Kia Sorento tire size
Original tire sizes for the Kia Sorento, model years 2003 through 2020. Trim levels and wheel packages change the size within the same year, so confirm on the door-jamb sticker before ordering.
Check before you order. The surest answer is the tires on the car right now: the size is molded into the sidewall. The placard inside the driver's door tells you what the factory fitted, which can differ from what a previous owner put on. Our guide on reading a tire size shows exactly where to look.
Size by year and trim
| Model years | Trim or package | Tire size | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-2020 | LX/EX 18 in | 235/55R18 | $95 |
| 2016-2020 | SX | 235/55R19 | $100 |
| 2014-2020 | LX/EX | 235/65R17 | $75 |
| 2011-2013 | LX 2WD | 235/55R17 | $70 |
| 2011-2015 | LX | 235/60R17 | $75 |
| 2003-2006 | LX 2WD | 225/70R16 | $95 |
| 2003-2009 | Standard | 245/70R16 | $95 |
Tire size by model year
| Model year | Tire size | Trim or package | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 Kia Sorento | 235/55R18, 235/55R19, 235/65R17 | LX/EX 18 in, SX, LX/EX | $75 |
| 2019 Kia Sorento | 235/55R18, 235/55R19, 235/65R17 | LX/EX 18 in, SX, LX/EX | $75 |
| 2018 Kia Sorento | 235/55R18, 235/55R19, 235/65R17 | LX/EX 18 in, SX, LX/EX | $75 |
| 2017 Kia Sorento | 235/55R18, 235/55R19, 235/65R17 | LX/EX 18 in, SX, LX/EX | $75 |
| 2016 Kia Sorento | 235/55R18, 235/55R19, 235/65R17 | LX/EX 18 in, SX, LX/EX | $75 |
| 2015 Kia Sorento | 235/65R17, 235/60R17 | LX/EX, LX | $75 |
| 2014 Kia Sorento | 235/65R17, 235/60R17 | LX/EX, LX | $75 |
| 2013 Kia Sorento | 235/55R17, 235/60R17 | LX 2WD, LX | $70 |
| 2012 Kia Sorento | 235/55R17, 235/60R17 | LX 2WD, LX | $70 |
| 2011 Kia Sorento | 235/55R17, 235/60R17 | LX 2WD, LX | $70 |
| 2009 Kia Sorento | 245/70R16 | Standard | $95 |
| 2008 Kia Sorento | 245/70R16 | Standard | $95 |
Show the remaining 5 model years
| Model year | Tire size | Trim or package | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 Kia Sorento | 245/70R16 | Standard | $95 |
| 2006 Kia Sorento | 225/70R16, 245/70R16 | LX 2WD, Standard | $95 |
| 2005 Kia Sorento | 225/70R16, 245/70R16 | LX 2WD, Standard | $95 |
| 2004 Kia Sorento | 225/70R16, 245/70R16 | LX 2WD, Standard | $95 |
| 2003 Kia Sorento | 225/70R16, 245/70R16 | LX 2WD, Standard | $95 |
Which brand should you pick?
Kia does not stamp its own approval code on tires the way Porsche or BMW do. Any tire in the right size that meets or exceeds the load index and speed rating on your door placard is a legitimate replacement, so pick on wet braking, tread life and price. Our picks for each size are on the size pages below.
Every US car built since 2003 carries this placard. It also gives the pressures, which the sidewall does not: the number molded into the tire is the maximum it can hold, not what your car wants.
What those tires cost
About the Kia Sorento
The Sorento is Kia's mid-size SUV, and it has changed character completely over its life: it started as a body-on-frame truck with a low-range transfer case and is now a three-row unibody crossover. It sits below the larger Telluride in Kia's range and is one of the cheapest three-row SUVs in the US market. Tire shoppers land here across 17- to 19-inch fitments.
Launched in 2003. Launched in the US for 2003, the first Sorento was a genuine body-on-frame SUV with a separate ladder chassis, a two-speed transfer case and a low-range gear, sold at a price that undercut every Japanese rival.
How to tell the model years apart
Wheel and tire sizes follow the generation, not the badge, so identifying yours matters before you order.
2003-2009
2011-2015
2016-2020
Third generation (UM)
Longer and wider with Kia's tiger-nose grille set into a much smoother nose, and a standard third row on most trims. The rear quarter window has a distinct downward kink. Seventeen-inch wheels on L and LX, 18s on LX and EX, 19s on SX and SX Limited.
