Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
Fuel economy
20–25 mpgcombined; city 18–22, highway 24–29; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$12,990–$16,240U.S. average; Ohio $11,610–$14,510 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2020 Sorento. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.
Owners have filed 137 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 Sorento. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.
Complaints by part of the car
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Engine
66
1
5
2
Unknown or other
24
4
3
8
Electrical system
20
0
7
0
Power train
18
0
0
0
Fuel/propulsion system
10
1
2
0
Trailer hitches
9
0
1
0
Exterior lighting
5
0
0
0
Service brakes
5
3
0
6
Air bags
4
2
0
4
Forward collision avoidance
4
2
0
2
Steering
4
0
0
0
Vehicle speed control
4
1
0
0
9 more parts
Engine and engine cooling
3
0
1
0
Lane departure
3
0
0
0
Visibility
3
0
0
0
Firerelated
2
0
2
3
Seat belts
2
1
0
4
Suspension
2
0
0
0
Visibility/wiper
2
0
0
0
Wheels
2
0
0
0
Back over prevention
1
0
0
0
Complaints by model year
Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.
NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2020 Sorento over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Sorento, 2021-2022 Sorento Hybrid (HEV), 2022-2023 Sorento Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV), and 2017-2022 Sportage vehicles equipped with a tow hitch harness installed as original equipment, or purchased as an accessory through a Kia dealership. Debris and moisture accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (PCB) may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire.
Risk: A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will inspect the vehicle, and, as necessary, replace the fuse and/or tow hitch harness module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 11, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC249.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 92 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2020 Sorento, the latest on Sep 10, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: electrical system (44), engine (24), engine and engine cooling (12), power train (9), steering (9).
NHTSA defect investigations
Opening an investigation isn't a finding of a defect. Outcomes are as NHTSA's summary states them. A recall is shown as an investigation's outcome only where NHTSA's summary names it; other recalls NHTSA's file lists with it are marked as listed, not caused.
Investigation
Part
Opened
Status
Defect petition DP22003 Loss of Motive Power · covers 3 makes
The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2020 Sorento.
These are searches on those sites; we don't copy or check their listings. Your ZIP is used for these links and never kept.
Specs
EPA class: small sport utility vehicle. EPA greenhouse gas score: 4–5 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Sorento Front-Wheel Drive
2.4 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
22 / 29 / 25
Sorento All-Wheel Drive
2.4 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (S6)
Regular Gasoline
21 / 26 / 23
Sorento Front-Wheel Drive
3.3 L, 6 cyl
Automatic (S8)
Regular Gasoline
19 / 26 / 22
Sorento All-Wheel Drive
3.3 L, 6 cyl
Automatic (S8)
Regular Gasoline
18 / 24 / 20
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data