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Transmission and drivetrainPart report

2018 Kia Sorento Transmission and drivetrain Problems

Complaints
9about this part
Share
4%of 255 total for the year
Median mileage
32,716miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 9 complaints about the transmission and drivetrain of the 2018 Kia Sorento, 4% of the 255 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 32,716 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers.

Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.

Example complaints

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

“I was backing up when my car just accelerated like crazy and ran over a huge brick mailbox. It was like my car was possess, it became a crazy 4 wheel drive.”

NHTSA complaint #11092757, filed 2018-05, 8,433 miles

“I was driving my 2018 Kia Sorento up a hill going about 40 mph. It suddenly lost power and I had to pull over. No lights showed up on the dash warning me anything was wrong. I was draining oil like crazy and it was all over the engine. I had it towed to a mechanic and then the dealership. A bolt from inside the engine blew and tore a hold in the valve and head gasket. That’s all I know now. I had purchased my vehicle pre owned certified, and Kia is not honoring the warranty even with extended warranties. This happened at 87,000 miles. …”

NHTSA complaint #11618281, filed 2024-10

“Vehicle engine set off a failure code P1326 and went into a full limp mode. This code is related to the knock sensor picking up the crankshaft pounding against the bearings. It is a known issue with the original engine small oil ports. Brought my vehicle to a Kia dealership and their diagnostic procedure was to replace the sensor and reflash the ECM. My problem is, ever since they did that, the knock sensor has not gone off and no codes are being generated. Engine is knocking worse than before. I believe they reset the parameters to a level that basically is making the knock sensor useless. …”

NHTSA complaint #11618337, filed 2024-10

“GDI engine carbon buildup causing very high gas consumption and damage . Should carbon buildup break free it will cause engine falure resulting in engine seizure while at speed. Loss if property and life imment. Only soulition is disassembly to remove buildup. Another failure is corrosion on shift cable causing gear falure.”

NHTSA complaint #11665687, filed 2025-06

“The contact's daughter owns a 2018 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal ticking noise detected. The vehicle lost motive power and stalled with the check engine warning light flashing. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who informed the contact that the knock sensor needed to be replaced. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. …”

NHTSA complaint #11477551, filed 2022-08, 57,000 miles

Related service bulletins

Transmission and drivetrain: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
20251925%
2024512%
20232218%
20226735%
202114356%
20201813%
20195112%
201894%
2017375%
201612610%
2015426%
2014727%
2013697%
2012556%
201126517%
2009916%
20082311%
20072013%
20063514%
20053812%
20044018%
2003227%

Other parts of the 2018 Kia Sorento

Engine
107 complaintsOther or unknown
45 complaintsExterior lighting
41 complaintsElectrical system
30 complaintsSteering
26 complaintsFuel system
13 complaintsAir bags
10 complaintsBody and structure
9 complaintsBrakes
8 complaintsForward collision avoidance
8 complaintsVehicle speed control
8 complaintsEngine cooling
7 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2018 Kia Sorento

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 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