Kia Sorento Complaints

10,397 consumer complaints on file.

#11761812September 3, 2026
EXTERIOR LIGHTING, VISIBILITY/WIPER, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The headlights are so dim that I could not see at night. I am forced to drive with the fog lights on for any amount of visibility. I recently replaced the headlights with factory replacements and now the connectors going into the back have failed and power only makes it to the lights when Mercury is in retrograde. This is unacceptable and a severe safety hazard.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11761830September 3, 2026
POWER TRAIN
The contact owns a 2022 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost drive power. The vehicle was able to continue driving but at a reduced speed. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact pulled over and turned off the vehicle. The vehicle was restarted and resumed normal operation. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and a second dealer, Shawnee Mission Kia (7951 Shawnee Mission Pkwy, Mission, KS 66202), but the failure was not duplicated. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V760000 (Power Train); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 21,067.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11761836September 3, 2026
AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2015 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the air bag warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an Auto Zone auto parts store. The contact was notified of an open recall. The dealer was made aware of the failure by phone. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with a recall related to the failure. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle was previously involved in a crash, and the air bags had not deployed. The failure mileage was approximately 119,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11761556September 2, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My 2026 Sorento developed a fault after just two weeks of use. It had to be towed three times because the engine shuts down and won't restart. I tried to resolve the issue with the dealership, but they claim there is nothing wrong with the car. I reported the situation to Kia America; after a 19-day wait, they replied that there is nothing they can do and that I must pick up the vehicle from the Kia East Orlando dealership, or else I will have to pay parking fees. During this time—while the car was being towed three times by Kia’s own partners and transported to the dealership—it sustained damage to the trunk. They claim the car arrived at the dealership in that condition but refuse to provide me with photos or the tow truck inspection checklists.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11761641September 2, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, VISIBILITY/WIPER
The central ccNC infotainment display screen on my 2025 Kia Sorento Hybrid intermittently and now permanently failed (blank/black screen). This total display blackout completely disables the backup camera system (FMVSS 111 non-compliance) and critical vehicle setting controls. The issue first began while under the 36,000-mile factory warranty (documented at 12,000-14,000 miles). Despite providing timestamped video proof and taking the vehicle to the dealership for diagnosis (Case #26311712), Kia America has delayed and refused to authorize a goodwill repair/replacement. This issue mirrors official NHTSA safety recall SC361 / 26V046 for 2025 Sorento display defects.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11761187September 1, 2026
STRUCTURE:BODY
The paint is peeling really bad .It's been peeling and rusting horribly.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11761230September 1, 2026
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
While driving my 2020 Kia Sorento on the freeway at highway speed, the panoramic sunroof suddenly shattered without warning. There was a very loud explosive sound that startled and frightened me while I was driving. I was not aware of anything striking the sunroof immediately before it shattered, and there were no warning lights, messages, noises, cracks, or other indications that the glass was about to fail. Because I was traveling at freeway speed when this occurred, the sudden explosion/shattering of the glass was extremely distracting and created a serious safety concern. I was frightened by the unexpected loud noise and could have lost control of the vehicle. Broken glass from a panoramic sunroof also presents a risk to the occupants of the vehicle and to other motorists. The component that failed was the panoramic sunroof glass. To my knowledge, the failure has not yet been reproduced or confirmed by a Kia dealer or independent repair facility, and the vehicle has not yet been inspected by Kia for the cause of the failure. I am reporting this incident because the sunroof appeared to shatter suddenly during normal highway driving without any prior warning, and I am concerned that this may represent a safety defect.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
1
Deaths:
0
#11761295September 1, 2026
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2019 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost automotive power and failed to properly accelerate. The vehicle was slowly driven to the residence and stalled in the driveway. After restarting the vehicle, the engine immediately shut off. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was later towed to the local mechanic, who confirmed that the engine had failed. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The cause of the engine failure was unknown. The vehicle was not yet repaired. While purchasing the vehicle, the contact was advised to constantly monitor the engine oil due to a known oil consumption issue. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was included in the extended warranty program. The failure mileage was 125,202.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11761315September 1, 2026
