2024 Kia Sorento Problems & Owner Complaints

Electrical System 10 2 crash 1 fire 1 injury

“On March 19 I completed my 8,000 mile oil change and then drove to Florida. I had a warning light to change my oil since the company did not reset it. Unsure of the other warning lights. As I was driving in Florida on the interstate the car started having issues. It was making a noise, then started smoking and by the time I got off the exit and got out the front right of the car was in flames. I was transported to the ER with smoke inhalation. The car in still in Clermont, FL with no resolution. The car has been inspected by the insurance and a third party inspector. The last I was tol…”
NHTSA complaint #11668617, 2025 · fire · 1 injury(ies)

“Car has sensor issues. It ran into pole and median after defective collision assist said sensor was blocked. Has emission leak. Second vehicle i had with that and they wont cover under warranty. Kia refuses to by back a car do not feel safe driving. They refuse to fix things under warranty. The refuse to do anything about sensors, says its the safety features and they cannot remove them. Only offered me 19k for car. Why would I be upside down for a car that was sold to me with safety features issues..”
NHTSA complaint #11712048, 2025 · crash

“Reason is unknown, was driving down road and car yanked to the right cause family to wreck in to a guard rail, no lights appeared before wreck, it was not raining and was not speeding. Clear sunny day. Police report has been made and has made several attempts to contact KIA, car has been in body shop since July. Wreck has happened in July. Car is still at body shop KIA told body shop there was no time line on getting any parts to repair, they do not know if it will be this year.”
NHTSA complaint #11621683, 2024 · crash

Structure 6 1 crash 1 fire 1 injury

“On March 19 I completed my 8,000 mile oil change and then drove to Florida. I had a warning light to change my oil since the company did not reset it. Unsure of the other warning lights. As I was driving in Florida on the interstate the car started having issues. It was making a noise, then started smoking and by the time I got off the exit and got out the front right of the car was in flames. I was transported to the ER with smoke inhalation. The car in still in Clermont, FL with no resolution. The car has been inspected by the insurance and a third party inspector. The last I was tol…”
NHTSA complaint #11668617, 2025 · fire · 1 injury(ies)

“Reason is unknown, was driving down road and car yanked to the right cause family to wreck in to a guard rail, no lights appeared before wreck, it was not raining and was not speeding. Clear sunny day. Police report has been made and has made several attempts to contact KIA, car has been in body shop since July. Wreck has happened in July. Car is still at body shop KIA told body shop there was no time line on getting any parts to repair, they do not know if it will be this year.”
NHTSA complaint #11621683, 2024 · crash

“A few weeks ago my sunroof began with out warning began to malfunction. It stopped closing all the way . When finally close I noticed the right rear side of the roof not closing all the way. I've noticed the bracket that holds up the glass roof to the track was broken. I took the car back to my car dealership, Gerald kia of Matteson. They told me that it was my fault because the tracks wasn't greased. Something that I wasn't at first purchased a car brand new. So they told me that consider an outside influence ira it would not be covered under a factory warranty. The reason I am filling th…”
NHTSA complaint #11734947, 2026

Unknown Or Other 6 1 crash 2 injury

“I was involved in an automobile collision. It was a T- Bone collision on the driver side. My vehicle flipped on it's side, the moon roof completely shattered, my seatbelt released me and I was ejected through the moon roof. The vehicle landed on top of me. All of my air bags did not deploy even though my vehicle rolled over twice.”
NHTSA complaint #11698884, 2025 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“The Panoramic sunroof randomly exploded while driving down the highway. Nothing around us or above us to cause it. Myself, my [XXX] pregnant wife, and [XXX] daughter were in the car and had glass rain down on us after the very loud boom. We almost wrecked. The issue has not yet been inspected by the dealership but I understand this to not be uncommon. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)”
NHTSA complaint #11727717, 2026 · 1 injury(ies)

“The horn isn’t making any noise at all. There were no warning lamps or messages, I didn’t know until I needed to use my horn.”
NHTSA complaint #11743450, 2026

Service Brakes 5 1 crash

“1. **Component or System Failure:** - The malfunction occurred in the **automatic braking system** while the vehicle was in **snow mode**. The brakes engaged and locked the wheels, resulting in a loss of traction. - This system is available for inspection upon request to assess the failure, where the car was towed to. 2. **Safety Risk:** - The automatic brakes locking the wheels put the driver at risk by causing the vehicle to slide uncontrollably. - The situation was further exacerbated by the fact that the vehicle collided with a tree, indicating a significant safety concern.…”
NHTSA complaint #11711697, 2026 · crash

“The contact owns a 2024 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal shaking in the steering wheel. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with improperly sized brake rotors. The rotors were resurfaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was subsequently returned to the dealer, and the rotors were replaced, but the failure continued. The contact stated that the wheels were affected by the rotor failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 7,000.”
NHTSA complaint #11746301, 2026

