The bottom line: If your 2011 to 2018 Sorento’s engine has failed, which engine it has decides whether Kia pays. Kia covers a worn connecting-rod bearing on the four-cylinders: for life on the GDI and turbo engines, and for 15 years from first sale on the 2011 to 2013 MPI, which most 2011s have now passed. It also covers a leaking head gasket on most 2014 to 2017 V6s.
A failure no coverage or recall reaches is yours, and then the car’s value decides it. A dealer engine for a 2016 costs $6,505 to $7,706 across Miami, Chicago and Denver, which pays on a 2016 worth about $9,400 and not on one worth about $6,900.
Before you pay for an engine, Sell Car Advisor’s comparison tool gets you several instant offers at once, which tells you what the car is worth to a buyer with the engine as it is.
What would buyers pay for your Sorento with a failed engine?Fill in one form, answering whether your Sorento starts and drives, and weigh real offers against Kia's cover or a shop's engine quote.
Key Takeaways
- Owners on CarComplaints report typical bills for a failed engine from $2,850 on the 2017 to $8,990 on the 2014.
- Kia’s coverage passes to each later private owner who uses the car personally, on the same terms the first owner had.
- Four in ten of the engine complaints owners filed with NHTSA for these years mention oil, and more than a quarter describe knocking.
- A four-cylinder whose engine Kia already replaced, under recall 17V-224, the warranty or the knock-sensor campaign, is also under recall 18V-907, a free check of the fuel pipe fitted during the swap.
Automated assistant: general info, not legal advice
Answers come from our state paperwork data and published guides. Confirm anything binding with your state DMV.
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Which Engine Is in Your Sorento, and What Does Kia Cover on It?
Kia fitted five engines to the Sorento over these years, by the government’s fuel economy records, and the coverage follows the engine, not the model year. Each program pays for one kind of failure only.
| Engine | Years | Kia’s cover | What it pays for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2.4-liter four-cylinder (MPI) | 2011 to 2013 | 15 years or 150,000 miles from the first sale | Engine damage from a failed connecting-rod bearing |
| 2.4-liter four-cylinder (GDI) or 2.0-liter turbo | 2012 to 2018 | Lifetime once the knock-sensor update is done (past 150,000 miles, Kia may pay instead) | Engine damage from a failed connecting-rod bearing |
| 3.3-liter V6 | 2014 to 2017 (2014 and 2015 built through December 11, 2014) | 15 years or 180,000 miles from the day it first went on the road | A coolant leak from the head gasket or head bolts |
| 3.5-liter V6, or the 2018’s 3.3-liter V6 | 2011 to 2013, and 2018 | None | Nothing beyond the original warranty, which has ended |
To find yours, enter your VIN in NHTSA’s free VIN decoder and read the engine model it gives. Theta II with MPI is the older 2.4-liter, Theta II with GDI is the newer 2.4-liter or the turbo, and Lambda is a V6.
Kia’s Customer Care Center (800-333-4542) or any Kia dealer can also read your VIN and list the campaigns and recalls still open on it.
What Does Kia Pay For on a Four-Cylinder Sorento?
Kia honors these covers only at its own dealers, and neither settlement repays a repair done elsewhere any more. If a shop has already quoted you, have a Kia dealer look at the car before anyone fits another engine.
How Does the Lifetime Coverage Work on the GDI and Turbo?
A class settlement, In re: Hyundai and Kia Engine Litigation, gives the 2.4-liter GDI and the 2.0-liter turbo a lifetime warranty on the short block. It starts once Kia’s free knock sensor detection software, or KSDS, is on the car, and the settlement says a late update still counts.
The warranty covers parts, labor and diagnosis when a connecting-rod bearing fails, with no claim form, and has no mileage limit, though past 150,000 miles Kia can offer a buyback or $2,000 instead. It stays with the car for each later owner who uses it personally.
Kia’s owner pamphlet says a claim won’t be refused only because the oil-change receipts are missing. Kia can refuse one for a salvage title, a car owned by a dealer or other business, or one left visibly without care for a year or more.
