Used 2011 Kia Sorento Consumer Reviews

Update vs RAV4 Review 09-24-10

Never buy 1st year model! The latest on my Kia is the master cylinder went bad. Always had a "soft" brake pedal. Took it in to be checked. Needed a new master cylinder. Had to order new one. Dealer "fixed it"? two days later. Next morning pedal almost went to floor! Back to dealer. I didn't find ant TSB on a problem w/brakes. Won't get back for three days! Also problem w/pulling to right. Mechanic cross rotated tires to fix problem. Said was "radial pull". I already had tires rotated at last service. Didn't help. Haven't driven it much since brake problem, so can't verify if fixed. So what is the big deal on the warranty if you have to continue bringing it to dealer for repairs!

Pleased

Bought the KIA in Sept of 2010. Originally went for Hyundai, but after road testing both, decided on the KIA. Have never regretted the choice. Good combined mileage ( we have V6) and good performance. Look forward to taking long trip to really appreciate the vehicle.

Review

Have 4500 miles on my 2011 Sorento and just barely still have the fillings in my teeth. Over city streets it feels like the suspension is going to fail. I've contacted Kia. many times and their answer is that a fix hasn't been issued yet for the suspension. I guess they will wait long enough for me to get upset enough and sell the car then their off the hook. The car has a lot of nice features but driving city streets everyday comfortably isn't one of them. If you experience the same problem contact Kia and complain.

Unique

We have driven our LX v6 Sorento for 2 months now. It averages about 19 mpg in regular driving and 21 on the highway, lower than expected. The car is well thought out and has great style. The front suspension is louder than my old drum set when going over even the smallest bumps, this needs to be recalled for this reason.Kia knows it is a problem since the new SX uses a different suspension system. Kia think of us and offer a fix to the LX suspension. Other than that a nice SUV.

Well-built

I was impressed with the way the car handled and the comfortable ride. Also it was very quiet compared to my Ford Escape. I'm satisfied with everything about the car so far. I've had it 5 months and driven 5000 miles. The rear sensors and rear camera are very convenient for people that may have a problem turning to check what's behind them. Very nice vehicle. Has it all over the Escape I had.

kia sorento

I traded from a Nissan Pathfinder. I love the ride and gas mileage (23mpg) on average. The bluetooth is unreliable for voice recognition. I have yet to be successful with downloading my I-Pod. It says "USB" empty. I had one experience while backing down a hill in reverse, after breaking, the vehicle acted as though it was in park, but would not accelerate. After several attempts at reverse I put it in drive, drove back up the hill, then it would go into reverse. Not sure what this issue is. I plan to contact service tomorrow. I have the 7 passenger vehicle. Overall I am very pleased with this vehicle.

So far so good

Had the Sorento for almost 4 months. Everything has been great so far. It drives very well, handles well and the interior is very well designed. No complaints or problems.

Transmission Breakdown

Purchased in February 2010 (in Texas), KIA Sorento broke down out of state (Ft. Bragg, NC) Thanksgiving week 2010. KIA had vehicle towed to nearest dealer - A+. KIA provided rental immediately - A+. KIA Dealership reported transmission and drive shaft would need to be replaced. (Vehicle started but would not move and made grinding noise). KIA now states "We do not have a follow back policy" meaning I'm supposed to pay for vehicle to be returned from near Ft. Bragg NC to where I reside in Texas - F. Anyone know the law? I have owned 7 KIA's including this one, you would think KIA would reward such loyalty?

9 month review

I purchased my Sorento March 2010 I now have 5,000 miles.. I do enjoy the vehicle except there a many rattles inside and the ride seems to be a bit harsh..not very comfortable.. The 4-cy is just adequate.. My car does not like to go up any hills/inclines.. the engine revs up to 4-5000 rpm and will not shift until I get to the top. Gas mileage is around 18mpg nothing great. Waiting to see how the AWD will be in the snow/ice. So far not overly satisfied with the vehicle.. but not the worst choice either.. I would like a better engine and better ride.

