KIA SORENTO · model year

2004 KIA SORENTO

341 NHTSA complaints, 15 crash reports for this specific cohort.

NHTSA overall rating

Not crash-tested

New Car Assessment Program

The 2004KIASORENTO carries 341 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 15 crashes, 24 fires, 16 injuries, and 1 fatality. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.

Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2004 SORENTO is engine with 46 filings, followed by suspension (28) and engine and engine cooling (26). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability.

NHTSA currently has 8 investigation files overlapping the 2004 SORENTO. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.

341
Complaints
15
Crashes
24
Fires
16
Injuries
1
Deaths

Total Complaints

341 filings

Crashes Reported

15 reports

Source

NHTSA ODI

Federal complaints database

Complaints vs. fleet median (215)

Above median complaint volume — review patterns below.

Complaints by Component

ComponentCount
ENGINE46
SUSPENSION28
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING26
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM25
POWER TRAIN23
STEERING20
STRUCTURE:BODY19
UNKNOWN OR OTHER13
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE12
AIR BAGS11
EXTERIOR LIGHTING10
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM8
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM7
SERVICE BRAKES7
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL6

Recent Complaints

20211220POWER TRAIN

Crank pully bolt snapped. Causing crank pully to fall, and critical belts to fail.

20200825STRUCTURE:BODY

THIS KIA WAS HOUSED AND STORED IN A GARAGE FOR MOST OF ITS LIFE AND DRIVEN ONLY IN THE SUMMER. IN THE WINTERS OF MICHIGAN IS WAS HOUSED IN A CLEAN DRY GARAGE. THIS KIA WAS A 2 OWNER CAR. I AM THE SECOND OWNER. I HAD DRIVEN IT ONE WINTER AND THIS SUMMER TOOK IT TO GET AN ALIGNMENT BECAUSE IT PULLED TO THE RIGHT. ALIGNMENT CENTER COULD NOT DO THE ALIGNMENT BECAUSE THE WHOLE RIGHT DRIVERSIDE OF THE FRAME WAS RUSTED OUT BEYOND THEIR SAFTY STANDARDS. THE KIA WAS PULLING TO THE RIGHT BECAUSE THE WHOLE FRAME ON THE RIGHT SIDE WAS 80% RUSTED OUT AND THE LEFT SIDE WAS ALSO BUT NOT TO THE EXTENT OF THE RIGHT SIDE. THERE ARE FOOT LONG GAPING HOLES IN THE FRAME DUE TO THE RUSTING. IT IS IRREPARABLE. THERE IS NO SAFE SPOT TO WELD TO TO FIX IT EITHER. AFTER A RAIN I NOTICED THE POOLS OF WATER GO DIRECTLY UNDER THE KIA INSTEAD OF ON THE SIDES POOLING AND DRIPPING OFF THE FRAME ON EACH RIGHT AND LEFT SIDE. A FLAW OF DESIGN BUT A DEADLY IF TRAVELLING AND THE CAR SNAPS IN HALF. THE KIA LOOKS PERFECT AN

20200121STRUCTURE:BODY

WHILE MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE BRAKES FAILED. THE MECHANIC SHOWED ME THE BRAKE LINES TOWARD THE REAR SUSPENSION RUSTED THROUGH. ALSO THE SUPPORT FOR THE REAREND RUSTED THROUGH MAKING THE VEHICLE DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. THE BRAKE LINES FROM FRONT TO BACK WERE CHANGED AND I AM LOOKING TO HAVE THE SUPPORT BRACKETS CHANGED.

Mileage: 150,000

20200121SERVICE BRAKES

WHILE MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE BRAKES FAILED. THE MECHANIC SHOWED ME THE BRAKE LINES TOWARD THE REAR SUSPENSION RUSTED THROUGH. ALSO THE SUPPORT FOR THE REAREND RUSTED THROUGH MAKING THE VEHICLE DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. THE BRAKE LINES FROM FRONT TO BACK WERE CHANGED AND I AM LOOKING TO HAVE THE SUPPORT BRACKETS CHANGED.

