Equipment Problems of Kia Motor Sorento - part 1

While driving my 2020 kia Sorento on the freeway at highway speed, the panoramic sunroof suddenly shattered without warning. There was a very loud explosive sound that startled and frightened me while I was driving. I was not aware of anything striking the sunroof immediately before it shattered, and there were no warning lights, messages, noises, cracks, or other indications that the glass was about to fail. Because I was traveling at freeway speed when this occurred, the sudden explosion/shattering of the glass was extremely distracting and created a serious safety concern. I was frightened by the unexpected loud noise and could have lost control of the vehicle. Broken glass from a panoramic sunroof also presents a risk to the occupants of the vehicle and to other motorists. The component that failed was the panoramic sunroof glass. To my knowledge, the failure has not yet been reproduced or confirmed by a kia dealer or independent repair facility, and the vehicle has not yet been inspected by kia for the cause of the failure. I am reporting this incident because the sunroof appeared to shatter suddenly during normal highway driving without any prior warning, and I am concerned that this may represent a safety defect.

See all problems of the 2020 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.

On multiple occasions, my 2023 kia Sorento has experienced an intermittent failure where numerous dashboard warning lights and alerts illuminate and the engine will not start. During the failure, the brake pedal becomes very stiff and the vehicle cannot be shifted out of park. The problem is unpredictable and has left the vehicle disabled. The vehicle was taken to a kia dealership for diagnosis. The dealer initially stated that the battery was not properly secured and was moving around, possibly contacting nearby electrical components. They told me the issue had been repaired. However, when I returned to pick up the vehicle, the exact same failure occurred again in the dealership parking lot before I was able to leave. The warning lights came on and, after the vehicle was turned off, it would not restart. The dealer has therefore been able to directly observe the repeated failure. The exact component causing the malfunction is still unknown. I am concerned that this may be an electrical or grounding issue and that the vehicle could become disabled unexpectedly while in use.

See all problems of the 2023 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.

During highway trips the info cluster starts chiming and a coffee cup light comes on the dash saying I should consider taking a break! this happens frequently and is distracting as I need to look down from the road to access what the warning is. I'm being told now that it is not able to be disabled. It's distracting and there's no way I would have bought the car with such a distraction during highway driving.

See all problems of the 2025 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.

The dashboard has a screen display. I couldn’t see my fuel tank information. Every time I would use my turn signal a large green circle would take over the screen. Followed by loss of the screen, meaning no speedometer, rpm, etc. As the problem continued the speedometer started displaying incorrect numbers. Saying I was going 70 miles an hour when I was actually going about 55. Gage for fuel and heat (notifying if car is overheating, was lost for the entirety of my drive).

I believe my car should be in the ac recall for faulty ac motor/wire harness due to my ac is only cooling on passenger side. Blowing hot on driver. I’m afraid it may catch fire as I read this can happen.

I was driving up a hill and my car stalled. Contacted kia of bowie for assistance had a diagnostic asked for a goodwill repair because of this being a safety issue with my car stalling while driving up a hill life threating situation and they have denied the goodwill repair the service tech is saying because I didnt get my car serviced there and they have no records I informed them that I have and had been taking care of the maintenance at the kia dealership in temple hills MD. They are just overlooking the severity of the situation of a safety issue.

See all problems of the 2021 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.

I am writing to escalate an unresolved issue regarding a voluntary emissions service campaign performed on my vehicle at bulldog kia on July 14, 2026. Shortly after leaving the dealership, my check engine light illuminated. An independent mechanic scanned the vehicle and confirmed that the active fault code directly relates to the components/logic altered during the corporate emissions campaign. I have called the dealership multiple times over the last few weeks and left voicemails for two different service representatives, but my calls are being ignored. I also contacted kia corporate customer service who responded saying that they could not do anything and that I needed to continue contacting the local dealership (bulldog kia). From what I understand this could be a safety issue because it prevents me from being alerted to other safety issues that would trigger the check engine light, and there are also ways in which this could potentially cause the vehicle to slow way down or stop running while driving. As noted above the dealer has been unresponsive to my repeated contact attempts and the check engine light remains illuminated.

See all problems of the 2017 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.

My 2026 Sorento developed a fault after just two weeks of use. It had to be towed three times because the engine shuts down and won't restart. I tried to resolve the issue with the dealership, but they claim there is nothing wrong with the car. I reported the situation to kia America; after a 19-day wait, they replied that there is nothing they can do and that I must pick up the vehicle from the kia east orlando dealership, or else I will have to pay parking fees. During this time—while the car was being towed three times by kia’s own partners and transported to the dealership—it sustained damage to the trunk. They claim the car arrived at the dealership in that condition but refuse to provide me with photos or the tow truck inspection checklists.