A 2012 to 2014 may also be under recall 17V-224, for machining debris that starves the bearings of oil. Kia has kept mailing reminders to owners whose cars were never inspected, and the inspection and any new engine are free.
What Changes Once the Car Passes 150,000 Miles?
The lifetime coverage has one limit, set out in the settlement agreement. When a car with 150,000 miles or more, and over eight years in service, needs a new engine, Kia may decline to fit one. That choice is Kia’s; you then choose between:
- A buyback at Kelley Blue Book’s private-party value for a car in very good condition
- $2,000 in place of the engine: you keep the car, but its lifetime coverage ends
The buyback values the car as if its engine were sound. Kelley Blue Book puts a 2013 LX at $4,725 in good condition and every 2017 at $8,200 or more, before the step up to very good. The best offer on the broken Sorentos we quoted was $1,270.
What Covers the 2011 to 2013 2.4-Liter MPI?
This older engine falls under a second settlement, Hyundai and Kia Engine Litigation II, with a shorter cover. It runs 15 years or 150,000 miles from the car’s first sale, whichever comes first, so a 2011 sold new in 2010 was covered until 2025.
The settlement lists every 2011 to 2013 MPI Sorento as recalled, so it doesn’t require the knock-sensor update before a failure. 23V-877 covers 2011s without the update, and 20V-750 covers 2012 and 2013 MPI cars built through January 10, 2013; both inspect the engine and replace it free if needed.
The build month is on the label in the driver’s door frame. This settlement’s neglect test is stricter: Kia can refuse a claim when the engine shows sludge and the records show a gap of more than 10,500 miles or 14 months between oil changes.
Kia reads dealer and vehicle-history records as well as yours, and both halves of the test must hold. A used buyer with no receipts isn’t refused on that alone.
How Do You Claim on Either Four-Cylinder?
- Find the engine with the VIN decoder, and call Kia’s Customer Care Center to see whether the update and any recall have been done.
- Have the car towed to a Kia dealer, since only Kia dealers do this warranty work. When the repair is covered, the settlements repay the tow and a rental, up to $40 a day on the GDI and turbo and $80 on the MPI, claimed within 90 days of paying.
- If the update is missing, the dealer adds it, even to a car whose engine has already failed.
- If a claim is refused, both settlements let you take it to arbitration run by the Better Business Bureau.
On the MPI, the tow and rental refunds also need the update to have been done by November 4, 2023, which Kia’s records show for your VIN.
If the dealer finds a cause no coverage reaches, the tow and any teardown are yours, so ask for the price of the diagnosis before it starts.
What Does Kia Pay For on the V6?
Kia’s bulletins WTY035 (2016 and 2017) and WTY039 (2014 and 2015) extend the 3.3-liter V6’s coverage to 15 years or 180,000 miles from the day it first went on the road, for every owner, for one fault: a coolant leak from the head gasket or head bolts.
The bulletins name 2014 and 2015 Sorentos built through December 11, 2014, and every 2016 and 2017.
If coolant is leaking, you can smell it, or the temperature gauge climbs toward H, a Kia dealer diagnoses the cause free. When the head gasket or bolts are to blame, the repair is free too.
Stop driving a V6 that runs hot and have it towed. The bulletins warn that driving it unrepaired can damage the engine further, and they promise the head gasket and bolts while saying nothing either way about damage from driving it hot.
They don’t mention a tow or a rental, so ask the dealer before the car is moved.
If the dealer blames another part, ask for the diagnosis in writing and send it to Kia’s Customer Care Center, since the bulletins offer no arbitration. Neither bulletin pays for a worn bearing or a seized V6, and neither settlement covers the V6 at all.
The one V6 engine recall NHTSA lists for these years, 17V-586, covered just 62 Sorentos, all 2017s, whose crankshafts may not have been heat-treated properly.
Which Symptom Points to Which Fault?
Owners filed 3,308 engine complaints with NHTSA about 2011 to 2018 Sorentos, and this is how often each problem comes up in them. The complaints don’t say which engine the car has, so read them with the engine table.
| What owners described | Share of engine complaints |
|---|---|
| Burning or losing oil | 40% |
| Knocking, ticking or rattling | 28% |
| Check engine light | 23% |
| Stalling | 19% |
| Engine seized or blew | 18% |
| Smoke | 8% |
| Head gasket or coolant loss | 5% |
A knock that grows louder points to the bearings. On a four-cylinder with the update, the software lights the dashboard warnings and drops the engine into a reduced-power protection mode, and Kia’s pamphlet tells you to take it to a dealer at once. A knocking engine is safer towed than driven.
On a V6, a sweet smell, a falling coolant level or a gauge near H points to the head gasket. Oil burning on its own falls outside all of this coverage, though it can end in a bearing failure that is covered.
A Kia dealer checks the open campaigns, and diagnoses a V6 coolant leak, at no charge. For a fault no coverage reaches, Kelley Blue Book puts a dealer diagnosis for a 2016 at $157 to $263 in Miami, Chicago and Denver; if you’d sell rather than fix it, skip that.
What Would a New Engine Cost if Kia Won’t Pay?
For a 2016 Sorento, Kelley Blue Book’s dealer estimate for a new engine, parts and labor together, starts $681 higher in Miami than in Chicago.
Its estimator gives the same figure for the base L and the V6 SX, so it doesn’t price the engines apart, and a V6 quote may come in higher.
| City | Dealer estimate | Of which labor |
|---|---|---|
| Miami, FL 33130 | $7,186 to $7,706 | $3,018 to $3,236 |
| Chicago, IL 60601 | $6,505 to $7,005 | $2,724 to $2,950 |
| Denver, CO 80202 | $6,786 to $7,308 | $2,842 to $3,078 |
Owners on CarComplaints report these typical bills for a failed engine. Each is the middle of what those owners paid, whatever the fix, and most of them had the engine replaced:
- A 2011: $4,610
- A 2012: $6,560
- A 2013: $5,380
- A 2014: $8,990
- A 2015: $6,830
- A 2016: $7,390
- A 2017: $2,850, from 17 reports
A used engine fitted by an independent shop usually costs less than a dealer’s: 17 owners told NHTSA they paid or were quoted $3,500 to $10,500 for a used or rebuilt engine, fitted, typically about $6,800. Some shops won’t fit an engine you buy yourself. Whatever the route, put the shop’s quote into the calculator on this page.
Is a Paid Engine Worth It on a 2016 Sorento?
Kelley Blue Book values each trim with its usual equipment: a 2016 LX at $6,900 in a private sale in good condition, and an SX, which always has the V6, at $9,425.
An LX with the V6 option is worth more than the LX figure, so price yours with its engine on Kelley Blue Book’s page for your year.
| Route, 2016 | Repair cost | After a $6,900 sale (LX) | After a $9,425 sale (SX) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dealer replaces the engine | $6,505 to $7,706 | $806 short to $395 left | $1,719 to $2,920 left |
| Sell it as it is | None | Your best offer | Your best offer |
At $6,900, a dealer engine leaves a few hundred dollars at best after the sale, less than buyers offered for either broken Sorento we quoted. At $9,425, it leaves $1,719 or more, more than both offers, but only if you then find a private buyer at that price.
Would a Paid Engine Leave You Ahead?
The example is a 2016 SX: Kelley Blue Book’s Chicago engine price against its private-sale value, and the best offer on the 2017 Sorento we quoted, the nearest year with an offer. Replace all three with your car’s figures.
No offer yet? Sell Car Advisor’s comparison tool gets you several instant offers at once.
Other years sit on one side of that line or the other. These are Kelley Blue Book’s private-sale values in good condition, from the cheapest trim to the dearest:
| Model year | Private-sale value by trim |
|---|---|
| 2011 | $3,775 to $4,675 |
| 2012 | $4,875 to $5,650 |
| 2013 | $4,075 to $6,375 |
| 2014 | $6,100 to $7,450 |
| 2015 | $6,175 to $7,725 |
| 2016 | $6,900 to $9,425 |
| 2017 | $8,200 to $11,750 |
| 2018 | $8,175 to $13,200 |
Every 2011 to 2013 is worth less than a 2016’s dealer engine costs, so on those cars only a cheaper used engine can come out ahead.
