2022 Kia Sorento Problems & Owner Complaints

Power Train 61 1 crash

“I backed a boat trailer into the lake to load a boat. I had the car in Park and had the engine running and the driver side door open about half way. After about 2 minutes I was standing behind the vehicle cranking the boat onto the trailer. The car came out of park without notice and no one in the vehicle. It went into reverse and was driving into the lake. I was nearly runover by the vehicle but got to the side. The open driver side door caught the dock and slowed the vehicle down enough for me to get in the vehicle and step on the brake. I was able to drive the vehicle out but water w…”
NHTSA complaint #11546591, 2023 · crash

“The electric oil pump circuit board for the transmission failed, causing motive power loss. The vehicle is currently located at Ourisman Chantilly Kia and is available for inspection. Safety was compromised due to sudden loss of drive power while operating on public roads, creating a severe crash hazard. The failure was diagnosed and confirmed by Ourisman Chantilly Kia service department, which retrieved active Diagnostic Trouble Code P1C2D03. The vehicle was inspected by the Kia dealership service department. Prior to failure, check engine/warning lights illuminated and transmission drive sym…”
NHTSA complaint #11751892, 2026

“The contact owns a 2022 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the gear shifter was shifted to drive; however, the transmission failed to engage as intended. The accelerator pedal was depressed, and the vehicle unexpectedly rolled backwards. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with a recall related to the failure. The failure…”
NHTSA complaint #11751821, 2026

Engine 50

“I am submitting a formal safety complaint regarding my 2022 Kia Sorento, which is experiencing a dangerous and recurring loss of engine power during acceleration. This issue presents a significant safety hazard, particularly during situations requiring immediate acceleration such as highway merging, crossing intersections, and passing traffic.”
NHTSA complaint #11736537, 2026

“The vehicle has less than 75k miles, and I am the second owner. I was driving, and the vehicle lost power. Creating a traumatic experience that could have been fatal. After Kia had inspected the vehicle, I was informed that I needed a new engine and it would cost 8k or more, and my extended warranty would not cover it. Kia has current recalls for similar issues.”
NHTSA complaint #11719170, 2026

“There is a safety recall concerning fire hazard during normal operation. Kia is refusing to buyback the inoperable vehicle”
NHTSA complaint #11716773, 2025

Unknown Or Other 37 1 crash 1 fire 1 injury

“The sunroof imploded on its own while driving with no cars around. The implosion was so loud it caused me to swerve to other lanes and caused temporary sound loss. There was no warning and would have been worse if the sunshade wasn't on. Insurance is reviewing”
NHTSA complaint #11572236, 2024 · 1 injury(ies)

“Last Tuesday, August 16, I parked in the driveway at around 8 PM. After about 2 hours I heard car alarm. I looked out window and saw flames engulfing rear of vehicle. Called 911. Firefighters extinguished flames. Fire crew stated fire was likely electrical and started near tow hitch receptacle. Tow hitch was installed by Kia dealer weeks after I bought car; they told me it was an OEM hitch. I'd never used the hitch until the day of the fire. That afternoon I bought a Kuuat bicycle rack with lights. Bike store installed the rack and plugged it into the hitch receptacle. I did errands for sever…”
NHTSA complaint #11480894, 2022 · fire

“I went to take my husband coffee put my car in park got out to get my son out of the back passenger side seat of the car and when I got to the back passenger side seat, I try to unlock the door the door was locked so I went back around to get back to the driver seat to unlock the door and before I could get all the way back to the driver side door I heard a loud click and my car jolted forward and crashed into my husband’s truck with my two year old in the backseat. I notified Kia. They towed it to the nearest dealership. It’s been there for a week, but they’re refusing to do anything or provi…”
NHTSA complaint #11507323, 2023 · crash

Electrical System 28 1 fire

“Last Tuesday, August 16, I parked in the driveway at around 8 PM. After about 2 hours I heard car alarm. I looked out window and saw flames engulfing rear of vehicle. Called 911. Firefighters extinguished flames. Fire crew stated fire was likely electrical and started near tow hitch receptacle. Tow hitch was installed by Kia dealer weeks after I bought car; they told me it was an OEM hitch. I'd never used the hitch until the day of the fire. That afternoon I bought a Kuuat bicycle rack with lights. Bike store installed the rack and plugged it into the hitch receptacle. I did errands for sever…”
NHTSA complaint #11480894, 2022 · fire

