2016-2020 Kia Sorento Front vs Rear Brakes: What Wears First and What to Replace

By Core Brake Parts Tech Team — Circleville, OH warehouse

On a 2016-2020 Kia Sorento the front brakes do most of the stopping, so the front pads and rotors usually wear out first. That is not guaranteed, though: the Sorento's stability control and electronic brake distribution use the rear brakes more than older SUVs did, so the rear pads can wear faster than you would expect. Measure both axles before you buy parts.

How the 2016-2020 Sorento Brake System Is Laid Out

This generation of Sorento runs disc brakes at all four corners. Kia's owner's manual describes a pad wear indicator that can squeal from either the front or the rear brakes, which tells you both axles use pads and rotors rather than rear drums.

The parking brake is a separate system. Some Sorentos use a foot-operated parking brake pedal, and trims equipped with an electronic parking brake (EPB) still use small parking brake shoes that work against the inside of the rear rotor. A Kia service bulletin for 2016-and-later Sorentos with EPB covers adjusting those shoes with a star adjuster reached through an access plug in the rotor. Those shoes wear very slowly because they mainly hold the parked vehicle, but they matter when you replace rear rotors, as covered below.

Why the Front Brakes Usually Wear First

When you brake, weight transfers onto the front tires. The front tires then have more grip, so engineers give the front brakes the larger share of the work. The Motorist Assurance Program puts that share at roughly 70 percent of braking force on a typical vehicle. The Sorento is a heavy three-row SUV, and many carry a full load of passengers or pull a small trailer, which puts even more demand on the front brakes.

That is why front pads and rotors are the most common brake job on this vehicle. The front rotors also absorb more heat on every stop, so they are usually the first to develop pedal pulsation or a raised lip at the outer edge.

Why the Rear Brakes Can Surprise You

On older vehicles with a mechanical proportioning valve, the front brakes typically wore two to three times faster than the rears. Modern SUVs like the Sorento balance braking electronically, and that changes the picture. Bendix explains that electronic brake force distribution uses the rear brakes to keep the nose from diving when you first press the pedal, and that traction control, stability control and hill descent systems apply individual rear wheels without any input from the driver.

The result is that the rear pads on a Sorento do more work than the old "rears last twice as long" rule suggests. AA1Car notes that on some vehicles with electronic brake proportioning, the rear pads actually wear out before the fronts. On a Sorento, do not be surprised if the rear pads are due at the same service as the fronts. Assuming the rears are fine without measuring them is how people end up with metal-to-metal grinding at the back.

Symptoms and How to Tell Which End Needs Work

• High-pitched squeal while driving or braking: this is the built-in wear indicator. Kia's manual says it can come from the front or rear brakes and may come and go or happen every time you press the pedal. Have a helper drive slowly past you with the windows down to hear which end it comes from.
• Grinding: the pad material is gone and the backing plate is cutting the rotor. Replace the pads and rotors on that axle right away.
• Steering wheel shake when braking: usually points to the front rotors.
• Pedal pulsation with a steady steering wheel, or a shudder felt through the seat: more often the rear rotors.
• Pulling to one side: a sticking caliper or slide pin on one wheel.

The reliable method is to measure. Pull the wheels and check the thickness of both the outer and inner pad on each axle; the inner pad often wears faster when caliper slide pins are dry. Compare the rotors to the minimum thickness cast into the rotor or listed in the service information. This generation's maintenance schedule calls for a brake inspection every 7,500 miles or 12 months, so it costs little to have both axles measured at your next oil service.

What to Replace, and What to Replace at the Same Time

Front brake job

Replace pads in pairs on the axle, and replace or resurface the rotors at the same time. New pads on grooved or lipped rotors make noise, bed in poorly and wear fast. A matched set such as our 2016-2020 Kia Sorento front brake kit puts new rotors and pads on together so the parts are designed to work with each other. You can also browse all brake pads and brake rotors, or choose ceramic brake pads for low dust and quiet operation on a daily-driven SUV.

Rear brake job

Rear pads and rotors are done the same way, with two Sorento-specific points. First, if the vehicle has an electronic parking brake, follow the service procedure for releasing and re-adjusting it. Kia's bulletin warns that failing to correctly adjust the parking brake shoes after EPB module replacement can cause early module failure. Second, inspect the parking brake shoes while the rear rotors are off. They rarely wear out, but if the lining is thin or contaminated or the springs are broken, now is the time to replace them from our brake shoes selection.

Parts to replace alongside

• Hardware: new abutment clips and fresh slide-pin grease from a brake hardware kit prevent noise and uneven pad wear.
• Calipers: if a piston is seized or a slide pin will not move freely, replace the caliper. See brake calipers.
• Brake fluid: fluid absorbs moisture over time. Check its condition at every brake job and use only the DOT grade printed on the reservoir cap and listed in your owner's manual.

How Hard Is the Job?

Front pads and rotors on a Sorento are a reasonable driveway job for someone with a floor jack, jack stands, a torque wrench and basic hand tools. The rear axle is similar in effort on a foot-pedal parking brake model. On EPB-equipped models it is one step harder, because the electronic parking brake has to be released and re-adjusted by the correct procedure before and after the work. If you do not have the tools or information for that, a shop can handle the rear axle while you do the fronts.

Torque the caliper bolts and wheel lug nuts to the values in the factory service information, not by feel. After the job, pump the pedal until it is firm before you move the vehicle, then bed in the new pads with a series of moderate stops so they lay an even layer of material onto the rotors.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do the front or rear brakes wear out first on a Kia Sorento?

Usually the fronts, because they do most of the braking. The Sorento's electronic brake distribution and stability control use the rears more than older designs did, so measure both axles instead of assuming.

Can I replace only the front brakes and leave the rears?

Yes, if the rear pads and rotors measure within spec. Brakes are serviced by axle, so you do not need to do all four corners because one end is worn. Always replace both sides of the same axle together.

What is the squealing noise from my Sorento's brakes?

Most often it is the metal wear indicator on the pads, which Kia designed to make a high-pitched sound when pads are due. It can come from the front or rear. Have the pads measured soon; ignoring it leads to grinding and rotor damage.

Should I replace rotors every time I replace pads?

Replace or resurface them whenever they are below minimum thickness, grooved, lipped or causing pulsation. Many owners replace rotors with every pad change because new rotors bedded with new pads give the quietest, smoothest result.

Do I need a scan tool for the rear brakes?

On a Sorento with an electronic parking brake, follow the proper EPB release and adjustment procedure, which may call for a compatible scan tool. Models with a foot-operated parking brake do not need one for a pad and rotor job.

Sources

1. Kia owner's manual: disc brakes wear indicator - Kia pads carry an audible wear indicator that squeals from the front or rear brakes when pads need replacing
2. Kia Sorento owner's manual: brake system - Sorento wear-indicator warning and the foot-type parking brake description
3. Kia EPB adjustment bulletin (Mitchell 1) - 2016-and-later Sorento with EPB uses parking brake shoes adjusted with a star adjuster through the rotor
4. Bendix: rear brake pads on vehicles with stability control - EBD, traction and stability control and hill descent all work the rear brakes
5. AA1Car: brake balance and electronic brake proportioning - fronts traditionally wear two to three times faster; with electronic proportioning rears can wear out first
6. Motorist Assurance Program: which brakes go bad first - about 70 percent of braking force is handled by the front brakes
7. Sorento 2016-2020 maintenance guide - brake inspection every 7,500 miles or 12 months