8.9

pretty bad
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
2,538 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2022 Kia Sorento:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

Get free help with your lemon!
close ad
problem #28

Feb 062024

Sorento

  • miles
My 2022 Kia Sorento has 18K miles on it and in Feb 2024 the first incident of this issue occurred. I will be accelerating or driving through traffic (coming on and off the gas), the car will lurch several times, and then the gas pedal will stop working and the car loses all acceleration. No engine light or warning comes on. The car remains on, but it won't accelerate. I have to restart the car one or more times to get the acceleration to reengage. Since Feb 2024 it has happened 4 times, most recently on May 7, 2024. On these occasions I was driving?5-10mph, 30mph, 40mph, and once at 60mph. I have had all other required maintenance performed, checks performed, etc. I have taken it to the dealer?where I leased the vehicle twice. They have not been able to replicate the issue. I'm not sure what this means, "is it available for inspection upon request" but if someone wanted to inspect it, absolutely it's available.? The car completely stops accelerating, foot to the floor on the gas pedal and no acceleration happens. This happened to me on 4 separate occasions?at 5-10mph, 30mph, 40mph, and once at 60mph at exactly the busiest and heavily trafficked?highway in my area that has accidents on a daily basis. It's extremely dangerous.? I have taken the car in twice, am scheduled for a third visit. They've kept it for multiple days both times and haven't been able to replicate the issue.? The vehicle/component has NOT been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others There were no other warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. The engine light does not come on. No other warning signs of symptoms before this started happening or before each failure. The first issue happened on Feb 6, 2024, then again on March 22, 2024, then again on March 23, 2024, then again on May 7, 2024.

- Leesburg, VA, USA

problem #27

Apr 112024

Sorento

  • miles
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 gasoline and exhaust fumes, with no other indications of failure. Check engine light is now on, and there was a warning failure but i can not recall what it said.

- Windsor Locks, CT, USA

problem #26

Mar 252024

Sorento

  • miles
The car just randomly turns off mid drive, several times a week. Even in drive the engine turns off and says I need to put it in park and return on the whole car, very unsafe.

- Southaven, MS, USA

problem #25

Nov 222022

Sorento

  • miles
While driving, all lights on the dash will light up and the gas pedal loses power. The only way to move the car to the side of the road out of danger is by coasting to the shoulder which can be very unsafe on the interstate. The car remains running with no power until it is cut off and turned back on. This has happened four times with the dealership being unable to specifically identify and fix the problem.

- Columbia, SC, USA

problem #24

Jan 252024

Sorento

  • miles
I recently got this vehicle and only has 26k miles on it. I have always been a good driver and have taken care of this vehicle, but this vehicle has brought too much stress in my life recently. Keeps breaking down, and i have to repeatedly go to the service center. My value for time is gone. The service team are not welcoming and they never give you a replacement car. Not everyone has a replacement car for when it will break down. It messed up with all of my schedule, my family's schedule, kid not being able to go to school. Me not being able to go to work. Today i had to take my car to service again, second time. Last time i had to book a rental car from my own pocket for 2 whole week. And it broke down again today, i have no car and it has been a worst experience. KIA needs to do something about this. I will never be a KIA customer again in my life. KIA has a worst engine and worst customer service.

- Roseville, CA, USA

problem #23

Dec 082023

Sorento

  • miles
My 2022 KIA Sorrento PHEV periodically gives a "Check Hybrid System, Stop Safely" emergency warning. When this happens the vehicle will not accelerate and can only be limped to a stop. This has occurred 4 times in 18 months. In three instances the vehicle was limped to a safe stop but on the other occasion it left us stranded in an intersection. This problem creates imminent danger and potential peril. KIA maintenance looked at the vehicle after the last two events and reported that they can't do anything because there aren't any recorded fault codes. From a technical perspective, it appears that an electronic problem occurs where the hybrid control either fails to recognize the low battery status or fails to command the engine to run when needed. Once stopped I can see that the hybrid electric battery charge has depleted and the engine failed to start. Cycling power off and on a couple of times appears to reset the circuitry allowing the engine to restart and the hybrid battery to begin recharging. Unfortunately, the KIA OBD is not detecting this particular failure.

- Cornwall On Hudson, NY, USA

problem #22

Nov 232023

Sorento

  • 21,016 miles
The contact owns a 2022 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at 40 MPH and approaching a stop light, the contact heard an abnormal clinking sound, the vehicle lost motive power and the vehicle decelerated independently. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to exceed 25 MPH. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with a failed propeller shaft drive shaft boot. The contact was informed that the propeller shaft drive shaft boot needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 21,016.

- Bowie, MD, USA

problem #21

Nov 212023

Sorento

  • miles
Engine shaking P03400

- Maryland Heights , MO, USA

problem #20

Nov 022023

Sorento

  • miles
My car lost power & completely shut down at 70 mph on the highway. My dash lights went place & I had no control of vehicle other than to go straight & come to a rolling stop. It has shut off repeatedly while driving

- Flower Mound, TX, USA

problem #19

Oct 152023

Sorento

  • miles
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request" Engine Control System - yes, it is. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Check engine light came on, the car start shaking really hard, and there was a loss of power. Kia has said the car isn't safe to drive. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No, not yet. Kia dealers are saying it'll be 3-4 months before they can inspect it to figure out what is wrong. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear" The check engine light came on at the time the failure occurred. Codes are P219FF and P030400 both are tied to the Powertrain.

