommending a canister filter, filler pipe, fuel cap or full tank assembly, and several owners note their vehicle was not covered by the fuel-system campaign from 2005. Most reports fall between roughly 70,000 and 130,000 miles, with a few at much lower mileage; the problem appears at any temperature.

   Recall 05V3530002 related service bulletins

   What to check: Fill the tank yourself at a normal pump rate before buying and watch the filler neck; also ask whether the fuel tank air filter and canister have been serviced.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “When I pump gas into my car, the fuel spits back out at me. I have to pump real slow for this not to happen. This is dangerous, gas gets on my hands and car,I have to carry soap and water to wash this off of my car. I called about this and was told because my car VIN # was not on the their list there was nothing they could do for me”

   NHTSA complaint #10954291, filed 2017-02, 128,800 miles

   “I have a 2003 Kia Sorento and about 3 months ago when I went to put gas in my car the gas was spewing out on my car, the ground, and on me. And it happens every time I put gas in it now. I have to pump very slowly so it don't shoot out at me. But that takes twenty min to pump half a tank of gas. The Kia dealership says their not sure what's wrong but will cost around $600.00-%$800.00 to fix it.”

   NHTSA complaint #10384802, filed 2011-02, 105,000 miles
3. 3
   Steering

   Power steering suddenly goes heavy or fails

   • 56 complaints (18%)
   • median 79,000 mi at 8.9 yrs old (48 state mileage)
   • 3 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • owner-quoted repair $1,850 (median of 14 quotes)
   • filed 2003–2017

   Owners report the steering wheel suddenly becoming very hard to turn, or the steering failing outright, sometimes in a turn or at highway speed. In many complaints the cause traced back to a broken crankshaft pulley bolt or a thrown belt, while other reports describe a failed steering rack, pump, or a loose U-joint on the steering shaft. Repairs vary from belt and bolt replacement to rack or pump replacement, and some owners say the problem returned after repair. Reported from a few hundred miles on new vehicles up to about 170,000 miles, with many between 55,000 and 120,000.

   What to check: Test the steering at low speed and listen for belt squeal; ask whether the rack, pump, belts or crankshaft bolt have been serviced, since steering loss often traces to the belt drive.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “I was driving at 60 MPH and my power steering was getting hard almost cause an accident in the expressway, I check power steering fuel and is fine, belt to power steering fine too, I just wonder if there is a recall parts in this problem, im very afraid to drive my Kia again, please investigate.”

   NHTSA complaint #10516044, filed 2013-06, 162,000 miles

   “My vehicle started acting up whenever I turned on the air condition I would lose power. The engine light would come on and the steering wheel would get real tight and I would not be able to turn it. The vehicle is currently at a Kia dealership where it has been for 3 weeks now waiting on parts. Not to mention I called Kia roadside assistance for 4 days straight before a tow company finally came and towed my car to the dealership. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10204649, filed 2007-10, 49,978 miles
4. 4
   Engine cooling

   Overheating and cracked coolant reservoir

   • 33 complaints (11%)
   • median 66,200 mi at 5.0 yrs old (28 state mileage)
   • owner-quoted repair $2,500 (median of 9 quotes)
   • filed 2005–2014

   Complaints describe the temperature gauge climbing, coolant steaming or pouring out, and the coolant reservoir cracking and losing its contents. In several cases the engine then stalled or seized and owners were told the engine needed replacement, with some saying no warning light came on beforehand. Others report thermostat failures and disputes over whether the repair was covered by warranty; a few mention a coolant-related recall or a wait for backordered parts. Mostly reported between about 55,000 and 105,000 miles, appearing during ordinary driving.

   2 related service bulletins

   What to check: Inspect the coolant reservoir for cracks and check coolant level and condition; ask whether the thermostat and reservoir have been replaced and whether the engine has overheated before.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “First incident - car stalled and fluid steamed from the hood. It had to be towed after several restarts to drive to the dealer. The coolant reservoir was cracked. This part is on national backorder and I have so far been waiting approx. Four weeks for the part. The dealer said Kia has halted manufacturing/distributing the part just for new cars and requested that the parts be shipped to the dealers for repair installations. The dealer customer service is great and I have no complaint about the dealer.”

   NHTSA complaint #10175176, filed 2006-12, 71,000 miles

   “While driving the Sorento to his girlfriends house my son noticed that the temperature gage was higher than normal. He wasn't to far from town so he called and I told him to get some 50/50 antifreeze to put in the reservoir. He did this and had no more problems until the next day on his way home. His girl lives about 20 miles from us. About halfway home the vehicle just died. Had the vehicle towed to Kia dealership and was told that the engine needed to be replaced. No warning lights or gauges identified anything wrong. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10234819, filed 2008-07, 67,000 miles
5. 5
   Air bags

   Airbag warning light on, SRS codes stored

   • 28 complaints (9%)
   • median 65,000 mi at 6.0 yrs old (19 state mileage)
   • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
   • filed 2003–2025

   Complaints describe the airbag or SRS warning light staying on, with dealers reading codes and replacing a driver-side airbag, a sensor, or the airbag diagnostic unit. One owner reports airbags deploying on a paved street without an impact, and another was told a sensor replacement was needed after a battery change. Cost is a recurring theme, with some owners declining the repair. Mostly reported between about 25,000 and 71,000 miles; a few describe a warning light appearing after unrelated electrical work.

   1 related service bulletin

   What to check: Turn the key to the on position and confirm the airbag light comes on and then goes out; ask for any SRS diagnostic history or airbag diagnostic unit replacement records.

   2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

   “Vehicle model: Kia Sorento ex; the transmission keeps failing and the airbag module keeps breaking and displaying red light even after fixing at a dealer shop bill dodge Kia , westbrook, me. The symptoms are as follows: you put the car in drive and the vehicle does not move and only a grinding sound occurs, then you move the transmission shift up and down and after a few moments it generally goes into gear.we almost had several accidents and the car is back in the shop. This car is a nightmare car -- please do notify manufacturer.”

   NHTSA complaint #10390391, filed 2011-03, 98,000 miles

   “In september, 2006, at approximately 55200 miles, the airbag failure light came on. Diagnosis by the dealer on 5 sept 2006 (invoice 107484) revealed ordered drivers air bag, fault b1346, 1st stage resistance to [sic] high. On 25 sept 2006, after first ordering the wrong part(invoice 107945), the dealer replaced the driver-side air bag (invoice 108174). On 31 july 2007, at approximately 59200 miles, the air bag warning light came on. The car was brought to the dealer on 1 august, and on 2 august the dealer replaced the air bag. …”

   NHTSA complaint #10198437, filed 2007-08, 55,200 miles

Buying note. On this model year, check the fuel filler behavior and the crankshaft pulley bolt before anything else, since both are described repeatedly and can affect how the vehicle drives. Ask for service records on the cooling system and steering, and treat a car with no history of these repairs as one that may need them soon.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.