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2021 Kia Sorento

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2021 Kia Sorento do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 242.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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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

Limited mileage data: 33 of 242 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

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.

  • Power Train. Review the 133 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 64 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Electrical System. Review the 47 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

4 crash reports1 fire reports1 injury reports

Engine complaints

64 reports
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66,550 miles · Sep 20, 2023
EnginePower Train

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at unknown speeds, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who mentioned a recall on the transmission. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, w…

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The contact owns a 2021 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at unknown speeds, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who mentioned a recall on the transmission. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, who informed the contact there was no recall coverage on the VIN. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, and the contact was informed there was no recall or warranty coverage on the VIN. The contact stated that the failure was related to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V760000 (Power Train). The failure mileage was approximately 66,550.

NHTSA ODI #11545566

Mileage unknown · Aug 19, 2023
EnginePower Train

I had reported a momentary loss of power when driving the first time I took my vehicle for an oil change. Dealer said the car was just getting accustomed to my driving habits. I said I was in an intersection and the car lost power for a moment and I was almost rear-ended. It has happened many more times and it seemed as though i…

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I had reported a momentary loss of power when driving the first time I took my vehicle for an oil change. Dealer said the car was just getting accustomed to my driving habits. I said I was in an intersection and the car lost power for a moment and I was almost rear-ended. It has happened many more times and it seemed as though it usually happened between 25-30 mph. Recently it has become more frequent. It’s happening at all speeds. Yesterday it seemed like it was choking like when you’re out of gas (it had 3/4 tank of gas). Today I was making a turn at a heavily traveled intersection, when rounding the corner vehicle lost power then banged into gear. I’ve never heard it bang like that before. Seems to be getting progressively worse and I’m now concerned for myself and others safety. I work 45 miles from home and depend on this vehicle. This is my 3rd Sorento and have always liked and recommended them. I’m making an appointment for a diagnostic service soon but can’t afford to be without my car. I saw there was a recall for “loss of power” but my VIN isn’t included. Please help.

NHTSA ODI #11539496

Mileage unknown · Jun 24, 2023
EngineUnknown Or Other

Engine has turned off on road at stop and not started up again. Starts to shake then powers off. I have had to push break shut off engine completely and turn on again in middle of road. Carson of Kia states there is nothing wrong with it but this is a HUGE safety concern.

NHTSA ODI #11528632

Mileage unknown · Jun 13, 2023
Electrical SystemEngineVehicle Speed Control

My 2021 Kia Sorrento has shut down and died while on a Highway drive 2 days in a row. The engine light comes on, the oil light comes on, and and the phrase “Engine Off. Shift to N then start engine” comes on. Prior to this, other issues were happening. Originally, my automatic start wasn’t working properly, and a Kia service adv…

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My 2021 Kia Sorrento has shut down and died while on a Highway drive 2 days in a row. The engine light comes on, the oil light comes on, and and the phrase “Engine Off. Shift to N then start engine” comes on. Prior to this, other issues were happening. Originally, my automatic start wasn’t working properly, and a Kia service advisor told me to “turn that feature off”. After that, while driving down the road last month, all symbols on my dash began flashing and the phrase “Check forward safety system” appeared.

NHTSA ODI #11526739

Mileage unknown · Jun 3, 2023
Engine

This is 2nd time that my Kia Sorento shuts off while we’re stopped at a red light. When we release the brake the engine didn’t start.

NHTSA ODI #11525224

Mileage unknown · Mar 14, 2023
Engine

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The RPM was fluctuating, with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure…

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The contact owns a 2021 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The RPM was fluctuating, with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ODI #11511807

Mileage unknown · Mar 8, 2023
Engine

My 2021 Kia Sorento is waiting on a new transmission with no ETA. Thank goodness after it started driving rough and rocking back and forth while in park we took it to a Kia dealership. Dealership said we. needed a new transmission. I’m just glad we caught it before we had total engine failure going down the road like the recall …

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My 2021 Kia Sorento is waiting on a new transmission with no ETA. Thank goodness after it started driving rough and rocking back and forth while in park we took it to a Kia dealership. Dealership said we. needed a new transmission. I’m just glad we caught it before we had total engine failure going down the road like the recall states.

