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EnginePart report

2013 Kia Sorento Engine Problems

Complaints
498about this part
Share
51%of 983 total for the year
Median mileage
89,479miles
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

NHTSA recorded 498 complaints about the engine of the 2013 Kia Sorento, 51% of the 983 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 89,479 miles. 6 of these say a crash was involved and 33 a fire, according to the filers. 2 recall campaigns on record are filed under a similar system.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“I was driving to houston on 288 highway at a speed around 60..65mph and the engine just die I pull over try to start SUV back on and the engine light come on flashing so I tow the vehicle to my house y put a $20 dollars code scanner on it and a p1326 code come up ( knocking sensor) so I check on line to see some options and I read that they have some recall..”

NHTSA complaint #11325279, filed 2020-05, 124 miles

“The engine is making an unusual amount of noise in the engine. It also is burning up to 3 quarts of oil between changes. I know that there is a recall on this vehicle. I have had it back to the dealer four or five times for this problem with no help. They tell me if it locks up they will fix it but not until. This is not acceptable. What do I do?”

NHTSA complaint #11268974, filed 2019-10, 500 miles

“Driving to work this morning and my 2013 Kia Sorento stalled. Pulled to the side of the road and was able to restart the vehicle. Engine began a clanking noise. Had vehicle towed to my mechanic and they haven't reported back yet. Recall notice was never sent to me. Nhtsa recall number: 7v224 recall date: march 31, 2017 manufacturer recall number: sc147”

NHTSA complaint #11278568, filed 2019-11, 105,000 miles

“I noticed that there is oil leak and soaking of the engine surface by chance when I was replacing the air filter and doing a regular cleaning. Before that I notice a roaring sound coming from the motor when I am driving my car may be 2 months ago. Although there is no warning lights but I am worried about this scenario.”

NHTSA complaint #11378154, filed 2020-12, 144,000 miles

“While driving on I 81 in shenandoah county va my Kia started losing power, lowing the speed I could do and the rpms right in front of a semi truck. It has happened since then and actually before then but was never as scary. The dealership has not been able to duplicate the issue or find any codes in the computer.”

NHTSA complaint #11340778, filed 2020-07, 103,000 miles

Related recalls

Related service bulletins

Engine: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
2026117%
20251925%
2024512%
20233226%
20225227%
20216827%
20206748%
201915937%
201810742%
201738748%
201669755%
201536348%
201438839%
201349851%
201246152%
201128419%
200947%
20083516%
200775%
20066728%
20056321%
20044621%
20034314%

Other parts of the 2013 Kia Sorento

Electrical system
116 complaintsBody and structure
91 complaintsOther or unknown
90 complaintsBrakes
88 complaintsExterior lighting
70 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
69 complaintsAir bags
60 complaintsFuel system
38 complaintsSeats
33 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
31 complaintsVehicle speed control
25 complaintsSteering
22 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2013 Kia Sorento

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology