Kia Sorento Complaints

10,397 consumer complaints on file.

#11751075July 17, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My rear backup camera stopped working this year it's either a black screen or blinking screen no video will play. When I first started the video was foggy like moisture was in the camera and now it shows nothing. Other Kia sorento's my same model year have had a recall for the backup camera but mine is not on the recall list for some reason.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11751110July 17, 2026
POWER TRAIN, ENGINE
The contact owns a 2025 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving approximately 75 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power and failed to exceed 30 MPH. The contact pulled over to the side of the road to avoid other vehicles. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer to be diagnosed; however, the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 16,386.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11751187July 17, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Motor will not turn over, starter/electrical failure.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11750965July 16, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I have a 2019 Sorento my car was loud when I start it so I took it into my KIA dealership. They found that my muffler had come apart at the seam, but that it is not under warrenty. My concern is that if anyone is sitting in a parked car with the windows up they could be overcome by the exhault fumes.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11750887July 16, 2026
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I am filing this complaint regarding my 2021 Kia Sorento, which has suffered a serious transmission failure. The vehicle is displaying diagnostic code P0741, indicating a torque converter clutch malfunction. The transmission slips, shifts harshly, hesitates during acceleration, loses power unexpectedly, and has become unsafe to drive. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.This defect has put my safety and the safety of others at risk. On several occasions the vehicle failed to respond properly when accelerating, including while entering highways and driving in traffic. The hesitation and sudden loss of power created fear and anxiety because I could not trust the vehicle to move when needed to avoid a dangerous situation. The problem has been reproduced and confirmed by a repair facility, and the symptoms are consistent with a transmission torque converter clutch failure. I also contacted Kia and provided the vehicle information. Kia informed me that they would not repair the vehicle because it has exceeded 100,000 miles and that the recall or warranty extension had expired. However, my vehicle is experiencing the same transmission-related symptoms reported by many other Kia owners.I never received any recall notification because I purchased the vehicle from a dealership as the second owner. Had I been properly notified, I would have taken the vehicle in for inspection much earlier. It is extremely frustrating and financially devastating to be denied assistance solely because of mileage when the failure appears to be related to a known transmission defect.Before the failure, the check engine light illuminated and code P0741 appeared. Prior to that warning, the vehicle had already shown delayed shifting, slipping, hesitation, rough gear changes, and loss of power, which became progressively worse.This situation has caused significant emotional stress, anxiety, and financial hardship. I am requesting a full investigation and a fair resolution from kia.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11750795July 16, 2026
VISIBILITY/WIPER
While traveling on a freeway, the front sliding portion of our sunroof exploded outward and upward. Sunroof was closed at the time with no impact present to cause the event. A very expensive repair for something that is clearly a defect of some sort. KIA was contacted and not willing to warranty or help cover.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11750686July 15, 2026
STEERING, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING
Since fall of 2025, my 2023 KIA Sorento has repeatedly been in the shop for multiple issues. Most notably, a completely wrecked steering column. This issue was fixed after being in the shop for 12 days. Then in December, I started noticing the shift would lock while in park. I would need to open the top plate and stick an item down into the shifter to emergency release in order to drive. Then all of the electrical components began to state they were no longer working. No cameras, no lane assistance, no forward collision warning, etc etc. Beyond that, all automatic locks, windows and my trunk stopped working. I was locked out of my vehicle in January in CT with my son. My vehicle has now been at a KIA dealership for 5 months awaiting the part to fix my car. All of these problems have been confirmed by their technicians. I continue to pay my $600 a month vehicle payment, as well as insurance as KIA consumer refuses to assist in any way and does not have any answer as to when my vehicle will be fixed. I do not have a vehicle that will fit my family due to this issue. I have asked them to buy back my vehicle, as it is clearly a lemon, but they state I have waited too long to request the buy back under lemon law in CT. NEVER did I think it would be acceptable to be unable to fix a customers unsafe vehicle and refuse to to do anything to help for 5 months at this time and no end in sight. I also have videos it says are too large to send.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11750396July 14, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY
my 2014 Kia Sorento is having a paint issue and I know their is a class action law suite to get repaired. The only complaint I have is the white pearl paint is chipping off the front of the roof and on the left and right sides of the windshield . I would like to see if my car qualifies to get these areas repainted
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11750122July 13, 2026
POWER TRAIN
The vehicle suddenly lost power when in drive or reverse but will idle fine in park or neutral.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11749974July 13, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Vehicle Component Affected: Electrical System / HVAC / Blower Motor Resistor Incident Description: While operating my 2023 Kia Sorento, the HVAC system suddenly suffered a complete failure, causing all airflow to cease instantly. A subsequent professional diagnostic inspection by an authorized Kia dealership revealed that the contacts at the blower motor resistor were severely burnt, causing the blower motor relay to burn out. This failure presents two critical safety and fire hazards: Fire Risk: The physical burning and overheating of electrical components and wiring within the dashboard assembly create an active fire hazard in the passenger cabin. Loss of Visibility: The sudden, complete loss of the climate control system severely compromises passenger safety by preventing the vehicle from defogging or defrosting the windshield during inclement weather, presenting an immediate crash hazard. This exact failure mechanism matches the description of Kia Safety Recall SC351 (NHTSA Campaign 25V649) word-for-word. However, Kia has stated that my specific VIN is excluded from the current recall population. Because this identical safety defect is actively manifesting outside of Kia's restricted recall range, I am requesting that the NHTSA investigate an expansion of SC351 to include all affected 2023 Kia Sorento vehicles to mitigate the risk of electrical fires and sudden visibility loss. 06/29/26 Experienced symptoms Inspected and diagnosed on 07/01/26 at JT Kia (Killian Road) Columbia, South Carolina
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11749807July 12, 2026
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
I took my 2016 Kia Sorento to the dealership for an emissions service update as a result of a service bulliten (SC340) After recieving the car back, the transmission acts unpredictably and the throttle is erratic. This happens when started cold and continues until the engine reaches temperature. It did not do this previous to the update. It is a safetey hazard and almost caused a collision. The throttle response was sluggish, it hunted for gears and as a result I was unable to safely merge into traffic endangering myself and other drivers.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11749809July 12, 2026
AIR BAGS, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL
Driving on highway at 65, traction control light, airbag light, parking light, bcw warning, all came in at the same time. I was able to pull off to the side and re start engine to clear the lights. As soon as I got up to 40 lights one by one flickered on until up to highway speed and then all flickered and dash dings. Two independent shops ran diagnostics and noted that only battery was dead. Replaced battery and the lights came back immediately.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11749751July 11, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
This is a follow up submission to NHTSA case #XXX. Organization Under Complaint: Hutchinson Kia, [XXX] Complaint Summary: The dealership is utilizing unfair and deceptive financial gating practices to avoid its legal obligations under a federal safety recall. The dealership refuses to look at or evaluate a vehicle subject to an urgent fire-risk HECU safety recall unless the consumer first authorizes a $189.00 diagnostic fee. The dealership refuses to give a firm, legally binding commitment that this fee will be waived for a confirmed recall component. Instead, they require the consumer to assume all financial risk upfront, stating the fee will only "likely" be waived based on their own internal, unverified findings. This creates a high-pressure trap where the consumer is forced to sign away financial rights to access a free, federally mandated safety remedy. The dealership is weaponizing a acute shortage of independent import and specialized repair facilities in the Macon, GA market. They are aware consumers have almost no local alternative venues to get an independent, affordable cross-check scan, and are using this regional monopoly to coerce consumers into signing open-ended diagnostic authorizations. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11749754July 11, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, SERVICE BRAKES, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
I parked my car and it was sitting for about an hour I came back to the car and heard a humming noise found that weird but I had to drive home about 10 mins later I parked car, sound was still going even while car was off. So I thought to let it sit for another while. Came back to car sound was still on I started car and the abs, traction, & brake light came on and not even 2 mins later my car starts smoking. So immediately I shut it off and have to leave my car parked in another city because I didn’t want to risk driving it home. Fast forward to next day. I got to my car and notice the speedometer had went out. i called Kia because I read about the HECU ABS recall. the service rep assured me my car would be covered so I pay a tow to get it towed to Kia dealer where they then tell me the recall had been repaired in a year that I didn’t even own the car and they refuse to look at it or fix without a fee. With this problem being a fire hazard and a manufacturing problem I should not have to come out of pocket for Kia mistake. I will be escalating this to corporate level.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11749499July 10, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, AIR BAGS