2021-2024
Fourth generation (MQ4)
Squarer and more upright with a much bolder grille, stepped headlamps and a thick chrome strip running up the rear pillar. Hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions join the range along with an off-road-styled X-Pro. Seventeen-inch wheels on LX, 18s on S and EX, 19s on SX and X-Line.
What the press said
The Sorento has moved from being reviewed as a cheap alternative to being reviewed as a genuine value pick. Reviewers praise the interior design and materials for the money, the long warranty, the standard third row at a price where rivals offer two rows, and the hybrid's fuel economy. The consistent criticisms are a third row that is tight next to a Telluride or Highlander, modest towing capacity, and a 2.5-liter turbo with a dual-clutch transmission that testers describe as hesitant at low speed. Earlier generations drew complaints about noise and cheap plastics that the current car has largely fixed.
While it can't quite match the Telluride's interior spaciousness, the Kia Sorento is a tempting mid-size three-row option with its attractive price.
Car and Driver, 2026
| Model year | Units sold in the US |
|---|---|
| 2018 | 107,846 |
| 2019 | 95,951 |
| 2020 | 74,677 |
| 2021 | 81,785 |
| 2022 | 86,406 |
| 2023 | 88,625 |
| 2024 | 95,154 |
| 2025 | 94,772 |
US Sorento sales peaked at 130,235 in 2011 and have run between roughly 75,000 and 108,000 a year since 2018, with global volume of around 280,000 in 2024.
Was it a success?
A solid commercial success that has been one of Kia's two or three biggest US sellers for fifteen years, though the Telluride now takes the buyers who want a bigger three-row. Resale has improved a lot with the brand but still trails Toyota and Honda equivalents, which makes used Sorentos good value. Reliability reputation is mixed by generation: the current car is well regarded, while 2011-2019 models with the 2.4 and 2.0T Theta engines were covered by major engine-failure recalls and extended warranties in the US. Tire sizes are mainstream and cheap.
Did you know?
- The first Sorento had a separate ladder frame and a low-range transfer case, making it a more serious off-roader than the unibody crossover that replaced it.
- There was no 2010 model year Sorento in the US: the body-on-frame car ended with 2009 and the unibody one arrived as a 2011.
- Hyundai and Kia extended engine warranties and ran recall campaigns covering Theta II engines used in Sorentos of the 2011-2019 era after connecting-rod bearing failures.
Tire options on the Kia Sorento
LX trims run 235/65R17, S and EX use 235/60R18 or 235/55R18, and SX and X-Line sit on 235/55R19. All of them are mainstream sizes shared with several other crossovers, so choice and price are both good and there is no shortage of winter options even at 19 inches. Nothing is staggered and no Sorento uses factory run-flats; OE fitments are typically Kumho Crugen, Hankook Dynapro or Continental CrossContact all-seasons, and the X-Pro trim adds a 17-inch all-terrain. Because a loaded three-row Sorento with seven people aboard sits near its gross axle weight, match the load index on the door-jamb sticker rather than buying down. Tow rating is a modest 3,500 pounds on most trims, so a standard-load passenger tire in the OE index is adequate for trailer work.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org, caranddriver.com.
Kia Sorento tires: common questions
What size tires does a Kia Sorento take?
The most common original size is 235/55R18. Other model years and trims use different sizes, so check the list on this page and confirm against the sticker inside your driver's door.
Can I fit a different size on my Kia Sorento?
You can, within limits: the overall diameter should stay within about 3 percent of the original, and the load index and speed rating must meet or exceed the door placard. Anything further changes your speedometer reading and can rub at full lock.
Where is the tire size on a Kia Sorento?
Open the driver's door and look at the white and yellow placard on the door jamb or the B-pillar. The same size is also molded into the sidewall of the tires currently on the car, unless someone changed them.
What size tires does a 2020 Kia Sorento take?
The 2020 Kia Sorento came from the factory on 235/55R18 and 235/55R19 and 235/65R17. Wheel packages can change that within the same model year, so check the placard inside the door jamb before you order.
What size tires does a 2019 Kia Sorento take?
The 2019 Kia Sorento came from the factory on 235/55R18 and 235/55R19 and 235/65R17. Wheel packages can change that within the same model year, so check the placard inside the door jamb before you order.
What size tires does a 2018 Kia Sorento take?
The 2018 Kia Sorento came from the factory on 235/55R18 and 235/55R19 and 235/65R17. Wheel packages can change that within the same model year, so check the placard inside the door jamb before you order.