“The electric oil pump circuit board for the transmission failed, causing motive power loss. The vehicle is currently located at Ourisman Chantilly Kia and is available for inspection. Safety was compromised due to sudden loss of drive power while operating on public roads, creating a severe crash hazard. The failure was diagnosed and confirmed by Ourisman Chantilly Kia service department, which retrieved active Diagnostic Trouble Code P1C2D03. The vehicle was inspected by the Kia dealership service department. Prior to failure, check engine/warning lights illuminated and transmission drive sym…”
NHTSA complaint #11751892, 2026

“The Auto Start-Stop System light came on flashing while driving. Vehicle wouldn’t accelerate while in heavy traffic. Pulled over to the shoulder and turned vehicle off. Attempted to start vehicle again and would not start. Had to get the vehicle towed. Positive battery post is loose and screw is tightened as much as possible.”
NHTSA complaint #11741207, 2026

Service Brakes 17

“Everytime i put my car in cruise control for 1-2 minutes after i take the cruise control off the breakers are gone and them come back”
NHTSA complaint #11686778, 2025

“A coin slid underneath parking brake lever while driving on the freeway. The car came to sudden stop and would not move until i removed coin from under the lever. It could have caused a major accident”
NHTSA complaint #11672831, 2025

“I was driving on the highway when my car suddenly lost all power. I tried to brake, but the pedal went straight to the floor several times with no pressure. The car finally slowed down, and I believe the ABS kicked in, causing a jerky stop. I managed to pull over, but the engine was barely idling and seemed on the verge of stalling. This was a very dangerous situation. Not only did losing power on the highway put me at risk, but I also had to wait on the side of the road at night in the rain with traffic whizzing by. When I initially checked for the problem, I noticed a strong smell of gasol…”
NHTSA complaint #11582501, 2024

Fuel/Propulsion System 14

“I am submitting a formal safety complaint regarding my 2022 Kia Sorento, which is experiencing a dangerous and recurring loss of engine power during acceleration. This issue presents a significant safety hazard, particularly during situations requiring immediate acceleration such as highway merging, crossing intersections, and passing traffic.”
NHTSA complaint #11736537, 2026

“The fuel door actuator failed. The gas door would not open due to the actuator being seized shut, preventing access to the fuel tank. This vehicle does not have a manual release mechanism, so there was no alternative way to open the fuel door. The dealership confirmed the actuator malfunction. My family’s safety was put at risk because we were unable to refuel the vehicle. The incident occurred during extremely cold weather, with a windchill of approximately -8°F. Due to the inability to add fuel, we were at risk of running out of gas and losing heat in the vehicle, which could have resulted…”
NHTSA complaint #11732430, 2026

“The vehicle has less than 75k miles, and I am the second owner. I was driving, and the vehicle lost power. Creating a traumatic experience that could have been fatal. After Kia had inspected the vehicle, I was informed that I needed a new engine and it would cost 8k or more, and my extended warranty would not cover it. Kia has current recalls for similar issues.”
NHTSA complaint #11719170, 2026

Vehicle Speed Control 14 1 crash

“The contact owns a 2022 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that their vehicle was parked in their driveway with the vehicle off and unattended, an hour later the vehicle rolled away and crashed into a neighbor’s fence. The vehicle came to a stop in the neighbor's ditch. No warning lights were illuminated. There was damage to the neighbor's fence as a result of the crash. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where they rejected to diagnose the vehicle until the cosmetic repairs were completed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact mentioned that in order to prevent another roll awa…”
NHTSA complaint #11479827, 2022 · crash

“Idle stop and go system randomly auto disabled on start, unable to enable. Causes vehicle to be unable to accelerate faster than 25mph.”
NHTSA complaint #11743009, 2026

“I own a 2022 Kia Sorento that was manufactured on January 13, 2022. My vehicle experienced a failure involving the electronic oil pump within the transmission system. While driving, a transmission error message appeared prior to the failure. Shortly after, the vehicle unexpectedly entered a limited-mobility condition and significantly slowed down, operating only at a reduced speed. This created a hazardous situation, as I was unable to maintain normal traffic flow, increasing the risk to myself and other drivers. The issue has been diagnosed and confirmed by a service center as a malfunction o…”
NHTSA complaint #11737579, 2026

Steering 10

“The vehicle began making a clicking/popping sound when turning the steering wheel left or right, especially at lower speeds and while turning into parking spaces or driveways. The exact component causing the issue has not yet been fully identified, but it may involve the steering or suspension system (such as the CV axle, tie rods, or steering components). The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The problem puts my safety and the safety of others at risk because the clicking noise may indicate a failing steering or suspension component, which could potentially affect steering co…”
NHTSA complaint #11736463, 2026

