I purchased a brand-new 2025 Kia Sorento Hybrid in early December. Within about two weeks of ownership, shortly after a system update, multiple electronic problems began to appear.

The remote app frequently failed to connect to the vehicle and remote start stopped working completely. This occurred during winter in the New Jersey area, when remote start is especially important in freezing temperatures. At the same time, the system startup became unusually slow and the navigation system occasionally showed incorrect vehicle location.

The situation later became more serious when the right-side display screen went completely black. When this happened, the backup camera and several vehicle setup functions were no longer usable.

The dealership eventually diagnosed the issue as a defective infotainment/audio control unit that required replacement. At one point during the service process, there was also an indication that the replacement component might involve a customer charge, which was surprising given that the vehicle was brand new and the malfunction appeared shortly after a system update.

What made the situation significantly worse was the service handling. I was initially told that the replacement unit had been ordered, but after weeks of waiting I later discovered that the part had never been ordered because the dealership failed to record the required serial number needed to place the order.

This administrative mistake caused more than 50 days of unnecessary delay before the repair could even begin. Although the component is commonly described as part of the infotainment system, it actually controls several core vehicle functions including connectivity with the remote app, GPS navigation, and the backup camera system. Because of this failure, multiple important vehicle systems — including vehicle communication, navigation accuracy, remote start capability, and the backup camera — were affected. The unit was eventually replaced and the vehicle is currently functioning normally.