IllustrationCARPETING. GAP IN THE CARPETING AT THE THIRD ROW. THE SEPARATION OF THE CARPET WAS NOT SOMETHING WE KNEW ABOUT BECAUSE IT WAS HIDDEN BY DEALER PREP. IT WAS DISCOVERED THE FIRST TIME WE USED THE 3RD ROW FOR OUR GRAND CHILDREN AND WERE ALSO INSTALLING BETTER FLOOR MATS.
2019 Kia Sorento
Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations
Similar to other model years
Owner complaints for the 2019 Kia Sorento do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 242.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Sorento years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
600–25K
1625–50K
1050–75K
1075–100K
15100–150K
3150K+
114 reports with mileage · 312 unknown
NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.
What to inspect
Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.
- Engine. Review the 155 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Electrical System. Review the 68 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
- Structure. Review the 54 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
10 crash reports19 fire reports10 injury reports
What owners actually said
426 reportsON 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS (2 OF WHICH OCCURRED 3/1/20). AFTER STOPPING MY VEHICLE, I LOST ALL ELECTRICAL POWER WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO RESTART. NO DISPLAYS, NO LIGHTS AND OF COURSE THE VEHICLE WOULDN'T START. AFTER EXITING AND ENTERING THE VEHICLE MULTIPLE TIMES EVERYTHING COMES BACK ON. THE BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR TEST FINE AND THE …
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ON 3 SEPARATE OCCASIONS (2 OF WHICH OCCURRED 3/1/20). AFTER STOPPING MY VEHICLE, I LOST ALL ELECTRICAL POWER WHEN I ATTEMPTED TO RESTART. NO DISPLAYS, NO LIGHTS AND OF COURSE THE VEHICLE WOULDN'T START. AFTER EXITING AND ENTERING THE VEHICLE MULTIPLE TIMES EVERYTHING COMES BACK ON. THE BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR TEST FINE AND THE KEYFOB BATTERY IS GOOD, THE VEHICLE WAS NOT IN MOTION WHEN THE INCIDENTS OCCURRED.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 45MPH, AUTO LANE CORRECTION WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE STEERING SOMEHOW MANAGED TO GAIN CONTROL WHICH WAS DIFFICULT TO STEER THE WHEEL AND VEER TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. THE CONTACT THEN TURN THE VEHICLE OFF AND B…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT 45MPH, AUTO LANE CORRECTION WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT LOST CONTROL OF THE STEERING SOMEHOW MANAGED TO GAIN CONTROL WHICH WAS DIFFICULT TO STEER THE WHEEL AND VEER TO THE SHOULDER OF THE ROAD. THE CONTACT THEN TURN THE VEHICLE OFF AND BACK ON AND DROVE AT LOW SPEED TO THE RESIDENCE. ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE WAS CONTACTED AND TOWED THE VEHICLE TO GREENWAY KIA OF HICKORY HOLLOW 5406 TARGET DR, ANTIOCH, TN 37013 (615) 731-0099 WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE ALTERNATOR FAILED NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT SUBJECTED TO A RECALL. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 10,200. B
DAYS PREVIOUS TO EVENT WAS GETTING WARNING ALERTS ON DIFFERENT PROBLEMS. CALLED DEALERSHIP WHEN WARNING ALERTS CONTINUED HAPPENING. ON DAY OF EVENT WAS DRIVING ON MAJOR ROUTE, WHEN POWER STEERING BECAME DIFFICULT AS I PULLED OVER THE ENTIRE CAR SHUT DOWN. NO LIGHTS, NO BRAKING, NO HAZARD LIGHTS TO ENGAGE ALL SYSTEMS DOWN.