ENGINE, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING
The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the vehicle experienced excessive oil consumption. The vehicle was inspected several times; however, no oil leaks were found. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH, the vehicle shuddered, and the check engine warning light illuminated and flashed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was determined that there was a hole in a valve and a piston was fractured. The vehicle was then towed to a dealer, where the failure was confirmed. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced and the repair was not covered under warranty. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The contact notified the manufacturer via telephone and was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11761341September 1, 2026
Carry Handle, Shell, Base, Chest Clip, Buckle, Harness
I own two Nuna RAVA car seats, and both have developed unraveling/tearing of the two-point harness buckle/strap between the child’s legs. One seat had noticeable tearing, which prompted me to closely inspect the second seat, where I found the same area beginning to unravel. I contacted Nuna and was initially advised to use glue or tape on the damaged area. After expressing my safety concerns about that, Nuna acknowledged that the damage is a safety hazard and instructed me to discontinue use of both seats. However, they refused to repair or replace the seats and instead offered a 10% discount toward purchasing a new seat. I am concerned that the same safety-critical component is failing on two separate car seats and that Nuna is acknowledging the hazard while requiring me to pay hundreds of dollars to replace the seats. Both seats are still within the expected usable life of the product. I believe this warrants investigation as a potential safety defect.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11761097August 31, 2026
AIR BAGS
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the front passenger’s side air bag warning light remained illuminated while an occupant was seated in the front passenger’s seat. The dealer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that there were no recalls or warranty associated with the vehicle failure. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 9,000.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11761133August 31, 2026
ENGINE
On or about XXX, my KIA Sorento LX FWD Auto 2.4-liter engine with an approximate mileage of 36,000, began having drivability problems, none of which occurred before that date. On XXX the vehicle was serviced at Ourisman Chantilly Kia (VA051) for a Voluntary Emissions Service Campaign (SC340) THETA II 2.4L GDI ECM S/W Upgrade. Records reflect that it was a Theta II Emissions Logic Improvement 250A21R1 0.3 M/H. This was a voluntary campaign from Kia America, Inc., [XXX]. Failure to have this performed, as cited from the Kia Corporate Headquarters, could nullify warranty/warranties. What ensued was a vehicle that stalled, seized, hesitated, and/or jolted at low speeds that had the potential to cause severe injury or accident. Uncontrolled rough accelerating and seizing is a serious complaint, and the causation can be linked to the dealership performing the voluntary recall where the vehicle was purchased on March 15, 2015, in [XXX]. Further, this vehicle has a full and complete record of all repairs and symptoms, which includes, and is not limited to, maintenance, Service Campaign, Service Action, Recall, and Product Improvement. This vehicle, included in a class of vehicles with a history of potential engine failures, has a Lifetime Engine Warranty extension coverage included in PI1802 Y/Z Engine R&R Warranty Bulletin 2020-26 and PI1802W/X Warranty Bulletin 2018-10. Therefore, when the records were reviewed for the initial Voluntary Emission Service Campaign recall code SC234 completed in 2022, along with my former NHTSA Complaint Number XXX submitted electronically, an apparent history of obfuscation relating to material safety concerns emerges. KIA America, Inc. sold this Kia as a five-star safety rated vehicle. It now makes me feel uneasy with its defective drivability. 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
#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
#11760757August 30, 2026
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, ENGINE, POWER TRAIN
My 2025 Kia Sorento Hybrid SX-Prestige has repeated issues with the engine and drive train. On December 30th, 2025 it was diagnosed with a blocked breather hose sensor, causing the check engine light to come on. On July 1, 2026, the car rapidly decelerated while driving on the highway (limp mode), creating an unsafe condition, with an alert to charge the battery. The car also seemed to struggle getting up to speed, and shifted gears less smoothly, and at higher engine RPMs than it had previously. The deceleration behavior was confirmed by the Kia Technician. On July 21st, 2026, the car again rapidly decelerated while driving on the highway (limp mode), creating another unsafe condition, but no alert to charge the battery was received. This time the fuel rail pressure sensor was replaced. The car is now sitting in my driveway, completely dead. I drove it 2 days ago, and nothing appeared amiss. Yesterday morning, the doors would not unlock using either key fob, so I used the physical key to enter the car. It would not start. My husband measured the voltage from the battery terminal (inside the fuse box under the hood) to the bolt on the wheel strut at ~3 Volts. No settings were changed in the car and I verified the headlights remain in "Auto" mode. As it is Sunday, I will contact the Kia dealer tomorrow for directions. Due to the repetitive nature of issues with this car, I would like help from the NHTSA to ensure this is promptly and permanently fixed.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11760571August 29, 2026
STEERING
