Kia Sorento Complaints (2025)

136 consumer complaints on file.

#11707422December 29, 2025
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Instrument gauge cluster freezes while driving. Cannot view current speed, blinker status, cruise control settings, tachometer information, fuel status, or ADAAS items. Also gear select indicator light freezes and does not show correct gear/park. Can only be reset by disconnecting negative battery cable and discharging system.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11705120December 15, 2025
POWER TRAIN
Today is 12/15/2025 About a month or 2 ago i was on the highway coming from South Carolina to North Carolina when the engine revved up unexpectedly without input. It has HDA2 and that was doing most of the work. The vehicle started to speed up beyond the set limit and once i hit the brakes and manually shifted i was able to regain control. Last week the vehicle made a small noise that I wasn’t sure about. I called the dealership thinking that it could be a transmission problem. When i called they didn’t seem concerned and asked me to bring it in Monday (today). I had no lights or error codes (and still don’t) on the dash and they did not recommend that I don’t drive it so i continued using the car. Last night it made a horrendous noise started revving on its own and shifting very hard ans if something was coming apart. This morning on my way to the dealership the car completely seized up at an intersection. The car has 47900 miles on it. It’s a 2025 and the transmission seems to have completely blown. Ive read online several complaints about the transmission on these vehicles and think that they may be a major concern. For a new car to have this type of issue locking up while on public roads and smoking is absolutely a hazard. My only saving grace is that it happened at an intersection and not on the highway where an accident would have been inevitable. Please look into the DCT transmission on Kia Sorentos. Particularly X-Line SX prestige models. It is a highly unsafe vehicle. Another issue that the car is having is a clicking noise on the steering column that seems to be getting much worse over time and im afraid will result in loss of steering. Im having them check it out as well. The vehicle never showed a malfunction and I’ve attached a screenshot of the app showing it in perfect health despite being undrivable. I still have no invoice and no police report was made.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11704271December 10, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, SERVICE BRAKES, VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
Road debris under normal driving conditions caused a puncture of the inverter radiator resulting in a total loss of coolant in the inverter and battery system. Inspection of the system at a Kia dealer confirmed the problem. The first sign of concern was an error displayed on the driver screen stating, "Check drive motor cooling system". There is no mention of this error in the owner's manual for the vehicle, though I did find several online discussions surrounding similar issues and warnings. I was driving on the highway at the time, and outside temperature was just under 40 degrees F. The car continued to drive normally for roughly 15 miles while utilizing the gas engine on the highway but eventually began struggling to accelerate or brake when switching to the electrical system after moving to residential streets. There is not a means of turning off the hybrid system. I received further warnings for several various driver assist functions becoming unavailable and the car became difficult to steer. I parked in a parking lot until the car could be towed for evaluation.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11703167December 5, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
There is an electronic glitch with the gear shifting system where it will randomly / sporadically not allow shifting from reverse to drive and provides the error message "gear already selected." This has happened numerous times and resolves itself after 1-2 minutes. However, the vehicle remains in the wrong gear (reverse) while waiting, creating a significant safety issue. I purchased this vehicle brand new from Kia Coughlin in Dublin, OH. After two service visits where they were unable to recreate the problem (it happens randomly / sporatically), they have not provided resolution or a way ahead. I have multiple videos of this issue taken while it was happening.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11702272December 1, 2025
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Beginning at approximately 750 miles on a brand-new 2025 Kia Sorento Hybrid EX, the vehicle experienced a flashing Check Engine Light accompanied by severe shaking while driving, rough idling, loss of power, and loud engine/exhaust noise. The vehicle became difficult and unsafe to operate due to the vibration and reduced drivability. These symptoms appeared suddenly on November 22, less than three weeks after purchase. The vehicle was taken to the dealership on November 24. Their technician retrieved diagnostic codes P0300 (Random Misfire) and P0304 (Cylinder #4 Misfire) and identified a failed ignition coil on Cylinder #4. The coil was replaced, and the dealership reported the issue resolved. However, less than 24 hours later, with the vehicle still under 800 miles, the exact same symptoms reoccurred: heavy shaking while driving, vibration while idling, loss of power, and unstable engine operation. This indicates the underlying issue may be more serious than a single coil failure. The problem has been reproduced and confirmed by the dealership, and the vehicle is currently back in their possession for further inspection. A loaner vehicle was issued because the vehicle was not safe to drive. The sudden shaking, engine misfire, and loss of power created a significant safety risk, especially if this failure were to occur at highway speeds or while turning across traffic. Given the extremely low mileage and recurrence immediately after repair, this may indicate a broader defect affecting engine performance or ignition components in this model. The vehicle remains available for inspection by NHTSA, the manufacturer, or investigators.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11702340December 1, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, EXTERIOR LIGHTING, POWER TRAIN