“on my way home Friday evening from work. After exiting the expressway , I made a right turn on the street going towards my house. My steering wheel locked to the right and almost caused me to run into another car. If I had not be driving slow than the speed limit or still on the expressway, this would have been a very bad accident, if not fatal! This is after the dealership made repairs on my vehicle and deemed it safe to drive.”
NHTSA complaint #11734731, 2026

“In August 2025 my 2022 Kia Sorento S began having the Electronic Power Steering (EPS) Malfunction Indicator light flashing. It comes on, flashes for a while, then goes off again. Shortly after the first time this happened (a week or so), my steering began losing all power steering intermittently at random. I took it to the local Kia dealership, but they did nothing even though I am still under warranty. It has progressively become worse - now the light does not even have to be flashing for me to lose all power steering - I almost wrecked twice this past week with my 3 small children, due to lo…”
NHTSA complaint #11710336, 2026

Visibility/Wiper 9 1 injury

“While driving a vehicle on the highway, the sunroof exploded violently. The large, moving piece of the panoramic sunroof appears to have broken outwards. Large pieces of glass and smaller pieces landed in the front and middle of the cabin, including on the driver. Small chunks of glass landed on and cut the driver of the vehicle. A loud sound occurred. This was very startling, the glass was very dangerous, and we were lucky that no one was in the middle seats where the glass primarily fell. This occurred in a temperate (high 60s or low 70s F) climate and with no prior damage to the glass. N…”
NHTSA complaint #11518762, 2023 · 1 injury(ies)

“the rear backup camera brackets inside are broken, causing the camera to dangle down. There was a recall on 2022 kia sorentos for this, but my VIN number is not coming up as part of the recall when it should be. This causes me to not be able to visibly see the things in the rear when the car is in reverse. There are no warning lights, lamps or messages to notify of thus.”
NHTSA complaint #11699870, 2025

“My wife was driving down the highway (XXX) after dropping our daughter off at school. The closest car was approximately 10 cars ahead of her and there were no vehicles behind her. The outside temperature was about 48 degrees, the A/C was set to about 70 degrees. She was driving about 70mph. My wife described the sound to be what she thought was a shotgun blast above her head followed by wind noise like if the sunroof had opened. She looked in the rear-view mirror and observed glass flying behind the car, and what sounded like glass continuously falling on to the cloth for the retractable headl…”
NHTSA complaint #11635995, 2025

Forward Collision Avoidance 8

“2022 Kia Sorento. Dec 2024(previous owner incident) to new owner purchase May 2025- April 2026 vehicle keeps displaying all lights and warnings, loses acceleration & loss of throttle power while driving. High voltage code P0653 code displays. RPM’s will go up and down while vehicle is in park. Have had an active case open with Kia America Escalated case specialist since Nov 2025. Vehicle has been taken to two different Kia dealerships and has had this incident 7 times since May 2025 used purchase. A few different parts have been changed while working with a Kia America tech over a computer, y…”
NHTSA complaint #11729873, 2026

“1)Transmission keeps slipping on a car that is one year old. Typically it’s from a park>drive or park>reverse but it also happens while accelerating. The worse instance so far has been while I was pulling across an intersection and my gas pedal was to the floor and the car just froze like it was in neutral… rpms went up but car “disengaged” and I had to let off the gas and try again and it engaged. This was a HUGE safety issue as cars were coming at me and I was stuck. I have take the car to KIA FOUR times for this issue and they keep telling me that if there was an issue there would be a chec…”
NHTSA complaint #11548659, 2023

“In early June, my car went into limp mode. The two lines with a car between on the dash were blinking red. I notified Kia, both Roseville and Folsom, but they seemed unconcerned since it seemingly corrected itself after restarting car and driving it. Since then, the car has had the Ebrake engage while driving at least 6-7 times. After the 5th or 6th time, I reported to Kia and after much back and forth they agreed it was a safety problem since it would cause my car to brake slowing it suddenly to about 1/2 of my traveling speed. The week of August 7th, they had it a week and said they couldn’…”
NHTSA complaint #11540836, 2023

