All generations and engines together · 30,164 MOT tests in the 2025 data · typical mileage at age 7: 67k
Worse than most SUVs, by age and by mileage. Watch brakes and suspension. A used buy worth some caution. Check the MOT history for repeating brakes advisories before you go.
Split by first-registration year. Cars registered in a changeover year can belong to either generation.
Owner folklore from forums and the motoring press, with how well each report stands up. Most of it never shows up in an MOT, which is why this section exists at all.
On manual Sorentos, especially ones used for towing, owners report the clutch and dual-mass flywheel wearing out or slipping far earlier than you'd expect, in some reported cases as early as 15,000-25,000 miles, with a whining or rubbing noise and a burning smell being the first signs. Kia treats the clutch as a wear item, so warranty cover is a fight, and full replacement has been quoted at up to £3,000. Automatics are not affected by this specific failure mode.
On the 8-speed wet dual-clutch automatic fitted to non-hybrid fourth-generation Sorentos built from late 2020, owners report a shudder or vibration through the body when creeping at low speed, without the steering wheel shaking. A manufacturer technical bulletin covers the fault and dealers have replaced clutch packs or the DCT actuator under warranty; some owners say the judder has come back after a fix. Cars with the older torque-converter automatic or a manual box aren't affected.
On the CRDi diesel engines, short urban journeys stop the EGR system and injectors reaching a temperature that burns off soot, so carbon clogs the EGR valve and cooler. The result is a rough idle, a flat spot under load, and an engine management light, typically showing up somewhere between 50,000 and 80,000 miles on town-driven cars. A clean is a few hundred pounds; if the EGR cooler itself has failed, replacement runs closer to £800-1,000. No manufacturer recall or fix exists, it's managed by driving the car properly and cleaning the valve.
A clunk or click from the steering column, usually once at the start of a turn each way, is a long-running owner complaint. Forum diagnoses disagree on the cause: some fix it by replacing a soft rubber coupler inside the power steering motor, others trace it to a loose bolt or worn universal joint on the intermediate shaft further down the column. Either fix is a few hundred pounds at most, but because owners and independent garages can't agree which part is actually at fault, it's worth a proper diagnosis before paying for parts.
Cars with the panoramic sunroof have drain tubes running down the pillars that silt up with dirt and pine needles, causing water to back up and drip into the cabin or overhead light units instead of draining out. Owners on Honest John and Kia forums describe the same fault across model years, and Kia dealers charge to remove, clean and service the sunroof mechanism, around £150-200. It isn't a manufacturer recall, just a known weak point that needs periodic clearing.
A recurring owner complaint is discs warping and pads wearing out faster than expected, with pulsation or vibration felt through the pedal or steering under braking, sometimes needing new discs and pads well inside 40,000 miles. The measured MOT data for this class backs up that brakes are the standout fault area for large SUVs like the Sorento, though it can't tell you whether it's genuinely underspecified hardware or just heavy, family-hauling use wearing consumables harder. Either way, budget for brakes coming round more often than on a smaller car.
Ranked from this model’s own MOT record, then from what owners report.
Saveable checklistThe physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.
These judge the seller’s upkeep rather than the model, and they are where the haggling money is.
The physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.
These judge the seller’s upkeep rather than the model, and they are where the haggling money is.
The physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.
These judge the seller’s upkeep rather than the model, and they are where the haggling money is.
The physical checks its own defect data says are worth your time, most telling first.
These judge the seller’s upkeep rather than the model, and they are where the haggling money is.
Drawn from the reports above rather than the MOT data. These are the model-specific ones.
Computed from DVSA MOT results, all of Great Britain, 2025. Nothing here is opinion.
Share of tests where each item was recorded. The dark tick is the class average across all tracked models; bars are scaled within each group.
The rows that judge the model rather than its keeper. 12,086 tests in this band.
Tyres, pads and stone chips say more about how the car was driven and maintained than about how it was built.
Same segment (Family & large SUVs), best MOT record first. Compare before you shortlist.