The panoramic sunroof on my 2023 kia Sorento intermittently fails to close. When commanded to close, the glass travels most of the way, then stops or reverses before reaching the fully closed position. It frequently takes many repeated attempts. In some cases the panel will not seat at all until the vehicle is driven over rough pavement, and the resulting vibration allows it to complete closure. The malfunction is accompanied by a loud grinding or scraping noise from the roof assembly during travel. This condition has been present since I purchased the vehicle new. The sunroof has seen very limited use. Safety risk: the glass panel cannot be reliably secured. An open or unseated panoramic panel at highway speed presents a risk of water intrusion, wind loading on an unsecured glass panel, and loss of roof structure integrity. Repeatedly operating the switch and monitoring the panel while driving is a significant distraction from the driving task, and driving specifically to induce vibration in order to force closure is itself an unsafe workaround. Dealer history: I have reported this to a kia dealership on multiple occasions. I was told there is no defect and that the cause is debris, which is inconsistent with a vehicle purchased new with minimal sunroof use. On one visit the dealer cleaned the assembly as a goodwill gesture. This did not correct the noise or the closure failure. The vehicle was returned to me as repaired while the noise and the failure to close were both still present. Kia issued technical service bulletin bod125 (rev 1, 02/27/2017) describing a slow-to-close condition and abnormal closing noise on the prior-generation Sorento (uma), remedied by cleaning and lubricating the rear guide rails and replacing the rear tilt levers. My vehicle exhibits the same failure mode described in that bulletin. The component is available for inspection on request. No warning lamps or messages preceded or accompanied the failure.

Vehicle component affected: electrical system / hvac / blower motor resistor incident description: while operating my 2023 kia Sorento, the hvac system suddenly suffered a complete failure, causing all airflow to cease instantly. A subsequent professional diagnostic inspection by an authorized kia dealership revealed that the contacts at the blower motor resistor were severely burnt, causing the blower motor relay to burn out. This failure presents two critical safety and fire hazards: fire risk: the physical burning and overheating of electrical components and wiring within the dashboard assembly create an active fire hazard in the passenger cabin. Loss of visibility: the sudden, complete loss of the climate control system severely compromises passenger safety by preventing the vehicle from defogging or defrosting the windshield during inclement weather, presenting an immediate crash hazard. This exact failure mechanism matches the description of kia safety recall sc351 (NHTSA campaign 25v649) word-for-word. However, kia has stated that my specific VIN is excluded from the current recall population. Because this identical safety defect is actively manifesting outside of kia's restricted recall range, I am requesting that the NHTSA investigate an expansion of sc351 to include all affected 2023 kia Sorento vehicles to mitigate the risk of electrical fires and sudden visibility loss. 06/29/26 experienced symptoms inspected and diagnosed on 07/01/26 at jt kia (killian road) columbia, south carolina.

Driving down the road and the left rear passenger window exploded. Shatters went everywhere all over the passenger in the back. I went online and looked and this is a hugh issue evidently with some kias. To me this is really serious issues that kia is completely ignoring. Someone will eventually get seriously injured bi the glass exploding like it does.

My 2019 kia Sorento suddenly began making loud knocking noises from the engine and immediately lost all acceleration while I was driving with my children in the car. The vehicle would not respond when pressing the gas, and the check engine light came on. This created a terrifying situation because I had no power to merge or move out of traffic, and I had my [xxx], [xxx] and [xxx] children with me. The engine now knocks severely and has almost no power at all. The oil level is full, so this is not due to low oil or lack of maintenance. This appears to be a sudden internal engine failure consistent with known kia engine defects involving rod bearings, timing issues, and loss of compression. I am reporting this because the vehicle is unsafe to drive and put my children at risk. Kia is refusing to cover the engine failure even though this matches the same symptoms seen in other kia engine recalls. I am extremely concerned that this defect could have caused an accident or left us stranded in a dangerous situation. I need this investigated as a serious safety issue. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2019 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.

Warning lights on while driving. The emergency triangle, collison warning, break warning, both turn signals, and departure warning lights were illuminated. We were concerned of causing damage to the vehicle and pulled over. Dealer knows of issues in CA and az with other Sorentos. Dealer said it is due to camera overheating; the camera housing is metal and therefore causes this issue. No known fix and we are apprehesive to drive it. Kia customer care had no information and only said to go to dealer when lights are on so a code can be pulled. I believe the housings need to be replaced if that is the case and if there is a true issue with the vehicle I cannot distignuish between "camera" or mechanical when lights come on.

