general problems of the 2021 Kia Motor Sorento - part 1

I am writing to formally file a complaint regarding my 2021 kia Sorento and the repeated lack of resolution from the dealership where the vehicle was purchased and serviced. I have taken my vehicle to the dealership multiple times to address ongoing and serious safety concerns. Despite having active warranties on the transmission and powertrain, I have continually been told that there is nothing they can do, and my concerns have not been properly addressed. The vehicle is experiencing persistent issues, including: the transmission jerking and jarring when shifting gears the dashboard and center display screen intermittently go completely black while driving these issues do not occur constantly, but they happen frequently enough to pose a significant safety risk. I regularly have my grandchildren in the vehicle, and their safety, as well as my own, is my highest priority. Each time I have contacted the dealership to report these problems, I have been met with excuses and resistance to even scheduling an appointment. Due to the lack of cooperation, I felt I had no choice but to drop off my vehicle on April 13, 2026, without an appointment in order to have it addressed. I am extremely disappointed in the level of service and treatment I have received. As a loyal customer—this being my third vehicle purchased from the same dealership—I have never experienced this type of disregard. I also feel that I have not been treated fairly and, at times, have been dismissed in a way that is concerning and unacceptable. I am requesting the following: a full and thorough diagnostic of my vehicle, specifically addressing the transmission and electrical issues proper repair under warranty clear communication regarding findings and next steps immediate attention to these safety concerns I purchased this vehicle with the expectation of reliability and safety. At this time, I do not feel safe driving it, and I am requesting that kia take this matter seriously.

The system that failed is the high-pressure fuel pump and the intake fuel pump. The fuel system pressure is too low, and the cold start fuel pressure is too high. This is defective because I purchased the car used in November 2023. The car is a safety risk as it stalled immediately yesterday while I was driving with my children and it began smelling like gas fumes from exhaust. The vehicle has been diagnosed by a certified mechanic at mike and nick's tires and services in canyon country, California no warning lights or messages appeared prior to the failure. The engine light came on as soon as the car began to stall and shake/lose power.

The vehicle experienced a sudden loss of drive power and entered a 'fail-safe' mode with check engine light, warning chimes and service vehicle warning message. A diagnostic scan revealed fault codes p1c2d03 (high pressure electric oil pump motor position sensor), p193b79 (high pressure electric oil pump performance), and p086800 (transmission fluid pressure low). These three specific codes are cited in kia recall sc250 (NHTSA 22v760) and associated technical bulletins as evidence of an internal electric oil pump failure requiring full transmission replacement. The safety of occupants was compromised by the sudden loss of motive power on the interstate. I presented these codes to value kia 6915 essington Ave, philadelphia, PA 19153 and dropped my car off on 4/7/2026. The dealer stated the safety recall was 'closed' and that the vehicle was 'out of warranty' due to its 95,000 miles and second-owner status. They would only agree to perform a diagnostic at my personal cost. The vehicle has been at the dealership for two days without an inspection report being provided to me. I have contacted kia corporate consumer assistance (awaiting response) and am filing this report because the vehicle is exhibiting the exact safety defect and 'triple-threat' fault codes of sc250 but is being denied a free safety remedy by the authorized dealer due to mileage and second ownership. As of 4/9/2026, the vehicle has been at the dealership for 2 days. Despite signing an authorization for a $190 diagnostic fee, the dealership has been completely silent and has not provided a status update or the diagnostic report. I am being left without transportation while the dealer fails to address a documented safety defect.

Car began going into limp mode not accelerating. Brought it in to be told it was the transmission which in my car some of them had recalls for the exact same things but mine was not included in this recall.

My check engine light came on and went to dealer ship jn oct of 2025 they stated the egr needed to be replaced and would cost 1300 to repair but inform me they didn't have the piece to replace at that time to reschedule app. Also reservoir coolant light keeps coming on . I called several times to lumberton kia at one time they stated that they didn't have but 1 mechanic that worked on hybrids and he was behind. I finally have a appointmentthis weekto see what is exactlygoing on with my SUV cause now I have a hesitation when pressing the gas and my transmission jerks.

