Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2008 Kia Sorento owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
My 2008 Kia Sorento parked inside a garage for 2 days, not running, not idling, without the key in the ignition, all of a sudden cut fire by itself, consuming the entire engine compartment and part of the front seat, and also caused substantial damage to the the garage. Filed a claim with Kia which denied responsibilities. The incident occurred in December 26, 2025, and was waiting for Kia decision before further action
Even after having the ESC and relay box replaced the vehicle has become much worse. It's shuts down my accelerator pedal and won't move I have to shut it off completely for it to reset its extremely unsafe and is now affecting my job. And the ability to take car of my son. And Kia wants to charge me $200 plus for a diagnosis when it clearly keeps shutting down the vehicle and the esc off light is on. I even replaced the accelerator pedal assembly $180 and it did not fix the problem please help. Also this has been an on going issue since August 2020 and even after running diagnostic on it. I keep getting the run around from everyone stating a different issue each time.
Sunday sept 9th at around 9 - 9:30 am I smelled smoke and walked around the house and smelled that it was coming from the garage. When I opened the door I saw flames underneath the car and smoke and fire on top of the hood. I called the palm bay fire department when they got there they put the hose on the car until the fire was out they had to cut the hood in order to finish putting out the fire. They fire marshall came and inspected the vehicle it could have been an electrical problem. When I called Kia customer service they gave me a claim number and they told me what would you like Kia do for you . The customer service agent said they will give the claim to the right department and they will get back to me in 3 to 5 business days. This happened while the car was parked in the garage and it hadn't been turned on since Friday . …
I drove my 08 Kia Sorento home at about 730 am. I work night shift and went to sleep and was woken up at 945 by ems to my car up in flames. It was showing no signs of any problems, not running hot, nothing. It was parked for about an hour when it went up in flames. The fire chief was on the truck that day as he had orientee's, and said the fire started behind the steering wheel/dash and that it was an electrical engine fire which is stated on my fire report. I contacted Kia they told me it was no way it was their problem and had to be a user error. I have photos but my computer would not let me upload them for a reason.
My 2008 Kia sorrento, with only 92K miles on it... I had it in the service shop at the Kia dealer, for a noise coming from the engine.. They informed me it was the main barring going out.. And they quoted me 12K to replace my engine as a fix... Of course I said no, that was 3 years ago, my sorrento is still sitting in my driveway un-driven, which is completely paid off.. Instead I purchased another car from Kia... Recently I have seen numerous reports of the same problems on newer versions of the sorrento's... I wrote Kia corporate, about this, and of course no response back from them at all. I am a loyal Kia driver, however I wish Kia would step up and claim responsibility of this main barring defect.. A lousy $20 dollar part failed on a 30K purchased sorrento, and they will not answer me back.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving 4 MPH, the vehicle overheated without warning. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 20V088000 (electrical system, service brakes, hydraulic). The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The vehicle was taken to napleton's northlake Kia (3626 northlake blvd, palm beach gardens, fl 33403, [phone]) where the contact was informed that the remedy was not available. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 174,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 20V088000 (electrical system, service brakes, hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and informed the contact that the remedy was not available. The contact stated that the check engine warning light illuminated intermittently on several occasions. The approximate failure mileage was 66,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
We were driving on a busy freeway on the way to work, the steering wheel started getting stiff so we slowed down and moved over to the far right. The car died but we were able to coast over out of traffic though the back of the car was still not out all the way due to the angle. We were not able to steer and straighten the car. The car would not start. We called roadside assistance and they were unable to jump the car. It was towed to a mechanic. The engine was locked. The mechanic said a screw broke off. There was an issue with the crankshaft. I had to get a new engine put in at the cost of just over $2400.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Kia Sorento. While driving 25 MPH, the vehicle shook and stalled. Additionally, there was an abnormal thumping noise and the check engine, air bag, and electronic control indicators illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who stated that the automatic control sensor, rear sensor bearing, and rear line driveshaft needed to be replaced. The local dealer and manufacturer were not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 128,000.
Tl* the contact owns a 2008 Kia Sorento. While driving at approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle decelerated to 20 MPH without the brake pedal being depressed. The sec and the check engine warning indicators illuminated. The failure recurred numerous times. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that the throttle position sensor failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.
Engine complaints in other Sorento years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2008 Kia Sorento?
NHTSA has 43 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2008 Kia Sorento, 20% of the model year's 217 complaints. The component named most often is exhaust system (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2008 Kia Sorento engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2008 Kia Sorento, though it has 3 recalls 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 2008 Kia Sorento engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 65,000 miles, and 14% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 4 fires and 0 injuries to engine & cooling 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.