Mileage: 150,000

20200110SUSPENSION

2004 KIA SORRENTO 97,000 MILES. THE LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE REAR CONTROL ARM BRACKETS RUSTED OFF.

Mileage: 97,000

20191026FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM

I BOUGHT MY 04 SORENTO FROM MY AUNT WHO WAS THE ONLY OWNER. IT HAD A POWER STEERING ISSUE AT THAT TIME WHICH TOOK SEVERAL ATTENPTS TO FIX. ABOUT A MONTH LATER WE WE VISITING FAMILY AND HAD TO TURN AROUND. UPON STOPPING WE NOTICED SMOKE FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT SO I GRABBED MY 4 Y/O DAUGHTER OUT OF THE CAR AND BY BOYFRIEND OPENED THE HOOD TO FIND A SMALL FIRE ON OPPOSITE SIDE FRO WHERE BATTERY IS. ONCE FIRE WAS PUT OUT WE DROVE .5 MILES ON A CITY RD TO FAMILY. THE POWER STEERING WAS GONE AT THAT TIME AS WELL. 10/13/19 - THE DIRECTIONAL WORKED ALL DAY AND COME NIGHT TIME WHEN I CAME OUT FROM THE STORE AND STARTED VEHICLE THEY DID NOT WORK. THE NEXT DAY THEY WORKED FINEHOWEVER, ON 10/14/19 - I STARTED THE CAR IN AM AND THERE WAS A SQUEAKY BELT. I HIT THE GAS PEDAL QUICKLY AND NOISE WENT AWAY. THEN WHILE DRIVING, THE BATTERY AND BRAKE INDICATOR LIGHTS CAME ON THE DASH AND STAYED ON SO I PULLED OVER AND SHUT CAR OFF. IWAS DRIVING MY DAUGHTER TO THE PARK A MILE AWAY FROM HOME WHEN

Mileage: 180,000

20191026FireENGINE

I BOUGHT MY 04 SORENTO FROM MY AUNT WHO WAS THE ONLY OWNER. IT HAD A POWER STEERING ISSUE AT THAT TIME WHICH TOOK SEVERAL ATTENPTS TO FIX. ABOUT A MONTH LATER WE WE VISITING FAMILY AND HAD TO TURN AROUND. UPON STOPPING WE NOTICED SMOKE FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT SO I GRABBED MY 4 Y/O DAUGHTER OUT OF THE CAR AND BY BOYFRIEND OPENED THE HOOD TO FIND A SMALL FIRE ON OPPOSITE SIDE FRO WHERE BATTERY IS. ONCE FIRE WAS PUT OUT WE DROVE .5 MILES ON A CITY RD TO FAMILY. THE POWER STEERING WAS GONE AT THAT TIME AS WELL. 10/13/19 - THE DIRECTIONAL WORKED ALL DAY AND COME NIGHT TIME WHEN I CAME OUT FROM THE STORE AND STARTED VEHICLE THEY DID NOT WORK. THE NEXT DAY THEY WORKED FINEHOWEVER, ON 10/14/19 - I STARTED THE CAR IN AM AND THERE WAS A SQUEAKY BELT. I HIT THE GAS PEDAL QUICKLY AND NOISE WENT AWAY. THEN WHILE DRIVING, THE BATTERY AND BRAKE INDICATOR LIGHTS CAME ON THE DASH AND STAYED ON SO I PULLED OVER AND SHUT CAR OFF. IWAS DRIVING MY DAUGHTER TO THE PARK A MILE AWAY FROM HOME WHEN