The issue appears to involve the electric oil pump and related components. My 2021 kia Sorento had a recall for the electric oil pump that was marked “completed” in January 2023; however, the dealership only performed a software update and did not replace any mechanical components because no fault code was present at that time. Beginning around October 2025, the vehicle started experiencing drivability issues including hesitation and bogging down when accelerating from a stop. A dealership representative later stated the electric oil pump and housing likely need replacement and that the transmission may also be affected. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. This issue creates a safety risk because the vehicle frequently hesitates or bogs down when attempting to accelerate, especially when pulling into highway traffic. When pressing the accelerator, the vehicle sometimes struggles to engage and move forward, which increases the risk of a collision. I brought the vehicle to kia of rbc and spoke with service advisor justin hawkins. At the time of inspection, the check engine light had turned off and I was told they could not diagnose or repair the issue unless the warning light was active. I was instructed to continue driving the vehicle until the light returns. During a later conversation, dealership staff indicated the electric oil pump and housing likely need replacement and that the transmission may also require replacement, but they could not confirm this without the warning light being present.

This has been occurring intermittently since my 2021 kia Sorento reached approx. 15k miles and now has 26,600 miles. There are no lights or indicators on the dash letting me know anything is wrong. When the vehicle is stopped at a traffic light or stopped in heavy traffic, the vehicle will start idling high and shaking and the engine will seize up. I am not able to steer, the brakes lock up, I cannot accelerate, all functionality is lost. The only thing I can do is put the vehicle in park (in heavy traffic) and shut the car off and wait a minute and turn it back on and it seems to reset itself. This is extremely dangerous for myself and my passengers (some of which are children) and can cause a serious accident. At no point should I ever need to be concerned with my vehicle seizing up in the middle of the road and having to park and restart my car. This has happened on several occasions already. I have taken my car to 2 separate kia dealerships to address this problem I have been experiencing. The first dealership failed to attempt to duplicate the problem and instead informed me the firmware update the performed from a previous recall should remedy the problem. It did not. Then I recently took it to another kia dealer in another state and explained the situation. I specifically asked them to take the vehicle for a test drive and they argued with me that my battery was low and needed to be replaced and it would not be covered under the warranty. I have been driving this vehicle for a while and it has been having this issue around 15k miles so I know it is not the battery. They totally disregarded the safely of myself and my family and only focused on making money for themselves. This is a serious safety issue with this vehicle and has continuously been swept under the rug by kia. Even the customer service is rude and I have reported this to them and asked for an escalation to their consumer affairs dept and have received no response.

The contact owns a 2021 kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated and occasionally jerked while accelerating with the accelerator pedal depressed. The message to "pull over and shut off vehicle" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to an unknown recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 68,846.

My vehicle started to shift irregularly. From a stop, I would accelerate and before shifting to the next gear the vehicle would lose power, pause, and then shift to the next gear. Doing this until the vehicle reached the desired speed. At first, I could turn the vehicle off then on again and it would be fixed. Eventually, the check engine light came on and stopping and restarting no longer fixed the problem. If this would have occurred while I was pulling into busy traffic, expecting my vehicle to accelerate normally, an accident would have happened. The vehicle is now experiencing a loss of power even at highway speeds. Upon taking the vehicle to the dealership, I had to climb a hill and the vehicle speed dropped down to 30mph from the 75mph I was doing before making it to the top of the hill. There is currently a recall for this issue, NHTSA 22v760000, and it matches everything in relation to my vehicle, however my VIN doesn't show as part of the recall. And the dealership is refusing to fix it under this recall. Please advise on what can be done. Thanks.

The engine pump went in my vehicle (21 kia sorrento) and is giving a code of p193b79. There was a recall that the dealership said they completed in 2023 to fix this. When I asked the dealership what they did to fix this in 2023, they said they checked for the code and it didn't have the code. Since they closed the recall, because it didn't currently have the code, they marked it complete and won't fix the issue with the transmission now. This was the information I got from the dealership. Then they proceded to tell me that sc250 is for code p1c2d03 and my car is giving code p193b79. I explained when I search online the two issues are very closely related and the kmsister company of Hyundai includes both coves in their recall. I have loss of power, as stated in the recall. I explained to the dealership that when I pulled out of my road, I tried to cross and I pressed the gas. The car would not got above 15 mph and the rpms went very high. The dealership called it a "limp motor" when I described it to them. After calling kia customer service they told me that the dealership makes the call if it is under warranty. I called the dealership back and they told me again that because it was marked completed in 2023, it can't be under that recall. I easked because I didn't have the code in 2023, what was done to prevent this issue from happening on my car. They explained again they closed the ticket in 2023, so it can't be under that recall. I am having the loss of power, explained in sc250 and the dealership told me it is the engine pump fail. They explained it is the same part but a different code. I explained again how those 2 codes are very similar issues and their sister company agrees. I also explained an article I found online for kia, where those 2 codes are very related. The article explained if the dealership did not cover it, call kia. If still not resolved, file a complaint with NHTSA. That brings me here. Thank you!.