Satisfied So Far

We purchased our 2011 Sorento a few weeks ago. Driving conservatively, getting around 25 mpg in town. Spacious interior...husband is 6'4 and fits comfortably with adequate head room. Appealing looking interior & exterior. Ride not as smooth over rougher roads. Occasional rattling in rear area...not able to identify. Click sound from dashboard, behind radio when slowing down & hitting 5 mph. Dealership stated that the click noise is due to a "relay" which allows a driver to move from Drive to Reverse. The sound is a little frustrating/irritating to me but may not bother other drivers. Overall, the vehicle appears to be a great purchase.

Happy So Far

I've had my Sorento LX V6 AWD since 10/2010, aside from 2 minor recalls (which is not a bad thing), things have been good. Had a jerking/banging issue when truck started which was due to a transmission update which the dealer mechanic reset to factory specs, now everythign is fine. Kuhmo tires are ok. A little scared hearing the horror stories since I only have 10K miles on it, but, only time will tell.

Great car at a great price!

I really wanted a loaded Highlander Hybrid, but it was way out of our price range. A client tipped me off on the 2011 Kia Sorento. I'm so glad he did. The Sorento SX had almost everything I wanted in the Highlander for $15K less. And you can't beat the warranty either. It was a "can't lose" purchase! My husband and I both drive it as it is the main car we use to drive our toddler around in. We've had it for almost 6 months now and it's been a great SUV for in town and long road trips. I'm also very happy with the service from both Kia dealerships I have been to in Portland and Beaverton.

292K Still Going Strong

I bought this new in February 2010. I have 292K on it and only changed oil, tires, battery, serpentine belt, brake pads, and struts. I've never had any problems with the 2.4 liter or transmission. I pulled our boat with it and dragged a trailer cross country through mountains and desert with no issues. This is the most dependable and versatile car I have ever owned. No leaks and compression test is still within factory specification. I wonder why some owners have so many problems.

So far so good

I bought my sorento 3 months ago. It's a sx v6. This car has plenty of power. With 130,000 it is still tight but the is a little firm. I've put on 3000 miles. Hopefully, it will be trouble free to

Nice, gently used vehicle

I have made several repairs to this vehicle including a new air conditioner, struts, and the serpentine belt and pulleys.

Excellent SUV, no problems.

10 years later it runs as good as new. My previous SUV was a Mercedes ML320 I had for 10 years also. I marked it down 1 star for the stupid way they hang the feeble spare tire underneath the back end of the SUV instead of protected storage inside under the back deck.

Must have gotten lucky

I bought mine new in February 2011 and have had to do no major work on it aside from one engine mount needing replaced. This auto has been a consistently decent ride with plenty of room for hauling 8' boards and small appliances as long as I can put the back seats down. Nice comfortable ride, good winter driver. Has been chugging along right with 212000 miles on it .

I love my KIA

I have a 2011 KIA Sorento 2.4L 4cyl 6-speed manual transmission. Other than the normal wear and tear, this SUV has been GREAT for my family. I bought it used with 113,000 miles on it 7 years ago and today I have over 207,000 miles on it. This is one car I will never trade out of or sale. I have had so many people tell me how rare it is to find a manual transmission KIA SUV and that mine is the first they have ever seen. This SUV has been very reliable and pretty good on gas mileage over the years. I’m one proud KIA owner!!!

Looks like I have a lemon!!

