Power Train Problems of Kia Motor Sorento - part 1

While braking in a left hand turn lane waiting for the vehicles in front to turn left through an intersection, the vehicle stalled, shut off, and forced a manual restart in the turn lane. This same sequence happened again at another red light when the brake was engaged. The dealership the car was purchased from would not evaluate the car as they stated it is under factory warranty and should be evaluated at the manufacturer. The closest kia manufacturer has been notified, but they have not inspected it, as they stated they have a lift malfunction and do not have the ability to run diagnostics until at least 10/16/26. No warning lamps or messages appeared prior to the hard stop. After the car stalled, there was a message that appeared stating the car would need to be manually restarted by putting it in park or neutral and engaging the start button. It took 2 tries to restart the car. A police officer did pull up behind me for my safety while the car was stalled, but they let me go when the car restarted. My safety was put at risk as this happened while actively trying pull up to and through a busy intersection in a double left-turn lane. The car stalled right before the intersection while waiting on other cars in front of me to turn left on an unprotected left turn. If I had been braking in the intersection and the car stalled, it could have caused a serious accident with oncoming traffic. I have only owned the car for 45 days. There were two separate occasions in the week prior to this incident where an attempt was made to start the car when parked, and the electrical panel came on, but the engine did not engage. In those instances, turning the car back off then turning it on started the car and no other issues were noted until the issue arose with hard stops when idling at intersections. The car is under 54,000 miles. It is available for inspection upon request.

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I own a 2021 kia Sorento 2. 5l turbo awd with approximately 150,000 miles. In the evening, while driving home after dinner with my daughter in the vehicle, I was traveling in the area of [xxx] and [xxx] when the vehicle displayed a “stop safely immediately” warning. The vehicle unexpectedly slowed down/appeared to brake on its own while I was driving. There was no check-engine light at that time and the warning did not remain on, so I did not initially know what caused the incident. Approximately two weeks later, the vehicle developed delayed shifting from 1st to 2nd gear. Rpm increased from about 2,000 to 3,000 before the next gear engaged. Switching from eco to comfort mode initially seemed to help, but later that day the problem worsened even in comfort mode and also began occurring from 2nd to 3rd gear. The check-engine light then came on. O'reilly auto parts scanned the vehicle and reported codes p0868/p086800 (transmission fluid pressure low) and p193b79 (high pressure electric oil pump performance). Kia has not yet diagnosed the current problem, and the vehicle is available for inspection. Kia checked my VIN for recalls sometime in 2025 and advised there was no open recall. I am aware of kia safety recall sc250/NHTSA recall 22v-760 involving the 8-speed dct electric oil pump on certain 2021-2022 Sorento vehicles. I am concerned because my vehicle experienced the “stop safely immediately” warning and unexpected slowing and now has worsening transmission symptoms and related diagnostic codes. I am concerned the vehicle could unexpectedly lose drive power while being driven. I request NHTSA review whether my vehicle's condition may be related to the existing safety defect and whether additional vehicles should be investigated. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

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Engine seized per kia inspected by kia after aaa towed and could not start car warning lamps have been on for over 6 months. Kia inspected and ran diagnostics at that time and said it was nothing to fix just an annoying dashboard malfunction.

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The contact owns a 2021 kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to shift gear as intended, and the rpm was extremely elevated. The failure had occurred on several occasions. The contact pulled over, and the message "possible condition with the transmission control system detected - press sos for roadside assistance" was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was towed to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced. The contact researched and was made aware of an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 116,000.

The transmission pump on my transmission just went out randomly last week. The power in my car went into limp mode and the car won't drive properly now. The car was being driven at the time this happened, and my husband had to pull over, as the car wouldn't work. I had this looked at by an auto body shop and they diagnosed it with this, which is to be found that there is a recall on my specific year and model of car for this issue as well. For about a month prior, we had noticed a few "stutters" when driving the car. After I hit 100k miles on the car, it was doing it almost daily.

Vehicle flashes auto start stop icon on the dashboard, which is not commonplace. When this occurs, the vehicle can not accelerate when the accelerator is actuated. The vehicle can not accelerate past 40mph and the rpm is sporadic. This happens randomly and can not be diagnosed by the dealership. Multiple dealerships have tried and none can duplicate this issue. This is a severe safety concern and seems to be common all over multiple forums.