Mileage: 180,000

20191026FireSTEERING

I BOUGHT MY 04 SORENTO FROM MY AUNT WHO WAS THE ONLY OWNER. IT HAD A POWER STEERING ISSUE AT THAT TIME WHICH TOOK SEVERAL ATTENPTS TO FIX. ABOUT A MONTH LATER WE WE VISITING FAMILY AND HAD TO TURN AROUND. UPON STOPPING WE NOTICED SMOKE FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT SO I GRABBED MY 4 Y/O DAUGHTER OUT OF THE CAR AND BY BOYFRIEND OPENED THE HOOD TO FIND A SMALL FIRE ON OPPOSITE SIDE FRO WHERE BATTERY IS. ONCE FIRE WAS PUT OUT WE DROVE .5 MILES ON A CITY RD TO FAMILY. THE POWER STEERING WAS GONE AT THAT TIME AS WELL. 10/13/19 - THE DIRECTIONAL WORKED ALL DAY AND COME NIGHT TIME WHEN I CAME OUT FROM THE STORE AND STARTED VEHICLE THEY DID NOT WORK. THE NEXT DAY THEY WORKED FINEHOWEVER, ON 10/14/19 - I STARTED THE CAR IN AM AND THERE WAS A SQUEAKY BELT. I HIT THE GAS PEDAL QUICKLY AND NOISE WENT AWAY. THEN WHILE DRIVING, THE BATTERY AND BRAKE INDICATOR LIGHTS CAME ON THE DASH AND STAYED ON SO I PULLED OVER AND SHUT CAR OFF. IWAS DRIVING MY DAUGHTER TO THE PARK A MILE AWAY FROM HOME WHEN

Mileage: 180,000

20191017FireSTRUCTURE:BODY

OCT, 2016 - I AM THE ORIGNAL OWNER OF THE VEHICLE AND HAD MAINTAINED REGULAR MAINTAINENCE ON THE VEHICLE. I HAD JUST PUT $700 OF NEW TIRES ON VEHICLE AND HAD A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE AND FLUID CHECK BEFORE WE LEFT FOR OUR VACATION. I NEVER HAD ANY ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLE AND I STILL OWN. THE VEHICLE DOES NOT RUN BUT I WANTED TO KNOW WHAT STARTED THE FIRE. MY DAUGHTER AND I WERE HEADED OUT OF TOWN FOR A WEEK, ABOUT 200 MILES INTO THE COMMUTE THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SMOKE FROM UNDER THE HOOD, WE WERE TRAVELING AT 55-60 MPH. AS I WAS EXITING THE 421 HIGHWAY FLAMES BEGAN COMING OUT FROM AROUND HOOD AND THE PAINT ON THE HOOD BEGAN TO BUBBLE UP DUE TO HEAT. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE FIRE DEPT, AS I WAS DRIVING, PULLED ONTO THE SHOULDER AND IMMEDIATELY REMOVED MY DAUGHTER AND OUR BELONGINGS FROM THE VEHICLE AND DISTANCED OURSELVES FROM THE VEHICLE. WHEN THE FIRE DEPT ARRIVED THEY PUT THE FLAMES OUT AND THE VEHICLE WAS TRANSPORTED TO A LOCAL SHOP, I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED BACK TO OUR HOME

Mileage: 140,000

20191017FireELECTRICAL SYSTEM

OCT, 2016 - I AM THE ORIGNAL OWNER OF THE VEHICLE AND HAD MAINTAINED REGULAR MAINTAINENCE ON THE VEHICLE. I HAD JUST PUT $700 OF NEW TIRES ON VEHICLE AND HAD A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE AND FLUID CHECK BEFORE WE LEFT FOR OUR VACATION. I NEVER HAD ANY ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLE AND I STILL OWN. THE VEHICLE DOES NOT RUN BUT I WANTED TO KNOW WHAT STARTED THE FIRE. MY DAUGHTER AND I WERE HEADED OUT OF TOWN FOR A WEEK, ABOUT 200 MILES INTO THE COMMUTE THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SMOKE FROM UNDER THE HOOD, WE WERE TRAVELING AT 55-60 MPH. AS I WAS EXITING THE 421 HIGHWAY FLAMES BEGAN COMING OUT FROM AROUND HOOD AND THE PAINT ON THE HOOD BEGAN TO BUBBLE UP DUE TO HEAT. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE FIRE DEPT, AS I WAS DRIVING, PULLED ONTO THE SHOULDER AND IMMEDIATELY REMOVED MY DAUGHTER AND OUR BELONGINGS FROM THE VEHICLE AND DISTANCED OURSELVES FROM THE VEHICLE. WHEN THE FIRE DEPT ARRIVED THEY PUT THE FLAMES OUT AND THE VEHICLE WAS TRANSPORTED TO A LOCAL SHOP, I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED BACK TO OUR HOME

