Kia Sorento Complaints (2024)

52 consumer complaints on file.

#11773901October 27, 2026
Carry Handle, Shell, Base
I am submitting this complaint regarding the August 2026 recall of the Evenflo Revolve180 LiteMax NXT infant car seat and rotating base system. I purchased the Revolve180 LiteMax NXT travel system along with an additional rotating base for use in a second vehicle. I subsequently learned that my car seat and at least one of the rotating bases were included in the recall affecting products manufactured before April 1, 2025. According to Evenflo, certain affected products failed to meet federal safety performance requirements due to a calibration issue with the level indicator. This raises concerns about the ability to properly position and install the car seat, potentially compromising child passenger safety. Although Evenflo has acknowledged the issue and provided temporary installation alternatives, a permanent repair kit has not yet been made available. I was advised that repair kits are expected to begin shipping in November 2026, but no confirmed date has been provided for when my affected products will be remedied. I have contacted Evenflo repeatedly over several weeks requesting clarification regarding the affected products, the repair timeline, and available alternatives. Despite multiple follow-ups and requests for management escalation, I have not received a satisfactory response addressing my concerns. The affected products remain available for inspection upon request. To my knowledge, they have not been physically inspected by the manufacturer or another agency. I am requesting that NHTSA review the availability and timeliness of the recall remedy, as well as the manufacturer's handling of consumer concerns regarding the affected products.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11771928October 18, 2026
STEERING
On Saturday, October 10, 2026, the electric power steering (EPS) failed while driving and the EPS warning light came on. The steering became very heavy and hard to turn, and the vehicle shook during the failures. It happened 4 separate times within an hour, including right after starting the vehicle and shifting into gear, and after the vehicle restarted at a light at a busy intersection. My family was in the car, and losing steering in traffic was very unsafe. After the second failure, we drove to the dealership. The vehicle is still there; the dealer confirmed the error codes but has not reproduced the issue. The failed part and the cause are UNKNOWN. The vehicle is available for inspection. No police or insurance inspection has been done. The EPS warning light was the only warning, and it appeared at the time of each failure.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11768997October 5, 2026
POWER TRAIN
Delayed Shifting: Noticeable delay when shifting from park to drive or reverse. Slipping Gears: Slipping out of gear unexpectedly. Rough Shifting: A rough or jerky shifting Warning Lights: The check engine light or transmission warning light may illuminate on the dashboard.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11765210September 18, 2026
ENGINE
The cars battery drained precipitously. Was able to sit and recharge. Took it to dealership. There were several code issues P033500 and P040500 among others. In discussion it seems that it might have been the EGR valve among other things. On research this is a known problem so why is there not a recall as the car can stop suddenly. "2024 Kia Sorento Hybrid Prestige (equipped with the Smartstream 1.6L Turbo Hybrid engine), code P0405 highlights a known issue that affects several modern Hyundai and Kia hybrid models."
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11764322September 15, 2026
VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY
The contact owns a 2024 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 55-60 MPH, a loud boom suddenly occurred. The contact pulled to the side of the road and exited the vehicle with three passengers, including a nephew in a car seat. The passengers noticed that the panoramic glass fractured into several pieces and completely shattered. After cleaning out the vehicle, the contact put trash bags on the ceiling of the vehicle to avoid glass falling on the passengers. The contact stated concern about driving the vehicle before any repairs or replacements due to pieces of glass being in the fabric above the passenger's ears and the sound of glass fracturing every time a door is closed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed to contact to the manufacturer for further instruction. The failure mileage was 25,199.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11762310September 5, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES
My 2024 Kia Sorento has experienced a dangerous brake failure on three separate occasions in which the brake pedal went to the floor and the vehicle lost normal braking capability. The first failure occurred on 7/1/2026 and was confirmed by the Kia dealer; the master cylinder was found leaking brake fluid into the brake booster, and the brake master cylinder and brake booster assembly were replaced and the brake system was bled. The same brake-pedal-to-the-floor failure occurred again on 7/16/2026. The dealer performed diagnostic testing, including clamping the calipers, and replaced both front brake calipers. The brake failure has occurred again during the vehicle's current repair period on August 15th 2026, requiring another dealer inspection and repair. Each occurrence created a serious safety risk because the vehicle could unexpectedly lose braking capability while being driven, potentially resulting in a collision, injury, or death to the occupants or others. The vehicle and brake system have been repeatedly inspected by Kia/dealer personnel, and the repair history and replaced components are available for inspection and documentation. The vehicle is currently at the Kia dealership for continued investigation and repair. No crash or injury occurred, but the repeated loss of braking has created an ongoing and serious safety concern. I am not aware of any warning lamp or message preceding the initial failures; the primary symptom has been the brake pedal unexpectedly traveling to the floor with loss of normal braking.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11761179August 31, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