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The transmission failed for the fourth time. The transmission (power train) is the component that failed and is available for inspection at the dealership. The vehicle became unsafe and unreliable to drive due to the repeated transmission failures, creating a risk of sudden loss of power or control. The problem has been confirmed by the dealer on multiple occasions, most recently on August 24, 2026. The vehicle has also been inspected by kia America as part of an open case (case #25964896). History: the 1st transmission failure was covered under the original factory warranty. The 2nd failure occurred after the 12,000-mile transmission replacement warranty had expired, requiring an out-of-pocket repair of $5,500. The 3rd failure occurred within 12,000 miles of that replacement and was covered by kia. On August 24, 2026, the dealer confirmed the transmission had failed again — a 4th failure of the same component. Warning symptoms typically appeared as loss of power, hesitation, or rough shifting prior to each failure.

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The contact called on behalf of his daughter who owns 2020 kia Sorento. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a dealer for a routine oil change when the contact was informed that there was an unknown issue with the vehicle however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was taken to a different dealer where it was diagnosed that the transmission fluid was leaking and the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

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The contact owns a 2023 kia Sorento. The contact stated that while accelerating from a stop or while driving and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle jerked and lost automotive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The message “transmission fluid low” was displayed. The local dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA campaign number: 22v760000 (power train); as a possible cause for the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 208,600.

"the vehicle has twice suffered a sudden, catastrophic loss of motive power at highway speeds (approx. 70 mph) on the interstate, forcing the driver to coast across active traffic to the shoulder without engine pull. The engine revs freely in 'drive' but the transmission fails to engage any gears. No dashboard warning lights, check engine lights, or diagnostic trouble codes are triggered during or after the failure. The failure resets temporarily only after cycling the ignition key off and on. The vehicle previously had safety recall sc250 (8-speed electric oil pump) performed by an authorized dealer, but the software flash completely failed to prevent this catastrophic hydraulic/electronic failure mode or provide the federally mandated dashboard warning countdown. The vehicle is entirely unsafe to drive,.

2015 kia Sorento v6 engine failed and seized. VIN was not included in kia extended warranty offered for this year and engine.

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I am filing this complaint regarding my 2021 kia Sorento, which has suffered a transmission failure. The transmission slips, shifts harshly, hesitates during acceleration, loses power unexpectedly, and has become unsafe to drive. This defect has put my safety and the safety of others at risk. On several occasions the vehicle failed to respond properly when accelerating, including while entering highways and driving in traffic. The hesitation and sudden loss of power created fear and anxiety because I could not trust the vehicle to operate as expected. The problem has been reproduced and confirmed by a repair facility, and the symptoms are consistent with a transmission torque converter clutch failure. I also contacted kia and provided the vehicle information. Kia informed me that they would not repair the vehicle because it has exceeded 100,000 miles and that the recall or warranty extension had expired. However, my vehicle is experiencing the same transmission-related symptoms reported by many other kia owners. I never received any recall notification because I purchased the vehicle from a dealership as the second owner. Had I been properly notified, I would have taken the vehicle in for inspection much earlier or would never have purchased the dangerous vehicle in the first place. It is extremely frustrating and costly to be denied assistance solely because of mileage when the failure appears to be related to a known transmission defect. Before the failure, the check engine light illuminated and then went away even though the issue did not. Prior to that warning, the vehicle had already shown delayed shifting, slipping, hesitation, rough gear changes, and loss of power, which became progressively worse. I reported this to kia on a previous service visit to romeo kia in lake katrine, NY and was told they did not find anything wrong. This situation has caused significant emotional stress and anxiety. I am requesting a full review and a fair resolution from kia. Thank.

I have a 2023 kia Sorento with approx 60k, purchased new from new pot richey kia. Approx 7 days ago, while driving home from dropping my son at school, my transmission system error warning came on as well as my check engine light. My rpm's would increased without corresponding acceleration, which meant my transmission, was slipping. I was also experiencing jerking during shifting. In addition to that, my car would hesitate before moving. And I would also experience a slight vibrations at low speeds. All of this would make me feel unsafe when driving my car.

On xxx im driving my 2021 kia Sorento sx it stalled while driving in the mist of traffic engine light comes on and I had my car towed contacted kia of bowie they are giving me a hassle contacted them because this is a safety issue from the beginning I have mentioned gas smell coming from the oil dipstick now the car has say and the gas has evaperated and they are saying no gas smell contacted corporate and istill have no results. This is a serious issue and I am being mishandled and treated as if this is not a severe safety hazard and needs to be addressed by kia I am asking for assistance please in serious safety matter.

Car stalled July 14th car has been at kia of bowie and they are stalling g me and dont want to do the sarter recal and are asking me for $550 for a diagnostic that I should not pay for do to this safety recall ive been telling them from the start that there was a very strong gas smell coming from theoil dipstick and they have been avoiding it till yesterday now the gas has evaperated and they are asking g me to pay $550 for the leak down test.

