Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic and manual transmissions, CVT, axles, driveshaft, 4WD/AWD).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2003 Kia Sorento owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
When go to shift truck in drive it makes a clank sound and when driving at a speed between 65-70 the truck starts vibrating, and when in reverse it squeaks when back up,at first my wife it was the u joints so we had it replaced but it all started happing again. Next our battery die had it replaced with a new one now the air bag indicator light stays on all the best time and at times it feels like the accelerator peddle gets stuck at times.
I have service records showing I had the crankshaft pulley replaced at 55,000 miles under warranty by Kia. The crankshaft pulley broke off at 105,000 miles. I was able to have the vehicle repaired cost $1500 out of my pocket. On 1/11/2015 the crankshaft pulley broke off for a 3rd time, shearing the threads to the engine, and causing the engine to no longer work. All 3 events caused loss of power and able to steer the vehicle.
Tl* the contact owns a 2003 Kia Sorento. While driving at an unknown speed, the gear shifted independently into four wheel drive. The contact was unable to get it back into drive. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure . The approximate failure mileage was 237,361. The VIN was not provided.
Comments: I would like to inform you of what I think is a potential safety hazard. Several weeks ago my wife and I were returning from a vacation in our car and it caught fire. Luckily there were no injuries or serious damage. At the end of this letter will be all the particulars. We were coming from santa cruz on highway 1, in california and at what is called the summit, of I started seeing smoke in back of our vehicle. We stopped, turned off the car ,opened the hood and there was a small fire down on the driver side near the exhaust manifold. I closed the hood and tried to locate a fire extinguisher. The fire extinguished itself and we had the car towed to the dealership. After a day of testing the only thing they found was that the transmission was slightly overfilled, which was my error. While I realize that can cause the problem here is my concern. …
I have a 2003 Kia Sorento that I purchased in September of 2003. I bought the Sorento with 5000 miles on it and from the time I got it home, it developed problems. Everytime I start my Sorento and put it in drive or reverse and back-up or drive forward, I hear this awful hum noise from the front of the car that the dealership says is normal that it's the ABS resetting itself and that it's sometimes noisier in some Sorento's than in other's (no other Sorento owner that I know has this noise) I felt a vibration when I was driving on the highway and it would happen between 68 and 72 MPH. It would not vibrate if I was driving above or below this speed. So I called the dealership and they told me to rotate and balance my tires and I told them that I already did that. …
The Sorento SUV was bought in June 2003. With less than 1000 miles in June 2003 the Sorento was brought to the dealer's service to check an oil leak on the front axle. The dealer cited an overfilled gear oil and the gear oil level was corrected. After few weeks, in July 2003, the Sorento was brought back again to the same dealer because the gear oil leak was still there. The dealer kept the Sorento, cited non-drivable and have to order the part. The gasket was replaced and Sorento was test driven. The gear oil leak still showed up. Now the dealer said that they got hold of Kia and cited that they have to replace the bleeder tube. The bleeder tube was replaced and the gear oil leak did not go away. At this time, the whole unit of the front drive axle was ordered and replaced the originally installed unit of the Sorento. …
The bolt on the crankshaft pulley as well as the pin broke off causing the motor to stop and overheat dumping all the antifreeze and stopping all belts. My mother could have been injured while driving but it ended up being she was just blocking traffic thankfully and not on the highway. This seems to be a very common issue with hundreds if not thousands complaining about the crankshaft pulley bolt and pin. Kia says they won't do anything as it is out of warranty and I am not the original owner. This May have been fixed once before on the vehicle due to failure and I am very worried this May happen again with worse consequences. My mechanic was able to provide a temporary/permanent fix but we really dodged a bullet and it could have caused immediate catastrophic damage. I'm disappointed with all of the serious complaints that Kia still has not recalled it for 2002-2009 Sorento models.
I drive a 2003 Kia/Sorento/4d. On or about dec 15 2006 I notice a loud noise an server vibration coming under vehicle. I took SUV to family mechanic. He could not find problem and recommended that I take vehicle to Kia dealer. On dec 27 2006 Kia dealer tech initial diag reads 4x4 is staying engaged all the time. Suspected switch failure. Therefore front diff staying engaged all the time. This has caused internal damage to front diff and front propeller shaft. Estimate cost to repair/2,775.00 I am at a lost cause vehicle is no longer under warranty, but I feel because 4x4 release/engage switch failure that I should not have to endure the financial burden. Repairing this manufactures defect.
1. Engine started knocking ( mileage 68,000 ) 2. Engine shut down and would not restart 3. A mechanic checked and found the harmonic balancer was loose on the crankshaft. In the attempt to remove the harmonic balancer, the mounting bolt broke off flush with the crank shaft and appears to have been cross threaded from the factory. The harmonic balancer was not pulled all the way up causing the failure. Due to the hardness of the mounting bolt and the crank shaft, removal of the broken bolt is impossible. The engine will need an overhaul to repair the problem and of course the warranty has just expired. ( please advise ).
My car had a horrible noise & I was told that it was the drive shaft. I got a friend to drive it to a Kia kendall and they were to warranty the part that was defective. In the process of driving car to dealer it came apart hit the bottom of car deployed air bags, cracked windshield, gas tank also cracked. This was a defective dealer part and was supposed to be warrantied. Now it has been reported to insurance and in the process of fixing this item they broke a plastic hose from the radiator and then clamped it & put a screw in my radiator. They know that this was going to cause a problem & did not even care.
Transmission complaints in other Sorento years
Frequently asked questions
How common are transmission problems on the 2003 Kia Sorento?
NHTSA has 22 complaints about the transmission & drivetrain of the 2003 Kia Sorento, 7% of the model year's 305 complaints. The component named most often is automatic transmission (5 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2003 Kia Sorento transmission problems?
No. NHTSA lists no transmission & drivetrain recall for the 2003 Kia Sorento, though it has 1 recall for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2003 Kia Sorento transmission problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 60,000 miles, and 31% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 2 fires and 0 injuries to transmission & drivetrain problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.