The Kia Sorento Hybrid was commonly sold on
Personal Contract Purchase (PCP) and
Hire Purchase (HP) finance agreements during the period under investigation by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), from 6 April 2007 to 1 November 2024. During this time, many consumers purchased their Kia Sorento Hybrids through various lenders who offered flexible financing options that often included balloon payments at the end of the contract.
How the Kia Sorento Hybrid was Typically Financed
The typical finance amount for a Kia Sorento Hybrid ranged from £15,000 to £30,000. Common terms for PCP agreements were 36 to 48 months, during which drivers paid monthly instalments while retaining ownership of the vehicle until the end of the contract or an optional final balloon payment. For Hire Purchase (HP) contracts, consumers typically borrowed a larger sum upfront and made regular payments over a longer period without the option for a final balloon payment.
Common lenders who provided finance for Kia Sorento Hybrids during this period included
Black Horse, Barclays Partner Finance,
Close Brothers Motor Finance,
MotoNovo Finance, and
Santander Consumer Finance. These institutions often structured deals to suit individual customer needs, including flexible repayment terms and options like part-exchange offers at the start of a new contract.
The FCA Motor Finance Investigation
The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) launched an investigation into
discretionary commission arrangements used by car finance lenders during the period from 6 April 2007 to 1 November 2024. This probe uncovered significant issues related to how manufacturers and dealerships paid lenders for facilitating finance agreements, which led to unfair practices that may have affected millions of consumers.
The FCA's findings revealed that 12.1 million eligible agreements were potentially impacted by these arrangements (FCA estimate). The total estimated amount involved was £7.5 billion (FCA, March 2026), with the average consumer overpaying around £829 (FCA estimate) as a result of these practices.
If you find evidence of DCAs or suspect that your agreement may be affected, it is important to gather all related documentation and prepare a detailed complaint.
You do not need a
claims management company to pursue a complaint. Common lenders such as Black Horse, Barclays Partner Finance, Close Brothers Motor Finance, MotoNovo Finance, and Santander Consumer Finance have dedicated teams to handle customer complaints. To initiate the process:
1.
Gather Evidence: Collect all relevant documents including your finance agreement, payment records, and any correspondence with your lender.
2.
Contact Your Lender: Reach out to your lender's customer service or complaints department via phone or email. Provide them with detailed information about why you believe your agreement was affected by the FCA investigation.
3.
Follow Up: Keep track of all communications and follow up regularly if necessary. Ensure that your lender acknowledges receipt of your complaint and provides a timeline for resolution.
If your initial complaint does not resolve the issue, or if you need further assistance, consider escalating it to the
Financial Ombudsman Service (
FOS). This independent body can review your case free of charge and provide a fair resolution based on their findings.
Sources and References
- FCA estimate
- Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
- Office for National Statistics (ONS) Census 2021
Based on 34,491 MOT tests conducted in 2024 (source: DVSA anonymised test data), the Kia Sorento has a pass rate of 77.7%. This is close to the national average of 79.6%, meaning the Sorento performs about average in MOT testing.
The Sorento pass rate is slightly below the overall Kia average of 81.4%. The average mileage at MOT for this model is 85,380 miles.
- MOT pass rate: 77.7%
- MOT failure rate: 22.3%
- Tests analysed: 34,491 (2024 DVSA data)
- Average mileage at test: 85,380 miles
- Kia average pass rate: 81.4%
- National average pass rate: 79.6%
Data source: DVSA anonymised MOT test results 2024, published under the Open Government Licence v3.0.