While braking in a left hand turn lane waiting for the vehicles in front to turn left through an intersection, the vehicle stalled, shut off, and forced a manual restart in the turn lane. This same sequence happened again at another red light when the brake was engaged. The dealership the car was purchased from would not evaluate the car as they stated it is under factory warranty and should be evaluated at the manufacturer. The closest Kia manufacturer has been notified, but they have not inspected it, as they stated they have a lift malfunction and do not have the ability to run diagnostics until at least 10/16/26. No warning lamps or messages appeared prior to the hard stop. After the car stalled, there was a message that appeared stating the car would need to be manually restarted by putting it in park or neutral and engaging the start button. It took 2 tries to restart the car. A police officer did pull up behind me for my safety while the car was stalled, but they let me go when the car restarted. My safety was put at risk as this happened while actively trying pull up to and through a busy intersection in a double left-turn lane. The car stalled right before the intersection while waiting on other cars in front of me to turn left on an unprotected left turn. If I had been braking in the intersection and the car stalled, it could have caused a serious accident with oncoming traffic. I have only owned the car for 45 days. There were two separate occasions in the week prior to this incident where an attempt was made to start the car when parked, and the electrical panel came on, but the engine did not engage. In those instances, turning the car back off then turning it on started the car and no other issues were noted until the issue arose with hard stops when idling at intersections. The car is under 54,000 miles. It is available for inspection upon request.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11759285August 24, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY
The front bumper grill to this Sorento model, among others, has a major design flaw that causes the radiator to be highly vulnerable to debris. A rock struck and punctured my radiator causing it to aggressively spray engine coolant, eventually leading to my engine overheating. I found this incident to be an extremely odd and rare situation considering I was only driving on paved suburban roads. After some further investigation online, it appears there are several other customers across the country that have encountered this same issue. Many even displaying tutorials on how they have rigged their Kias with reinforced plastic grates to protect their radiators from further damage. Really? This is what consumers are being forced to do in 2026 to protect their front radiators on a modern vehicle? These damages occur way too easily on normal city roads and not on rough terrain (despite my xline model specifically being marketed as a rugged outdoor vehicle). This easily avoidable design flaw is due to the large openings in the front grill. I have driven thousands of miles across the country in far less rugged vehicles, including many years in "rocky" Colorado, and have NEVER experienced a radiator being so easily pierced by debris. Kia customers are being footed the bill for these costly repairs as this is not considered a "factory defect" when in fact it is. Not to mention this can cause catastrophic damages to the engine in some cases. This is malpractice and Kia should be held accountable. My vehicle is currently being held at a kia service center near where the incident took place and awaiting an assessment from my insurance claim specialist. Luckily no one was hurt during this incident, I just had to get my wife and newborn child an uber to the nearest hotel while I waited 2hrs on a tow truck.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11753955July 31, 2026
POWER TRAIN
First AWD Coupler failed at approximately 25,000 miles. It was replaced and the replacement AWD Coupler is failing at approximately 55,000 miles. As the AWD Coupler fails, when accelerating from a stop and turning, a loud clunking sound is heard from the vehicle and a jerking motion is felt. The symptoms continue to get worse as the AWD Coupler fails. The jerking can cause unsafe turns and acceleration.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11746301June 24, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:FOUNDATION COMPONENTS:DISC:ROTOR
The contact owns a 2024 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal shaking in the steering wheel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with improperly sized brake rotors. The rotors were resurfaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was subsequently returned to the dealer, and the rotors were replaced, but the failure continued. The contact stated that the wheels were affected by the rotor failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 7,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11743450June 11, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The horn isn’t making any noise at all. There were no warning lamps or messages, I didn’t know until I needed to use my horn.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11740994May 30, 2026
VISIBILITY/WIPER
