The Lemon Index2003 Kia Sorento.
The 2003 Kia Sorento is worse than average by owner complaints: 71 complaints in its first 3 years and a Lemon Index of 177, where 100 is the average car. Owners complain most about engine, it has 1 recall, and it gets 15 mpg combined. The best Kia Sorento year is 2018.
Before you buy. What matters most for this car.
How serious. Out of 305 owner complaints, owners reported:
Older model year: fewer owners filed complaints back then, so treat the score as rough.
Every Kia Sorento year. 2003 is highlighted. Lower is better.
What owners complain about most. From owner complaints to the government.
Share of this year's owner complaints filed with NHTSA, not the share of cars that break. One complaint can name more than one area.
When owners reported problems. From owner complaints to the government.
Most owners who filed a complaint with NHTSA had 39K to 111K miles on the car (241 complaints listed the miles). This shows when people who had a problem reported it, not the odds that your car will have it.
- engine complaints mostly came at 44K–82K miles
- fuel system, gasoline complaints mostly came at 31K–106K miles
- fuel or ev drive system complaints mostly came at 88K–148K miles
Recalls 1
- fuel system, gasoline 2005
CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES MAY EXPERIENCE A FUEL LEAK FROM FUEL TUBES NEAR THE FUEL TANK DUE TO AN INTERFERENCE FIT WITH THE VEHICLE FLOOR PANEL.
Recall repairs are free at any dealer. A recall only matters if it's still open on that exact car, so check its VIN.
Problems Kia told dealers about
Kia sent dealers 30 repair notes for this car. The ones about its biggest problems:
- Intermittent mil on with no fault code stored; information about dtc p1330
- Throttle position sensor w/ 3.5l engines
- Ecm upgrade with tp sensor replacement-mil on with dtc p2135/p0638
Ask a seller or mechanic if these were done. Some are free under warranty or a special program.
Government investigations
- ClosedFuel spill during refueling2010–2011
NHTSA looks into a problem when enough owners report it. Many end in a recall.
Safety
Crash stars (older test): front ★★★★☆ · side ★★★★★ · rollover ★★★☆☆
Fuel cost and engines
About $4300 a year in fuel (EPA estimate). Engines: 3.5L 6-cyl.
In owners' words
The vehicle was involved in an accident, and none of the air bags deployed.
2003 Kia Sorento owner · NHTSA complaint 10017393
More owner reports
The air bag light was on after being serviced nine times.
NHTSA complaint 10105036
The air bag sensor located in the front passenger seat did not engaged when a passenger sat in the, seat. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and they were unable to resolve the problem.
NHTSA complaint 10108788
Quick answers
Is the 2003 Kia Sorento reliable?
No, it is worse than average by government complaints. It drew 1.8× the average car's complaints filed with NHTSA in its first 3 years, per car sold (Lemon Index 177; 100 is average, lower is better). The best Kia Sorento year by this measure is 2018.
What are the most common 2003 Kia Sorento problems?
In owner complaints to the government, the parts named most are engine (27%), airbags (21%) and brakes (20%). That is the share of complaints, not the share of cars that break.
How many recalls does the 2003 Kia Sorento have?
1 safety recall (latest: fuel system, gasoline). Recall repairs are free at any dealer; check a specific car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What gas mileage does the 2003 Kia Sorento get?
15 mpg combined, depending on the engine (EPA estimate).
At what mileage do 2003 Kia Sorento problems start?
Half of the owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 39,000 and 111,700 miles. The middle report was at 74,000 miles, from 241 complaints.
Does the 2003 Kia Sorento have transmission problems?
Transmission and drivetrain issues aren't among its top 5 complaint areas.
How much does the 2003 Kia Sorento cost in fuel a year?
About $4300 a year, by the EPA's current estimate.
What engines does the 2003 Kia Sorento have?
3.5L 6-cyl.
What Kia Sorento year is better than the 2003?
By owner complaints per car sold, the best recent years are 2018, 2020 and 2012.
Lemon Index = safety complaints filed with the U.S. government (NHTSA) in a car's first 3 years, per car sold, against the average car of the same model year. 100 is average; lower is better. A complaint is an owner's report, not a confirmed defect. How it works