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Oh no, what’s wrong with the Kia Sorento? Why does this attractive SUV have such a weak reliability ranking? To be fair, only one outlet gave the Sorento a really low score. The Sorento has plenty of advantages to consider, such as having more passenger space than the Toyota Highlander. However, the 2023 Kia Sorento could be held back by a low reliability score. 

How reliable is the 2023 Kia Sorento? 

A red Kia Sorento Hybrid midsize hybrid SUV is driving on the road.
The 2023 Kia Sorento Hybrid | Kia

The 2023 Kia Sorento faces an extremely low-reliability ranking from Consumer Reports. It falls well below average, which could be concerning. The predicted reliability ranking is based on problems that owners report on previous models. 

But on a positive note, J.D. Power gave the 2023 Sorento a reliability ranking of 81 out of 100. Anything between 91 to 100 is the best, and scores between 81 to 90 are great. Anything between 70 to 80 is average. 

The Sorento is hanging on the above-average category by one point. The 2022 model earned a score of 83, so it did lose two points, but that’s not a huge fluctuation.

J.D. Power ranks vehicles based on what buyers report after three years of ownership. The Sorento was redesigned in 2021 and gained new engine options. It also includes a little about the quality. So being in the above-average quality indicates that the Sorento has a durable build quality with tons of value

How many miles will a 2023 Sorento last? 

The 2023 Kia Sorento is expected to make it over 200,000 miles. However, it’s not uncommon for the Sorento to make it between 250,000 to 300,000 miles. But the 2023 Toyota Highlander is expected to reach 300,000 miles. 

That means it has the advantage of 100,000 extra miles on the road, which could provide a few more years on the road. But take these reliability rankings a little lightly. The 2023 Sorento could use a little more time to be put through the paces. 

If you drive an average of 15,000 miles annually, then you could get between 13 to 20 years of service from the Sorento on the road before needing a significant repair. 

The Sorento Hybrid could last longer as electric motors reduce stress on the internal combustion engine. But the battery currently costs about $3,000 to replace and has a life span of about 10 to 15 years. 

The warranty covers the hybrid powertrain for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Also, the Sorento isn’t considered to be high mileage until it crosses 100,000 miles. 

It’s possible that the Sorento Hybrid could last longer than the gas-powered model. Using energy from the batteries may put less stress on the engine. However, you may need to replace the battery after about 15 years of use. It could cost between $2,000 to $8,000 to replace.

What are the biggest Sorento problems?

2023 Sorento SX in blue driving down the road
2023 Sorento SX | Kia

The 2023 Kia Sorento looks pretty good compared to older models. If you take a peek at CarCompaints, you’ll see that the previous Sorento generation struggles with more complaints than the current generation that kicked off in 2021. 

Models with the most complaints and problems reported are from 2016, 2014, and 2011. These models could be responsible for bringing Sorento’s score down on Consumer Reports. 

In recent history, the 2022 Sorento has had the most complaints, with seven reports of trouble. Four issues are related to the engine, and three are related to the transmission. 

The engine complaints involve the vehicle turning off while idling and then failing to start. After having the service engine light reset, owners haven’t reported further problems. It may have corrected the issue. 

Also, two drivers needed a new transmission. At least, that’s an extremely low number. Another driver had a warning message to check the transmission fluid level with under 2,000 miles driven. Adding more fluid may have corrected the problem. 

These problems aren’t very big or concerning. Sure, transmission issues are always scary, but there are only two reports about it out of hundreds of thousands of models on the road.

The 2023 Sorento may not be as reliable as its rivals, but the low predicted reliability ranking from Consumer Reports might be unfair. J.D.Power provides similar results, though. Other sources suggest that it has an average reliability ranking, and most of the problems are reported on the previous generation.