NHTSA ODI #11510807

Mileage unknown · Oct 22, 2022
EnginePower Train

On Oct 5th, 2022, I was driving home from work on Interstate 75, when I heard a chime from my dashboard. When I looked at the dashboard there was a message to “stop safely immediately,” and the check engine light came on. I happened to be at my exit and took the next exit off the highway. Whiling getting to the off ramp the vehi…

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On Oct 5th, 2022, I was driving home from work on Interstate 75, when I heard a chime from my dashboard. When I looked at the dashboard there was a message to “stop safely immediately,” and the check engine light came on. I happened to be at my exit and took the next exit off the highway. Whiling getting to the off ramp the vehicle randomly shut off. I stopped the suv with the brake with no incident. Thankfully no one was behind me. However, the car wouldn't turn on. After several tries the car turned on again. I immediately drove it to kia which was about 2 miles away for immediate service. They did a multi-point inspection, checked fluids. The tech came back saying the vehicle need a software update. They did a software update and returned the suv. I was told everything should be fine. Within a day of the update the check engine light came back on. This time when I accelerate the RPMs are going up but the speed is not increasing. The Sorento hesitates to accelerate from a stop. The vehicle has issues shifting in the lower gears until it JOLTS forward. I returned the Suv to Kia where now I am told it needs a new transmission. I was given no indication as to when this fix would happen. I ask for a rental car they have none. Tech at Kia says its okay to keep driving this suv. Did I miss something? As of Oct 22, they want to recheck transmission fluid which they have already checked. I have been given the run around with no fix for the problem insight.

NHTSA ODI #11490422

Mileage unknown · Oct 18, 2022
EngineFuel/propulsion SystemPower Train

As I was taking off from stop sign car dropped into lower gear jerking car and lowered speed. Did this twice almost causing an accident. Knowing something was very wrong we proceed to Dealership. SUV stalled out 3 times on the way. Third time it stalled out was in front of service writer in front of dealership.This car has been …

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As I was taking off from stop sign car dropped into lower gear jerking car and lowered speed. Did this twice almost causing an accident. Knowing something was very wrong we proceed to Dealership. SUV stalled out 3 times on the way. Third time it stalled out was in front of service writer in front of dealership.This car has been very dangerous to drive from the delivery to now. It hesitates when you give it gas at stop and vibrates as you pic k up speed. This car is very dangerous to drive. Has been in shop for a week tring to figure out the problem. I have complained to service department about this ever since I have owned the car. Thanks for any help. I know I,m not the only one with this problem. Pat McGrath.

NHTSA ODI #11489882

Mileage unknown · Oct 3, 2022
EngineVehicle Speed Control

As my vehicle was in drive and I was actively driving, an error displayed on the dash stating to "stop safely immediately." The vehicle would neither accelerate nor decelerate and would not generate any RPMs. The check engine light came on, went off hours lately and the vehicle appeared to perform normally thereafter. Nonetheles…

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As my vehicle was in drive and I was actively driving, an error displayed on the dash stating to "stop safely immediately." The vehicle would neither accelerate nor decelerate and would not generate any RPMs. The check engine light came on, went off hours lately and the vehicle appeared to perform normally thereafter. Nonetheless I had the vehicle towed to the dealership and was told they were unable to duplicate the error although. I was told that although they could download the code for the error, it was unlikely that Kia would replace the faulty sensor that needed replacing as it was located on the side of the transmission. I was told to video the issue if it ever happened again. 7 days later, the exact same thing happened while I was in the middle of an intersection with my children. I leased this vehicle in May of 2021 and this issue occurred in July 2022 with 7800 miles on the odometer. There were zero issues with this vehicle prior to this and I have all service records and video footage of the incident.

NHTSA ODI #11487776

Official recalls

4

25V649000 · Electrical System:wiring:fuses And Circuit Breakers; Visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac System:fan/motor

Sep 25, 2025

Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Sorento vehicles. The heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) blower motor wiring harness may be inadequate, which can result in a fire.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A fire increases the risk of injury.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the wiring harness and blower motor resistor, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 23, 2026. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC351. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning October 9, 2025.

Additional source detail variants (2)

Visibility:defroster/defogger/hvac System:fan/motor

Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Sorento vehicles. The heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) blower motor wiring harness may be inadequate, which can result in a fire.

Consequence: A fire increases the risk of injury.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the wiring harness and blower motor resistor, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 23, 2026. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC351. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning October 9, 2025.

Electrical System:wiring:fuses And Circuit Breakers

Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Sorento vehicles. The heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) blower motor wiring harness may be inadequate, which can result in a fire.

Consequence: A fire increases the risk of injury.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the wiring harness and blower motor resistor, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 23, 2026. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC351. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning October 9, 2025.

22V760000 · Power Train:automatic Transmission

Oct 11, 2022

Kia Motors, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Sorento and 2021-2023 K5 vehicles. The vehicle's "fail-safe" limited-mobility drive mode may be impaired, when prompted by a transmission oil pump malfunction, which can result in a complete loss of drive power.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the transmission, as necessary. Dealers will also update the transmission control unit software. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 9, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC250.

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.

21V519000 · Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:hoses, Lines/piping, And Fittings

Jul 8, 2021

Kia Motor America (Kia) is recalling certain 2021 Sorento and 2021-2022 K5 vehicles equipped with 2.5L turbocharged engines. Fuel may leak at the pipe connection between the high-pressure fuel pump and fuel rail.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A fuel leak increases the risk of a fire.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and tighten, or replace the fuel pipe as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 21, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC214.

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

1

DP22003 · 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.

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