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2019 Kia Sorento
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2019 Kia Sorento — Safety Summary
The 2019 Kia Sorento has 2 NHTSA safety recalls and 428 owner complaints on record. Transport Canada separately lists 4 Canadian recalls for this model. The most frequently reported complaint area is engine. It earned an NHTSA overall safety rating of 5 out of 5. Based on this public data we rate its risk profile as high. Enter your VIN above to confirm which of these apply to your exact vehicle, then get the Smart Buyer Report for a buyer analysis of this model's reliability, common issues by mileage, and a pre-purchase inspection checklist.
Should you buy the 2019 Kia Sorento in Canada?
The 2019 Kia Sorento shows a higher level of recall or complaint activity in public data. That is not a reason to rule it out, but it does mean a careful inspection and VIN-specific check are especially worthwhile.
The best next step is to run the exact VIN and, if the car still looks promising, get a Smart Buyer Report for a model-specific reliability read and an inspection checklist before you visit the seller.
What owners complain about most
The complaint categories reported most often for the 2019 Kia Sorento, based on owner reports in the public NHTSA data.
Complaint patterns suggest where to look — they are not proof any specific vehicle has that issue. Treat them as inspection prompts.
What to check before buying a used 2019 Kia Sorento
- Owners report engine concerns most often for this model — worth checking during an inspection.
- Owners report unknown or other concerns most often for this model — worth checking during an inspection.
- Owners report structure concerns most often for this model — worth checking during an inspection.
- Owners report power train concerns most often for this model — worth checking during an inspection.
- Confirm any open recall work was completed by running the exact VIN.
Canadian ownership considerations
General things worth checking on a used Sorento in the Canadian climate — winter, road salt, and cold-weather wear.
- Check AWD or 4WD operation if equipped — driveline components are costly to repair.
- Road salt drives corrosion on underbody and subframe points; inspect the undercarriage on salt-belt vehicles.
- Verify heater, defroster, and rear demister all work ahead of winter.
- Battery and cold-start reliability are worth confirming for Canadian winters.
Pre-purchase inspection priorities
- Bring a qualified mechanic or book an independent pre-purchase inspection.
- Check the undercarriage for rust and corrosion, especially on salt-belt vehicles.
- Confirm all open recalls have been repaired using the VIN.
- Review maintenance records and look for gaps in servicing.
- Test all winter-critical systems: heater, defroster, battery, and (if equipped) AWD/4WD.
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Unlock the full buyer reportNHTSA Safety Ratings
Government crash test results
NHTSA Recalls
2 recall(s) for this year/model
TRAILER HITCHES
19/09/2022Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Sorento, 2021-2022 Sorento Hybrid (HEV), 2022-2023 Sorento Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV), and 2017-2022 Sportage vehicles equipped with a tow hitch harness installed as original equipment, or purchased as an accessory through a Kia dealership. Debris and moisture accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (PCB) may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire.
Remedy: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will inspect the vehicle, and, as necessary, replace the fuse and/or tow hitch harness module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 11, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC249.
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
15/09/2023Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2019 Sorento vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, water may leak into the rearview camera, which can cause the rearview camera image not to appear on the display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the rearview camera and add additional water proofing to the camera harness, or replace the camera as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 8, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC282.
Transport Canada Recalls
4 Canadian recall(s) from the official Transport Canada database
Engine
2019-12-17Issue: Kia Canada is conducting a Product Improvement Campaign that provides an update to the engine control module to detect potential problems before an engine fails. An engine failure may cause a sudden loss of power with an inability to restart. Safety Risk: A sudden loss of engine power could increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: The company will notify owners by mail. Owners will be instructed to take their vehicle to a dealer to update the software for the engine control module.
Electrical
2021-11-05Issue: Certain vehicles may be equipped with an accessory trailer wiring harness that could fail. Over time, water could leak into the control module and cause a short circuit. If this happens, there could be loss of the trailer lights. Note: This recall affects trailer wiring harness kits that may have been ordered at the time of a vehicle purchase, or purchased separately from a dealer as an aftermarket accessory. Safety Risk: A loss of trailer lights could make the trailer less visible. In addition, other drivers may not recognize that the vehicle ahead is braking or intends to turn. This could increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: Kia will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to inspect the trailer wiring harness. If the harness is from the lot (batch) affected by this problem, the dealer will replace it. Kia recommends that you should always check to ensure that trailer lights work properly before towing.
Visual System
2023-09-18Issue: On certain vehicles, water could leak into the rearview camera and cause the rearview camera image not to display. Canadian regulations require the rearview image to display when reversing. Safety Risk: A rearview camera image that doesn't display could reduce a driver's ability to see behind the vehicle while backing up. This could increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: Kia will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to inspect the rearview camera. The dealer will replace the rearview camera if necessary, and apply additional water proofing to the rearview camera wiring harness.
Label
2024-08-15Issue: On certain vehicles, the compliance label may be missing information in French. The words listed on the label for "Tires", "Rims", "Front" and "Rear" appear in English only, when they should be listed as "Tires/Pneus", "Rims/Jantes", "Front/Avant" and "Rear/Arriere". Canadian regulations require this information to be listed on the label in both English and French. Safety Risk: These small errors do not affect vehicle safety. Corrective Actions: This is not a recall. Kia has corrected the compliance label for all new vehicles.
Contains information sourced from Transport Canada's Vehicle Recalls Database, licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Data is provided "as is" from Transport Canada's monthly release and may not reflect real-time updates. Transport Canada does not endorse this service. Always confirm open recalls with the manufacturer or Transport Canada before purchase.
Owner Complaints
428 complaint(s) filed with NHTSA
Top complaint categories:
Want the full picture?
The free data above comes from public NHTSA records. The Smart Buyer Report adds buyer analysis for this exact model — reliability score, common problems by mileage, real maintenance costs in CAD, a pre-purchase inspection checklist, a market value estimate, and Canadian notes on rust, winter, and fuel.
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Data disclaimer:Vehicle history information on CarHistoryReport.ca is compiled from publicly available government sources, primarily the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Reports may not include all incidents, recalls, or issues related to a specific vehicle. Data is provided "as-is" without warranty of completeness or accuracy. Always obtain a professional pre-purchase inspection before buying any used vehicle. CarHistoryReport.ca is not liable for purchasing decisions made based on report contents.