The engine has to cost less than the car’s value minus its best offer as it is. For example, a 2013 LX worth $4,725, offered $655 like the 2014 LX we quoted, needs an engine under $4,070.
A 2017 or 2018 in a higher trim has more room. Fixing also makes more sense if you’d keep the car, because then the engine is weighed against the cost of replacing the Sorento.
Look up your own year’s value, and its repair prices, on Kelley Blue Book: 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018.
How Much Is a Sorento With a Dead Engine Worth to a Buyer?
Neither of these Sorentos could be driven when its owner asked for offers on My Garage, Sell Car Advisor’s offer comparison form. The 2014’s owner marked the engine as not working, and the 2017’s owner said it starts but doesn’t drive.
| Sorento | Miles | Condition | Best offer | Second offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 Kia Sorento LX | 142,000 | Engine not working, won’t start | $655 | $454 |
| 2017 Kia Sorento | 159,000 | Starts, but does not drive | $1,270 | $1,187 |
The best and second offers were about $80 apart on the 2017 and about $200 apart on the 2014. That gap is what one more quote was worth on these cars.
In our offer data, buyers offered a typical $1,228 for a 2011 to 2015 Sorento, and $1,115 for a car of any make from those model years.
Those two medians take in running and broken cars alike, but only ones already 10 years old or more on the day they were quoted.
Middle offer on an old Kia Sorento, by model year 54 Kia Sorento offers · 8,569 for all cars of the same years · Model yearsShow the numbers
Model years Kia Sorento Offers All cars of the same years Offers 2003 to 2009 $390 12 $520 5,747 2011 to 2015 $1,228 42 $1,115 2,822 
Who Can Use Kia’s Coverage After You Sell?
Kia’s coverage stays with the car: both settlements’ warranties pass to later private owners, and the V6 bulletins cover every owner. Both settlements leave out dealers, auctions and other businesses, so those buyers can’t claim the coverage, and they price the engine as dead.
If the coverage fits your engine and symptom, claim the repair first and sell a running car. If you sell it broken anyway, tell a private buyer about the coverage, since it’s worth money to them.
The GDI and turbo settlement also lists a rebate when the engine fails, you sell the car because of it, and you buy another Kia from a dealer within 90 days. It runs from $2,000 for a 2012 to $500 for a 2017 or 2018.
The MPI’s settlement has its own rebate terms. Ask Kia whether either rebate is still being paid before you count on it.
Describe the car as it is on the day you ask. If the engine won’t turn over, or it stalls as soon as it starts, answer that the car doesn’t start, because buyers send a truck that can pull a dead car on board.
Get that answer right, because a buyer who finds a dead engine at pickup can cut an offer that was made for a car that starts.
Have the title, in your name, with you when the truck comes, because the instant-offer buyers we quoted hand over payment at the collection itself.
Find out what your Sorento is worth broken. Sell Car Advisor’s comparison tool sends one form to several buyers, and you can set their offers against Kia’s answer or a shop’s quote.
Article Update History
Originally posted and shared with our readers.
Sources
FuelEconomy.gov: Kia Sorento engines, 2011 to 2018
The engines offered in each model year: 2.4-liter four-cylinder (port and direct injection), 2.0-liter turbo, 3.5-liter and 3.3-liter V6. Accessed October 13, 2026.
NHTSA: Vehicle Identification Number decoder (vPIC)
Decodes a VIN to its engine: Sorento engine models read DOHC MPI Theta II, DOHC GDI Theta II, or V6 Lambda II. Accessed October 13, 2026.
Kia Engine Settlement (Theta II GDI): FAQ
Lifetime short-block warranty after the KSDS update for 2012 to 2019 Sorentos with the 2.0L or 2.4L GDI engine; exclusions, rental, rebate by model year and arbitration. Accessed October 13, 2026.
Kia Engine Settlement: Revised Settlement Agreement
Definition of the Lifetime Warranty: transfer to later owners, late KSDS installation, and the option at 150,000 miles and eight years to repurchase the car or pay $2,000. Accessed October 13, 2026.
