2003 Kia Sorento LX 3.5L V6 gasoline

Summary:

Outstanding car for the value.

Faults:

One headlight bulb went bad at 8K miles.

Three tail light bulbs went bad between 12K and 20K miles.

Checked grounds on the vehicle and found the paint probably shortened the bulb life. Repaired it myself.

Paint on the driver's door handle came off at 20K. Replaced under warranty.

My radiator reservoir cracked at 42,000 miles. Replaced under recall.

Battery was always "weak" and under voltage. Battery lasted 3 years and 42,000 miles. Low battery voltage caused the "check air bag" light to come on. Not under warranty.

Three squeaks repaired by dealer.

General Comments:

Car is well engineered and laid out.

All elements appear to be crafted by "one hand". For example, the car is sturdy and doesn't rattle, bolts are appropriately sized, correct fasteners are used, correct sheet metal thicknesses are provided.

Appearance, fit and finish is excellent.

Car gets 15 mpg.

I have enjoyed the car.

OEM Kumho-brand tires still have tread on them, but do not have the best wet-weather traction. I would rate them as providing almost adequate wet-weather traction.

The car is 4WD and has never needed an alignment.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 31st October, 2007

2003 Kia Sorento EX

Summary:

Would not purchase again

Faults:

Alignment, it seems it was not aligned correctly from the start. When put in for required general 12,000 check-up, the car came back with the same problem after I spent nearly 5 hours waiting.

Back seat does not go down and the side passenger door does not open correctly. Dealer located in Fort Lauderdale will only replace the back seat and mechanism on door. They do not do repair, only order new parts which might seem okay, but then the car needs to go in for a full work day to get new item put in.

Bought in Fort Lauderdale, Maroone, and they could have a better repair department with more convenient hours.

General Comments:

This car "drinks" gas. Afraid to go anywhere because of the cost, even though I barely ever use the air conditioner.

Car feels top heavy.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? No

Review Date: 8th July, 2005

21st Jul 2005, 21:56

If it "drinks" gas, chances are you've got the Petrol 3.5 Liter V6.

2nd Aug 2006, 19:09

Clock goes out in my Sorento after 3 miles, then comes on again requiring resetting. Why?

26th Jun 2007, 01:26

None of this makes sense.

Take you car to another garage if you are unhappy with the job KIA did on the wheel alignment, which I'm guessing is the problem.

Chances are any car will pull one way or the other after rough off-roading anyway.

KIA has offered to replace the faulty rear seats for you at no cost and needs the car to do it. I can't see the problem in this. Maybe they could lend you a car instead of you having to wait, but they aren't required to do this.

My Sorento isn't top heavy. Are you driving around with a piano on the roof?

It is a 4X4 remember, not a Ferrari.

My Sorento does around 22 to 25 mpg. Not great, but it does what KIA said it would do when i bought it.

I would be interested to hear if you had some real faults because they would be the first I've heard of if that were the case.

Regards,

A VERY happy KIA Sorento Owner.

19th Jul 2007, 11:38

Would never buy one again. I've had problems with it the first year I got it. I have had alignment problems, rotars replaced 4 times, major electrical problems. Someone made a comment about the clock (mine sticks all the time) KIA couldn't even fix it. Gas guzzler galore. They are top heavy. The engine is too heavy that's why all the problems with alignment and brakes. Always get asked how I like my car and would tell people do not invest in one.

30th Jul 2007, 11:49

Headlights that don't last, clock that only works when it feels like it, dimmer switch that falls out every 5,000 miles, front-end alignment that doesn't "hold" no matter how often it is done (just rotate the tires every 3 thousand miles) and the best saved for last-

My 2003 Sorento that I bought new now has a tad over 74,000 miles. Last Friday as I pulled out of the parking lot at work there was a tremendous noise coming from under the car (near the front). My first thought was brakes, so I cruised at ten m.p.h the three blocks to a local repair shop to have them check it out. Turns out my drive shaft was about to fall out!

Still covered under warranty, but imagine if this had happened on the Turnpike during morning rush hour.

Word to the wise, if you are in the neighborhood of 70,000 or higher miles on your 2003 Sorento, I suggest you high-tail it to your local repair shop and have the drive shaft checked.

2003 Kia Sorento LX 3.5 V6

Summary:

A nice solid truck/SUV for the money

Faults:

I have had no problems with this truck to-date.

General Comments:

The Sorento is a contender in the SUV market.

Solid build quality.

Excellent warranty.

Sorento offers many standard feature on the base LX model.

Kia has done a great job with the Sorento. I see no reason why Kia cannot become the next HONDA in the U.S. automobile market.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 3rd November, 2003

24th Mar 2005, 10:43

To the person that owns the 05 sorrento. If the check engine light is on and not flashing it is a minor emissions problem. Only if the check engine light starts to flash do you have to take it off the road, because serious damage can happen to the vehicle.

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