Hello. I just started smelling gas fumes when my car has been running. I see no drips , etc. It happens everytime I drive it to the point where someone pointed it out to me. I had a new engine put in by kia for my old engine "going to sleep" about 4 years ago. I have been told that this is a on going problem with the model I have. I want to know what I should do at this point. Im [xxx] and [xxx] so I dont have the money to take it all over the place if this engine issue is covered. Could you please let me know and how to proceed? [xxx] [xxx] cell [xxx] thank you for any help ps. . . . You should have record of kia replacing the engine on file??? is this a warranty issue since I do have a newer engine? information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2016 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.

The contact owns a 2016 kia Sorento. The contact stated that after the vehicle was parked and turned off for approximately an hour, the vehicle was restarted and there was a knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact continued driving and the knocking sound increasing in volume and frequency. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic and was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be repaired. The mechanic referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and the contact was informed that since the vehicle was not repaired under NHTSA campaign number: 22v703000 (trailer hitches); the dealer was unable to repair the engine ffailure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 119,000.

This is a follow up of NHTSA case# 1840444. Complaint description: vehicle exhibited active can-bus communication timeout code dtc c1642 targeting the hydraulic electronic control unit (hecu). Following the official technical safety guidelines established under NHTSA campaign 20v519000 (kia sc197), an isolated parasitic current draw test was performed between the engine junction box positive power post and the abs2 circuit terminal. Testing across three independent iterations utilizing a digital multimeter confirmed a continuous localized parasitic draw of 218. 6 ua. This dramatically exceeds the manufacturer's maximum safety engineering threshold of 70. 0 ua by over 312%. This quantified excessive amperage draw conclusively isolates an internal circuit board short-circuit condition caused by a failure of the internal hecu brake fluid seals. The vehicle presents an immediate network communication failure, brake malfunction, and thermal/fire risk. Kia corporate must be compelled to immediately authorize an expedited, zero-cost component replacement under the active safety recall mandate.

See all problems of the 2014 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.

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.

See all problems of the 2024 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.

I am writing to report a recurring issue with the center navigation and infotainment screen in my 2022 kia Sorento. The screen periodically goes completely black while I am driving. Occasionally, the display glitches before failing, while at other times, it goes dark without any warning. This is particularly concerning when I am relying on the navigation system for directions. I have previously taken the vehicle to the dealer, but they were unable to replicate the issue and therefore have not yet performed a repair.

See all problems of the 2022 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.

My 2016 kia Sorento rolls out of park; I apparently have a Sorento that is "out of the date range" of the 2016 kia Sorentos that had a recall. This is not acceptable!!!.

Fire at the rear bumper of car.

Coolant empty, found overheating. Coolant refilled. No noticeable leaks. Mechanic found failure of thermostat. Replaced and car found to be overheating again. Coolant leaking into hood covering engine components.

My sunroof exploded.

The pearl white paint on the 2014 kia Sorento has delaminated and is coming off in large sections all over the car.

I have a 2019 Sorento my car was loud when I start it so I took it into my kia dealership. They found that my muffler had come apart at the seam, but that it is not under warrenty. My concern is that if anyone is sitting in a parked car with the windows up they could be overcome by the exhault fumes.

Today, may 12, 2026 at 12:10pm the panoramic sunroof spontaneously exploded. I heard some shacking sounds in the car, right as I was picking up speed on the freeway and then heard a bang above my head. Nothing had hit the car. It sounded like a balloon had popped in my ear. When I stopped the car 5mins later, I could see the glass was getting pushed out from the inside and then broke apart in the sunshade. I am my kids were not in the car at the time. It was above their car seats.

My kia sorrento 2019 model has dashboard cracks on the driver as well as the passenger side. I tried calling the kia dealership that sold me the car to help me with the goodwill repair and they refused to do so. Its very expensive to replace or repair but most importantly it poses a grave risk to me and my family. Airbag danger: cracks near the passenger airbag can become shrapnel during deployment. Electronics: dust and moisture can fall into the cracks and ruin hidden wires causing extensive damage to the car. Kia needs to take responsibility for this and either change the material used to make this for the future and repair the existing customers cars.