FRIDAY ON AN OPEN STREET (NO BRIDGE OR ANY OTHER EXTERNAL FORCE KNOWN) MY SUNROOF BASICALLY IMPLODED COVERING MY PASSENGER DRIVER AND MYSELF IN 1000 OF GLASS PIECES. I WAS LUCKY THERE WERE NO SUBSEQUENT INJURIES SINCE I SLOWED DOWN AND HIT THE BREAK AND NOONE CRASHED INTO MY CAR
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO ATLANTA WEST KIA (1301 THORNTON RD, LITHIA SPRINGS, GA 30122) BECAUSE THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR WAS ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT THE KNOCK SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND ORDERED THE PART. WHEN THE CONTACT RETURNED FOR THE VEHICLE, SHE …
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT TOOK THE VEHICLE TO ATLANTA WEST KIA (1301 THORNTON RD, LITHIA SPRINGS, GA 30122) BECAUSE THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR WAS ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER DETERMINED THAT THE KNOCK SENSOR NEEDED TO BE REPLACED AND ORDERED THE PART. WHEN THE CONTACT RETURNED FOR THE VEHICLE, SHE WAS INFORMED THAT THE WIRING HARNESS TO THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED DUE TO RODENT DAMAGE BECAUSE THE INSULATION WAS SOY BEAN BASED. THE REPAIRS WERE NOT COVERED UNDER WARRANTY. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 9,166.
THE VEHICLE WILL UNEXPECTEDLY SURGE WHEN THE ACCELERATOR IS APPLIED, ESPECIALLY FROM STOPPED AND AT LOW SPEEDS. THIS UNINTENDED AND ABRUPT IS A SAFETY HAZARD AS THERE IS THE ONGOING POSSIBILITY OF CRASHING INTO ANOTHER VEHICLE OR OBSTRUCTION.
WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY, RADIO ON AND ONLY CONNECTED VIA BLUETOOTH. THE RADIO SCREEN WAS FLICKERING AND THEN SHUT DOWN AS IF I MANUALLY TURNED OFF . AS THIS HAPPENED THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS AND MY HEADLIGHTS SHUT OFF. I HAD TO SAFELY PULL OVER AND BY THE TIME THAT I DID, I COULDN'T RECORD IT FOR EVIDENCE AS IT REBOOTED ITSELF. I …
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WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY, RADIO ON AND ONLY CONNECTED VIA BLUETOOTH. THE RADIO SCREEN WAS FLICKERING AND THEN SHUT DOWN AS IF I MANUALLY TURNED OFF . AS THIS HAPPENED THE DASHBOARD LIGHTS AND MY HEADLIGHTS SHUT OFF. I HAD TO SAFELY PULL OVER AND BY THE TIME THAT I DID, I COULDN'T RECORD IT FOR EVIDENCE AS IT REBOOTED ITSELF. I CALLED RIGHT AWAY AND HAD TO WAIT 2 DAYS FOR APPT. THIS IS THE 3RD TIME AND RICK CASE KIA IN SUNRISE FL KEEPS GIVING ME THE RUN AROUND. MY BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR IS FINE. I HONESTLY THINK THEY STOP CARING AND JUST GIVE ME EXCUSES AND TELL ME THEY HAVE TO WAIT FOR MFG DECISION ON MY ISSUE. MY ISSUE SEEMS TO HAPPEN WHEN I AM DRIVING AND CANNOT BE ON MY PHONE RECORDING AS THEY WANT SOME KIND OF VIDEO AS PROOF . SO DISGUSTED WITH THEIR SERVICE AND WISHED I WOULDNT HAVE GONE WITH A KIA.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 KIA SORENTO. WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE BLIND SPOT COLLISION SYSTEM SENSOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE THEN JERKED AND STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD WITH NO OTHER VEHICLES IN PROXIMITY. MIAMI LAKES KIA (16600 NW 57TH AVE, MIAMI LAKES, FL 33014, (305) 820-3803) DIAGNOSED A FAILURE WITH THE COMP…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 KIA SORENTO. WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY, THE BLIND SPOT COLLISION SYSTEM SENSOR ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE THEN JERKED AND STOPPED IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD WITH NO OTHER VEHICLES IN PROXIMITY. MIAMI LAKES KIA (16600 NW 57TH AVE, MIAMI LAKES, FL 33014, (305) 820-3803) DIAGNOSED A FAILURE WITH THE COMPUTER SYSTEM. THIS WAS THE SECOND TIME THE FAILURE OCCURED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN BACK TO THE DEALER AND THE CONTACT WAS AWAITING A NEW DIAGNOSIS. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN CONTACTED. THE VEHICLE WAS PURCHASED TWO MONTHS AGO. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 70.