Kia: Information about the engine in your Kia vehicle (owner pamphlet)
What the knock sensor detection system does, which Sorentos the lifetime warranty covers, and Kia's position on maintenance records. Accessed October 13, 2026.
Kia Engine Class Settlement (Engine Litigation II): FAQ
15-year or 150,000-mile warranty from original retail delivery for 2011 to 2013 Sorentos with the 2.4L MPI engine; no KSDS precondition for recalled cars; the oil-change gap test for neglect; rental up to $80 a day; BBB arbitration; rebate terms. Accessed October 13, 2026.
NHTSA recall 17V-224: Kia owner letters, 2012 to 2014 Sorento
Connecting rod bearing wear from machining debris; free inspection and engine long block replacement; renotification to owners whose recall is not complete. Accessed October 13, 2026.
NHTSA recall 23V-877: 2011 Sorento with the 2.4L MPI engine
Cars without the KSDS software: inspection, engine replacement as necessary, KSDS, and a 15-year or 150,000-mile long block warranty. Accessed October 13, 2026.
NHTSA recall 20V-750: 2012 and 2013 Sorento with the 2.4L MPI engine
Built April 26, 2011 to January 10, 2013: engine compartment inspection, engine test and repairs including engine replacement, and KSDS. Accessed October 13, 2026.
NHTSA recall 17V-586: 2017 Sorento with the 3.3L engine
Crankshaft may have been improperly heat treated; 62 vehicles. Accessed October 13, 2026.
NHTSA recall 18V-907: fuel pipe after an engine replacement
2012 to 2017 Sorentos whose engine was replaced under recall 17V-224, warranty or the KSDS campaign: inspection and replacement of the high-pressure fuel pipe. Accessed October 13, 2026.
Kia bulletin WTY035: 2016 and 2017 Sorento 3.3L V6 warranty extension
15 years or 180,000 miles from first service for a coolant leak from the cylinder head gasket area; free diagnosis on symptoms. Accessed October 13, 2026.
Kia bulletin WTY039: 2014 and 2015 Sorento 3.3L V6 warranty extension
Sorentos built December 17, 2012 to December 11, 2014: the same 15-year or 180,000-mile head gasket and head bolt cover. Accessed October 13, 2026.
NHTSA: vehicle complaints, 2011 to 2018 Kia Sorento
Complaints filed under engine by model year and the problems they describe, read from NHTSA's complaints API. Accessed October 13, 2026.
Kelley Blue Book: 2016 Kia Sorento engine replacement price
Dealer estimates for a 2016 in ZIP 33130, 60601 and 80202: $6,505 to $7,706, of which labor $2,724 to $3,236; the same for the L (vehicleid 406546) and the SX. Accessed October 13, 2026.
Kelley Blue Book: 2016 Kia Sorento engine diagnosis price
Fair repair range for ZIP 33130, 60601 and 80202: $157 to $263. Accessed October 13, 2026.
CarComplaints: Kia Sorento engine problems, 2011 to 2017
Owner reports: typical repair costs, mileage and fixes for the most-reported engine failure in each model year. Accessed October 13, 2026.
Kelley Blue Book: 2011 to 2018 Kia Sorento values
Trade-in, private party and fair purchase values by trim, good condition, national averages at typical mileage; the other years from their own year pages. Accessed October 13, 2026.
Sell Car Advisor: My Garage instant offers
Instant offers from several buyers on the same car, with the condition the owner gave, quoted March to October 2026. These are the cars in this page's offer tables and the set behind the condition figures (how much less buyers offer for a car that doesn't start or doesn't drive), compared within groups of cars of similar age and mileage. The model-year charts come from a larger set of offers going back to 2021.
Middle offer on an old Kia Sorento, by model year, Sell Car Advisor
"54 Kia Sorento offers · 8,569 for all cars of the same years" Accessed Oct. 17, 2026
Junk Car Value Statistics, Sell Car Advisor
"On this page: 2 figures from 17,628 instant cash offers" Accessed Oct. 17, 2026
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