2004 Kia Sorento Recalls, Complaints & Specs
No safety recalls list the 2004 Kia Sorento, and owners have filed 220 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.
No safety recalls on record
NHTSA's recall database lists no safety campaigns that include the 2004 Kia Sorento. That is good news, with two caveats: recalls can be issued at any time (this page refreshes daily), and a recall filed under a related model name may not appear here. The VIN check above queries NHTSA directly for your exact vehicle.
220 owner complaints filed with NHTSA
Owners of the 2004 Kia Sorento have filed 220 complaints with NHTSA; 11 describe a crash and 12 describe a fire. Reports cite 16 injuries and 1 death. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 89,946 miles. Complaints peaked in 2013 with 23 filed that year.
Most-reported components
What owners are reporting
“Crank pully bolt snapped. Causing crank pully to fall, and critical belts to fail.”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, December 20, 2021 · Power train
“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 seco”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, August 25, 2020 · Structure
Fuel economy and specs
EPA ratings for the 2004 Kia Sorento (Sorento 2WD, Sorento 4WD). Ranges cover every tested configuration.
| Combined | 15–16 mpg |
|---|---|
| City / Highway | 14 / 18 |
| Fuel | Regular |
| EPA class | Sport Utility Vehicle - 2WD, Sport Utility Vehicle - 4WD |
| Engine | 6 cyl, 3.5 L |
| Transmission | Automatic 4-spd; Manual 5-spd |
Compare Kia Sorento model years
Recall and complaint counts for every Kia Sorento model year in NHTSA's database.
| Model year | Recalls | Complaints |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 Kia Sorento | 1 | 305 |
| 2004 Kia Sorento | 0 | 220 |
| 2005 Kia Sorento | 0 | 307 |
| 2006 Kia Sorento | 1 | 242 |
| 2007 Kia Sorento | 4 | 154 |
| 2008 Kia Sorento | 3 | 217 |
| 2009 Kia Sorento | 2 | 55 |
| 2010 Kia Sorento | 1 | 3 |
| 2011 Kia Sorento | 7 | 1,519 |
| 2012 Kia Sorento | 5 | 880 |
| 2013 Kia Sorento | 5 | 981 |
| 2014 Kia Sorento | 6 | 988 |
| 2015 Kia Sorento | 3 | 751 |
| 2016 Kia Sorento | 8 | 1,254 |
| 2017 Kia Sorento | 4 | 804 |
| 2018 Kia Sorento | 3 | 255 |
| 2019 Kia Sorento | 2 | 428 |
| 2020 Kia Sorento | 1 | 136 |
| 2021 Kia Sorento | 4 | 250 |
| 2022 Kia Sorento | 6 | 190 |
| 2023 Kia Sorento | 3 | 122 |
| 2024 Kia Sorento | 2 | 42 |
| 2025 Kia Sorento | 3 | 75 |
| 2026 Kia Sorento | 2 | 5 |
Checking a specific 2004 Kia Sorento
How do I know if my 2004 Kia Sorento has an open recall?
Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle.
Is the recall repair free?
Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Kia dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number.
What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?
A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.
Other Kia models
- Optima7,512 complaints
- Soul5,553 complaints
- Sportage4,699 complaints
- Forte2,553 complaints
- Sedona2,410 complaints
- Telluride2,026 complaints
- Sephia1,705 complaints
- Rio1,291 complaints
Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.