The Lemon Index2006 Kia Sorento.
The 2006 Kia Sorento is about average by owner complaints: 35 complaints in its first 3 years and a Lemon Index of 99, where 100 is the average car. Owners complain most about transmission & drivetrain, it has 1 recall, 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 242 owner complaints, owners reported:
Older model year: fewer owners filed complaints back then, so treat the score as rough.
Every Kia Sorento year. 2006 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 48K to 110K miles on the car (208 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 73K–117K miles
- lights complaints mostly came at 29K–91K miles
- electrical complaints mostly came at 30K–98K miles
Recalls 1
- lights 2009
HUYNDAI-KIA IS RECALLING 139,844 MY 2006-2007- SEDONA, SPORTAGE, SORENTO AND MY RONDO AND AMANTI VEHICLES.
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 19 repair notes for this car. The ones about its biggest problems:
- Possible abnormal vibration/noise when shifting from park to drive or reverse due to…
- Transmission shift hesitation
- Automatic transmission adaptive value reset/relearn
Ask a seller or mechanic if these were done. Some are free under warranty or a special program.
Government investigations
- ClosedThrottle control system vulnerabilities2021–2023
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 $4000–4300 a year in fuel (EPA estimate). Engines: 3.5L 6-cyl.
In owners' words
We have a 2006 Kia the suv type and the proble is that when we filled the gas tank the gasa gauge would would go to empty in 32 miles and al so the shifter handel poped out the holder
2006 Kia Sorento owner · NHTSA complaint 10176507
More owner reports
Replaced front rotors,18,000,26,000 miles. Needs to be replaced again at 30,000 miles. Both brake lights have been replaced. Replaced rear drive shaft and installed shielded wire from tcm to transmission sensor.
NHTSA complaint 10227902
Quick answers
Is the 2006 Kia Sorento reliable?
About average by government complaints. It drew about the average number of complaints filed with NHTSA in its first 3 years, per car sold (Lemon Index 99; 100 is average, lower is better). The best Kia Sorento year by this measure is 2018.
What are the most common 2006 Kia Sorento problems?
In owner complaints to the government, the parts named most are transmission & drivetrain (23%), lights (23%) and brakes (17%). That is the share of complaints, not the share of cars that break.
How many recalls does the 2006 Kia Sorento have?
1 safety recall (latest: lights). Recall repairs are free at any dealer; check a specific car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What gas mileage does the 2006 Kia Sorento get?
15 to 16 mpg combined, depending on the engine (EPA estimate).
At what mileage do 2006 Kia Sorento problems start?
Half of the owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 48,400 and 110,500 miles. The middle report was at 81,000 miles, from 208 complaints.
Does the 2006 Kia Sorento have transmission problems?
Transmission and drivetrain issues make up 23% of its owner complaints.
How much does the 2006 Kia Sorento cost in fuel a year?
About $4000 to $4300 a year, by the EPA's current estimate.
What engines does the 2006 Kia Sorento have?
3.5L 6-cyl.
What Kia Sorento year is better than the 2006?
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