Complaints peak with the 2011 (1,518 of 10,331). Tap any bar or generation.
What Sorento owners report across recent generations
Owner summary2021–present (4th generation, MQ4)
Owner data is still limited for this generation. On the 2022, NHTSA complaints center on the transmission, check engine lights and stalls, and CarComplaints, with about 15 reports for 2022, ranks a failed transmission first, followed by the car shutting off while driving and engine failure. Recalls cover a turbocharger oil supply pipe that may crack on 2022 models, a transmission fail-safe mode on 2021–2022 models that may not work and cause a loss of drive power, and a blower motor harness on 2021–2023 models that can cause a fire. [1] [2]
2016–2020 (3rd generation, UM)
Engine trouble dominates NHTSA complaints for the 2016, with owners describing knocking, ticking, stalls, engine failure and some fires. CarComplaints ranks engine failure first for 2016, followed by loose head bolts leading to engine failure and excessive oil consumption. Recalls on 2016 models cover a rear suspension part that may not be properly welded and a driver seatback frame on some models that may have been produced incorrectly. [3] [4]
2011–2015 (2nd generation, XM)
The 2011, the first unibody Sorento, draws the most complaints. NHTSA owners frequently describe doors that will not open and handles that break, along with transmission and air bag reports, and CarComplaints singles out the door that will not open as a frustrating problem. Recalls cover a brake-shift interlock on 2011–2013 models that can crack and let the shifter leave Park without the brake, and an engine compartment fire risk on some 2011 models. [5] [6]
Owner summary updated September 25, 2026.