The electric oil pump circuit board for the transmission failed, causing motive power loss. The vehicle is currently located at ourisman chantilly kia and is available for inspection. Safety was compromised due to sudden loss of drive power while operating on public roads, creating a severe crash hazard. The failure was diagnosed and confirmed by ourisman chantilly kia service department, which retrieved active diagnostic trouble code p1c2d03. The vehicle was inspected by the kia dealership service department. Prior to failure, check engine/warning lights illuminated and transmission drive symptoms appeared. This vehicle is subject to recall sc250. A software update was performed under a previous owner, but the physical component failed. Kia is refusing replacement because the recall was marked "closed" after the software patch, leaving a known unaddressed safety defect active on the vehicle.

The vehicle suddenly lost power when in drive or reverse but will idle fine in park or neutral.

I have a 2016 kia Sorento I was having a problem with the shifter it would not go into park and had to use the shift override button I contacted the dealer there was an active recall they refused to repair or replace the shifter because it was inspected by the dealer in 2022 and as far as they where concerned that satisfied the recall the recall is still valid, and does not have close date how can they refuse to repair . It is still a safety issue.

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I took my 2016 kia Sorento to the dealership for an emissions service update as a result of a service bulliten (sc340) after recieving the car back, the transmission acts unpredictably and the throttle is erratic. This happens when started cold and continues until the engine reaches temperature. It did not do this previous to the update. It is a safetey hazard and almost caused a collision. The throttle response was sluggish, it hunted for gears and as a result I was unable to safely merge into traffic endangering myself and other drivers.

The vehicle experienced a sudden and dangerous loss of motive power while driving due to a failure of the 8-speed dual-clutch transmission's (dct) high-pressure electric oil pump causing loss of shifting and dropping to lower gears at a very high rpm and slowing the car almost instantly creating a hazard for a crash with following vehicles. ?this vehicle was previously serviced under kia safety recall campaign sc250 (NHTSA 22v-760). However, the initial recall remedy failed to permanently resolve the underlying defect. Despite the recall work being marked as completed, the transmission component has failed again.

Recall 22v-760 was performed, but the remedy failed, the exact same safety code has returned, and the manufacturer is refusing to replace the failed hardware component.

The transmission is not shifting gears correctly. The engine revs loudly and hesitates for a few seconds before shifting. There were no warning lamps. The vehicle has not been inspected yet. This causes a dangerous situation when driving and accelerating in traffic.

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Car losing power.

Following an engine replacement performed at billion auto kia in rapid city, sd, I began experiencing persistent electrical system failures in my 2017 kia Sorento. The vehicle alarm would activate randomly without cause, including while I was inside the vehicle with the engine running. Additionally, the door locks would engage spontaneously, trapping me inside the vehicle and preventing me from exiting. The only way to exit was to forcibly pull the door handle, which triggered the alarm. I have video documentation of these incidents. I presented the vehicle to billion auto kia in rapid city, sd — an authorized kia dealership with these exact symptoms. The service department was unable to identify a root cause and provided no repair path, returning the vehicle to me unrepaired. 7 months later, courtesy kia of brandon in brandon, FL, another authorized kia dealership diagnosed the root cause as a failed body control module (bcm). During the service visit, a kia dealership technician personally witnessed the alarm activating spontaneously while operating the vehicle, further confirming the defect. The bcm failure was present and active at the time of the prior authorized dealer visit and was not detected. The failed bcm has also caused the gear shifter to become completely stuck, unable to shift out of park, leaving the vehicle fully inoperable. This vehicle has had 6 recall actions performed since purchase — 4 completed after my purchase in August 2023, and two completed prior to my purchase. Despite this recall history, the vehicle has experienced an engine failure and a bcm failure within less than 3 years of my ownership. Being trapped inside a vehicle with a malfunctioning lock system represents a serious safety hazard, particularly in the event of an accident or emergency requiring rapid exit. I am requesting NHTSA investigate whether a safety defect exists in the body control module of 2017 kia Sorento vehicles and whether additional recall action is warranted.