The contact owns a 2021 kia Sorento. The contact stated that while stopped at a traffic light or a stop sign, the vehicle rolled backwards and stalled. The contact was able to coast to the side of the road. The ignition key was cycled several times before the vehicle restarted. The failure was intermittent, with the check engine light illuminating intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The failure persisted. The contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 22v760000 (power train); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 62,500.

Based on my best assessment, the issue appears to be related to the transmission pump. The vehicle experienced transmission malfunction consistent with a failing transmission pump. This vehicle has an active federal safety recall listed under its VIN; however, the local dealership in puerto rico refused to honor the recall and attempted to charge for the repair.

After driving the kia Sorento and parking it for a little bit then restarting it again the transmission jerks very hard at times and sometimes it’s moderate. Its an on going issue. It starts happening after the car is being driven but on a cold start like overnight while its parked and the next day you turn the car on you dont feel anything until you start driving it then parking it and turn it off to go inside the store or something and once you come back out to start it you will feel it. My car only has 45k miles on it.

Vehicle is showing symptoms and issues related to a recall on 2021 kia Sorento transmissions. The vehicle hesitates shifting gears and there is no manual shifting mode available. Vehicle also has issues when accelerating due to the hesitation in shifting the gears. This vehicle was not included in the recall for this issue however it is the same issue as the recall describes.

The contact owns a 2021 kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving 25 mph, there was an abnormal clunk coming from the transmission while depressing the accelerator pedal, and the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over to the side of the road, turned off, and restarted the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The transmission was replaced; however, the failure reoccurred and became worse. The contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 22v760000 (power train); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 66,658.

Sorento is not working properly due to transmission oil pump. This has been recalled by kia but my car does not fall under the warranty.

My vehicle completely shut off while I was driving with my children in the car. The dealership replaced the battery but never identified the root cause. Since then my car has been experiencing rpm surging while in park — the engine revs up and down repeatedly on its own. The vehicle also feels sluggish and does not want to accelerate properly while driving. Additionally since taking ownership of the vehicle my window has squealed every time it rains and I roll down the window. The dealership has replaced the seals, lubricated and cleaned the window multiple times and the problem persists. The defective window seal also caused a gash in my window tint requiring replacement. I have taken my car to my kia dealership multiple times and they have been unable to fully resolve these issues. My car is currently at the dealership right now and they still cannot find the problem. I contacted kia corporate on March 20, 2026 and opened a formal case. These defects have put my children in danger and I am requesting a formal federal investigation.

Power train incident - • transmission holding gears, jerking between shifts, gear shifted into s mode on its own and stuck there, unresponsive acceleration, locked up steering/inability to turn the steering wheel and total loss of drive power. • happened while merging onto a highway in one of two split lanes for highway access. A merging semi truck in the other merging lane almost ran into me because I could not give it gas. Me and a local police officer who saw me broke down and stopped to provide additional cover, were nearly hit several (6) times from other vehicles and semi trucks due to malfunctions happening. • diagnosed by kia dealership and was told there was a major electrical failure which caused the electrical oil pump to fail and need a new transmission. Although my VIN doesn’t list recalls, similar issue to the recall on my same year/make/model under NHTSA campaign number 21v519. • warning lamps/messages shown in photos attached. __________________________________ forward collision warning incident - • front forward safety system light appeared on dash, then moments later a warning appeared and the vehicle braked on its own detecting a vehicle in front of me when there was not another vehicle in front of me within vision!! • happened while driving in a 55mph zone, a vehicle was driving behind me when this occurred and that vehicle almost slammed into the back end of mine causing a crash. • problem not yet inspected on vehicle due to blown transmission from above incident and inability to start/move the vehicle.

See attached document for complaint.

Transmission problems match those outlined in sc250. The dealership says our car wasn't included but our manufacturing date/model are a match. I've reported a problem with the dealership previously but they dismissed it.

