KnownCarProblems2003 Kia Sorento Problems and Recalls
Owners filed 305 complaints with NHTSA about the 2003 Kia Sorento, most often about the engine (41% of complaints, typically around 73,000 miles). It is 10th of 24 Sorento model years by number of complaints and has 1 recall.
Most common 2003 Kia Sorento problems
Engine
124 complaints · 41%Half of these problems showed up before 73,000 miles. Parts named most often: engine, cooling system, exhaust system.
Second occurrence in less than 900 miles, third occurrence overall, of the crankshaft pulley bolt coming loose. Lose of power steering occurs when belts come loose.
The reservoir on my 2003 Kia Sorento ruptured and all the coolant leaked out while I was driving. I pulled off the highway and into a gas station and the let the car cool. I then added in anti- freeze and filled it with water and drove another 10 miles and dropped the car at a repair shop. The next day the car would…
Fuel system
77 complaints · 25%Half of these problems showed up before 95,000 miles. Parts named most often: delivery, storage, fuel injection system.
I have a 2003 Kia Sorento and last year it started to spray gas out at me everytime I went to fill it up. I took it in to have it checked and they couldn't find anything. My Kia is still doing this and I am getting tired of getting sprayed with gas everytime I try to put gas in the thing. It needs fixed and Kia should…
When I attempt to fill the gas tank in my 2003 Kia Sorento, the gasoline blows back at me. This happens every time I add gas. If I am not careful it gets on my clothing, shoes, outside of my vehicle and on the ground. The dealership has quoted that a repair would cost between $650.00 and $850.00 to fix it although…
Steering
31 complaints · 10%Half of these problems showed up before 79,000 miles. Parts named most often: hydraulic power assist system, hydraulic power assist, electric power assist system.
Tl contact owns a 2003 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving the steering wheel locked and could not turn left or right. The mechanic stated that a bolt and balancer detached from the hinges. The contact suggested that the power steering may have been low in fluid. The current and failure mileage were…
The contact owns a 2003 Kia Sorento. While driving at 55 MPH, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The contact had to apply force to the steering wheel in order to turn the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the harmonica balance in the steering column needed to be…
Air bags
30 complaints · 10%Half of these problems showed up before 60,000 miles. Parts named most often: frontal, side/window.
Vehicle went in for repair of heater core at which time the dashboard was removed. 2 days later the airbag light came on and stayed on. Went back to the dealer who said it was getting to much of a charge but it was not covered under warranty and was not caused by them. When asked what caused it they do not know. They…
In september, 2006, at approximately 55200 miles, the airbag failure light came on. Diagnosis by the dealer on 5 sept 2006 (invoice 107484) revealed "ordered drivers air bag, fault b1346, 1st stage resistance to [sic] high." on 25 sept 2006, after first ordering the wrong part(invoice 107945), the dealer replaced the…
Electrical
29 complaints · 10%Half of these problems showed up before 67,000 miles. Parts named most often: wiring, ignition, horn, 12v/24v/48v battery.
Tl contact owns a 2003 Kia Sorento. After removing the key from the ignition, the contact noticed that the engine was still running. She is in the process of having the vehicle inspected to determine the cause of the failure. The failure and current mileages were 67,000.
I had a 1 year old battery replaced, which was defective (non-Kia dealer). Afterwards, I noticed that the air bag warning light was illuminated. Kia dealer said it was due to a bad sensor ($300 part, $300 labor). It was too expensive for me to pursue correcting. I told the dealer to forget the repair.
Brakes
24 complaints · 8%Half of these problems showed up before 36,000 miles. Parts named most often: foundation components, antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip.
The contact owns a 2003 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormal noise when the battery and another unknown warning light illuminated. In addition, the contact had to pump the brake pedal several times before the vehicle would stop and the power steering…
We had a vibration in the front end of the car when we stopped. We took it to the local Kia dealer. We were told that the rotors were warped. We bought the car new, it only had 33,000 miles on it. Was told that the rotors warranty was 5yr/50000 miles, but only on defects. Since most rotors wear out at 65k or 70k miles…
Transmission
22 complaints · 7%Half of these problems showed up before 59,500 miles. Parts named most often: driveline, automatic transmission, axle assembly.
While driving, the engine blew out the first time on 10-04-04. It was replaced and it blew again on 01-21-05. The vehicle is on its third engine. The key became stuck in the ignition, the vehicle shifted out of park. The consumer stated he has had transmissions and engine problems since he purchased the vehicle. The…
My car had a horrible noise & I was told that it was the drive shaft. I got a friend to drive it to a Kia kendall and they were to warranty the part that was defective. In the process of driving car to dealer it came apart hit the bottom of car deployed air bags, cracked windshield, gas tank also cracked. This was a…
Suspension
17 complaints · 6%Half of these problems showed up before 79,000 miles. Parts named most often: front.
The contact owns a 2003 Kia Sorento. While driving at 55 MPH, the steering wheel became difficult to turn. The contact had to apply force to the steering wheel in order to turn the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the harmonica balance in the steering column needed to be…
The contact owns a 2003 Kia Sorento. While driving approximately 35 MPH, a loud noise emitted from under the vehicle. The contact continued driving and the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealer who stated the rear axle had completely rusted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified and they…
Complaints are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. One complaint can name several components, so shares add up to more than 100%.
2003 Kia Sorento recalls
Fuel system: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Risk: Fuel leakage, in the presence of an ignition source, could result in a fire.
Fix: Dealers will replace a section of the fuel line. The recall began on october 10, 2005. Owners may contact kia at 1-800-333-4542.
Full defect summary
Certain sport utility vehicles may experience a fuel leak from fuel tubes near the fuel tank due to an interference fit with the vehicle floor panel.
Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer. Enter your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which recalls are still open on your car.
NHTSA defect investigations
Fuel spill during refueling
Summary
Complaints allege that while refueling the vehicle, fuel can spill out or spit back from the fuel filler port on model year (my) 2003 kia sorento vehicles (subject vehicles).consumers report that the spilled fuel can splash on the person fueling the vehicle, or on the side of the vehicle and the ground.the subject vehicles are equipped with an evaporative emissions control system that, among other things, manages air exchange between the fuel tank and the atmosphere in an environmentally safe manner.the system consists of a vapor canister, various control valves and tubing, and a canister filter (fuel tank air filter) through which the air that flows in and out of the fuel tank must pass.kia
Questions about the 2003 Kia Sorento
- What are the most common problems with the 2003 Kia Sorento?
- By NHTSA owner complaints: engine (124 complaints, typically around 73,000 miles); fuel system (77 complaints, typically around 95,000 miles); steering (31 complaints, typically around 79,000 miles).
- How many recalls does the 2003 Kia Sorento have?
- 1 recall listed by NHTSA, the latest from August 4, 2005 (fuel system). Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see which ones are still open on your car.
- Is the 2003 a bad year for the Kia Sorento?
- It is 10th of 24 Sorento model years by number of complaints, with 305 complaints. Complaint counts are not adjusted for how many cars were sold, so popular years collect more of them, and the newest years have had less time to.