YearToAvoid

2012 Kia Sorento Structure & Body Problems

NHTSA lists 48 Structure & Body complaints for the 2012 Kia Sorento, 5% of that year's 880 total complaints. Owners report engine-area fires reaching the passenger cabin, underbody panels breaking loose, and seat trim failures, with a median failure mileage of 72,116 miles. No related recall is listed.

Structure & Body complaints
48
5% of 880
Crashes reported
2
Fires reported
4
Injuries reported
3
Median mileage
72,116 mi
Related recalls
0

Typical body and structure symptoms owners report

  • Fires erupting from the engine compartment or drivers-side floor, sometimes spreading into the dash and ceiling area.
  • Underbody panel assemblies breaking loose and obstructing wheel movement.
  • Seat trim on the drivers seat cracking repeatedly, allowing the seat to shift forward or backward unexpectedly while driving.
  • Second-row seat latches sticking, making it hard to fold the seat down to access the third row.
  • Power sunroof glass shattering into thousands of pieces while the vehicle was parked.
  • Rear liftgate struts wearing out and failing to hold the hatch open after a low number of miles.

When 2012 Kia Sorento body and structure complaints were filed

First complaint Oct 18, 2011, latest Sep 18, 2025.

2012 Kia Sorento structure & body complaints: complaints filed per month2Oct 2011Feb 2014Jan 2017May 2018Apr 2019Dec 2020Dec 2022
48 complaints filed with NHTSA from Oct 2011 to Sep 2025; peak Oct 2014 (2).

Structure & Body recalls for the 2012 Kia Sorento

No safety recalls on record for this model year.

Structure & Body complaints by Sorento model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 20100 (0%)
  2. 2011314 (21%)
  3. 201248 (5%)
  4. 2013123 (13%)
  5. 2014174 (18%)
  6. 2015106 (14%)
  7. 2016129 (10%)
  8. 201725 (3%)
  9. 201818 (7%)
  10. 201965 (15%)
  11. 20209 (7%)
  12. 20217 (3%)
  13. 20228 (4%)
  14. 20234 (3%)
  15. 20248 (20%)
  16. 20251 (1%)

Frequently asked questions

How many Structure & Body complaints does the 2012 Kia Sorento have?
NHTSA lists 48 Structure & Body complaints for the 2012 Kia Sorento, which is 5% of the 880 total complaints filed for that model year.
Is there a recall for the 2012 Kia Sorento related to Structure & Body issues?
No related recall is listed in NHTSA data for this problem area on the 2012 Kia Sorento.
At what mileage do Structure & Body problems typically show up on the 2012 Sorento?
The median mileage at failure among reported Structure & Body complaints is 72,116 miles.
Have Structure & Body complaints on the 2012 Sorento led to fires or crashes?
NHTSA data tied to this problem area records 4 fires, 2 crashes, and 3 injuries for the 2012 Kia Sorento.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.