At least one recall carries a do-not-drive or park-outside warning. Confirm by VIN that the repair was completed before driving or buying this car. The fix is free at a dealer.
Recalls
Safety issues the manufacturer must repair for free. A recall means confirm the fix was done, not walk away.
Safety recall
A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will inspect the vehicle, and, as necessary, replace the fuse and/or tow hitch harness module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 11, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC249.
- Status
- Park outside and away from buildings until repaired. Dealer fixes it free.
- What to do
- Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.
Seat belts recall
An exploding seat belt pretensioner can project metal fragments into the vehicle, striking vehicle occupants and resulting in injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will secure the seat belt pretensioners with a cap, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 17, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC241. This recall expands and replaces NHTSA recall number 22V-127. Vehicles already repaired under the previous recall will need to have the new remedy completed.
- Status
- Remedy available. Confirm by VIN that this repair was completed.
- What to do
- Enter the VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup to confirm this car was repaired.
Owner complaints by system
Unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA, grouped by the part of the car. Useful for spotting patterns. Open a group to read recent examples.
Engine & powertrain
3
Most reports here involve fluid leaks.
Read full complaint
My Kia Sorento will shift from drive to first or second gear’s several times. I’ve been told by the dealership that I’m probably touching the shifter accidentally, I disagree. My opinion is that this is a safety concern because it slows the vehicle down. My vehicle also at times does not accelerate. These two issues are intermittent.
Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11587074 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov
Electrical & infotainment
16
Most reports here involve software faults.
Read full complaint
On [XXX] we were driving the Kia at slow speed due to snow on the road when a warning light came on which we think said hybrid vehicle failure pull over. The car stopped and the traffic lane with the engine off. The car would not start and we were exposed to traffic. Fortunately, we were on a country road at the time about a mile from our house and we were not struck by following vehicle when the car shut off and stopped in the traffic lane. If we had been on a beltway with 60 or 65 mph traffic obviously the result would’ve been quite different. Because I felt the vehicle was not safe to drive. I had it towed to the Kia dealer in Salisbury Pocahontas Kia, who have not been able to duplicate the problem and have also not been able to tell us what was wrong with the Kia to cause this problem in the first place. Unless there is a clear reason why this happened And it can be fixed then we have no reason to believe this would not happen again and endanger our safety. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11637251 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov
Other systems
2
Most reports here involve other issues.
Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11673619 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov
How does it compare with other years? The 2021 has 21 complaints on file, more than the 2022 (12). Of the 4 model years of the Kia Sorento Hybrid we cover, the 2025 has the most (42). Older model years have had longer to collect complaints.