“EBP light comes on dash while driving. Codes have been determined by dealership but refuse to fix unless light is active. To get light off - must stop vehicle and turn on and off EBP switch and light goes off. Switch or sensor not working causing the problem.”
NHTSA complaint #11720380, 2026

Engine 4 1 fire 1 injury

“On March 19 I completed my 8,000 mile oil change and then drove to Florida. I had a warning light to change my oil since the company did not reset it. Unsure of the other warning lights. As I was driving in Florida on the interstate the car started having issues. It was making a noise, then started smoking and by the time I got off the exit and got out the front right of the car was in flames. I was transported to the ER with smoke inhalation. The car in still in Clermont, FL with no resolution. The car has been inspected by the insurance and a third party inspector. The last I was tol…”
NHTSA complaint #11668617, 2025 · fire · 1 injury(ies)

“The contact owns a 2024 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that during a routine oil change, the mechanic added an unknown oil additive to the vehicle. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving, the accelerator pedal was depressed, and the vehicle lost motive power and drove sluggishly. The vehicle was taken to a dealer for an oil change, and the mechanic observed metal shavings in the oil. The vehicle was taken to another dealer, but it had not yet been diagnosed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 31,000.”
NHTSA complaint #11683103, 2025

“Vehicle hesitation, transmission slippage at low speeds for up shifting and hard shifting. Pulled out of a parking lot onto a main road from stop and my vehicle would not upshift and sounded like I was in neutral and would not accelerate. I had a vehicle behind me that almost rear ended me, I pulled over and had to put the vehicle in park. Once restarted, it would shift again.”
NHTSA complaint #11673136, 2025

Forward Collision Avoidance 3 2 crash

“1. **Component or System Failure:** - The malfunction occurred in the **automatic braking system** while the vehicle was in **snow mode**. The brakes engaged and locked the wheels, resulting in a loss of traction. - This system is available for inspection upon request to assess the failure, where the car was towed to. 2. **Safety Risk:** - The automatic brakes locking the wheels put the driver at risk by causing the vehicle to slide uncontrollably. - The situation was further exacerbated by the fact that the vehicle collided with a tree, indicating a significant safety concern.…”
NHTSA complaint #11711697, 2026 · crash

“Car has sensor issues. It ran into pole and median after defective collision assist said sensor was blocked. Has emission leak. Second vehicle i had with that and they wont cover under warranty. Kia refuses to by back a car do not feel safe driving. They refuse to fix things under warranty. The refuse to do anything about sensors, says its the safety features and they cannot remove them. Only offered me 19k for car. Why would I be upside down for a car that was sold to me with safety features issues..”
NHTSA complaint #11712048, 2025 · crash

“On two separate occasions, my 2024 Kia Sorento has activated its automatic emergency braking system, as if anticipating a potential forward collision on an empty Florida highway. The dashboard lights illuminate precisely before the forward collision warning and emergency braking lights activate and commence engaging. Since then, I have noticed a loose sensation in the steering wheel and a diminished braking response. Also screen on dash will randomly shut down and will not allow me to check my vehicle systems or to Kia connect.”
NHTSA complaint #11664705, 2025

Power Train 3

“At 7,100 miles the transmission failed requiring a new transmission replacement after one year. At 16,636 miles (2years into the lease) the new transmission also failed, and the car is in the garage getting another transmission replacement after.”
NHTSA complaint #11733308, 2026

“The vehicle is jerky, loss of power, jolts, and very high concern of safety while in use.”
NHTSA complaint #11708235, 2025

“Vehicle hesitation, transmission slippage at low speeds for up shifting and hard shifting. Pulled out of a parking lot onto a main road from stop and my vehicle would not upshift and sounded like I was in neutral and would not accelerate. I had a vehicle behind me that almost rear ended me, I pulled over and had to put the vehicle in park. Once restarted, it would shift again.”
NHTSA complaint #11673136, 2025

Visibility/Wiper 3

“The vehicles windshield may not be sealed properly or have moisture that builds up between the pressed glass causing reduced visibility and higher risk for crash obstructing the view of both passenger and most importantly the driver.”
NHTSA complaint #11740994, 2026

“Panoramic sunroof panel spontaneously exploded at highway speed.”
NHTSA complaint #11703966, 2025

“The vehicle was driven home from work, parked outside in a secluded spot. When I went to leave like an hour later, there was a huge crack in the windshield on the driver side. The crack seemingly appeared out of nowhere, and there is no chip, indicating that it was hit by something that would’ve caused the crack.”
NHTSA complaint #11676094, 2025

