The Lemon Index
The 3.3 L V6 in the Kia Sorento, Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sedona, model years 2013–2021. Owners filed 3,254 complaints about cars with it (matched by VIN); 50% name the engine, #6 of the 39 everyday engines we track (1 = the most).
Known issues, checked against owner complaints
Problems owners of cars with this engine name much more often than owners of the other 38 everyday engines we track (at least 1.5× the median, and 10+ complaints):
- Oil consumption. 191 of 3,254 owner complaints (5.9%) mention burning or losing oil, against a median of 0.5% for the other 38 everyday engines we track.
Oil consumption is an abnormal rate. Oil needs to be refilled almost every week, and the leak has caused deterioration of spark plugs.
2015 owner · NHTSA complaint 11773343
What YouTube owners say Tone 0-100, higher = more praise than trouble.
Average owner tone 47/100 across 9 model years, from 91 videos about this engine and its cars (#94 of 165 engines with a YouTube study).
Most-watched videos
- Serpentine Belt Replacement and Diagram on Hyundai 3.3 Engine Hyundai Sonata Santa Fe Azera Sorento 573,194 views
- Taking "Blown Up Engine" To A New Level! Kia Sorento 3.3L GDI V6 In Shambles. I AM IMPRESSED! 397,298 views
- KIA Sorento V6: A CHEAP SUV Worth Buying! Fuel Consumption, Problems, Price, 7 Seats. Review 365,189 views
Counted from video titles and captions: praise words against trouble words, weighted by views. Videos only count when the title names this engine or a car that had only this engine in those years.
Cars with this engine Tap a year for that car's full report.
Model years from NHTSA VIN decoding of owner complaints. Only years we have a car page for.
Owner complaints by model year
Counts of complaints filed so far. Older cars have had longer to collect them, and popular cars draw more because more were sold: no one reports sales by engine, so there's no per-car rate. Compare the shares below instead.
By car
| Car | Model years matched | Complaints | Name the engine |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kia Sorento | 2016–20 | 1,384 | 39% |
| Hyundai Santa Fe | 2013–19 | 1,203 | 65% |
| Kia Sedona | 2015–21 | 667 | 45% |
“Name the engine” = the share of that car's VIN-matched complaints that list the engine as a problem area.
What owners complain about
Share of this engine's complaints that name each area (one complaint can name several).
What owners write
| Complaints that | Count | Share | Median, other everyday engines |
|---|---|---|---|
| Say the engine knocked, seized or failed | 814 | 25% | 2.7% |
| Say the engine stalled, shut off or lost power | 548 | 17% | 13% |
| Mention fire, flames or smoke | 318 | 9.8% | 3.2% |
| Mention burning or losing oil | 191 | 5.9% | 0.5% |
| Mention coolant loss or overheating | 186 | 5.7% | 1.2% |
| Mention an oil leak | 133 | 4.1% | 0.5% |
| Mention a head gasket | 109 | 3.3% | 0.1% |
| Mention a lifter, rocker or ticking | 39 | 1.2% | 0.3% |
| Mention the timing chain | 39 | 1.2% | 0.1% |
| Mention a spark plug | 25 | 0.8% | 0.5% |
Counted from the owner's own words in each complaint (all of the car, not only the engine). A share, not a failure rate.
When problems show up
Half of the owners who gave a mileage reported the problem between 18,000 and 90,200 miles; the middle report was at 56,000 miles (1,064 complaints with a mileage).
Recalls that name this engine 2
17V586000 Sep 2017 Engine And Engine Cooling Sorento 2017
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.
Fix. Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the crankshaft, and, as necessary, replace the engine sub assembly, free of charge. The recall began November 6, 2017. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC153.
17V578000 Sep 2017 Engine And Engine Cooling Santa Fe 2017
Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) is recalling certain 2017 Santa Fe vehicles equipped with 3.3L engines. The crankshaft assemblies may have been produced with surface irregularities in the crankshaft pin, causing engine bearing wear.
Fix. Hyundai will notify all owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the engine, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began November 6, 2017. Owners may contact Hyundai customer service at 1-855-371-9460. Hyundai's number for this recall is 168.
NHTSA recalls on these cars and model years whose text names this engine (its size or name). The rest (brakes, air bags, wiring ...) are on each car year's page.
In owners' words
The paint in chipping off down to bare metal all along the edge of the roof above windshield.
2018 owner · NHTSA complaint 11777251
Van suddenly lost velocity for a second and the veered into the right lane.. luckily there was no one there. Road wet but no puddles, no rain. Straight road going 30 mph.
2016 owner · NHTSA complaint 11777008
The back hatch will not latch completely and will not reopen, then requires a manual unlatch from the inside.