I am writing to file a formal complaint regarding recall 22v-760 (sc250) affecting my 2021 kia Sorento. This recall was marked “complete” by kia, even though no actual repair or remedy was performed on my vehicle. I am now facing a complete transmission failure and have been quoted $7,100 to repair a defect kia already acknowledged and promised to fix. The reality is, the defect was always present, it just hadn’t reached full failure yet. The recall being closed does not mean the issue was resolved, and this approach leaves thousands of kia owners like myself unprotected. In may 2023, I brought my vehicle to daphne kia in alabama for a radiator leak. During that visit, they noted the transmission recall was open but stated that no defect was found. As a result, they marked the recall as “complete” without conducting any meaningful repair or replacement. No transmission work was done, despite known problems reported nationwide. In may 2025, my Sorento began showing the exact symptoms described in the recall: surging rpms, transmission hesitation, jerking, and drifting in and out of gear. At times, the vehicle would slow dramatically or jolt in the middle of traffic and lose drive! extremely dangerous situation for me in traffic with complete loss of acceleration. I had to take time off to bring the vehicle to step one automotive kia in fort walton beach, florida, on June 30, 2025 the soonest my schedule allowed. At that appt, I was told the transmission had failed and would cost over $7,000 to replace. I also am paying for a rental vehicle while my car is still with kia for resolution as of now. Recall coverage did nothing to protect me when the defect eventually surfaced. Kia has publicly stated that:“if your vehicle is affected by a recall, kia will repair the vehicle free. ” they have a legal obligation under the national traffic and motor vehicle safety act to correct safety related defects. They are not meeting that. Kia consumer relations contacted as well.

I started the car and it started having a hard time shifting around 13 and 30 miles an hour. And had a lack of power. No lights were on. Took it home and shut it off. The next day started the car and it told me to put it in park and the check engine light came on. I had no acceleration when in drive. Checked for powertrain recalls for my 2021 kia Sorento sx awd and 0 recalls came up for my VIN #. It’s definitely a transmission powertrain issue.

The contact owns a 2021 kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving 50-60 mph, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle hesitated and jerked while depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was taken to firestone, where the spark plugs and ignition coils were replaced; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to firestone, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure, and the contact was referred to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the fuel injectors were replaced, and the transmission oil pump was replaced under NHTSA campaign number: 22v760000 (power train); however, the failure recurred after driving 6,000 miles. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where the transmission oil pump was replaced under warranty; however, the failure worsened. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 mph, the vehicle stalled in the middle of the roadway. The contact was unable to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and it was determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was filed. The contact was referred to another dealer for a second opinion. The failure mileage was approximately 86,000.

I bought the car at 28k miles certified pre owned at jake sweeney kia in florence ky. I had taken the car to the service station multiple times complaining of a clunky transmission. Things got worse and a whine from the engine bay occurred. At this time kia replaced the transmission at just under 42k miles. After having the new transmission about 500 miles later this issue is occurring again. Within 50 miles of replacement I went back to the dealership complaining of the the same clunking issue. At this time the dealership told me they could not replicate the problem. Now just a few hundred miles later the problem is extremely worse. I once again visit kia were they tell me again they could not replicate the issues. At this time I asked the service advisor donavon to ride with me and I will point out the issue. Within a mile of our trip the problems occurred and the advisor noted the issue. I now am driving the car and waiting for a loaner from the dealership so they can yet again diagnose the issue which may result in another transmission replacement.

The stop go feature is not working correctly, when it does cut off at a light after releasing the brake to move forward it takes 3-5 seconds to start. When the cars behind me see that I release the brake they assume im going to move which doesnt happen at first. Some occasions the stop n go just doesnt work at all.

Was driving and car lost all power then violently shifted to the next gear and almost caused an accident.

When pressing the accelerator pedal after a near stop (rolling stop, California stop, stop to u der 3mpg and then resume acceleration) or very brief stop (<1 second) there is a significant delay in acceleration or a very brief acceleration then dead pedal and no acceleration for ~ 1 second. No accelerator pedal input variations changes this, I. E. I can release the accelerator pedal, hold the accelerator pedal pr push the accelerator pedal to the floor and it’s still a “dead pedal” scenario until the car decides it’s time to go. Owned car since new (~20 miles) and now has ~64k miles, been a persistent issue for entire ownership.

The check engine light has come on. The vehicle has stalled or loss power while driving 3 times with the last week. Once at 70 mph and the other 2 at 35 mph. Still very concerning on how to control when this occurs!!.

I had purchased my vehicle in January of 2024. At the time the car drove great. Fast forward a few months later and that’s when the issues started happening. I would go to accelerate the vehicle and it’s like the car didn’t want to go anywhere. I would have the pedal down to the floor and it wasn’t moving. At first when it happened it was sporadicly, and I thought ok it’s a new car maybe that’s just how it drives. But then when I was pressing the gas pedal the engine would revv up but then continue to rev even when the car was moving, like it wasn’t catching the gear. So I had enough of just thinking it’s the car and I had my own mechanic look at it and he mentioned cvt transmission slipping. So being still under warranty I took it into kia this past December and explained the loss of acceleration, it eating gas, and how I truly do not feel safe. Well of course I was told there is nothing wrong with it, and that it learned my driving habits and that I possible keep hitting the shifter in manual. I had videos of the rpms revving up and the car not moving, and they didn’t want to see my videos. I was just a few thousands miles from my 60,000 mile second owner warranty and not sure if that’s why I was told there was nothing wrong with is. This vehicle is truly a hazard as it does not move on acceleration on the highway and feel like I will get into an accident because of it one day. Kia really needs to address the issue before something really bad happens to someone. I apologize but it will not allow me to upload videos of the issues before and after going to kia and how there is still an issue.

