2021 Kia Sorento Reliability (2021 update)

By Max Anthony •  Updated: 02/19/21 •  3 min read

The redesigned 2021 Kia Sorento has been offered with more futuristic stylings, a good fuel economy that goes up to 39 mpg in the city, and it also offers buyers choices between three potential powertrains, excluding a turbo hybrid version. The 2021 Sorento is a mid-size alternative for Kia buyers who want an SUV but cannot afford or do not need a large SUV. It also handles better than the rest of the mid-size SUV class. However, with issues such as low storage capacity and less roominess in the 3rd row, there is also a conception that the 2021 Sorento is unreliable like the 2020 Sorento

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Are Kia Sorentos Reliable?

Well, for many years, they have been doing with average reviews. The model introduced in 2011 got a 3 out of 5 from Consumer Reports, and the rating stayed the same until the models from 2 to 3 years ago, which got a higher rating of 4 out of 5. The rating dropped last year when Consumer Reports gave the 2020 Kia Sorento a rating of 1 out of 5. 

2021 Kia Sorento Reliability According to Consumer Reports:
2021 kia sorento reliability
2021 Sorento X-Line | Kia

The 2021 Kia Sorento has performed better, with a 3 out of 5 rating from Consumer Reports, after they tested 112, 2021 Sorentos. That is not up to par as the reason that people buy Kia cars is for their reliability. The reviews from different sites are mixed but there also have been no safety recalls issued from NHTSA, which is good.

JD Power on 2021 Kia Sorento :

JD Power has also reviewed the 2021 Sorento’s reliability by covering the entire vehicle from the engine to the infotainment system. They have measured the intensity of defects, the number of malfunctions and flaws in design, that have been brought to them by owners of the 2021 Sorento. They have given the 2021 Sorento a ‘Great’ quality and reliability rating, along with a score of 4.5 out of 5.

2021 Kia Sorento Reliability from Other Sites:

RepairPal gives the 2021 Kia Sorento a 4.0 out of 5.0, ranking it 12th out of 26 in its compact SUV class. US News give it an excellent reliability rating of 5 out of 5. Consumers on Cars.com also give it a reliability score of 5 out of 5.

2021 Kia Sorento Warranty:

If you are having second thoughts about buying the 2021 Kia Sorento due to the mixed ratings, know that you will get a good warranty. This is because Kia covers the Sorento with their standard five-year or 60,000-mile basic warranty, and a 10-year or 100,000-mile powertrain warranty, whichever is achieved first in both cases. 

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Is the 2021 Kia Sorento Reliable?

To conclude, yes, it is reliable. While Consumer Reports rates it at 60 percent, we cannot overlook the countless other sites that rate its reliability from 80 percent to a complete 100. Also, there have been no TSB documents released to the public that state the owners’ unhappiness with the reliability. So yes, the 2020 Kia Sorento is a great and reliable mid-sized SUV, with an average repair cost of $533, provided you keep it well maintained.

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Max Anthony

Max is a gizmo-savvy guy, who has a tendency to get pulled into the nitty gritty details of technology and cars. He attended UT Austin, where he studied Information Science. He’s married and has three kids, one dog and a GMC truck and a Porsche 911. With a large family, he still finds time to share tips and tricks on cars, trucks and more.