Mileage: 140,000

20191017FireENGINE

OCT, 2016 - I AM THE ORIGNAL OWNER OF THE VEHICLE AND HAD MAINTAINED REGULAR MAINTAINENCE ON THE VEHICLE. I HAD JUST PUT $700 OF NEW TIRES ON VEHICLE AND HAD A ROUTINE OIL CHANGE AND FLUID CHECK BEFORE WE LEFT FOR OUR VACATION. I NEVER HAD ANY ISSUES WITH THE VEHICLE AND I STILL OWN. THE VEHICLE DOES NOT RUN BUT I WANTED TO KNOW WHAT STARTED THE FIRE. MY DAUGHTER AND I WERE HEADED OUT OF TOWN FOR A WEEK, ABOUT 200 MILES INTO THE COMMUTE THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SMOKE FROM UNDER THE HOOD, WE WERE TRAVELING AT 55-60 MPH. AS I WAS EXITING THE 421 HIGHWAY FLAMES BEGAN COMING OUT FROM AROUND HOOD AND THE PAINT ON THE HOOD BEGAN TO BUBBLE UP DUE TO HEAT. I IMMEDIATELY CALLED THE FIRE DEPT, AS I WAS DRIVING, PULLED ONTO THE SHOULDER AND IMMEDIATELY REMOVED MY DAUGHTER AND OUR BELONGINGS FROM THE VEHICLE AND DISTANCED OURSELVES FROM THE VEHICLE. WHEN THE FIRE DEPT ARRIVED THEY PUT THE FLAMES OUT AND THE VEHICLE WAS TRANSPORTED TO A LOCAL SHOP, I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED BACK TO OUR HOME

Mileage: 140,000

20191006VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

I WAS DRIVING WHEN I HEARD A CLUNKING NOISE, AND MY TRUCK SHIFTED. SO I PULLED OVER TO SEE THE MY REAR LOWER ARM FELL FROM SUBFRAME CORRSION DUE TO HEAVY SALT USE HERE IN WI. I HAD TO GET CAR TOWED HOME.

Mileage: 133,346

20191006UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I WAS DRIVING WHEN I HEARD A CLUNKING NOISE, AND MY TRUCK SHIFTED. SO I PULLED OVER TO SEE THE MY REAR LOWER ARM FELL FROM SUBFRAME CORRSION DUE TO HEAVY SALT USE HERE IN WI. I HAD TO GET CAR TOWED HOME.

Mileage: 133,346

20190831AIR BAGS

"TAKATA RECALL" I BOUGHT THIS CAR JUST RECENTLY AND THE DRIVERS SIDE AIR BAG STAYS ON ALL THE TIME THERE HAVE BEEN RECALLS BUT NOT ON MY CAR IS IT SAFE TO DRIVE THIS LIKE THIS OR IS IT DANGEROUS AND THE FACTORY SHOULD SEND OUT A RECALL ON THIS RIGHT !

20190831SEAT BELTS

"TAKATA RECALL" I BOUGHT THIS CAR JUST RECENTLY AND THE DRIVERS SIDE AIR BAG STAYS ON ALL THE TIME THERE HAVE BEEN RECALLS BUT NOT ON MY CAR IS IT SAFE TO DRIVE THIS LIKE THIS OR IS IT DANGEROUS AND THE FACTORY SHOULD SEND OUT A RECALL ON THIS RIGHT !