My Kia Sorrento 2019 model has dashboard cracks on the driver as well as the passenger side. I tried calling the KIA dealership that sold me the car to help me with the goodwill repair and they refused to do so. Its very expensive to replace or repair but most importantly it poses a grave risk to me and my family. Airbag Danger: Cracks near the passenger airbag can become shrapnel during deployment.Electronics: Dust and moisture can fall into the cracks and ruin hidden wires causing extensive damage to the car. KIA needs to take responsibility for this and either change the material used to make this for the future and repair the existing customers cars.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11749302July 9, 2026
STEERING
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH with her daughter and parents in the vehicle, an abnormal squeaking sound was heard emanating from the steering wheel. No warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the steering column needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but the repair was delayed because the manufacturer required information from the dealer, while the dealer claimed to be waiting for a response from the manufacturer. The failure mileage was 19,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11749335July 9, 2026
ENGINE
The contact owns a 2025 Kia Sorento Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle suddenly decelerated and failed to exceed 35 MPH before stalling and losing power. Emergency services were contacted and assisted with pushing the vehicle to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, who held the vehicle for two days but had not diagnosed the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 11,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11748972July 8, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY, ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Just bought this from a private seller last week and was driving to work. The engine suddenly caught fire and the car essentially exploded and melted.
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11748819July 7, 2026
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
(Transmission and motor) I had taken my car to the dealership on XXX for recalls and all the signal were fine before going there. They took my car back to do the recalls and my son and I waited . Once they were done we left closer to closing time is noticed there was a burn mark on my dash board that wasn’t there before the recalls. Going forward on the way home. We were waved down by a man stating that my signal and brake light weren’t working . So that next day we took my car back to the dealership to see what happen, why all the sudden different alerts were coming up. They had the same mechanic relook at the car and a when finish 31/2 hour latter was told I needed a new transmission, costing $7384.94 which I don’t have . They charge me $179.00 just to confirm what they said about needing a new transmission. I was devastated and confused why I wasn’t told that the day before. So a few days later I took it to another machanic to see if the could see why the lights weren’t working and he ended up putting new bulbs in and got them working but also he put it in a diagnosis machine 2 of them and couldn’t get a reading at all and said I should take it back to find out why he couldn’t get a reading. I was so frustrated at that point I just was upset! I then had a friend of the family mechanic look at it and he said it wasn’t the transmission it was a knock sensor that I needed so I ordered it. When I called him to install the knock sensor he was too busy to do it and it had already been a whole month of waiting so I reached out to a place in Cumberland RI to see if he could install the knock sensor had it towed there and he kept it for three days and said it was a transmission computer and he tried two of them and neither of them worked and charged me $150 for that I was humiliated and crying , I went there to have my car towed home seen him while waiting for the tow truck to come he said I needed a new transmission and now a motor, crying again. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA)
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11748874July 7, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Wireless cell phone charging pad causes phone to overheat. I have tried other vehicles (Ford Explorer) and this had no detrimental effect on cell phone. As well as heating the cell phone (Apple iPhone 16) it also doesn’t charge the phone. I have also tried other cell phones (Apple iPhone 16 and 14) and same issues were presented. The safety issue is the inability to charge the cell phone reliably as well as the very hot condition caused to the cell phone. I purchased this vehicle new in July 2025 and I realized the issue almost immediately. I did let my Kia service department know of this and was told at the time that this is very common and that a recall (repair) would likely be available soon. To be best of my knowledge this hasn’t happened. The only reason I am bringing it up now is that my son in law (the Ford Explorer) mentioned that he utilizes his with no problem. Thank you
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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