I bought a 2011 EX last year with 163,000 miles on it and, foolishly, just took it for a (very) quick test ride. What a mistake! The left rear door won't open from either side - it seems the rods that unlock the door have a reputation for breaking and I've been told that the rod that unlocks the door on the outside is probably broken and the child lock is probably activated so it won't open from the inside! 2 different mechanics and an auto body guy have all told me they have no idea how to repair it since you can't get the door open to take the interior panel off to repair it. But that's nothing compared to the engine. The car will hesitate and stumble during acceleration and almost stall when stopped at a red light and the check engine light will start blinking. To make matters even more frustrating, about 30% of the time I drive it, it runs smoother than a baby's bottom with no problems! I had a local, reputable shop spend 1.5 days looking at it and after a $1300 bill they replaced the alternator, head gasket and all 6 coil packs and spark plugs. (It seems the bad head gasket was leaking oil onto the alternator) The car ran great for 2 weeks then suddenly I was right back to square one, running terribly 70% of the time and great for the other 30% - it's enough to drive a guy crazy! And just to keep things as brief as possible that's only part of the sad story. This EX does have a very nice engine when it runs right - smooth and powerful and all of the other positive things folks have said about it are true but MY experience has been nothing but an exercise in frustration. BTW, I have a friend who owns a 2015 Soul and he has been having similar engine problems even though the Soul has an entirely different engine. I really want to love my Sorento EX but it's SO hard to do so!!

poor mileage

I purchased this auto based on research. One of the main reasons was for the advertised mileage.I have to say I am extremely dissapointed. I normally drive my autos ten or more years,but not this one.

Just needs a little work

Bought 3/15/2010 as my company vehicle. The drive by wire throttle system is sluggish to respond to changes. Probably not as noticeably in an automatic. The transmission (manual) is difficult to shift into 1st and 2nd when outside temp is cold (below 50). The fuel economy is not what I was hoping for either. It's getting better (started at about 19, but now averages 21-22 combined city/hwy). Quality of the audio system is not the greatest. It distorts badly when played loud. I wanted to get some miles on it before complaining about anything. It now has 6500 miles on it, so it's time to go to the dealer. Love the vehicle, it just a has a few quirks to iron out. Hopefully they can.

Problems with the headliner

This is a our first brand new car we purchased! We were very happy until we noticed the headliner was not completely attached to the top of the car on the inside. They had to completely replace it! They ended up breaking the the back panels to replace it and those are on back orders! From then on it seemed something was wrong with things that were taken apart. They told me it was because we had a higher mileage car. It only had 18,000 when this h append. I'm hoping this problem gets fixed and we have no more issues. Over all I love my Sorento!!

2011 sorento

Are they using rubber in the tires?

Don't get scammed by the cheap tires. Okay, frustration has set in. An online Kia survey and a call to my Kia dealership regarding the lack of traction have fallen on deaf ears. Well this morning my wife lost traction and caused an accident. For those thinking that the tires are probably bald.....the vehicle just hit 3000 miles. Finally ready for its 1st oil change. Just got off the phone with the dealership again and they said "we'll take a look at them when you bring it in for the oil change." Use this information for your own good.

Buy The V6

We purchased the EX I4 FWD, Premium Pkg 1 with no third seat. We wanted high mpg and cargo space. I would have bought the V6 but the Prem Pkg also requires the Limited Pkg and DVD which are a waste of money IMO. You can get a Garmin for $200 and a portable DVD for $100 The I4 is currently delivering ~22 mpg on the highway and about 20 city. While the I4 has adequate power, the V6 appears to get equal and probably better MPG. Also, we have driven the V6 about 5 hours on the highway as a dealer loaner and the V6 ride is much smoother and less choppy than the I4 for some reason. The Sorento is a comfortable car, even for a 6' tall driver like me. The EX should have a radio upgrade available.

Satelite Radio defective

The Sat radio reception is so bad in urban areas, I won't even bother renewing my subscription. I've had XM for over four years on my Chevy and never came close to losing signal like this. The service dept. says "Oh yeah there all like that" Could the rough truck like ride be the cause? If I could go back in time I would buy something else

Quality Lacking

Well was really happy at first with our 2011 Sorento, then the problems started. Shuttering sunroof, burning smells, a/c vents were missing their components, and the night time running lights and interior lights all went out. Spoke to the dealership several times, and they actually gave us a different new Sorento. Now this one has the same shuttering sun roof and the console chrome is peeling off and its not even a week old. There is no quality control coming out of Atlanta, beware of these first year vehicles... There are bugs everywhere.