Vehicle: 2025 Kia Sorento (leased) VIN: [XXX] Mileage at failure: 11,345 Incident dates: March 23, April 27, November 28–December 1 Type: Loss of power / electrical failure / safety hazard Complaint Description: I am reporting repeated electrical failures and complete loss of power in my 2025 Kia Sorento that created unsafe situations for myself and my children. The first failure occurred on March 23, approximately 2½ weeks after leasing the vehicle. The vehicle died without warning and had to be jumped. I brought it to the Kia dealership, but service would not perform a diagnostic without an appointment and sent me home with no repair. The second failure occurred on April 27. This time the vehicle was completely dead again. Kia’s service manager retrieved the vehicle from my home, diagnosed a failed battery cell, and replaced the battery. The third failure occurred between November 28 and December 1. The vehicle was again completely inoperable. I attempted to jump the vehicle on multiple days, but it would not hold a charge. I was stranded without transportation. The interior doors and trunk would not unlock because the power locks failed, and my belongings and large business related were inaccessible. Headlights flickered like a strobe light before the vehicle lost power entirely. Kia towed the vehicle from my home on December 1. These repeated electrical failures have resulted in multiple incidents of being stranded, including with my children, and have caused loss of use of the vehicle for several days. The defect is unpredictable and creates a serious safety concern, especially because the vehicle can lose power without warning and i am unable to unlock the doors. This raises a SERIOUS safety concern when transporting children. I am requesting that NHTSA document this as a potential electrical system safety defect. 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
#11702095November 30, 2025
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
My vehicle has an ongoing acceleration problem that feels like the engine and transmission are not communicating correctly. There are times when the vehicle will not accelerate even though the RPMs increase. Instead of picking up speed, it feels like the engine is pulling the vehicle back. This creates hesitation and uncertainty about whether the car will respond when I press the accelerator. This happens most noticeably at lower speeds (around 30–40 mph, often near 30 mph), where the RPMs may rise on their own even if I am maintaining steady pressure on the gas pedal. It also occurs when I need to accelerate quickly — such as merging onto the freeway or joining the flow of traffic — and the vehicle feels like it resists gaining speed. Even when I press the pedal gradually and correctly, the vehicle struggles to accelerate and the engine revs without the car moving forward as it should. I reported this to the dealership. They ran diagnostics and told me no issues were detected. They also stated they cannot take action unless they can re-create the problem themselves. Because this does not happen every time, recreating it on command is very unlikely, leaving me without a solution. This is a safety concern because hesitation or failure to accelerate properly during merging or crossing traffic increases the risk of collisions. The problem remains unresolved.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11702092November 30, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My vehicle repeatedly fails to recognize the key fob even when it is in my hand or inside the vehicle. Because it is a push-button start system, proper fob communication is required for unlocking and driving. When recognition fails, the vehicle will not start and I have been stranded. During the first of these failures, I called the dealership because I was stranded and needed immediate assistance. They instructed me to remove all passengers, close the doors, and then hold the unlock button on the key fob for 10 seconds and press lock/unlock six times in sequence. They also advised me not to use the door-handle lock/unlock button and to use only the fob buttons. This temporarily restored function, but a new vehicle should not require a manual reset procedure to start and operate normally. On two separate occasions, this problem also triggered the vehicle alarm, which was extremely difficult to silence. This does not happen every time, making the vehicle unreliable. One incident occurred while transporting special-needs children and an elderly passenger, and removing them from the vehicle to perform the reset was difficult and unsafe. The dealership later ran diagnostics and found no fault codes. I also replaced the key fob battery, but the issue continues. I have seen other owners online describing the same key-recognition failures, indicating that I may not be the only person experiencing this. This is a safety concern because the vehicle can fail to start without warning, and the alarm activation increases confusion and stress. The issue remains unresolved.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11701997November 29, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Sunroof randomly shattered with no vehicles in front of me while driving.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11698449November 9, 2025
ENGINE, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Fourth time we've had the car go into limp mode. Now at the dealer for third time. Driver was driving and the car went into limp mode after activating the cruise control follow function. Husband was behind in our Toyota Tacoma truck and was able to pick her up with California Highway Patrol to get off the highway into a parking lot to tow her. No warnings, no messages on the dash. She was unable to accelerate to highway speeds and was capped, and felt that there was very little to no predictable responsiveness in the car's acceleration. Car now at dealership.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11698214November 7, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
Safety Concern – 2025 Kia Sorento Prestige Hybrid (VIN [XXX] ) Around October 13, 2025, my leased 2025 Kia Sorento Prestige Hybrid experienced a sudden and severe loss of power while I was driving on the highway. The vehicle was towed to the dealership, where the High Power Control Unit (HPCU), part number 36601-3DPG3, was replaced. No clear explanation of the root cause was provided. Less than a month later, on November 6, the same failure occurred again—this time in heavy highway traffic—creating a serious safety risk and increasing the chance of a collision. The vehicle is primarily driven by my wife, who regularly uses highways to transport our son. The recurring and unpredictable nature of this issue has made us feel unsafe and anxious. We are deeply concerned that another failure could lead to a serious accident or fatality. We respectfully request that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) investigate this matter as a potential safety defect. Without a clear understanding of the cause, we are documenting these incidents to encourage action. It is critical that Kia resolves this issue to protect families and maintain trust in its brand. Thank you 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
