2018 Kia Sorento Consumer Reviews
Most Helpful Reviews
Positive Review
This is my fourth Kia, the others were the Optima models. They were all good, but I wanted something that could pull my boat and travel trailer. The V-6 model has that capability, with better gas mileage than my pickup truck. The Sorento drives nicely, corners and bad roads aren't a problem. Since I am hard of hearing I really appreciate how quiet this car is, much quieter than the Forester and RAV 4 I test drove. And the most comfortable too. I can fold down the two rear seats and sleep in this little SUV if I have too, and I'm over 6'2. Too soon to know the reliability , but my other Kia's were all good, and with the 10 year warranty I'm not worried.
VS
Critical Review
Transmission problems that dont seem to be able to be repaired. Long wait for service and parts. May have to try Lemon Law to get another new car. If the transmission wouldnt go into limp mode and stay in 4th gear all the time, this would most likely be a great car.
2018 Sorento Reviews
Showing 8 of 142 reviews.
it burns oil seat belts dont work correctly only gets 12 to 14 mpg has a bad noise in engine when first started it has a miss when pulling out from a stop i bought in october 2024 the car lot refused to repair seat belts are dangerous they do not have a warning if they are unhooked while driving
Low mileage
Older model
I have owned my car since 2018. Low mileage. The interior is in good condition. There are a few minor scratches on the exterior.
Do not buy. Owe lots of negative equity an got the vehicle a year ago. Oil going into my motor an not covered
The engines in these are bad and getting them to replace them is insane. They just put rebuilt ones in, so they are really just trying to outlast how long you will be willing to drive it. The parts on this car are also cheap. Things that shouldn't break do and then they are almost impossible to replace (think stationary parts on things like the hatch and parts of the dash). Also, dealing with a KIA service or KIA corporate is a nightmare experience. I spent two days(!!) of actually time on the phone about the engine and then endless hours waiting at a service department (even with a scheduled appointment). Run from this car and from this brand!!
Good acceleration, great safety features, great styling, lots of room
harsh ride, leather seats feel too hard
Has been a reliable SUV, but over time I have found the ride too harsh. Manufacturer has had a number of notices of passive recalls that they will fix if you have a problem in the future. I have a specific intermittent problem when the transmission bucks the car when you slow down and then starting to accelerate again. Dealer has not been helpful in determining the cause and would need to keep the vehicle for an extended time to test it. I am looking for a new vehicle that would be better.
Bought used with 32k miles, bottom end went out in first month of owning it and engine was replaced under warranty. Now at 86k miles with regular service intervals and it is burning an absurd amount of oil. Cruise control works selectively, overall a cheap built car.
one owner car. Clean interior and out side. No damage own body. retired couple owner no children or grandchildren.. 46073 locale mileage.
Cool chrome features not so heavy trunk to open
Bad row 3 and air con and seats
If you want the LX trim due to its affordability stop and choose a better trim or car. The third row seats are 75% lower than the other seats. Also the rear seats ther is no air conditioning. The big classic Kia’s 2010-2020 bulky seats allow no air to get to the back row when the windows are open. The time for the first row only heated seats to power up is when I arrive at my 18 minute destination. The dash is badly designed even for the pre-big dashboards in 2021. Kia’s older version of its “high-quality” Syn-Tex stitches come off easily. And the stitching of the world’s hardest leather on the sides of the dash also comes off easily. Do not buy this car for a luxury pre-owned vehicle on the LX seat package. I have no idea about the other trim levels but from pics I have seen online the dash is similar and it costs a lot more to get the navigation package. The only reason I got this car was to have it for my kids and nanny (that is why it is the second lowest trim). And I know apple car play was not as popular but the only reason I got this because it was the lowest trim with apple car play. It took me 40 minutes in the settings to turn the annoying beep noise off for when I touched on the dashboard. My friends 1999 Oldsmobile silhouette had nicer features (but obviously lower tech). Get the 2018 soul with the middle trim level for a nice deal or just get a higher trim level if this still seams like the car for you.