Air Bags 2 2 crash 1 injury

“I was involved in an automobile collision. It was a T- Bone collision on the driver side. My vehicle flipped on it's side, the moon roof completely shattered, my seatbelt released me and I was ejected through the moon roof. The vehicle landed on top of me. All of my air bags did not deploy even though my vehicle rolled over twice.”
NHTSA complaint #11698884, 2025 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“1. **Component or System Failure:** - The malfunction occurred in the **automatic braking system** while the vehicle was in **snow mode**. The brakes engaged and locked the wheels, resulting in a loss of traction. - This system is available for inspection upon request to assess the failure, where the car was towed to. 2. **Safety Risk:** - The automatic brakes locking the wheels put the driver at risk by causing the vehicle to slide uncontrollably. - The situation was further exacerbated by the fact that the vehicle collided with a tree, indicating a significant safety concern.…”
NHTSA complaint #11711697, 2026 · crash

Exterior Lighting 2

“headlights and taillights went out while driving and a few seconds and then came back on and everything on the dash also went out and came back on. i was driving at night time when this happened it put me and my child at risk. i called the dealership and they refused to fix saying that my kia is not impacted by this recall. But that i could schedule an appointment to have my headlights checked, i explained to them there is nothing wrong with my headlights this is clearly a software issue, Tonya at Kia Louisville east is still saying its not related to the recall, and is scheduling appt to h…”
NHTSA complaint #11698885, 2025

“Front headlights are fogging up and blocking headlights. Dealership has looked at the issue and waiting for KIA to approve the replacement. No action yet, but if this is happening to my SUV, I'm sure others are having the same issue.”
NHTSA complaint #11655357, 2025

Fuel/Propulsion System 2 1 crash

“Car has sensor issues. It ran into pole and median after defective collision assist said sensor was blocked. Has emission leak. Second vehicle i had with that and they wont cover under warranty. Kia refuses to by back a car do not feel safe driving. They refuse to fix things under warranty. The refuse to do anything about sensors, says its the safety features and they cannot remove them. Only offered me 19k for car. Why would I be upside down for a car that was sold to me with safety features issues..”
NHTSA complaint #11712048, 2025 · crash

“The vehicle is jerky, loss of power, jolts, and very high concern of safety while in use.”
NHTSA complaint #11708235, 2025

Seat Belts 2 1 crash 1 injury

“I was involved in an automobile collision. It was a T- Bone collision on the driver side. My vehicle flipped on it's side, the moon roof completely shattered, my seatbelt released me and I was ejected through the moon roof. The vehicle landed on top of me. All of my air bags did not deploy even though my vehicle rolled over twice.”
NHTSA complaint #11698884, 2025 · crash · 1 injury(ies)

“On August 6, 2025, I discovered that both the driver and passenger front seat belts in my 2024 Kia Sorento were installed backwards from the factory, with the buckle facing inward instead of outward. This defect has been present since the vehicle was purchased brand new, but it was only discovered and documented on this date. The issue was confirmed by an authorized Kia dealership in an official service report and in a video recorded by the service technician. I also have photos and videos taken before the dealership visit showing the same defect. This is a manufacturing defect and poses a…”
NHTSA complaint #11681221, 2025

Back Over Prevention 1

“EBP light comes on dash while driving. Codes have been determined by dealership but refuse to fix unless light is active. To get light off - must stop vehicle and turn on and off EBP switch and light goes off. Switch or sensor not working causing the problem.”
NHTSA complaint #11720380, 2026

Engine And Engine Cooling 1

“The contact owns a 2024 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the radiator was leaking. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer and the dealer stated that a rock or road debris had caused the puncture in the radiator. The contact was advised by the dealer that it was a known failure and that there was no radiator debris shield to protect the radiator from damage. The contact was informed by the dealer that the repair was not covered under warranty. The manufacturer was contacted and informed that the contact that repair was not covered. The contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline to report th…”
NHTSA complaint #11729386, 2026

Seats 1 1 injury

“The rear passenger seat has a major safety issue. The back will pop forward and then the entire seat moves forward pushing the passenger into the back of the passenger seat. I have brought this to the dealership two times now and it is still an issue that they now refuse to repair. I have video but can't load it here.”
NHTSA complaint #11602826, 2024 · 1 injury(ies)

Steering 1

“My vehicle has issues with the power steering. At random times, day or night, the wheel steers to the right and I have to force my grip on the wheel to avoid crashing. It last between 3-5 seconds. No lights or alerts light up on the dashboard. Dealerships have been unable to assist me, I have gone to three different ones. They cannot identify the issue. Loss of power steering assist increases crash risk, since it’s harder to control the vehicle in tight maneuvers or emergencies. Car is available for inspection.”
NHTSA complaint #11698072, 2025

Wheels 1 1 crash

“Reason is unknown, was driving down road and car yanked to the right cause family to wreck in to a guard rail, no lights appeared before wreck, it was not raining and was not speeding. Clear sunny day. Police report has been made and has made several attempts to contact KIA, car has been in body shop since July. Wreck has happened in July. Car is still at body shop KIA told body shop there was no time line on getting any parts to repair, they do not know if it will be this year.”
NHTSA complaint #11621683, 2024 · crash