#11698228November 7, 2025
POWER TRAIN
Our 2025 Kia Sorento has exhibited several issues with shifting into gears especially from 1-2 gear there is hesitation, hard shifting, where it has delayed engagement, rough or jerky shifts, and a feeling of power loss while driving. It has a hard time getting into 3rd gear and just stalls, dragging at 1st/2nd when attempting to accelerate and coming down from 4th gear back into 2nd and 3rd. A "check transmission' warning light has appeared on the dashboard. This is teh second time we have had this issue. The car only has 16K miles on it, we have had it for 12 months exactly now and only drive it locally.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11696726October 31, 2025
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL, ENGINE
The contact owns a 2025 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving on the highway at 60-65 MPH, the vehicle unexpectedly decelerated to 20 MPH and the vehicle went into LIMP Mode. The contact stated that the message “Vehicle Speed Restricted to 20 MPH” was displayed. The failure had occurred four times while driving. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to identify or duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 4,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11694539October 20, 2025
ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
While driving at speeds below 25 mph, my transmission seems to get caught between gears. When I press the accelerator, the engine revs, but the car doesn’t accelerate as it should. It feels like the power just drops out. There were no warning lights or indicators on the dashboard. The exact same thing happened again the very next day, at low speed, in the same general area. Both times, the car suddenly lost power in traffic, leaving me unable to move normally. This is extremely dangerous — other drivers have no idea that my vehicle isn’t responding, which puts me and everyone around me at risk. It’s clear there’s a serious issue with the transmission malfunctioning.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11694496October 20, 2025
ENGINE
The inverter radiator is punctured during typical road use by road debris. This results in a total loss of circulating coolant in the inverter/electric motor cooling system. This renders the car undrivable, with a concern for electric motor overheating, given that the hydrid mode and electric power can not be turned off. This is available for inspection. It is unclear whether the electric motor will shut down when overheated, but seizing of the motor or fire seems possible. Reproducibility: There are many examples online of this occurring during normal road use of Kia electric and hybrid vehicles. There is a warning 'Check drive motor cooling system' in this model. This appeared during driving and reamined on while the coolant was depleted. Refilling coolant turned the light off but with coolant being actively sprayed out of the pin hole in the radiator at all times (the pump does not turn off when the engine is cold) resulting in rapid coolant loss.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11693783October 16, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I am unable to disable the "consider taking a break" warning, this is highly distracting and I don't understand why I can disable ever other warning on the vehicle. This warning goes off so easily even when I'm not distracted or tired and it's unsafe!
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11693681October 15, 2025
SERVICE BRAKES, FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE CONTROL, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
While operating the vehicle and utilizing the cruise control, the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and the Antilock Braking System (ABS) warning lights turn on. These lights will remain on until the vehicle is turned off and a new drive begins. They only activate during the use of cruise control and at times it has caused the brake pedal to become extremely tough to press. This is a concern if maintaining cruise control and an emergency braking situation arises, the brake may not engage it is designed to do and cause a vehicle accident.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11693495October 14, 2025
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
We have a brand new 2025 Kia Sorento and suddenly the AC stopped working. Took it into the service center who could not identify the problem but didn't see any damage. They got it working again and we drove it for a couple of days and it stopped working again as anticipated. We brought it back in and they now report debri damage, now not covered by kia warranty. I searched online and this seems to be a common issue with the unit and that the grill design does not protect the engine and is prone to significant damage to the vehicles engine components that Kia will not cover under warranty.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11692328October 9, 2025
POWER TRAIN, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
On 10/3 driving at roughly 60mph on the freeway, when going to accelerate, the vehicle would not accelerate with no power going to the engine. The gas motor was not engaging, and the car rapidly decelerated to around 20mph in an incredibly unsafe situation. Coasting it off the freeway, it was towed to the local Kia dealership. No warning lights or any indicators went off during that event. 10/9/2025, I picked up the vehicle after they replaced the high-pressure fuel pump and high-pressure fuel line, I noticed the battery was very low and thought it would charge while driving. As I left the dealership, the vehicle did not engage the gas engine and quickly avoided acceleration - no power was going to the engine. The battery reached a catastrophic low, and the engine failed in a busy intersection - creating another extremely unsafe situation - as I was turning around to return to the dealership. This time the hybrid system warning system went off and the battery and oil lights went on. While waiting for the tow truck, the vehicle would not turn off. It is currently with the dealership, 41k miles on vehicle, 1 year old.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11692242October 9, 2025
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, UNKNOWN OR OTHER
While driving this warning alert will show up on the screen of my vehicle. It is important to note that this happens WHILE driving and when NO ONE is using their phone or using the touchscreen of the car. No one is ever searching something on their phone OR on the car’s touchscreen system.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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