- Perry, GA, USA

problem #18

May 012023

Sorento

  • 50,000 miles
The contact owns a 2022 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle hesitated to accelerate. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that the oil level was low and added oil to the vehicle; however, the oil leaked onto the engine compartment and onto the ground. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the oil pan was replaced; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where it was determined that oil was leaking from the rear main seal. The contact was informed that the rear main seal needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

- Lanham, MD, USA

problem #17

Sep 292023

Sorento

  • miles
I was driving on the highway last night again and my 2022 Kia Sorento SX Prestige AWD lost engine power and the check engine light immediately came on. The truck would intensely vibrate when I tried to push the gas to get over to the highway shoulder. This was extremely unsafe on a highway but I was able to pull over to the shoulder and stop the car and turn it off. When I turned it on, the check engine light remains on and vibrations persist. Even after waiting and multiple restarts. This was the fourth event of this engine issue in the past 6 months. With the same engine power loss and crazy vibrations. The three previous times, the engine light goes off after the first restart and truck drives normal. I even brought it into the dealer and they used the engine diagnostic device that showed no code so they say there-??s nothing they can do. But now it-??s the following morning, engine light remains on and car is shaking still. I have recordings of this event now bc Napleton Kia of Elmhurst is not believing me. As a traveling healthcare worker, my vehicle is my primary resource. The truck barely has 17k miles on it and all maintenance and care is on point. To shell out over $60k for a -??top of the line-?? SUV that could-??ve just ended my life on the expressway is extremely terrifying and disappointing. I urge the NHTSA to please look into these engine issues before someone-??s life is ended because of it.

- Chicago, IL, USA

problem #16

Aug 012023

Sorento

  • miles
I was driving the vehicle on a highway when the car shut off. No electrical or steering. It was very difficult to get the vehicle safely off the highway. Before the vehicle shut off there was an alarm and a message on the control panel to shift to neutral and restart the car. There were 2 incidents before this one. Both didn't have an alarm. The vehicle shut off with no warning.

- Idaho Falls, ID, USA

problem #15

Jul 282023

Sorento

  • miles
This is the second occurrence of this issue. Suddenly all warning lights appear and the car loses power. When press the accelerator there is no revs increase and the engine misfires. I photographed the dashboard and will try to attach. The car becomes impossible to drive and my wife is scared to use it. Luckily in both cases I have been able to stop in a safe area. Switching off and restarting the engine a couple of times re-established normal engine running the issue but left the ECU warning light on.

- Kennett Square, PA, USA

problem #14

Jul 252023

Sorento

  • miles
Driving along, slow down and signal to make a right hand turn. Start the turn and all dash lights illuminate and engine dies, coasting through the damn intersection. 2nd time this happened. No check engine light, no codes-??-??wtf KIA?

- Royse City , TX, USA

problem #13

Apr 292023

Sorento

  • miles
Vehicle unexpectedly shuts down while driving posing an immediate danger as there was no warning on four different occasions

- Springfield, VA, USA

problem #12

Jan 312023

Sorento

  • miles
The Sorento went in for three recalls on 1/24/2023 at 6970 miles. These were tow hitch recall ( no tow hitch on the vehicle). SC250 8 speed electrical oil pump and SC252 B HECU inspection. One week later, (and after approx. 35 miles), while driving all warning lights started flashing and the engine lost power. Luckily I was in an area where I could stop and when the car was in neutral with all lights warning still flashing the engine ran irregularly between 1000 and 1500 revs. When I tried to put in back in gear and drive it just limped at a about 5 miles per hour and when you depressed the accelerator nothing happened. I switched car off and waited 10 seconds and restarted it. This time the malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) stayed on. I then switched it off again and waited 30 minutes. This time all lights went out and the engine operated normally. I immediately phone the dealer who did the recalls and who then examined the car. The error codes they found were P065312 (engine) C1161386 Brake) C136081 C174181 C161381 (Front Radar) C161386 C164286 (Front View camera) C169381111111 (Rear corner radar). They redid the SC 250 update and test drove the vehicle to see if the problem reoccurred. It did not and the vehicle was returned to me on 2/3/2023. With the sudden loss in engine power this could have been very serious had it happened on an expressway. My wife is now too scared to drive the vehicle. I did phone KIA Customer service to report the issue and their file number is 15300218

- Venice , FL, USA

problem #11

Dec 202022

Sorento

  • miles
Dear. NHTSA Good morning, Yesterday I filed a complaint regarding 2022 Kia Sorento Car Problems regarding recall issues. This morning, I received a response from NHTSA saying that NHTSA cannot help with this matter. My complaint is about serious car issues which concernts 2 recall issues. Kia America took my car for repair on 12/20/22 and today is 01/27/23 Until today, Kia American is not responding about my car. Kindly re-review my complaint and help advise. My case information is as below. Request #[XXX] Re: Kia Customer Care Case#[XXX] Thank you for your help. Best regards, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

problem #10

Dec 182022

Sorento

  • miles
Dear. NHTSA I owned a 2022 Kia Sorento and my vehicle had serious issues. I have attached Complaint Letter as a PDF file. Kindly review and advise your help. Thank you so much. Best regards, [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

problem #9

Dec 142022

Sorento

  • 50 miles
The contact owns a 2022 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle stalled inadvertently. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and continued driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where an unknown software update was completed; however, the failure reoccurred while driving 20 MPH. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where the same software update was completed; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact later received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V760000 (Power Train), which she related to the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was filed. The failure mileage was unknown.

- Long Beach, NY, USA

Read the next 8 complaints »