The vehicles windshield may not be sealed properly or have moisture that builds up between the pressed glass causing reduced visibility and higher risk for crash obstructing the view of both passenger and most importantly the driver.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11734947April 30, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY
A few weeks ago my sunroof began with out warning began to malfunction. It stopped closing all the way . When finally close I noticed the right rear side of the roof not closing all the way. I've noticed the bracket that holds up the glass roof to the track was broken. I took the car back to my car dealership, Gerald kia of Matteson. They told me that it was my fault because the tracks wasn't greased. Something that I wasn't at first purchased a car brand new. So they told me that consider an outside influence ira it would not be covered under a factory warranty. The reason I am filling this is because of hearing about some roofs , exploding , and this could be a situation similar to that.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11733308April 23, 2026
POWER TRAIN
At 7,100 miles the transmission failed requiring a new transmission replacement after one year. At 16,636 miles (2years into the lease) the new transmission also failed, and the car is in the garage getting another transmission replacement after.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11729386April 6, 2026
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:RADIATOR ASSEMBLY
The contact owns a 2024 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the radiator was leaking. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer and the dealer stated that a rock or road debris had caused the puncture in the radiator. The contact was advised by the dealer that it was a known failure and that there was no radiator debris shield to protect the radiator from damage. The contact was informed by the dealer that the repair was not covered under warranty. The manufacturer was contacted and informed that the contact that repair was not covered. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 23,417.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11727717March 28, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The Panoramic sunroof randomly exploded while driving down the highway. Nothing around us or above us to cause it. Myself, my [XXX] pregnant wife, and [XXX] daughter were in the car and had glass rain down on us after the very loud boom. We almost wrecked. The issue has not yet been inspected by the dealership but I understand this to not be uncommon. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11720380February 25, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES, BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS
EBP light comes on dash while driving. Codes have been determined by dealership but refuse to fix unless light is active. To get light off - must stop vehicle and turn on and off EBP switch and light goes off. Switch or sensor not working causing the problem.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11712048January 20, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
Car has sensor issues. It ran into pole and median after defective collision assist said sensor was blocked. Has emission leak. Second vehicle i had with that and they wont cover under warranty. Kia refuses to by back a car do not feel safe driving. They refuse to fix things under warranty. The refuse to do anything about sensors, says its the safety features and they cannot remove them. Only offered me 19k for car. Why would I be upside down for a car that was sold to me with safety features issues..
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11711697January 18, 2026
AIR BAGS, SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING
1. **Component or System Failure:** - The malfunction occurred in the **automatic braking system** while the vehicle was in **snow mode**. The brakes engaged and locked the wheels, resulting in a loss of traction. - This system is available for inspection upon request to assess the failure, where the car was towed to. 2. **Safety Risk:** - The automatic brakes locking the wheels put the driver at risk by causing the vehicle to slide uncontrollably. - The situation was further exacerbated by the fact that the vehicle collided with a tree, indicating a significant safety concern. 3. **Reproduction of the Problem:** - It is unclear if the issue has been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center, but given the nature of the malfunction, it would be advisable to have it inspected by a professional to verify the problem. 4. **Inspection by Authorities:** -the vehicle was inspected by police and the towing coming stating the car was a total loss because of the damages . 5. **Warnings or Symptoms:** - There were no indications of a problem prior to the failure, such as warning lamps or messages. The incident occurred suddenly when the brakes engaged, leading to the vehicle losing traction and ultimately colliding with a tree. - The failure of the airbags to deploy on the passenger side is also a critical point that needs further investigation. ### Key Takeaways - The automatic braking system malfunctioned in snow mode, leading to a loss of traction and a collision. - Safety was jeopardized due to the vehicle's sliding and the failure of the airbags to deploy. - Further inspection by qualified professionals is necessary to confirm and address the issues.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11708235January 1, 2026
POWER TRAIN, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
The vehicle is jerky, loss of power, jolts, and very high concern of safety while in use.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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