Kia Sorento Complaints

10,397 consumer complaints on file.

#11720064February 24, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? —-The radiator How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? ——possible fire and engine damage Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? —— dealer stated rock chip damage. Contesting as manufacturer defect. They should be a plate to protect from this. Advertisement show vehicles off road so how can a normal highway driving cause this type of alleged damage. Is there No manufacturer design to prevent this flaw. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? ——no Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? —— yes, warning message on 3/21/26
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11719842February 23, 2026
AIR BAGS
The contact owned a 2018 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH, another vehicle had abruptly attempted to merge into the opposite traveling lane and caused the front end bumper to crash into the Front Driver-side door of the other vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The air bags did not deploy. The vehicle was towed away to a local tow yard. A Traffic Accident Information form was filed by the local police department. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by the opposite insurance provider, and the contact was not deemed at fault. In addition, the contact was taken out of the vehicle safely by paramedics and was taken to a nearby UgentCare where he sought medical attention for neck and hand pains and severe mental distress. The local dealer was contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 18,000.
Crash:
Yes
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11719848February 23, 2026
VISIBILITY:SUN/MOON ROOF ASSEMBLY
The contact owns a 2022 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the sunroof exploded without impact. There was no injury sustained. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 86,296.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11719687February 22, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE, STRUCTURE:BODY
My 2008 Kia Sorento parked inside a garage for 2 days, not running, not idling, without the key in the ignition, all of a sudden cut fire by itself, consuming the entire engine compartment and part of the front seat, and also caused substantial damage to the the garage. Filed a claim with Kia which denied responsibilities. The incident occurred in December 26, 2025, and was waiting for Kia decision before further action
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11719642February 21, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The Kia Connect fuse was confirmed by Gerald Kia of Naperville to cause a parasitic draw that cannot be fixed. The dealership had to remove the fuse after stating that no software update is yet available, and that numerous owners have had the issue. My car has died 7x with less than 7K miles on it and less than a year old. Bought new. They still have not put the fuse back in and Kia has refused to issue a recall.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11719337February 20, 2026
ENGINE
The engine is burning oil despite all maintenance being up to date and having fewer than 80k miles. Kia of Duluth Service Center checked the oil and said levels were good on 12/31/25. Fewer than 30 miles were driven and it was brought back to the dealership service center on 1/2/26 and diagnosed with total engine loss due to oil starvation. The extended warranty company (JM&A) are denying coverage because the engine failure is due to lack of oil. They have inspected the vehicle. No warning lights ever came on and this is the second time that this issue has been addressed by Kia of Duluth. The engine could have easily overheated and caught on fire or lost power on the road.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11719383February 20, 2026
ENGINE
The engine stalled while driving on the expressway. Myself and my daughter and her friend were in the car. The vehicle started right back up, and I was able to drive the car home (less than 2 miles away). The following day, my wife got an oil change, and went on the expressway, and the engine stalled again causing her to have to navigate the car, with no engine power, to the side of the highway and wait for myself and a tow truck. Both times were very dangerous. We had the vehicle towed to a mechanic, who said the crank shaft & rods and bearings for the engine look like they failed and seized up, causing the engine to complete lock up and stall, requiring a full engine replacement. Kia is refusing replacement saying we are not covered by the previous complaints and concerns, stating our vehicle is not covered specifically, stating that the 3.3L engines were not covered under the previous recall/extended warranty offered on engines in the same yr/make/model as our vehicle. The check engine light came on, and there was a slight knocking sound as the car was idling just before the engine stall, and as the engine stalled, the oil lamp and the battery light came on. This happened both times. The symptoms appeared just before complete engine failure. We get the vehicle serviced at Kia, and had the oil changed by Strickland Brothers the day of. We were concerned that the engine light came on due to potential of the oil needing to be changed. We do not have any electronic files or reports for this issue yet.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11719501February 20, 2026
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I was driving everithing was normal but suddenly the light of the Engine was on and the car lost power and the engine shut off everything happened in like one second, dont let me time or opportunity to think something safe, it was a lot of traffict on the street and the car behind almost crash on me. it was like a nigthmare.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11719353February 20, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
The sunroof spontaneously shattered while I was driving in the highway. No one was injured but glass did fly off of the vehicle and luckily the cover inside was closed so no glass got in the vehicle. There was no warning just an explosion sound. The sunroof glass was blowing outward once I was able to pull over and inspect it. The dealership did replace the sunroof and said it was covered under my warranty. I did try to contact Kia directly first and they were taking weeks to reply and eventually said they would do a good faith one time repair but I never messaged them back since my dealership took control and told me it was covered under my warranty and proceeded to order and fix it. They also had to replace the sunroof cover because they said it was also damaged from the pressure of it spontaneously shattering.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11718985February 19, 2026
ENGINE, SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
My ABS sent codes saying there's moisture in the ABS Module,Brake Light Switch may malfunction are cause Accidents due to malfunction of Brake Lights...