The backup camera on the trunk of the 2023 kia sorrento has fallen out. It is attached only by the wires. Apparently, my specific vehicle is not a part of the initial recall; however, the camera has fallen out and is now hanging. I do not feel as though I should be responsible for this repair as it is due to a manufacturing issue.

I am filing a safety complaint regarding my vehicle following service performed at a kia dealership. My vehicle was returned to me on April 25, 2026, after being at the dealership for approximately one week. When it was returned, it had missing bolts/screws that were not missing prior to the service visit and were not related to the reason I originally brought the vehicle in. The missing components create a safety concern, and I do not feel safe operating the vehicle in its current condition. This issue was reported immediately. My husband left a voicemail with the dealership (evans kia) reporting the problem, and I reported the issue to kia America that following Monday. Since then, I have made multiple attempts to resolve this issue through kia America. I opened a case on April 17, 2026, and have followed up several times. The case has been escalated multiple times (including April 22 and April 28). I was informed that kia America also reached out to the dealership, but despite this, I have not received any direct response from the dealership or instructions to bring the vehicle in for repair. Despite clearly stating that the vehicle may be unsafe to drive, there has been no urgency in correcting the issue. I am requesting that this matter be reviewed as a potential safety concern involving improper vehicle servicing and release of a potentially unsafe vehicle. I can provide photos and documentation showing the missing bolts/screws if needed.

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.

This car has been at the dealership twice in not even 2 years. I've only had it not even 3 years. The check engine light comes on and starts shaking. In June of 2025, a tune up was performed due to a cylinder 4 misfire code. P030400 in April of 2026, the same exact thing happened. Dealership said misfire on cylinder 4. Loss of oil would cause the engine to lock up causing harm to me and other people on the road. I am constantly putting oil in this car!!.

Sunroof exploded when driving sounded like a shotgun. This is a known issue by kia. The glass blow upward.

I had got off work and got inside my vehicle,a 2026 kia Sorento and when I started my vehicle the back window sporadically shattered and I do have cctv of it as well.

The issue is the front grill design. Kia left the radiator completely exposed behind the grill with no protective barrier. Over time, dust, debris, and rocks collect and pass right through, causing serious damage to the radiator. Based on my experience and the experiences of hundreds of other owners, you will likely need to replace your entire radiator within the first three years of ownership. It is not covered under warranty. You will be expected to pay out of pocket in my case, $1,350, for damage caused by their faulty design. The "solution" owners are left with? going on amazon and purchasing a metal mesh grill guard to install yourself, just to protect a part that should have been protected from the factory. A consumer should not have to modify a brand-new vehicle to prevent a critical component from being destroyed under normal driving conditions. If the grill had been designed properly in the first place, none of this would be necessary.

I went in a few months ago for a routine oil change. My car has had zero operating issues since I had the engine replaced around 5 years ago. They told me that I need to have a voluntary emissions update performed, so I gave consent. (the letter I received a few days later referred to it as "voluntary emissions service campaign. ")on the way home, it seemed to drive rougher. I figured it was relearning some of the basic operating values. The following morning, it idled rough and then when I began driving, it would lurch forward irradically for the first one or two minutes of driving. I called the dealership and they insisted that it was coincidence. They said they will look at it, but there would be a charge. I have noticed a pattern since then. During normal driving, it is now smooth. It only happens on cold starts. Allowing it to idle elimiates the issue. However, it continues to idle rough on cold starts. If I drive it after it warms up, however, it does lurch forward. After this, it drives normal. Today I went in to the dealership for another oil change and asked about it. They continued to insist that it was impossible, but that I could leave it overnight and pay to have it looked at with the understanding that the two cannot be related. The safety issue is that it will literally make the car lurch forward when barely touching the gas. If this continues to worsen, it will cause a wreck. It has not been formally inspected, but I can provide dash cam footage.

I've never had a problem staying awake driving. I don't have this problem in my vehicles or other vehicles. Every time I drove the car. I could not stay awake. I ve driven the car about 5xs. I would fall asleep and not even realize it. Now fell asleep driving the car two nights ago. No warnings went off and I drove over one lane and off into the center medium. No lane change warnings went off. But I truly believe there's something more going on with the car that's making people fall asleep. My neighbor rode with me to the store in it (14 miles ) she was falling asleep. She wasn't one bit tired when we left my house. Once we got out of the car and we're changing the oil on it, we walked over to the store a couple blocks away. We were fine. Got back in the car. Started driving it home and both of us were falling asleep. There was something wrong with this car.

See all problems of the 2018 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.