20190829AIR BAGS

TAKATA RECALL AIR BAG LIGHT IS ON THE DASH CAN I GET THIS REPLACED FOR NO CHARGE LIGHT STAYS ON ALL THE TIME.

20190507CrashSTEERING

WHILE DRIVING MY VEHICLE AT 65MPG ON THE HIGHWAY WITH MY BABY IN THE CAR, THE STEERING JERKED TO THE LEFT. I ALMOST CRASHED INTO A DESIEL TRUCK !! I THEN CORRECT IT AND PULLED OVER. I DROPPED MY SON OFF AT MY MOM'S HOME AND WENT TO THE GARAGE TO HAVE IT LOOKED AT. ON THE WAY, IT LOST ALL POWER STEERING AND I COULD NOT TURN CORRECTLY. SOMEONE HIT THE BACK OF MY CAR AND SHOVED IT INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE IN THE FRONT. SO NOW MY BACK AND FRON IN LOOKS LIKE CRAP AND I HAVE NO POWER STEERING.. BUT MY SON AND I ARE STILL ALIVE.. WHEN RESEARCHING THIS ISSUE, I FOUND OUT IT WAS NOT MY FAULT OR MY CAR.. THIS IS A FAULTY MANUFACTURE SAFTY ISSUE THAT HAS NOT EVEN BEEN RESEARCHED YET !! THERE HAVE BEEN SO MANY CUSTOMER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE DANGER OF THIS VEHICLE AND THIS ISSUE I CAN NOT BELIEVE IT'S STILL ON THE ROAD. HTTPS://WWW.CARCOMPLAINTS.COM/KIA/SORENTO/2004/STEERING/STEERING.SHTML AND TO FIND OUT THE STATE WAS AWARE OF IT AND JUST NEVER EVEN LOOKED INTO PROTECTING US. THIS IS A DANGER AND NEEDS

Mileage: 120,000

20190309FireUNKNOWN OR OTHER

MY SORENTO WAS IN PARK RUNNING IN MY DRIVEWAY STARTED SMOKING AND CAUGHT FIRE AND BURNED UP IN A MATTER OF MINUTES. I'M AWARE OF RECALLS WITH KIA VEHICLES CATCHING FIRE. I WOULD LIKE THIS TO BE ADDRESSED AND INVESTIGATED AS I FEEL IT WAS DUE TO A MALFUNCTION. 911 WAS CALLED AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAME TO DISTINGUISH THE CAR IT IS A TOTAL LOSS.

Mileage: 253,701

20190228ENGINE

THEY HAD A RECALL AND A LAWSUIT ON THE KIA FOR THE PULLEY BOLT KEEPS BREAKING AND I NEVER GOT A NOTICE AND MINE KEEPS BREAKING AND KIA WON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT.

20190118ENGINE

I HAVE FIXED MY PULLEY BOLT 3 TIME AND IT KEEP BRAKING AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO TO FIX THE PROBLEM

Compare 2004KIASORENTO to Similar Vehicles

NHTSA Investigations

View all investigations

Frequently Asked Questions

How many complaints does the 2004 KIA SORENTO have?
The 2004 KIA SORENTO has 341 NHTSA complaints, 15 crashes, 24 fires, 16 injuries, and 1 deaths reported.
What are the most common problems with the 2004 KIA SORENTO?
The most-complained component for the 2004 KIA SORENTO is ENGINE with 46 complaints. Other frequently reported areas include SUSPENSION and ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING.
Is the 2004 KIA SORENTO safe to buy?
Review the complaint history, crash and fire reports, safety ratings, and recall status on this page to make an informed decision. No NHTSA crash test rating is available for this model year. Compare with other model years using the links above.
Where does this data come from?
All complaint, recall, and safety rating data is sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaints are filed by vehicle owners through NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation.

Vehicle Safety Guides

Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.