The power of suprise

I always said I would never buy a KIA and thought they were just crappy cars. I saw the commercial for the Sorento during the Super Bowl. I looked into it and when Edmunds.com says a vehicle has very little need for improvement my interest piqued. I was blown away by the car when I saw it in person. I've been in all kinds of vehicles up a Porsche and I have ridden in very few cars that are this quiet on the road. The gas mileage and power are great. Little known features also got me like Air Ionization in the cabin. Getting the guy from Audi was the best thing KIA could've done. "I've got to put my foot in my mouth" I hear that everyday when people see this car.

Good looking car for the money

This is our first cross over vehicle. When I friend suggested I take a peek at the Kia's I thought 'not'. But, I did and I'm glad. I really like how the car looks. It has a sporty high end look that will appeal to most high end buyers. However, I think more attention should be given to the interior. The seats are not comfertable and as another reviewer stated the console is hard! It's also a little sluggish when changing gears. It's also easy to engage the blue tooth on the steering wheel. Overall a good car. I think Kia will tweak the 2012's and that will be 'the one'.

Love my Kia Sorento

I have owned SUVs for nearly 20 years; my last was a Jeep Grand Cherokee, which had nice amenities. Though my Sorento lacks some of those things, it makes up for it with the back-up camera and the remote start. Two very nice features. My Sorento is awesome; the interior is nice, it rides well and is beautiful. It gets far better gas mileage than my Jeep. The dealership, Carolina Kia, was absolutely the best to deal with in the triad. I would buy another Kia, but only from them. Whenever I am asked about my Sorento; I say I love it!

Everything as promised.

I've had mine for 9 months and no problems what so ever. Taken it on a couple of 1200 mile road trips. It is as it is promised to be. The exception is the gas milage. Even babying wasn't able to get what was advertised. Other than that a great vehicle.

Like My Husband It's Looks Good, Performs Well but Has Some Kinks

I purchased my 2011 Kia Sorento in March 2010. It served my purpose. I wanted an SUV with third row seating, high miles per gallon and didn't drain my bank account. After lots of research and shopping I chose the 2011 Sorento. I liked it from the driving a lot. I especially enjoyed the free satellite radio for 6 months, the rear camera/back-up sensor, bluetooth mobile phone feature and the eco-fuel feature. I continue to really enjoy driving my vehicle to this day eventhough there have been some annoying small things that have happened like the turning signal, dashboard lights and now the driver's window have malfunctioned. Overall, it has served its purpose and we feel satisfied and safe.

You get what you pay for....

I purchased my kia sorento in march of 2010. I live in New York and during the summer, the car is good. Drives well, with the 4 cyl, it is a little weak but can get up to highway driving with no problem. During the winter, the car is a piece of garbage. Not sure if the AWD is better but I feel like there is a lot of problems with the weight and durability of the car. It is very light and slips and slides all over the road. I leased the car and glad I give it back in a year. Overall, if you are not looking to spend a ton of money on a car every month, great car and I would recommend, just look at the pros and cons of the car.

Kia Sorrento - 2011 - Love my Kia!

I was hesitant in purchasing my Kia Sorrento as 2011 was the first year for the revamped model, but I have no regrets. I love the easy handling, interior and exterior the Sorrento. I only have two negatives: 1). Gas Mileage - it can be a gas hog, which is not good with the price of fuel these days and 2). Nav Systems - I do not think we should have to pay to have it upgraded. With so much construction going on and businesses coming and going it should be on a satellite service. What is the point to pay extra for navagation when you result to using your phone all of the time? Kia, please look at my two concerns. Other than that I absolutely love Kia and will most likely purchase again!

My Kis

Seats are terrible. Cheap

One major problem.....

I love almost everything about my 2011 Kia Sorento. It's very roomy, comfortable, tons of standard options and very functional. Also averaging about 23 mpg, which is better than I expected. The biggest downfall, so far, of my Kia has been a transmission issue where my car will automatically downshift into 4th gear and 'stick' in that gear until I turn the engine off. It's done this twice and my wife is now scared to drive it. I just pray it doesn't shift into 1st or 2nd gear at 55+ mph.