2008 KIA Sorento problems
Owners have filed 319 complaints about the 2008 KIA Sorento with NHTSA. Air bags account for 21% of them — the clear leader, ahead of electronic stability control (ESC) at 13.8%.
Complaints319
Crashes19
Fires17
Injuries20
Deaths3
What owners report breaking
Air bags 21.0% · 67
Electronic stability control (ESC) 13.8% · 44
Engine 11.0% · 35
Electrical system 10.0% · 32
Vehicle speed control 8.8% · 28
Power train 7.2% · 23
Service brakes 6.0% · 19
Exterior lighting 4.1% · 13
Severity
Of those complaints, 19 describe a crash, 17 describe a fire, 20 report an injury and 3 report a death.
Reading the numbers
Across the 20 model years of the KIA Sorento in this data, 2008 sits 15th by complaint volume. 2011 draws the most.
Filings have fallen off, 11 in the last three years against 56 in the three before. That is normal as a generation leaves the road.
The median odometer reading at the time of complaint was 59,600 miles.
In owners' own words
The contact owns a 2008 KIA Sorento. While driving 60 mph, the esc, passenger side air bag, and motor light illuminated before the vehicle lost power. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was not included in nhtsa campaign number: 11v473000 (air bags). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The aproximate failure mileage was 180,000. Air bags · reported at 180,000 miles
2008 KIA Sorento faulty passenger airbag. Consumer states that the airbag works intermittently. Consumer states that it does not work when his father is in the vehicle. *Kb the wiring connection was loose and the sensor was reset on the first visit. The second time, the dealer stated they would have to order a cushion to replace the passenger side seat because the sensor was in the cushion. Air bags
The contact owns 2008 KIA Sorento. The contact stated that the passenger side air bag warning light occasionally failed to indicate that a passenger was seated in the front seat. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who stated that the manufacturer would not replace the computer because it was a smarts system. The vin was unknown. The failure mileage was 62,000. Air bags · reported at 62,000 miles
Verbatim from NHTSA filings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.
Safety recalls
Checking NHTSA for open recalls…