Kia Sorento BL (2003-2009) Questions & Answers

If its the 2,5 crdi. Had the same sound. First minute terrible and then a lot less but you could still here that the engine was to loud. I opened up the cover of chain c... It was a plastic chain guide. With 12 mm socket you can do Al the work. You don't have to dismantle anything else to perform this task. I have the sorento 2008 crdi 163hp 120 kw

Had same problem given same answer from kea dealer didnt replace any parts but when refulling tank put jet cleaning agent in with fuel haven't had any worries since .Also when turning key on wait till car symbol comes on dashboard before starting all the best I've had my vehicle since 2013

I rang the old owner whos had it since new and said if the key light doesn't appear it wont start and too pull the key out and it wil start. Its only happened once since. I will get to the bottom of it lol

Had the same problem with 2009 EX BL 2.5 DIESEL.(The engine turned over but did not start)Something to do with the key and the and the immobiliser/sender.
Took it back to the Kia dealer in Osborne Park, Perth,WA 3 times about18 months ago, each time they replaced transponders, sensors etc, etc.
Eventually they found the fault and I haven't had a problem since. Ring them.

Did you wave to the Jeep as you passed by in your Sorento ?.

I don't know I have a 2015 kia

Many thanks Geoff D, for taking the trouble to respond my question.

Do you mean the transfer case needs replacing or the 4wd on the fly controller or both ?.

I haven't heard whether this is the case or not. I have spoken to a few owners of that model (ie the petrol version) on our travels, and all have said that theirs has performed well, and have had minimal problems. We have just traded our diesel in on a new Isuzu Mux and got a good price for our 5 year old Sorento. The only reason we have traded it in is because we needed a higher towing capacity. It had done 104k km faultlessly. The next owner will get a great car! We pick up the Mux today!

Mine took kia two months to fix.
Sorry but cannot recommend.

A lot of mechanics have a general ignorant attitude towards Kia's. They have the old, "cheap equals bad" attitude. But Kia's have come a long way and are up there with the best of Japanese brands. The only "fault" I'm aware of in the early Sorento's is some corrosion problems in the back suspension. This happens mainly in Europe and other snowy countries. My mechanic had the same attitude when I bought my Sorento. He has changed his attitude completely after seeing how well it has performed. You could buy a Toyota for more....more recalls, more money, more initial outlay! No extra reliability, etc etc

Since I wrote that review I have spent yet more money on it... its a heap of junk. Im now looking at the Toyota Kluger as I have heard only good things about it. Good luck.

No I had no such experience but if you type in something like "Sorento diesel turbo problem" in to Google you will most like find others with a similar problem.
Hope this helps.
Alan

I had an issue with mine idling weird, mine was unleaded though. Heap of crap car, no one should buy it.

Hello Gaz

The Sorento I had was a 07/08 diesel model with low Km and the one you are looking at is an older petrol one so not quite the same thing.. However I would like say that the car seemed well built and drove well. When I did have a problem with it Kia Australia took six weeks to get parts and I was without it for two months in total.

That price might be a bargain but still the car is a heap of junk. Ive had nothing but expensive issues with mine and all of my mates that are into cars says its one of the crappest things on the road and that's including the kia service dealer!

I am not sure what you mean by "Generation 2 engines/gearboxes" however to my knowledge the Sorrento is a reliable vehicle especially the CRD Deisel. I was just unlucky with mine I guess as a google search will reveal that the engine problem I experienced is uncommon. (leaking injector seal)
With almost 400 nm of torque the engine shold be fine with two tons as it pulled my 1.8 ton boat very well.
My reason for not reccommending Kia as a brand is because of the deplorable warranty support that I experienced.
I hope this helps.
Alan

Hello Dave
The Sorento that I owned was a deisel model so I am not in a position to advise you as to the correct fuel to use. I would however suggest that this information will be provided in your owners manual or perhaps you could contact your local dealer for advice. I would however be very surprised if the correct fuel was anything other than standard ULP.
Kind regards
Alan

Hey Dave,
Ive got a 2003 Sorento V6 and have always put premium 98 in it. After reading the factory specs it only requires regular 91 unleaded. I have recently switched to 91 regular unleaded and haven't noticed a difference, but I recommend you use premium when towing with it.
Cheers, Jack

I've used both. About every month or two I use premium, otherwise regular is fine... still doesn't account for that fact the car is a heap of junk and people shouldn't buy it.