The Lemon Index2005 Kia Sorento.
The 2005 Kia Sorento is worse than average by owner complaints: 61 complaints in its first 3 years and a Lemon Index of 179, where 100 is the average car. Owners complain most about airbags, it has 0 recalls, and it gets 15 to 16 mpg combined. The best Kia Sorento year is 2018.
Before you buy. What matters most for this car.
How serious. Out of 307 owner complaints, owners reported:
Older model year: fewer owners filed complaints back then, so treat the score as rough.
Every Kia Sorento year. 2005 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 43K to 111K miles on the car (255 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 82K–120K miles
- lights complaints mostly came at 18K–94K miles
- electrical complaints mostly came at 19K–106K miles
Recalls 0
No safety recalls on record.
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 27 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.
Safety
Crash stars (older test): front ★★★★☆ · side ★★★★★ · rollover —
Fuel cost and engines
About $4000–4300 a year in fuel (EPA estimate). Engines: 3.5L 6-cyl.
In owners' words
Headlights frequently go out. I have had to change them twice since I bought the car one year ago. They get extremely hot and almost melt. This is extremely dangerous and it seems like there are many others with a similar problem.
2005 Kia Sorento owner · NHTSA complaint 10150466
More owner reports
The air bag light appeared on the dashboard and remained on while driving. Driver took vehicle to the dealer, and mechanic determined that the sensor needed to be replaced.
NHTSA complaint 10107215
Dt: caller states her son had an accident and none of the air bags deployed.
NHTSA complaint 10122181
Quick answers
Is the 2005 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 179; 100 is average, lower is better). The best Kia Sorento year by this measure is 2018.
What are the most common 2005 Kia Sorento problems?
In owner complaints to the government, the parts named most are airbags (43%), lights (23%) and engine (20%). That is the share of complaints, not the share of cars that break.
How many recalls does the 2005 Kia Sorento have?
None: NHTSA has no safety recalls on record for it.
What gas mileage does the 2005 Kia Sorento get?
15 to 16 mpg combined, depending on the engine (EPA estimate).
At what mileage do 2005 Kia Sorento problems start?
Half of the owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 43,800 and 111,000 miles. The middle report was at 84,400 miles, from 255 complaints.
Does the 2005 Kia Sorento have transmission problems?
Transmission and drivetrain issues aren't among its top 5 complaint areas.
How much does the 2005 Kia Sorento cost in fuel a year?
About $4000 to $4300 a year, by the EPA's current estimate.
What engines does the 2005 Kia Sorento have?
3.5L 6-cyl.
What Kia Sorento year is better than the 2005?
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