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11718991February 19, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER, ENGINE
Currently at a Kia dealership for the 3rd time since the end of December. While driving the electric refuses to switch to gas after the battery drains, it is a hybrid. Maxes out at 18 mph and then an alarm goes off for Hybrid System error. First two time check engine light also came on. Have had vehicle towed to Kia dealerships all three times. Never the same thing repaired or replaced but problem stops for a few days to two weeks and then happens again. They vehicle has been examined and the issue has been replicated or examined by the Canton Kia dealership in Canton, MI two times. Currently at Taylor Kia Toledo, OH. This is a safety issue due to the lack of speed and acceleration. So far I have been in relatively low speed areas but what if it happened on the expressway or in heavy traffic. I normally have my kids in the car and now feel that my vehicle is unsafe and I have only had it 11 months.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11719170February 19, 2026
ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
The vehicle has less than 75k miles, and I am the second owner. I was driving, and the vehicle lost power. Creating a traumatic experience that could have been fatal. After Kia had inspected the vehicle, I was informed that I needed a new engine and it would cost 8k or more, and my extended warranty would not cover it. Kia has current recalls for similar issues.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11718973February 18, 2026
POWER TRAIN, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST
Car would randomly stall and jerk while accelerating. Unsafe to drive. May cause accident. Having to constantly set hazard lights to prevent accident.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11718700February 18, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
To the Office of Defects Investigation, I am submitting this formal complaint regarding NHTSA Recall 22V703000 (Kia Recall SC249) involving my 2020 Kia Sorento (VIN: [XXX] ). This recall identifies a fire risk due to a potential electrical short in the tow hitch harness module. The recall notice specifically warns that a vehicle fire may occur while parked or driving. After receiving the recall notification, we made multiple attempts to schedule the required repair with Pompano Kia, the authorized dealership in our area. Despite repeated efforts, we were not provided with a confirmed repair appointment, and the recall remained incomplete. On [1-19-2026], before the recall remedy was performed, the vehicle caught fire while being driven on a highway in Florida. The vehicle became fully engulfed and was declared a total loss. Law enforcement and/or fire services responded. The incident appears consistent with the fire risk described in the recall. Following the incident, we visited the dealership to report the fire and the unresolved recall. We were told the matter would be reviewed and that we would receive a follow-up call. No follow-up was received. Attempts to contact the dealership through publicly listed email addresses resulted in delivery failure notices. According to NHTSA records, this recall affects tens of thousands of vehicles nationwide. We are concerned about: • Timeliness and availability of recall repairs • Dealership accessibility and communication • Risk to consumers when recall remedies are not completed before failure occurs We also attempted to consult several attorneys regarding this incident. We were advised that due to the volume of recall-related fire cases involving this manufacturer, representation may not be feasible unless severe bodily injury is involved. This further raises concern about the scale and seriousness of the issue. We respectfully request that NHTSA review: • Whether recall 22V703000 is being remedied INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION
Crash:
No
Fire:
Yes
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11718774February 18, 2026
ENGINE
1. The engine consumed its own oil and a rod bearing failed and destroyed the engine 2. This happened while my wife was traveling on I20 at 70mph and almost resulted in a wreck when the engine died and she lost power to the wheels 3. Nalley Kia in Lithonia, GA has confirmed that the engine consumed its own oil which cause a rod bearing to fail and ultimately led to the engine failure 4. No warning lights prior to this happening, just a knocking sound as she merged onto I20
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11718979February 18, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
While driving on a freeway I hear a crashing sound of glass and heard loose glass above me. When I pulled over I looked to see that my sunroof shattered. There was nothing above me for something to fall from and hit my car. There was also nothing found that would have struck the glass
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11718415February 17, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Shifter stuck in park
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11718445February 17, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2023 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH on several occasions, the vehicle stalled after the battery became drained. The vehicle was able to restart each time after waiting for the battery to recharge. The vehicle was taken to two different dealers on three occasions. During the first two visits, the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. On the third visit, the failure was duplicated, but the dealer was unable to provide a cause for the failure. During a visit to the dealer, the vehicle stalled while a mechanic was driving it, and the vehicle was towed back to the dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 25,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11718531February 17, 2026
STEERING
Steering has a "sticky feeling". While driving, when you try to turn steering wheel a fraction to one side or the other there is resistance and then a release which results in in oversteering that has to be corrected. When trying to correct the oversteering, there is again resistance and then release with oversteering again. So it constantly goes back and forth. There is a string of posts on [XXX] " with owners of the Kia Sorento having this same issue. Not only is this annoying but also unsafe. This has been going on since about summer of 2025. I do not driver this vehicle very often or I would have gotten on this issue sooner. 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
#11718665February 17, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, EXTERIOR LIGHTING
My speedometer was jumping from 0 to 20 mph while in park. A couple weeks later it did it while I was driving, I was going 25 mph and it jumped to 55 mph. I took it to the shop that day and all 4 of my wheel speed sensors were out, which wasn’t accurately measuring my speed. The shop said it was common with this model and year. Also, my headlights do not work in auto mode. I will have shut my car off, made sure the lights were off, and hours later I have a text from my neighbors that my lights are on.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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