Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (doors, hood, frame, rust, paint and trim).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2004 Kia Sorento owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Oct, 2016 - I am the orignal owner of the vehicle and had maintained regular maintainence on the vehicle. I had just put $700 of new tires on vehicle and had a routine oil change and fluid check before we left for our vacation. I never had any issues with the vehicle and I still own. The vehicle does not run but I wanted to know what started the fire. My daughter and I were headed out of town for a week, about 200 miles into the commute the front of the vehicle began to smoke from under the hood, we were traveling at 55-60 MPH. As I was exiting the 421 highway flames began coming out from around hood and the paint on the hood began to bubble up due to heat. I immediately called the fire dept, as I was driving, pulled onto the shoulder and immediately removed my daughter and our belongings from the vehicle and distanced ourselves from the vehicle. …
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the stability bar/torque bar that supports the rear suspension for the tire was not structurally sound and had extensive rust and corrosion on the piping. The parts needed to be replaced. The mechanic indicated that the manufacturer needed to provide a permanent repair or solution to repair the vehicle, and recommended that the vehicle be inspected and diagnosed by a dealer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000. Updated 10/13/16
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Kia Sorento. While driving approximately 50 MPH, the rear of the vehicle shook violently. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who noticed that the crossmember bars were corroded through and were not able to be repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000. The VIN was not available.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Kia Sorento. While the vehicle was stationary, the rear frame that connected the rotary bar was severely rusted and corroded. The failure caused the vehicle to become unstable. The vehicle was not repaired the manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 78,000. Updated 03/07/17 consumer stated vehicle was fixed updated 6/20/18
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Kia Sorento. While driving at 25 MPH, there was an abnormal noise coming from the rear of the vehicle. The contact maneuvered the vehicle to side of the road and observed that the rear frame fractured. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.
While my daughter was driving on the highway, the brakes failed. The mechanic showed me the brake lines toward the rear suspension rusted through. Also the support for the rearend rusted through making the vehicle dangerous to drive. The brake lines from front to back were changed and I am looking to have the support brackets changed.
Tl* the contact owns a 2004 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while in park, the contact noticed that the rear sub frame had corroded. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 82,000.
A section of the main frame rail is rotted completely through, where the rear sway control arm which attaches to the rear drivetrain. The vehicle is unsafe to drive as the rear drivetrain is at risk of detaching from the vehicle.
On the above mentioned date the vehicle was taken to ntb for a 90,000 mile check and to replace a bolt that had broken loose it was located near the rear axle when put up on the lift a very dangerous situation was revealed. The frame above the rear axle had completely rotted which caused the bolt to break and the resulting loss of integrity caused weakening and and bouncing causing the gas tank to be punctured. The car was deemed undrivable. I have written to Kia with no response the car had been reliable and was taken care of this put us in a tough financial situation having to buy another car in our area alone there are two Kia,s that had rotting frames one the same year and make as ours his had 106,000 miles the rotting was not near as bad as ours but the same bolt broke off another was a different model but he had to get the front axle replaced because of rotting our family was put …
Major rust problem with frame and suspension Kia Sorento purchased March 30 2004 2 months past the warranty 85392 miles having just driven on the highway 65mph vehicle was entering school parkinglot, at the entrance vehicle went over speed bump at this point there was a loud bang and the vehicle started shaking and squealing. Upon inspection the passenger side rear stabilizer-traction bar broke completely off the frame rail just forward of the wheel. This causes the rear axel to move freely forward and back. Further inspection by Kia dealership shoed more components above the rear axel broken free. I filed a good will complaint with Kia who responded with a big no regarding any help. …
Body complaints in other Sorento years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2004 Kia Sorento?
NHTSA has 28 complaints about the body & structure of the 2004 Kia Sorento, 13% of the model year's 220 complaints. The component named most often is body (19 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2004 Kia Sorento body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2004 Kia Sorento. 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 2004 Kia Sorento body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 125,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 1 fire and 1 injury to body & structure 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.