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 2012 Kia Sorento owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
Hey I've Recently Wrecked My Vehicle Due To Malfunctions This Year Just A Few Months Ago & I Reported It To The Dealer Before I Crashed It. That Something Was Wrong With The Engine And Also Sent The Dealership I Purchased It From Videos Before Hand But Nobody Would Listen To Me. Now My Car Is Sitting In A lot Engine Blowed And I Can't Afford Another One. I Have Proof , Names And Also Couldn't Get My Car Fixed Because I Only Had Liability Insurance Only. No Report Was Filed Because Me And The Other Vehicle Was Transported To Uab Hospital.
I own a white 2012 Kia Sorento that the paint is rapidly peeling off of across the piece of roof just above the windshield (body shops have called this Delamination). I have the pearl white paint, which began peeling in a tiny spot at approximately 45,000 miles and I thought this was a chip from a rock or something that fell on it, but since then it rapidly began peeling all over and now is in a few spots in the same area, and down to the metal, causing rust. I filed a claim with my insurance company January 2023, but the claim was denied. They were told by the autobody shop that there has been a paint chipping problem with other vehicles with the same pearl white paint, and that those had been recalled due to a defect.
*White Pearl paint is pealing / chipping away on the front hood and around the top of the windshield roof. *I have been told that the area of missing paint around my windshield can rust/corrode through and affect the windshield seal. *My Kia dealer has seen it and said it was a widespread problem with the white pearl paint on the Sorento model.....but no further action was done. *It has not been inspected by the police, insurance....just the Kia Dealer. *No warning lamps or messages.....
With one simple google search you can find hundreds, if not thousands of results from people talking about their same experience with their pearl white Kia's. The paint is cheap, and it's starting to peel off on its own, which has lead to severe cases of rust. Either Kia was purposely being cheap, or it was a mistake. Either way it's their responsibility to fix this.
The paint on the body between the windscreen and sunroof is rapidly delaminating, literally overnight. The vehicle color is Pearl White. I wish to add my case to what I understand is an ongoing effort by other Kia owners with similar delaminating paint issues for the NHTSA to get Kia to act on this and issue a recall.
The suspension mounting block rusted off the frame and the frame rusted into on the passenger rear side of the car It was good that we were running slow close to the house when it happened if that would've come loose at Highway speeds, the car would probably flipped The vehicle is now undrivable
While driving on highway 50 about 20 miles from south lake tahoe my car just stalled out while traveling at the speed of about 55 MPH. Steam/smoke from coming from the front end. As I pulled over to the side of the road other motorist traveling west bound started honking and pointing to the vehicle. After stopping is when we realized the engine area was on fire. After opening the driver side door the flames shot out from under that car causing 3rd degree burns to the back calf on my left leg. The car was in totally in flames within 5 to 10 mins.
Existed the freeway, stopped at 2 stop lights with other cars with no indication of trouble. Started forward from light 100+ yards and maybe 20 MPH when fire erupted from under the engine compartment with large flames. I pulled to side of the road and fire burned from motor compartment into dash and ceiling of passenger area. Vehicle is totaled! The engine had been replaced by Kia on a recall just 5 months ago. Only about 9000 miles on the new engine!
Went out from work to start my car and noticed the airbag light would not go out. I shut the car off and restarted to see if it would go out. It would not. The very next day, I went to open the front door on the passenger side to put something in the car. The handle fell off in my hand. The passenger side door is hardly used as I am the only occupant of the car. It had not been hit or damaged, the cover just broke off. I took the vehicle in to the Kia dealer. The advised me that I would have to leave the vehicle, pay $85 for a diagnostic test so they could see why the light would not go out. They said it was not covered under warranty that the warranty for it ran out at 60K miles. Same with the handle. I have to pay over $40 just for them to replace the handle's cover. …
On 12/27 the rear passenger door handle fell off when my 10 year old daughter attempted to open the door and it was fixed by the dealer with a cost of almost $300. The handle was in her hand. Yesterday the rear driver door handle fell off when I attempted to open the door. This is very dangerous in that without the handle you cannot open the doors from the outside, and as such emergency responders would not be able to reach the rear passenger in an emergency situation. We have canals next to the road in south florida. Thus I am reporting this. Two different door handles in two weeks. Very dangerous.
Body complaints in other Sorento years
Frequently asked questions
How common are body problems on the 2012 Kia Sorento?
NHTSA has 35 complaints about the body & structure of the 2012 Kia Sorento, 4% of the model year's 880 complaints. The component named most often is body (30 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2012 Kia Sorento body problems?
No. NHTSA lists no body & structure recall for the 2012 Kia Sorento, though it has 5 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 2012 Kia Sorento body problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 71,000 miles, and 13% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 2 crashes, 4 fires and 3 injuries 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.