The contact owns a 2021 kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal, with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the contact was informed of NHTSA campaign number: 22v760000 (power train); which the dealer linked to the failure. The vehicle was repaired under the recall; however, the failure returned soon after leaving the dealer. The vehicle was then taken to arapahoe kia (9701 e arapahoe rd, centennial, CO 80112); where the contact was informed that the recall was closed by the previous dealer. The contact believed that the initial dealer never serviced the vehicle under the recall. The contact made several requests to the dealer to provide documentation about the work that was performed for the recall; however, the contact had not yet received the documentation. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided a case number. The contact later received an email from the manufacturer stating that all future repairs would be performed out of pocket. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

I experienced a loss of drive power while on a busy street. Often while shifting into gear, the transmission will not engage. Luckily, this hasn't happened on a freeway. I have brought the vehicle into my dealership, however they can't replicate the issue, therefore, I feel unsafe continuing to drive. There was a recall on this issue, but I've been told my VIN is not effected by this recall. I understand that, however I am experiencing the issue of losing drive power, which can cause a serious incident.

My 2021 kia Sorento has been losing drive power, shuddering when we accelerate, hesitate when starting from a stop or parked position, and having issues accelerating at different and random speed intervals. This is a safety concern because it can cause an accident or for us and others or cause us to lose the ability to control the vehicle everyone is also at risk if my car stops responding to me pushing the gas and it will not let me continue, increase, decrease or become entirely unresponsive could cause my entire family to die. It has been reproduced by a local service center. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives. No warning lamps, messages have appeared at any time. The first symptoms started with short shuddering for a quick second or two every now and then. It has become progressively worse and is becoming unsafe for us to operate.

Was driving the car on the interstate with no issues. I took an exit to stop at a gas station and was stopped at a traffic light. When I went to accelerate the car was sluggish and barely got me into the gas station parking lot. There were no warning lights on. When I got back in the car the car reversed but it would not accelerate, and the engine light was on. I had to have the car towed 70 miles to the dealership closest to home. Once the car was at the dealership and off the tow truck I got in and tried to drive it. When I put the car in drive it would not move forward, the emergency brake came on, and a warning light displayed telling me to put the car in park. The car was towed on June 30. I got a call the morning of July 1 to inform me that the dealership would take 10-15 days to even diagnose the problem.

The vehicle loss power pulling out on to a 2 lane county road. I was a quarter of the way across and vehicle simply lost power. I let off the gas and then pressed down again and car moved forward. An amazon truck was coming around the corner at the same time. . . He had to put his brakes on to avoid hitting me. I proceeded on after the initial incident thinking maybe it was bad gas. . . Vehicle started to beep at me repeatedly but no check engine light. I went about a mile down the road to nearest gas station during which time vehicle lost power a couple of times. Filled up with gas, put the car in reverse and car initially rolled forward and then engaged. I drove the car back home a couple of miles. In that time frame, the vehicle again lost power and started beeping at me. The check engine light came on at some point heading back home. Vehicle was towed to the dealership. The dealership has confirmed the issue exactly as I described. Becca at the dealership confirmed the car losing power driving it from the front of the dealership lot to the service department after locating the vehicle after the tow driver dropped it. The dealership tech said the transmission fluid pressures were low. . . Did not specify if it was the control or transmission fluid . They are continuing to work with kia's "tech line" on repairing. . . . They did a "relearn" on the software controlling the transmission but it did not resolve the issue. I'm waiting on kia's "techline" response on next steps. . . . With all that said, its obvious to me at least this is related to the recent recall on their transmission pumps. . . Which I did take my vehicle in for and it passed the recall inspection last year with no corrective action taken. This is a very dangerous scenario. . . Losing power suddenly. I'm glad I was driving it when it occurred vs my wife or daughter.

Sometimes the vehicle will stall and not want to move. I have to try and coast off the road to kill the car and restart it. Also sometimes the radio goes completely black and doesnt come back on even if you kill the car.