1) Automatic Braking: Twice, Car has auto braked in the middle of a 4-way intersection when a car was stopping at the light. Car has auto braked in the middle of the 3rd lane (fast lane) on the highway during rain. Car has auto braked multiple times when reversing out of a parking spot. In one of those incidents, I have to drive…
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1) Automatic Braking: Twice, Car has auto braked in the middle of a 4-way intersection when a car was stopping at the light. Car has auto braked in the middle of the 3rd lane (fast lane) on the highway during rain. Car has auto braked multiple times when reversing out of a parking spot. In one of those incidents, I have to drive forward in order for the car to move; turning it off and on does not reset the vehicle. The auto-braking while driving especially on the highway causing rapid decceleration could result in another vehicle rear-ending me. 2) MANY transmission issues: jerky transmission, car moving backwards while in drive (usually uphill, doesn't have to be steep), car stalling in park or when going up steep hills, traction control kicking on and engine downshifting (even though the roads were dry).
NHTSA ODI #11478385
Mileage unknown · Aug 8, 2022
Electrical SystemEnginePower Train
I have owned this vehicle for about 1 yr & 7 months now. it's been great but all of a sudden last Friday, the dashboard started producing an engine overheat warning with an alarm sound when I was driving under normal conditions. So then I pulled out of the highway and went to the nearest parking lot, and checked the engine. The …
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I have owned this vehicle for about 1 yr & 7 months now. it's been great but all of a sudden last Friday, the dashboard started producing an engine overheat warning with an alarm sound when I was driving under normal conditions. So then I pulled out of the highway and went to the nearest parking lot, and checked the engine. The coolant color was normal & max level. no sign of leaking. Then we resumed driving and nothing happened. later on the way back home... the same thing happened. The alarm sounded for a while and the temperature indicator reached red at the max level then it went away. it was already too late for us to reach out to either dealership or KIA, so I was going to get in touch later. The next day afternoon, I got a diagnostic appointment for the coming Wednesday with the nearest KIA dealership and went out to take care of a few other stuff. The alarm sound with the temperature gauge reaching the red max level happened again after merging into the highway, and it went off after a while. This occurrence has happened 3 times already and I'm a bit worried that it may happen again and something else may happen even though the engine and other fluid levels were fine based on the visual inspection. Not sure if this is fixable...
NHTSA ODI #11478217
Mileage unknown · Aug 3, 2022
Power Train
Vehicle randomly losses power when trying to accelerate from a stop. This creates a risk of being rear ended or struck while attempting to merge into traffic. Power loss is 100%. May last from a couple seconds to several minutes. No warning lights come on. The vehicle is currently at the dealership awaiting diagnosis which I was…
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Vehicle randomly losses power when trying to accelerate from a stop. This creates a risk of being rear ended or struck while attempting to merge into traffic. Power loss is 100%. May last from a couple seconds to several minutes. No warning lights come on. The vehicle is currently at the dealership awaiting diagnosis which I was told could take several weeks due to a “backlog of vehicles awaiting repair and a shortage of repair technicians”. Dealer refused to offer a loaner car and Kia will not provide a loaner or rental vehicle until the car is diagnosed by the dealer.
NHTSA ODI #11477473
Mileage unknown · Aug 2, 2022
Power Train
Vehicle randomly looses power to the wheels while driving vehicle. This has occurred while in drive and reverse. Engine check light is lit (not blinking) and message appears on instrument panel of "Stop Safely Immediately" at time of occurrence. This first started on 7/4/2022. This occurred while in heavy traffic which put my…
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Vehicle randomly looses power to the wheels while driving vehicle. This has occurred while in drive and reverse. Engine check light is lit (not blinking) and message appears on instrument panel of "Stop Safely Immediately" at time of occurrence. This first started on 7/4/2022. This occurred while in heavy traffic which put myself in a dangerous position as it did for other drivers around me. Vehicle is at the dealer service department for the third time. They are having difficulty recreating the issue. On first visit technician found history code P1C2D03 described as "Incorrect Gear Ratio". Transmission software was updated, I picked up car on 7/7/2022 and did not make the 4 mile trip home before it occurred again. The last occurrence was on 7/27/2022. Problem occurred while backing out of driveway.
NHTSA ODI #11477136
Mileage unknown · Jul 27, 2022
Power Train
Vehicle slams into gears, jerks forward when accelerating, hesitates a long time when reversing then changing to drive(extremely dangerous), and when in park and not turned off yet it surges or revs slightly and you can feel it trying to go forward. At first these things were rare but then became occasional and now after a year …
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Vehicle slams into gears, jerks forward when accelerating, hesitates a long time when reversing then changing to drive(extremely dangerous), and when in park and not turned off yet it surges or revs slightly and you can feel it trying to go forward. At first these things were rare but then became occasional and now after a year they have become constant. Dealership says I need a new transmission and they may have my car for two months or more! Have also had a dead battery twice already with nothing left on or plugged in.
NHTSA ODI #11476205
Mileage unknown · Jul 16, 2022
Power Train
Transmission failure—car stopped driving mid-drive. Thankfully I was driving on a suburban street at low speeds, but it could have been dangerous in another circumstance. The car was towed to a Kia dealership and they claimed it was fixed after a week, however they could not successfully start the car when I went to pick it up …
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Transmission failure—car stopped driving mid-drive. Thankfully I was driving on a suburban street at low speeds, but it could have been dangerous in another circumstance. The car was towed to a Kia dealership and they claimed it was fixed after a week, however they could not successfully start the car when I went to pick it up and I had to leave it at the dealership. Additionally, the paperwork I was given that detailed the service did not match the records the service department had. After several weeks and despite attempts to contact them, I have received no updates. The check engine light came on after the initial failure.
NHTSA ODI #11474272
Mileage unknown · Jul 12, 2022
EnginePower Train
Vehicle stuck in high RPM until I parked and restarted vehicle. Additionally continues to rock back and forth while parked and jumps forward significantly upon braking and acceleration.
NHTSA ODI #11473500
Mileage unknown · Jul 10, 2022
Power Train
Transmission started slipping after 25,000 miles, very scary in traffic. Got home and transmission completely failed.
NHTSA ODI #11473228
Mileage unknown · Jul 9, 2022
Power Train
Wet clutch went out causing the car to stall and stutter, that has been replaced and now it is struggling to shift into 2nd gear. Jerry shifting and high rpms.
NHTSA ODI #11473119
Mileage unknown · Jun 25, 2022
EnginePower TrainVehicle Speed Control
Car jumps when going into reverse, going into a stop and coming off a stop. Hesitates off of stops. Feels like it goes into neutral when going around bends. When I’m park, it rocks back and forth and rpm’s go down. It’s been happening since I bought the car a year ago.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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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