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What 875 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Kia Sorento

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (875)Crash / fire / injury (104)Engine (460)Electrical system (127)Brakes (101)Airbags (79)Lights (60)Transmission & drivetrain (55)Fuel system (38)Body & structure (35)Speed control (29)Visibility & wipers (28)

10 of 875 complaints match · Airbags · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Sep 18, 2025AirbagsBody & structureEngineCrash2 injuries

Hey I’ve Recently Wrecked My Vehicle Due To Malfunctions This Year Just A Few Months Ago & I Reported It To The Dealer Before I Crashed It. That Something Was Wrong With The Engine And Also Sent The Dealership I Purchased It From Videos Before Hand But Nobody Would Listen To Me. Now My Car Is Sitting In A lot Engine Blowed And I Can’t Afford Another One. I Have Proof , Names And Also Couldn’t Get My Car Fixed Because I Only Had Liability Insurance Only. No Report Was Filed Because Me And The Other Vehicle Was Transported To Uab Hospital.

NHTSA ODI 11688229

Oct 13, 2023AirbagsCrash4 injuries

The contact owned a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at 42 MPH, another vehicle failed to stop at a stop sign, and she collided with the other vehicle head-on. As a result, her vehicle careened off the roadway and into a ditch, colliding with an unoccupied parked vehicle before coming to a complete stop. The air bags did not deploy. A police report and injuries were reported. The driver and her passengers were transported to an area hospital by EMS and treated for various injuries. The driver was treated for injuries to her neck, right shoulder, both wrists, lower back, and left knee; her husband was treated for a two-inch laceration to his neck; and her son was treated for an injury to his right knee. The driver of the other vehicle was treated at an area hospital for unknown injuries. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard, where it remained as the contact had yet to hear from her insurance provider. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11549871

Nov 28, 2018Electrical systemAirbagsEngineFire

I WAS DRIVING THE TRUCK WHEN I HEARD A LOUD NOISE LIKE A FIRE GUN THAN I SAW SMOKE COMING OUT FROM THE ENGINE, I PULLED OVER AND SAW THAT THE ENGINE WAS ALREADY ON FIRE, I GOT MY TWO DAUGHTERS OUT OF THE TRUCK AND FIVE MINUTES LATER THE WHOLE TRUCK EXPLOTED

NHTSA ODI 11154607

Dec 13, 2017AirbagsCrash1 injury

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2012 KIA SORENTO. WHILE DRIVING 20-25 MPH AND MAKING A LEFT TURN, THE VEHICLE WAS STRUCK ON THE REAR PASSENGER DOOR AND REAR QUARTER PANEL. THE AIR BAGS FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS EQUIPPED WITH REAR PASSENGER SIDE CURTAIN AIR BAGS, WHICH FAILED TO DEPLOY. THE CONTACT WAS TRANSPORTED BY AMBULANCE TO A HOSPITAL FOR A FRACTURED COLLAR BONE, WHICH REQUIRED MEDICAL ATTENTION. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. JENKINS KIA OF GAINESVILLE (3345 N MAIN ST, GAINESVILLE, FL 32609, (855) 764-9404) WAS CONTACTED, BUT THE DEALER WAS UNABLE TO READ THE DATA FROM THE BLACK BOX IN THE VEHICLE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86,000. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI 11054544

May 11, 2017AirbagsCrash

THE AIR BAGS DID NOT COME OUT AND THE CAR WAS TOLLED.

NHTSA ODI 10984842

Mar 19, 2017SteeringSuspensionAirbagsCrash1 injury

TAKATA RECALL- I HAD JUST STOPPED TURNED A CORNER AND THEN VEHICLE PULLED TO THE RIGHT CAUSING ME TO HIT A POLE.

NHTSA ODI 10967040

Nov 3, 2015AirbagsBrakesCrash

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE COMING THE A STOP, THE BRAKES FAILED TO RESPOND WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. AS A RESULT, THE VEHICLE TO CRASHED INTO A RESTAURANT. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CONTACT DID NOT SUSTAIN ANY INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS STILL AT THE LOCATION OF THE CRASH AT THE TIME OF THE CALL. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 13,741.

NHTSA ODI 10788146

Aug 30, 2012AirbagsCrash1 injury

I JUST TURNED RIGHT ON THE MAIN STREET IN MY SUBDIVISION WHEN A MOTORCYCLE GOING AT A HIGH RATE OF SPEED HIT THE SPEED BUMP AN RAN RIGHT INTO MY DOOR ON DRIVERS SIDE. NO AIR BAGS WENT OFF AN THERE IS AIR BAGS ON THE DOOR. BOTH OF US TRANSPORTED BY EMS TO HOSPITAL. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10473009

May 15, 2012AirbagsCrash2 injuries

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 KIA SORENTO. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, ANOTHER VEHICLE CRASHED INTO THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE BETWEEN THE FRONT AND REAR PASSENGER SIDE DOORS. THE AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE RIGHT HIP AND NECK. THE PASSENGER SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE NECK, HIP, RIGHT ARM AND RIGHT LEG. THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER WERE BOTH TRANSPORTED TO THE HOSPITAL VIA AMBULANCE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A COLLISION CENTER. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 8,426.

NHTSA ODI 10458567

Feb 1, 2012BrakesAirbagsSpeed controlCrash1 injury

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2012 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING ON A MOUNTAINOUS ROAD AT APPROXIMATELY 25 MPH, THE VEHICLE UNEXPECTEDLY INCREASED ACCELERATION. THE CONTACT APPLIED THE BRAKE PEDAL, BUT THE PEDAL DEPRESSED TO THE FLOOR. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO ACCELERATE AND CRASHED INTO THE REAR OF ANOTHER VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE EVENTUALLY STOPPED AFTER CRASHING INTO A CEMENT WALL. THE AIRBAG LOCATED IN THE STEERING WHEEL DID NOT DEPLOY UPON IMPACT. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED AND THE CONTACT SUSTAINED INJURIES TO THE HEAD AND THE ENTIRE BODY. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE. THE INSURANCE DECLARED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND STATED THAT THE AIR BAGS AND BRAKES WERE FAULTY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 385. UPDATED 11/20/15*LJ *TR

NHTSA ODI 10446155

Working with the data? Download all 875 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 10, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2012 Kia Sorento verdict →