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2010 Kia Sorento: Problems, Recalls and MPG

What this means

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2010 Kia Sorento, most recently filed April 2013. Owners have filed 3 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the air bags.

Data summary generated from official records. Methodology Data: NHTSA, DOT, EPA · Refreshed Oct 6, 2026
Caution Fewer than 50 complaints filed. With this few reports, patterns may not be meaningful.
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Recalls (1)

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2010 Kia Sorento. Check whether yours was repaired with NHTSA's free VIN lookup ↗

Only NHTSA and your automaker know whether your specific car was repaired. PlainVIN shows every recall campaign listed for a model year, with the official text and how many cars have been fixed so far.

Check on NHTSA ↗
Listed for 2010 Kia Sorento. Not checked against your VIN.
Recall 13V114000 Filed Apr 1, 2013

Stop Lamp Switch may Function Intermittently

Exterior lighting · brake lights · switch
Official NHTSA text
Summary
Kia Motors Corporation (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2007-2010 Rondo, model year 2007-2011 Sedona, Sorento and Sportage, model year 2010-2011 Soul, model year 2008-2011 Optima, model year 2010 Forte, model year 2007-2009 Amanti, and model year 2009 Borrego vehicles. Originally, in April 2013, Kia recalled 623,658 model year 2007-2010 Rondo and Sportage, model year 2007-2011 Sorento, model year 2007 Sedona, model year 2010-2011 Soul, and model year 2011 Optima vehicles. In September 2013, Kia informed the agency that it was adding an additional 356,719 vehicles to this campaign. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 980,377. In the affected vehicles, the stop lamp switch may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause an inability to deactivate the cruise control by depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, a malfunctioning stop lamp switch may also result in intermittent operation of the push-button start feature, affect the operation of the brake-transmission shift interlock feature preventing the shifter from being moved out of the PARK position and cause the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) malfunction light to illuminate.
Consequence
Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, when the ignition is in the 'ON' position, the transmission shifter may be able to be moved out of PARK without first applying the brake. This may lead to unintentional movement of the car which may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Kia will send an interim notification to owners in May 2013. When parts are available, owners will receive a second notification and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. Owners may contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's recall campaign number is SC098.
Repair progress not yet reported980,377 vehicles potentially affected
Manufacturer report to NHTSA · Source: US DOT recall completion data, retrieved Oct 6, 2026
Check your VIN on NHTSA or ask a dealer to check campaign 13V114000

PlainVIN shows public government records for education. It isn't a vehicle inspection or legal advice. Check your own VIN with NHTSA or your dealer.

Owner complaints (3)

3 complaints filed with NHTSA (owner reports, not verified findings). The air bags is mentioned most often.

2involved a crash
0involved a fire
1injuries reported
0deaths reported

As reported by owners in their complaints. These are reports, not NHTSA findings.

Most-reported components

Complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2010 Kia Sorento, by component (top 3). One complaint can list several components, so these add up to more than 3.Source: NHTSA ODI owner complaints · Retrieved Oct 6, 2026 · Report a data error

How 2010 compares with other Sorento years

Best and worst Sorento years →
2006200720082009201020112012201320142015
This year (2010)Other yearsStill collecting reports

Counts are owner reports, not failure rates. Higher sales years tend to draw more reports. Owners are still filing reports for recent model years, so these counts will grow. Source: NHTSA ODI, retrieved Oct 6, 2026.

Used blue SUV on a sunny dealer lot with its hood open and a clipboard on the fender

Looking at a 2010 Sorento for sale?

Print a one-page buyer's checklist: each recall campaign with a box to tick when the seller shows proof of repair, the top complaint areas to inspect, crash stars, MPG, and a link back to this page.

All Sorento years

Where to next

2010 Kia Sorento FAQ

How many recalls does the 2010 Kia Sorento have?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign: 13V114000 (brake). Use NHTSA's VIN lookup to see whether a specific car was repaired.

What are the most common 2010 Kia Sorento problems?

Owners filed 3 complaints with NHTSA. Air bags (1), Engine (1), Suspension (1) are mentioned most. These are owner reports, not verified findings.

How does the 2010 Sorento compare with other years?

Among the 2006–2015 Kia Sorento model years at least five years old, the 2010 drew the fewest complaints (3) and the 2011 the most (1,518). The 2010 drew 3. Counts are owner reports, not failure rates.

How this page was madeSources, processing, limits, review and changes

Processing

  • Complaints are counted per component. One complaint can list several, so component totals add up to more than the total.
  • Fuel cost = miles per year ÷ EPA combined mpg × EIA weekly price for your region.

Limitations

  • Complaint counts are owner reports, not verified findings or failure rates. There is no sales denominator.
  • Recall campaigns are listed for the model year. Only NHTSA and the automaker know whether a specific car was repaired.
  • Recent model years are still collecting reports.

Review

Data compiled automatically from the official files listed here.

Changelog

  • 2026-10-06 Data refreshed from the official files.
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