Vehicle steers with more resistance to the left but very loose and easy to the right. Dealership diagnosed that a new steering column is required. Kia also issued a new vehicle limited warranty extension on the motor driven power steering. I believe the warranty extension should apply; however, dealer says it does not apply. The warning light required for the extended warrant is not on in my vehicle but there is a clearly diagnosed issue with the electronic steering as indicated in the repair quote.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11760268August 28, 2026
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
On XXX im driving my 2021 Kia Sorento sx it stalled while driving in the mist of traffic engine light comes on and I had my car towed contacted Kia of Bowie they are giving me a hassle contacted them because this is a safety issue from the beginning I have mentioned gas smell coming from the oil dipstick now the car has say and the gas has evaperated and they are saying no gas smell contacted corporate and Istill have no results. This is a serious issue and I am being mishandled and treated as if this is not a severe safety hazard and needs to be addressed by Kia I am asking for assistance PLEASE IN SERIOUS SAFETY MATTER.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11760301August 28, 2026
ENGINE, FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM, POWER TRAIN
Car stalled July 14th car has been at Kia of Bowie and they are stalling g me and dont want to do the sarter recal and are asking me for $550 for a diagnostic that I should not pay for do to this safety recall ive been telling them from the start that there was a very strong gas smell coming from theoil dipstick and they have been avoiding it till yesterday now the gas has evaperated and they are asking g me to pay $550 for the leak down test.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11760338August 28, 2026
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, VISIBILITY/WIPER, BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS
VEHICLE: 2025 Kia Sorento (VIN: [XXX]) KIA CORPORATE CASE #: XXX SAFETY DEFECT DESCRIPTION: The central ccNC infotainment display screen suffers from recurring, thermal-induced flickering and complete blackouts while driving and parking. When the screen blackouts, the FMVSS 111 federally mandated Backup Camera, navigation, and critical vehicle safety displays are completely lost, posing an immediate collision and safety hazard. EXTENSIVE SERVICE & REPAIR HISTORY (2 FAILED DEALER VISITS): 1. VISIT #1 (XXX - Healey Kia, Newburgh NY): Reported intermittent display flickering and blackout. Dealer claimed unable to duplicate on quick drive and requested video proof. 2. EVIDENCE DOCUMENTATION: Clear video was captured demonstrating screen flickering and total blackout after ~20 minutes of driving, while audio continued playing. 3. VISIT #2 (XXX - Kia of Middletown, NY, Invoice #XXX at 4,951 miles): Dealer performed a 2-hour manual CCNC software update via KGIS and released the vehicle as "operating as designed." 4. FAILURE RECURRENCE (XXX): Less than 24 hours after the software update, the display experienced another complete failure and blackout while driving (captured on secondary video). CURRENT STATUS / REFUSAL TO REPAIR: Despite TWO separate dealership visits and conclusive video evidence proving the software update failed, Kia Customer Care (Case #XXX) refused to authorize a warranty Head Unit / Display Assembly replacement and instead instructed me to repeatedly surrender the vehicle for indefinite dealer visits. This is an unresolved, chronic 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
#11760502August 28, 2026
SERVICE BRAKES, ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, ENGINE
I am filing an official safety complaint against the manufacturer for refusing to perform federally mandated safety recall repairs on my vehicle. My vehicle is impacted by critical safety recalls involving high-severity fire risks, specifically the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) electrical short circuit risk. Corporate Customer Care and my local authorized dealership have officially refused to schedule or perform these safety recall repairs. The representatives explicitly stated that my vehicle is denied service because I purchased it used from a third-party private owner, and because I do not possess complete historical maintenance records. The manufacturer is conflating civil class-action lawsuit requirements with federally mandated safety recalls. Under the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, a manufacturer cannot legally condition or deny an active, free safety recall repair based on a vehicle's third-party purchase history or maintenance records. Due to poorly trained employees at both the dealership and customer care offices, I have faced constant misinformation that has wasted an immense amount of my time. Because this non-compliance has caused a severe safety hazard to drag on for an extended period, I am also requesting that a loaner vehicle be provided immediately until this vehicle is made safe to drive. The manufacturer has logged these denials and communications under an active corporate file, which I can provide directly to investigators upon request. I request that the NHTSA investigate this non-compliance and instruct the manufacturer to immediately authorize the local service center to perform all open fire safety recall remedies without cost or penalty.
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0
#11760017August 27, 2026
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
The High Pressure Fuel Pump failed while driving on highway. I took it to the Kia dealership and they told me of the issue. There were no prior warnings of issues Kia recalled all 2019-2020 kia sorentos with this same issue. This component should not have failed at 63k miles and Kia should extend their warranty to previous models with the same High Pressure Fuel Pump problems under The High-Pressure Fuel Pump Warranty Extension (WTY034).
Crash:
No
Fire:
No
Injuries:
0
Deaths:
0

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