There are 17 owner-reported body & structure complaints for the 2004 Kia Sorentoin NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
THIS KIA WAS HOUSED AND STORED IN A GARAGE FOR MOST OF ITS LIFE AND DRIVEN ONLY IN THE SUMMER. IN THE WINTERS OF MICHIGAN IS WAS HOUSED IN A CLEAN DRY GARAGE. THIS KIA WAS A 2 OWNER CAR. I AM THE SECOND OWNER. I HAD DRIVEN IT ONE WINTER AND THIS SUMMER TOOK IT TO GET AN ALIGNMENT BECAUSE IT PULLED TO THE RIGHT. ALIGNMENT CENTER COULD NOT DO THE ALIGNMENT BECAUSE THE WHOLE RIGHT DRIVERSIDE OF THE FRAME WAS RUSTED OUT BEYOND THEIR SAFTY STANDARDS. THE KIA WAS PULLING TO THE RIGHT BECAUSE THE WHOLE FRAME ON THE RIGHT SIDE WAS 80% RUSTED OUT AND THE LEFT SIDE WAS ALSO BUT NOT TO THE EXTENT OF THE RIGHT SIDE. THERE ARE FOOT LONG GAPING HOLES IN THE FRAME DUE TO THE RUSTING. IT IS IRREPARABLE. THERE IS NO SAFE SPOT TO WELD TO TO FIX IT EITHER. AFTER A RAIN I NOTICED THE POOLS OF WATER GO DIRECTLY UNDER THE KIA INSTEAD OF ON THE SIDES POOLING AND DRIPPING OFF THE FRAME ON EACH RIGHT AND LEFT SIDE. A FLAW OF DESIGN BUT A DEADLY IF TRAVELLING AND THE CAR SNAPS IN HALF. THE KIA LOOKS PERFECT AND RUNS PERFECT. THE UNDERSIDE IT'S FRAME IS TOTALLY RUSTED BEYOND REPAIR. KEPT IN A GARAGE AND OUT OF ELEMENTS FOR VIRTUALLY ALL OF ITS LIFE, THIS SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. DEFECTIVE STEEL ? DEFECTIVE BODY DESIGN? DEFECTIVE KIA. NOT SAFE NOT DRIVABLE.
WHILE MY DAUGHTER WAS DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE BRAKES FAILED. THE MECHANIC SHOWED ME THE BRAKE LINES TOWARD THE REAR SUSPENSION RUSTED THROUGH. ALSO THE SUPPORT FOR THE REAREND RUSTED THROUGH MAKING THE VEHICLE DANGEROUS TO DRIVE. THE BRAKE LINES FROM FRONT TO BACK WERE CHANGED AND I AM LOOKING TO HAVE THE SUPPORT BRACKETS CHANGED.
WHOLE DRIVING DOWN ROAD STARTED TO LOOSE CONTROL. UPON BRINGING TO A SERVICE STATION FOUND OUT REAR FRAME OF VEHICLE IS COMPLETELY ROTTED AWAY LEAVING SUSPENSION HANGING AND NOT DRIVABLE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 KIA SORENTO. WHILE THE VEHICLE WAS STATIONARY, THE REAR FRAME THAT CONNECTED THE ROTARY BAR WAS SEVERELY RUSTED AND CORRODED. THE FAILURE CAUSED THE VEHICLE TO BECOME UNSTABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE ISSUE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 78,000. UPDATED 03/07/17*LJ CONSUMER STATED VEHICLE WAS FIXED UPDATED 6/20/18*JB
EXCESSIVE RUST TO THE FRAME. IT IS SO BAD NOW YOU CAN POKE HOLES IN THE FRAME WITH YOUR FINGER. IF IT IS THIS BAD NOW IT WAS ALREADY RUSTED BADLY AT OR BEFORE 10 YEARS OLD.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE IN PARK, THE CONTACT NOTICED THAT THE REAR SUB FRAME HAD CORRODED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 82,000.