THE HEADLIGHTS HAVE TWO WEIRD SHAPES AT THE TOP LINE OF THE HEADLIGHTS. THESE SHAPES INTERFERE WITH THE CLEAR DRIVER VIEW AT NIGHT. THIS IS DANGEROUS AND MUST BE RECTIFIED IMMEDIATELY.
Official recalls
223V639000 · Back Over Prevention: Sensing System: Camera
Sep 15, 2023
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2019 Sorento vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, water may leak into the rearview camera, which can cause the rearview camera image not to appear on the display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: A rearview camera that does not display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the rearview camera and add additional water proofing to the camera harness, or replace the camera as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 8, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC282.
22V703000 · Trailer Hitches
Sep 19, 2022
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Sorento, 2021-2022 Sorento Hybrid (HEV), 2022-2023 Sorento Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV), and 2017-2022 Sportage vehicles equipped with a tow hitch harness installed as original equipment, or purchased as an accessory through a Kia dealership. Debris and moisture accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (PCB) may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire.
Consequence & remedy
Consequence: 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.
Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗
NHTSA investigations
1DP22003 · Loss Of Motive Power
Opened Sep 12, 2022 · Closed Dec 12, 2023
Status: closed (inferred from source dates) · Engine
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated July 13, 2022, petitioning the Agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain Hyundai Motor America, Inc. and Kia America, Inc. vehicles spanning Model Years (MY) 2005-2021. The Petitioners cited examples of complaints indicating that the subject vehicles were experiencing rapid loss of engine oil due to oil drain plug back outs, resulting in loss of motive power and/or catastrophic engine damage. Additional complaints were provided which alleged that the oil drain pans lack sufficient structural integrity and are susceptible to cracking. The petition itself can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI number 11481745. On September 12, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened Defect Petition (DP22-003) to evaluate the Petitioners’ request. The Petitioners have provided additional complaints within four supplemental letters dated January 31, 2023, March 21, 2023, May 23, 2023, and August 4, 2023. ODI’s evaluation included the review and analysis of the complaints and supporting information submitted by the Petitioners, as well as additional complaints submitted directly to NHTSA which referenced either the oil drain plug or a crack in the oil pan. After reviewing the available data, ODI has not identified evidence that would support opening a defect investigation into the oil drain pan assemblies of the subject vehicles. Based on a review of the available information, a loss of motive power resulting from an oil drain plug back out has not occurred between the initial sale of a vehicle and the completion of its first oil change. If during an oil change service, a technician fails to remove the existing drain plug gasket before installing a new gasket, it is likely that a proper seal between the drain plug and the oil pan will not be made. An improper seal between the drain plug and oil pan could lead to the backing out on the drain plug, resulting in the sudden loss of oil while driving. Additionally, the provided examples of oil pan cracks were localized to the immediate vicinity of the oil drain plug and/or appeared to be the result of direct-contact with a tool during servicing. There is no information to support that a vehicle-based defect exists relating to the oil pan assembly, and instead the documented incidents are related to the failure to follow the proper maintenance procedures during oil change service. In October 2023, Hyundai published a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) that provided detailed instructions for oil change service on its gasoline powered vehicles, specifically highlighting the need to remove and replace the existing drain plug gasket prior to reinstalling the drain plug. After a thorough review of the material submitted by the petitioner, the information already in NHTSA's possession, and the potential risks to motor vehicle safety implicated by the petitioners' allegations, NHTSA does not believe that a formal investigation is warranted. Therefore, the petition is denied. A Federal Register Notice (FRN) further detailing NHTSA’s reasons for denial of the petition will be published. The reference numbers for the complaints to NHTSA cited by the petitioner can be found in the petition submission documents in the public file for DP22-003. To review those complaints and the additional complaints ODI added to its evaluation which are cited in the Closing Resume ODI Report Identification Number document, go to NHTSA.gov.