Visibility 8 1 injury

“While driving a vehicle on the highway, the sunroof exploded violently. The large, moving piece of the panoramic sunroof appears to have broken outwards. Large pieces of glass and smaller pieces landed in the front and middle of the cabin, including on the driver. Small chunks of glass landed on and cut the driver of the vehicle. A loud sound occurred. This was very startling, the glass was very dangerous, and we were lucky that no one was in the middle seats where the glass primarily fell. This occurred in a temperate (high 60s or low 70s F) climate and with no prior damage to the glass. N…”
NHTSA complaint #11518762, 2023 · 1 injury(ies)

“The contact owns a 2022 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the sunroof exploded without impact. There was no injury sustained. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 86,296.”
NHTSA complaint #11719848, 2026

“The heater does not work when the vehicle is running, it only works when parked. I have done research & I am not the only one experiencing the same issue. There was another Sorento owner that was at the same car shop that I went to with the exact same issue. No one is diagnosing it including the dealership, I’ve taken the car to two different once’s & other shops as well.”
NHTSA complaint #11565839, 2023

Trailer Hitches 5

“The contact owns a 2022 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V703000 (Trailer Hitches) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that he contacted the dealer who stated that the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.”
NHTSA complaint #11517870, 2023

“2022 KIA SORENTO. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO NHTSA SAFETY RECALL 22V-703.”
NHTSA complaint #11500979, 2023

“The contact owns a 2022 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V703000 (Trailer Hitches) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.”
NHTSA complaint #11511221, 2022

Lane Departure 4

“2022 Kia Sorento. Dec 2024(previous owner incident) to new owner purchase May 2025- April 2026 vehicle keeps displaying all lights and warnings, loses acceleration & loss of throttle power while driving. High voltage code P0653 code displays. RPM’s will go up and down while vehicle is in park. Have had an active case open with Kia America Escalated case specialist since Nov 2025. Vehicle has been taken to two different Kia dealerships and has had this incident 7 times since May 2025 used purchase. A few different parts have been changed while working with a Kia America tech over a computer, y…”
NHTSA complaint #11729873, 2026

“Transmission keeps lurching between gears. Going from park to drive or park to reverse causes a lurch before it shifts and from what I would guess is when it goes from 1st to 2nd it also lurches/shudders. Took to dealer and service advisor said he felt it (it’s intermittent) but his transmission guy said there was nothing wrong and that he couldn’t reproduce my complaint. Kia dealer did a “reset” and nothing changed. 2nd issue is the lane assist randomly stops working and has to be turned off and sometimes the whole car needs to be turned off and turned back on for it to work again. Dealer als…”
NHTSA complaint #11543058, 2023

“On Saturday, April 9 when breaking at a stop sign my car slammed on my breaks for me and the dash lit up with multiple warning lights, indicating an issue with the "check lane departure warning system." The car seemed to drive okay, no additional strange breaking situations, but the warning lights stayed on for a day. I called my dealer, and they saw the vehicle on April 22nd. Between the 9th and that date the warning lights eventually went off, then came on again (but no strange breaking). Then were off by the time I went to the dealership. They were able to find vehicle history of 2 codes,…”
NHTSA complaint #11466607, 2022

Suspension 3

“The contact owns a 2022 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving approximately 70 MPH, the contact experienced the death wobble. There was no warning light illuminated. Additionally, the vehicle unexpectedly accelerated. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer informed the contact that the failure could not be duplicated. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 78,000.”
NHTSA complaint #11716781, 2026

“Bought the vehicle brand new in late 2021, and began noticing some vibration when braking at any speed. The vehicle at this point has less than 10,000 miles and the brakes are vibrating really bad. The manufacturer has not issued a recall and their best fix is turning the brake rotors and calling it a day. Never had I had such a poor experience with this manufacturer.”
NHTSA complaint #11466412, 2022

Exterior Lighting 2

“Rear passenger taillight assembly, specifically the turn signal light failed. Currently unable to utilize the right signal light when turning causing a safety issue for others. This taillight assembly is a sealed unit with LED lights that cannot be replaced. To fix you must purchase a new taillight assembly. These are very costly $790 from the dealer. This is an exorbitant expense for most people and will delay the consumer from replacing this assembly. Due to this exorbitant expense this is a safety hazard that I believe the manufacturer, KIA, should implement a recall and make this taill…”
NHTSA complaint #11735234, 2026

