Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (service brakes, ABS, rotors and pads, parking brake).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2006 Kia Sorento owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Kia Sorento 2006. Crank shaft bolt sheared off. Total control of vehicle lost. Can not drive vehicle. Contacted Kia motors who stated they know this happens. Exact words of person on phone were "you should have replaced the crank shaft bolt with an upgraded model". As I am a private owner and never got any information from Kia this was never done. The dealership was helpful in that they said they would look at the vehicle for a fee, in which case they stated that they could fix it for a large amount and that it was the crank shaft bolt which was the problem. Lol I asked them if they were going to put in the upgraded version I was told about, and they said they only have one kind which is the original part. …
Driving in winter weather conditions, had vehicle in cruise control on interstate going about 40 MPH, not 45 MPH, cars ahead were braking due to gusty winds and decreased visibility (blowing snow). Proceeded to brake to slow down, while in cruise control mode, brakes did not work as they normally due and vehicle hit a side rail on the driver's side, causing loss of control of vehicle momentarily. Vehicle was able to momentarily get back onto interstate road before going into a ditch on other side-opposite of guard rail, of the road. The vehicle was just purchased/finance 12/7/2013 and is now considered a total loss due to damages the vehicle suffers.
Tl* the contact owns a 2006 Kia Sorento. The contact noticed an abnormal noise coming from the brakes. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the rear assembly fractured and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 59,126.
Driving on highway when heard a pop and power steering went out and battery and brake light came on. Had it towed to auto repair shop to find out the crank shaft pulley bolt had broken off into the engine. Auto repair shop unable to get bolt out since it broke off into engine. Only way to repair was a new engine which was around $5000.
I was driving out of walgreens parking lot on 6/2/2013 in alsip, illinois. As I put my car in reverse to back out the parking space then I placed it in drive it was fine. Then I got ready to turn the wheel to come out the parking lot and it was very hard to turn. Then my lights came on the dashboard. The brake light & engine light. I then placed my feet on the brakes and placed it back in p (park) and tired to put in drive again and the same thing happened. It was very hard to turn to get it out of the way. I ended up going up the street to autozone to see if they can put in on the machine or even look at it to see what's wrong. They looked at it and told me it looks like my pulley belt is cracked / breaking / broke. …
Brake problems. I have had to have extensive work on my brakes every 8000 miles. I can set my odometer by this it is so reliable. When I bought my sorrento in 2006 within the first 8000 miles the brakes went out. The dealership agreed to change the rotors for me. In 8000 miles the shoes, rotors everything was bad again. I called the dealership, they refused to fix it. I went to them and they wanted to charge an exorbitant price so I went to my usual car repair shop. They changed the brakes and as usual within 8000 miles again the brakes. I went back to my car repair shop and they said this time it was the back brakes (the first time the front). They repaired them and assured me that this should not happen again before about 30K miles. Now after 8000 miles my brakes are again bad. I have complained repeatedly to Kia, they do nothing. Their consumer portion of Kia is a joke. …
Brand new 2006 Kia Sorento - brakes started shaking after about 2,000 miles. At 8,000 miles the car would not stop. I was driving at about 45 MPH and entering a turn lane. The light ahead was about to turn red. As I braked, it sounded like the wheels were spinning and the car would not stop. There was a heavy clanking noise and then the car finally stopped (while I was halfway into the intersection.) when the light turned green, I gently applied the gas and the tires sounded like they were spinning again and the car would not move for about 3-5 seconds. I immediately took my car into the dealership. They called me 3 hours later and said the car was fixed. They replaced both front rotors and did not have an explanation as to why the tiles spun when I applied the gas at the stop light.
Car dies while driving. No check engine light appears. Later car starts and runs fine until a few days later at next failure. Driver loses engine, power steering, and power brakes. Engine code finally appears after 3rd incident and is p0337 - crank shaft positioning sensor. This is a safety issue and May lead to a crash or death since driver looses all functions of vehicle. Dealer at Kia cerritos, calif. Seemed unconcerned and stated that nothing could be done under warranty, since warranty had expired, even with low mileage. This is safety issue and should be repaired as a recall. Independent auto repair shop group data bases show 100's of incidences of same part failure and engine code with Kia Sorento and low vehicle mileage.
The same thing has happened three times now. Driving down the road and all of a sudden the brake lights come on, check engine light comes on and now you have no power steering. When popping your hood, you find the two of the three belts have come off and the cam stabilizer pulley has either broke off and the car is no longer running or is wobbling and about to detach from the engine. What has happened is the pin has broke and the bolt has broke or is about to break. This last time that this has happened, I was 80 miles away from home and by the grace of god made it home with my mom and child riding passenger in the car with me. This is a very serious issue and will end up causing a wreck and possibly death.
After doing preventive maintenance replacing timing belt at 60K the drive pulley bolt loosened (after three hours of driving) and the drive pulley popped off the shear pin, loosing control to the steering, breaks that are run by the serpentine belt . Mechanic was able to reconnect drive pulley, pin and bolt to crank shaft. Five months later the same happen. Kia customer service is not returning calls. Kia dealer say's needs a new engine. My vehicle was not one of the ones on the drive bolt recall. The internet is full of people with the same problems spending thousands to repair.
Brake complaints in other Sorento years
Frequently asked questions
How common are brake problems on the 2006 Kia Sorento?
NHTSA has 26 complaints about the brakes of the 2006 Kia Sorento, 11% of the model year's 242 complaints. The component named most often is foundation components › disc › rotor (2 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2006 Kia Sorento brake problems?
No. NHTSA lists no brakes recall for the 2006 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 2006 Kia Sorento brake problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 59,000 miles, and 30% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 1 crash, 0 fires and 0 injuries to brakes 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.