2017 owner · NHTSA complaint 11776440
Against the other everyday engines
| Engine | Years | Complaints | Name the engine | Stalled or lost power | Burning oil | Recalls naming it |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5 EcoBoost | 2014–25 | 5,622 | 66% | 15% | 0.2% | 2 |
| 6.2 V8 (Gen V) | 2014–25 | 7,219 | 65% | 24% | 2.2% | 2 |
| 2.4 Theta II | 2010–22 | 21,551 | 51% | 20% | 8.1% | 8 |
| 2.4 Ecotec | 2010–17 | 6,096 | 51% | 21% | 18% | 0 |
| 3.0 EcoDiesel | 2014–23 | 2,871 | 50% | 24% | 0.2% | 7 |
| 3.3 Lambda II | 2013–21 | 3,254 | 50% | 17% | 5.9% | 2 |
| 2.0 EcoBoost | 2012–25 | 9,735 | 48% | 12% | 0.1% | 0 |
| 2.0T Theta II | 2011–22 | 3,325 | 44% | 18% | 4.8% | 2 |
| 1.4 Turbo | 2011–22 | 3,926 | 39% | 17% | 0.9% | 2 |
| 2.4 Tigershark | 2014–22 | 9,631 | 35% | 34% | 4.5% | 5 |
| 1.5 Turbo | 2016–25 | 4,471 | 33% | 27% | 0.3% | 1 |
| EA888 2.0T | 2009–25 | 7,443 | 29% | 16% | 3.7% | 5 |
| A25A | 2018–25 | 2,979 | 26% | 12% | under 0.1% | 1 |
| 1.5 Turbo | 2017–22 | 6,390 | 26% | 14% | 0.2% | 0 |
| J35 V6 | 2003–25 | 24,038 | 24% | 14% | 0.9% | 4 |
| Skyactiv-G 2.5 | 2014–25 | 2,631 | 22% | 11% | 2.7% | 1 |
| 2.7 Turbo | 2019–25 | 1,090 | 22% | 12% | 0.5% | 0 |
| 2AZ-FE | 2001–09 | 7,176 | 22% | 3.7% | 8.6% | 0 |
| 5.4 Triton | 2005–14 | 3,952 | 21% | 15% | 0.1% | 3 |
| 5.7 HEMI | 2003–24 | 23,895 | 19% | 23% | 0.1% | 6 |
| QR25DE | 2002–20 | 16,161 | 19% | 14% | 1.5% | 4 |
| 5.3 V8 (Gen V) | 2014–25 | 13,191 | 18% | 13% | 0.5% | 3 |
| 3.6 Pentastar | 2011–25 | 34,634 | 18% | 16% | 0.4% | 9 |
| 2.3 EcoBoost | 2015–25 | 3,975 | 16% | 9.9% | 0.1% | 12 |
| 3.8 Lambda II | 2020–25 | 4,423 | 16% | 8.0% | 5.6% | 0 |
| FB20 | 2012–25 | 2,336 | 15% | 8.2% | 1.7% | 0 |
| 3.6 V6 | 2009–23 | 14,214 | 14% | 14% | 0.1% | 1 |
| K24 | 2002–19 | 15,062 | 14% | 5.1% | 1.6% | 0 |
| 2GR-FKS | 2016–24 | 3,758 | 12% | 11% | 0.2% | 2 |
| 3.5 Cyclone V6 | 2007–19 | 21,313 | 12% | 11% | 0.1% | 0 |
| VQ35 V6 | 2002–25 | 12,613 | 12% | 11% | 0.2% | 1 |
| 3UR-FE | 2007–21 | 1,377 | 12% | 8.8% | 0.4% | 0 |
| FB25 | 2011–25 | 9,853 | 11% | 6.2% | 1.5% | 0 |
| 2AR-FE | 2009–18 | 4,673 | 11% | 6.6% | 1.3% | 1 |
| 2GR-FE | 2005–18 | 8,680 | 10% | 3.5% | 0.3% | 0 |
| 3.8 V6 | 2007–11 | 7,877 | 9% | 17% | 0.5% | 0 |
| 5.3 V8 (Gen IV) | 2007–14 | 9,241 | 8% | 4.5% | 1.3% | 0 |
| 1GR-FE | 2003–24 | 5,757 | 7% | 4.0% | under 0.1% | 0 |
| 4.8 V8 | 2007–13 | 726 | 6% | 4.8% | 0.1% | 0 |
Shares of each engine's own complaints, matched by VIN. They show what owners complain about, not how often engines break.
Quick answers
Is the Hyundai / Kia 3.3 V6 (Lambda II) reliable?
No one reports sales by engine, so there's no per-car score. Of the 3,254 complaints owners filed about cars with it, 50% name the engine, #6 of the 39 everyday engines we track (1 = the most). 191 (5.9%) mention burning or losing oil, against 0.5% for the other engines.
What cars have the Hyundai / Kia 3.3 V6 (Lambda II)?
In our data: the Kia Sorento, Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sedona, model years 2013–2021, matched by the VIN in each owner complaint.
What are the most common 3.3 Lambda II problems?
In owner complaints to the government: engine, electrical, transmission & drivetrain.
How many recalls name the 3.3 Lambda II?
2 NHTSA recalls on these cars name it.
Complaints: NHTSA owner complaints filed under each car's own NHTSA names (the same ones its car pages count), all years filed, one per complaint number. Engine: decoded from the complaint's VIN with NHTSA's vPIC decoder (displacement, cylinders, engine model, turbo, hybrid) and the engine maker's model years; a VIN that doesn't decode to exactly one engine is left out. Older cars have had more years to collect complaints, and popular cars draw more because more were sold. Source: NHTSA owner complaints (FLAT_CMPL + COMPLAINTS_RECEIVED_2025-2026), received through 20261111; engines: NHTSA vPIC VIN decoder (batch); NHTSA recalls API. Engine names and model years: Hyundai.