“While driving down the road at night, the headlights turn off automatically, by themselves. This caused serious distress for not only myself, but also for my children in the car at the time, as we have had instances where driving around curves at dark, the lights go out, or while on the highway at night during deer season, the lights go out. We live out in the country, so city lights are not abundant. Found on multiple sites once looked up after experiencing it: "100% of the recalled vehicles experience the issue where a software error in the Body Domain Control Unit (BDC) causes the headli…”
NHTSA complaint #11701605, 2025

Seat Belts 2

“The contact owns a 2022 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the forward camera was obstructed. The steering over corrected while turned off. The vehicle was accelerating and decelerating independently. The Forward Collision Avoidance system engaged without an object being nearby. Additionally, the driver’s side seat belt randomly unlatched. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was taken back to the local dealer, who diagnosed and determined that the transmission and seat belt…”
NHTSA complaint #11621882, 2024

“I have tried to work with the dealer who sold me the car and they are either unresponsive or don't have the parts to fix the concern.”
NHTSA complaint #11489638, 2022

Seats 2

“The driver’s seat frame and adjustment mechanism failed. The seat broke off from the frame, resulting in the seat only being able to move left and right, with no ability to adjust forward/backward or recline. The dealership confirmed a seat frame malfunction and addressed the issue. My safety was put at risk because I was unable to properly adjust the driver’s seat to a safe driving position. Without proper positioning, I could not safely reach the pedals or maintain appropriate control of the vehicle, increasing the risk of losing control or being unable to react quickly in traffic. The de…”
NHTSA complaint #11732433, 2024

“Drivers seat is moving all the way forward & inclining all the way towards steering wheel while operating vehicle and I am unable to stop stop it or move it back. This has happened to me 4 times now, 2 of them at high speeds & there is no rhyme or rhythm to when or if you can adjust the seat back. It stayed all the way up after parking & sitting in my driveway for about 14 hours, I was able to move it back but after driving it about 2 miles it moved all the way up again & I so far am unable to move it back. This nearly caused me to crash the first time it happened & I am simply lucky to by th…”
NHTSA complaint #11595416, 2024

Air Bags 1

“Vehicle: 2022 Kia Sorento EX VIN: [XXX] Date Defects Discovered:[XXX} A Kia dealership confirmed multiple instances of airbag tampering in this vehicle: • Driver knee airbag missing • Driver A‑pillar airbag missing • Wiring harnesses cut • Electrical resistors spliced into the circuits to bypass SRS fault detection • Technician warned there may be additional missing airbags pending further disassembly • Estimate for known SRS repair is $11,294.30 Carfax shows this vehicle was involved in an airbag‑deploying crash on [XXX] prior to my purchase. No airbags were replaced before…”
NHTSA complaint #11712134, 2026

Back Over Prevention 1

Engine And Engine Cooling 1 1 crash 1 injury

“The contact owned a 2022 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while approaching a stop light, she lost consciousness. The contact crashed into another vehicle as the air bags deployed and the front driver side tire had separated from the vehicle. The other driver sustained injuries; however, their whereabouts were unknown. An employee from a nearby dental office removed the contact from the vehicle and placed her inside the office. When the contact regained consciousness, the dental employee informed her that a strong unknown odor had emitted from the vehicle which prompted her to remove the…”
NHTSA complaint #11534332, 2023 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

Equipment 1 1 injury

“The contact owns a 2022 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while using the OEM jack, it became stuck underneath the vehicle. The jack was very flimsy and was bent. The contact sustained injuries to his face, but no medical attention was provided. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 20,998.”
NHTSA complaint #11576859, 2024 · 1 injury(ies)

Structure 1

“On Dec 1, 2025 we were driving down the freeway at approx 70 MPH when we heard a loud bang. At first, we thought a tire had blown but that wasn't the case. We started hearing more road and wind noise from above the shade screen. We were close to our Kia dealership so we went directly there. The sunroof glass about the driver and front passenger seats had a large hole and the glass around it was shattered. No object was found. Additionally, we didn't see any road debris kicked up before the loud bang nor we were near any overpass.”
NHTSA complaint #11702708, 2025

Tires 1

“I went for my regular wheel alignment last week and was told my tires need to be replaced - the tread was down to 3/32. I only have 30000 miles on the vehicle. I called Continental and was told the tires are considered a "performance" tire and therefore have no tread warranty. I bought a new set o Michelin Defender tires today. When I look on line, Tire Rack for example says the tires should be good for 65000 miles. I did not expect to have to buy new tires this soon. I am a retired safety engineer civil servant that worked for the Army Tank Automotive Command and also NASA and was involv…”
NHTSA complaint #11652327, 2025