A SECTION OF THE MAIN FRAME RAIL IS ROTTED COMPLETELY THROUGH, WHERE THE REAR SWAY CONTROL ARM WHICH ATTACHES TO THE REAR DRIVETRAIN. THE VEHICLE IS UNSAFE TO DRIVE AS THE REAR DRIVETRAIN IS AT RISK OF DETACHING FROM THE VEHICLE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 KIA SORENTO. WHILE DRIVING AT 25 MPH, THERE WAS AN ABNORMAL NOISE COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT MANEUVERED THE VEHICLE TO SIDE OF THE ROAD AND OBSERVED THAT THE REAR FRAME FRACTURED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.
MY SON WAS DRIVING THIS CAR WHEN HE HEARD A LOUD BANG AND LOST CONTROL OF VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING IN A ROUNDABOUT IN TAUNTON MASS AND NEARLY CRASHED THIS VEHICLE DUE TO LOSING THE ABILITY OF STABILIZING IT, BUT WAS ABLE TO PULL OFF TO SIDE OF ROAD THANKFULLY BECAUSE OF THE SPEED OF TRAVEL AT THE TIME, THANKFULLY HE WAS NOT ON THE HIGHWAY OR I MAY BE TELLING A DIFFERENT STORY. UPON DRIVING VEHICLE HOME, MY HUSBAND LOOKED OVER VEHICLE TO SEE WHERE THE PROBLEM WAS AND NOTED FRAME NEAR RIGHT REAR TIRE HAD RUSTED TOTALLY THROUGH WHERE IT ATTACHES TO AN ARM OF SOME SORTS MAYBE A STABILIZING ARM(NOT SURE). WE PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE MARCH 2014-7 MONTHS AGO AND IT PASSED INSPECTION AT THE TIME, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE THAT IT SHOULD HAVE AS THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO CHECK THE FRAME AS LISTED ON INSPECTION REPORT AND THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO WAY IT RUSTED THROUGH THAT BADLY IN 7 MONTHS TIME WITH ROUGHLY 6,000 MILES PUT ON IT. THIS PARTICULAR PROBLEM HAS BEEN REPORTED ON MANY BLOG SITES AS WELL AS ON THIS SITE, THEIR SHOULD BE A RECALL AS IT SEEMS TO BE A KNOWN PROBLEM, AND CONSUMERS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PAY POSSIBLY THEIR LIFE FOR SUCH A DEFECT. I HAVE PICTURES OF THIS ISSUE, AND WILL ALSO BE NOTIFYING KIA ABOUT THIS AS WELL. *TR
I WENT TO GET MY OIL CHANGED ON/AROUND 9/5 AND THEY WOULDN'T CHANGE IT DUE TO SEVERE RUST DAMAGE THAT HAD RUSTED THROUGH THE OIL PAN, BRAKE LINE, AT LEAST ONE CRACK IN THE FRAME FROM RUST, AND THE TIRES ARE BARELY HELD ON TO THE CAR DUE TO RUST DAMAGE. NOW MY BRAKES DON'T WORK BUT I STILL HAVE TO DRIVE THE CAR. I WENT TO 2 OTHER SHOPS AND NO ONE WILL WORK ON MY CAR DUE TO IT FALLING APART FROM RUST. I PURCHASE MY CAR AT ABC MOTOR CREDIT AUGUST OF 2013 AND RE-LOCATED TO FLORIDA BEFORE WINTER HIT. I CALLED THEM AND THEY REFERRED ME THEIR WARRANTY COMPANY, LISA WARRANTY GROUP. OF COURSE, RUST DAMAGE AND FRAME WORK IS NOT COVERED. ABC MOTOR CREDIT SOLD ME A CAR THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN TOTALED, NOT RE-SOLD TO A CONSUMER FOR $12,000!! I HAVE TRIED 5 DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS TO HELP GET INTO A NEWER, SAFER VEHICLE, BUT NO ONE WILL FINANCE ME DUE TO THE NEGATIVE EQUITY ON THIS LOAN. IS THERE ANYTHING I CAN DO? I SHOULD NOT BE STUCK PAYING $367 A MONTH FOR THE NEXT 2 YEARS AFTER ALREADY INVESTING OVER $4,000 INTO A USELESS VEHICLE. I HAVE TO CONCLUDE THAT ABC MOTOR CREDIT SOLD ME THIS CAR FULLY KNOWING THE EXTENT OF THE RUST DAMAGE BEFORE PUTTING IT ON THEIR LOT. I HOPE THERE IS SOME LAW PROTECTING CONSUMERS FROM THIS SORT OF BUSINESS. PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT I CAN DO! *TR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRAME WAS RUSTED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED ABOUT THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING 15 MPH, THE BRAKES MALFUNCTIONED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE COULD NOT BE REPAIRED DUE TO RUSTING OF THE FRAME, WHICH DAMAGED THE BRAKE LINES. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 136,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKES WERE BEING SERVICED BY A PERSONAL MECHANIC WHEN HE NOTICED THAT THE BRACKET THAT HELD THE CONTROL ARM TO THE VEHICLE WAS RUSTED. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGES WERE 131,000.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE HAVING AN ANNUAL INSPECTION PERFORMED, THE TECHNICIAN DETERMINED THAT THE UPPER CONTROL ARM HANGERS WERE COMPLETELY CORRODED. AS A RESULT, THE ENTIRE REAR END OF THE VEHICLE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE FAILURE AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 114,000. ...UPDATED 12/03/13 *BF THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED ON 09/13/13
ON THE ABOVE MENTIONED DATE THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO NTB FOR A 90,000 MILE CHECK AND TO REPLACE A BOLT THAT HAD BROKEN LOOSE IT WAS LOCATED NEAR THE REAR AXLE WHEN PUT UP ON THE LIFT A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION WAS REVEALED. THE FRAME ABOVE THE REAR AXLE HAD COMPLETELY ROTTED WHICH CAUSED THE BOLT TO BREAK AND THE RESULTING LOSS OF INTEGRITY CAUSED WEAKENING AND AND BOUNCING CAUSING THE GAS TANK TO BE PUNCTURED. THE CAR WAS DEEMED UNDRIVABLE. I HAVE WRITTEN TO KIA WITH NO RESPONSE THE CAR HAD BEEN RELIABLE AND WAS TAKEN CARE OF THIS PUT US IN A TOUGH FINANCIAL SITUATION HAVING TO BUY ANOTHER CAR IN OUR AREA ALONE THERE ARE TWO KIA,S THAT HAD ROTTING FRAMES ONE THE SAME YEAR AND MAKE AS OURS HIS HAD 106,000 MILES THE ROTTING WAS NOT NEAR AS BAD AS OURS BUT THE SAME BOLT BROKE OFF ANOTHER WAS A DIFFERENT MODEL BUT HE HAD TO GET THE FRONT AXLE REPLACED BECAUSE OF ROTTING OUR FAMILY WAS PUT IN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION WE COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED THE FRAME OF THE CAR IS ABOUT THE LAST THING YOU WOULD EXPECT TO FAIL KIA IS SAYING THAT IT IS ANTIPERFORATION AND NOT COVERED ANTIPERFORATION HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE FRAME ANYTHING YOU CAN DO TO HELPWOULD BE APPRECIATED I AM FILING THIS ON BEHALF OF MY DAUGHTER
TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2004 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT BOTH REAR DOORS HAVE CORROSION ON THEM AND HAVE CAUSED PIECES OF RUST TO FALL OFF WHEN THE DOOR WAS OPENED. THE DEALER CONCLUDED THAT THE FAILURE WAS CAUSED BY THE ENTRANCE OF ROCK CHIPS. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED AT AN EXPENSE OF $70.00 BY USING A BLACK SPRAY TO ELIMINATE THE CORROSION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 36,000 AND THE CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 63,000.
KIA SORRENTO INSIDE DOOR HANDLES: CHROME PEELS AND LEAVES SHARP JAGGED EDGES AND I CUT MY FINGERS EVERY DAY. *TR
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026