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#BS-2017-KIASOR-433B2017 Kia Sorento
Based on reports from 976 owners and 4 recalls for this exact model.
Preliminary Verdict
Red Flag
Based on 976 complaints, 17 crashes, 37 fires, and 4 recalls. Complaint rate is 1.8x the class average.
Top reported problems
engine failure
17 complaints • Severity 9.5/10
excessive oil consumption
8 complaints • Severity 8.5/10
car wanders at highway speeds
5 complaints • Severity 8.8/10
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Mechanic Inspection Checklist
383 owners reported engine issues — failures commonly reported around 46K miles.
Failure Timeline by Mileage
Peak failure range: 0–30K miles (102 reports) • Median: 46K miles
30,000-Mile Cost Projection
Best Case
Most Likely
Worst Case
Top cost driver: Engine (383 reports).
Also in your report
Owner Intelligence
AI-synthesized themes from real complaints
Buyer Lot Checklist
Questions, test drive checks, walk-away triggers
Negotiation Talking Points
Data-backed dollar deductions
Buy / Skip Verdict
Final recommendation with conditions
Where the complaints fall
2017 Kia Sorento: Known Issues & Problem Areas
Engine Issues
Engine complaints account for 39% of all reports filed for the 2017 Kia Sorento, with 383 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. The median mileage at time of complaint is 46,000 miles, suggesting issues tend to surface around the 46K-mile mark.
Lights Issues
Lights complaints account for 12% of all reports filed for the 2017 Kia Sorento, with 117 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to lights-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Steering Issues
Steering complaints account for 10% of all reports filed for the 2017 Kia Sorento, with 93 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to steering-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Electrical Issues
Electrical complaints account for 9% of all reports filed for the 2017 Kia Sorento, with 84 owners filing complaints with NHTSA. Owners should pay attention to electrical-related symptoms during test drives and pre-purchase inspections.
Data sourced from NHTSA owner complaints and community reports. The full report analyzes severity, repair costs, and failure patterns for each category.
Complaint trend by year
Complaints filed with NHTSA by year for the 2017 Kia Sorento. Recent trend: decreasing.
Don't negotiate blind — know what this car costs to own
Repair costs • Negotiation scripts • Mechanic checklist • Buy/skip verdict
Recall History (4 recalls)
TRAILER HITCHES
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Sorento vehicles manufactured October 27, 2014, to August 25, 2016, and 2017 Sportage vehicles manufactured December 10, 2015, to August 26, 2016. The affected vehicles are equipped with an accessory trailer hitch wiring harness that, due to a malfunction of the tow hitch module, may result in the trailer brake lights being constantly illuminated. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, " Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017 Sorento vehicles equipped with 3.3L engines. The engine crankshaft may have been improperly heat treated and may fail.
ENGINE
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2011-2017 Optima, 2012-2017 Sorento and 2011-2018 Sportage vehicles that previously received an engine replacement under recall number 17V-224, warranty, or the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) Product Improvement Campaign. The high pressure fuel pipe that connects to the fuel pump outlet may have been damaged, misaligned or improperly torqued during the engine replacement procedure, possibly causing a fuel leak.
TRAILER HITCHES
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 accessory through a Kia dealership. Debris and moisture accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (PCB) may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire.
Recall severity analysis & seller scripts
The full report rates each recall's severity and gives you scripts for asking the seller about recall completion.
The worst model year for the Kia Sorento is the 2016 — worth knowing if you're cross-shopping years. The biggest problem area is engine.
2017 Kia Sorento vs. Class Average (Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD)
This vehicle
976
Class avg
551
1.8x the class average — significantly more complaints than typical small sport utility vehicle 2wd vehicles.
Complaint counts correlate with sales volume — popular vehicles naturally generate more reports. The full report normalizes for this.
About this data
NHTSA Complaints
Federal database of owner-filed safety complaints. 976 records for this vehicle.
NHTSA Recalls
Manufacturer-issued safety recalls. 4 recalls found for this vehicle.
Repair Cost Data
Real-world repair costs from owner reports and independent databases.
Other Kia Sorento Model Years
View all Kia Sorento years →2017 Kia Sorento: Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most common problem with the 2017 Kia Sorento?
Is the 2017 Kia Sorento reliable?
How much does it cost to fix 2017 Kia Sorento problems?
Does the 2017 Kia Sorento have any recalls?
What mileage do Kia Sorento problems start?
What’s in the full report?
How is this different from free NHTSA data?
How is this different from Carfax?
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Get the Full 2017 Kia Sorento Report
10 sections of AI analysis based on 976 owner reports. Know before you buy.