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2017 kia Sorento 2. 4l gdi engine seized due to connecting rod bearing failure confirmed by p1326 diagnostic code multiple times. Vehicle entered limp mode limiting rpms to 1800-2000 exactly as described in pi1802 campaign. Engine subsequently fully seized. Battery tested 98% healthy ruling out electrical cause. Vehicle towed to andy mohr kia avon indiana. Kia techline and consumer affairs denied pi1802 lifetime warranty claim citing used vehicle reconditioning despite pi1802 explicitly stating coverage applies to both new and used vehicle owners per official kia corporate document dated June 3 2019. Consumer affairs appeal case 26292053 opened but kia states no further appeals possible. Kia is wrongfully denying lifetime warranty coverage guaranteed under pi1802 product improvement campaign.

The vehicle is suffering from a chronic, cascading powertrain and fuel management defect that has resulted in a critical safety hazard: sudden engine stalling. Over the last 17,000 miles, the vehicle has experienced three severe engine/emissions failures that the manufacturer has been unable to permanently resolve. At approximately 30,000 miles (on 29-Jun-2025), the engine suffered a severe cylinder 3 misfire (code p0303). At approximately 39,000 miles (on 02-Jan-2026), the unresolved fuel issue caused a failure of the catalytic converter (code p0420) and an evaporative emission system leak (code p0456). At 47,000 miles (current event), the fuel delivery system failed completely. The engine began running excessively rich (code p2178), causing the engine idle to drop dangerously low (code p0506). This defect caused the vehicle to suddenly stall out, resulting in a complete loss of motive power and leaving me stranded. Because the manufacturer's authorized repair facilities have only addressed the symptoms rather than the root cause of the fuel system failure, the vehicle repeatedly loses power and stalls without warning. This poses a severe safety risk to myself and other motorists, especially when operating the vehicle in traffic or at highway speeds.

At stop lights trying to excel it stales for a couple of seconds then resumes. Does this on and off all day because I drive for a living. Finally the check engine light is on and now have to replace the whole turbo because it’s failing. I just got the car mid March of 2026. I have kids and scared to drive around and the car fail on me.

For an unknown reason when driving on the highway in heavy traffic the engine started to shake violently causing us to immediately pull over and when we opened the hood the engine was shaking violently. This was a dangerous situation because during this time the engine was not very responsive to input. No warning lights came on at all.

My vehicle lost power and accelerated quickly yet unpredictably, and the check engine light came on. A local shop told me it was "an old code" for the transmission and that if it does that again to take it to dealer. It occurred again. Kia dealer states this vehicle has a recall and has been repaired twice, but that they will not repair it again. This is such an unsafe issue they will not allow me to drive the vehicle. I will have to pay almost $7,000 to replace the transmission.

Was in for service on recalls 2 weeks ago may 2026. . . Dealer did not fix shift solenoid recall. . Stated bcu need replaced. . . Driving may 28 26 without warning no lights anything lost power while driving and engine and or transmission failed. . Lost oil. . . Metal shavings in dipstick oil. Oil on skid plate cover. . 3. 3l v6 2016 kia Sorento lx was able to get off road without crashing.

The vehicle suffered a sudden, severe engine malfunction/misfire while in operation, presenting a serious safety hazard on the road. Following the incident, the vehicle was taken to an authorized dealership service center (repair order #xxx), where technicians verbally confirmed that the engine requires a complete replacement due to internal mechanical failure. The catastrophic mechanical failure of the engine directly caused consequential damage to the emissions system, entirely clogging the catalytic converter with unburned fuel/debris. Despite the clear link to the known, systemic defects inherent to the theta ii engine line—which is subject to active federal consent orders, safety recalls, and lifetime warranty extensions—both the dealership and kia corporate are refusing to honor the 8-year/80,000-mile federal emissions defect warranty. The manufacturer is attempting to use the catastrophic failure of their own defective, recalled engine line to evade their legal environmental and safety warranty obligations, leaving the consumer stranded without alternative transportation. This represents a systemic effort by the manufacturer to deflect liability for documented powertrain safety failures onto individual consumers. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact owns a 2022 kia Sorento. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the gear shifter was shifted to drive; however, the transmission failed to engage as intended. The accelerator pedal was depressed, and the vehicle unexpectedly rolled backwards. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact referenced an unknown recall; however, the VIN was not associated with a recall related to the failure. The failure was a persistent failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000.

I found that he ignition key can be removed from my 2017 kia Sorento while the transmission is not in the park position. This is a shift interlock failure. Under fmvss 114, the key must be trapped in the ignition unless the transmission is confirmed in park. This defect caused the vehicle to roll down my driveway after my wife & daughter exited the car & were unloading groceries. The vehicle was purchased in April 2026 from a used car dealer lot. The defect was discovered shortly after purchase. No dealer repair has been performed yet. I am contacting kia consumer affairs requesting a goodwill safety repair under fmvss 114. Component affected: power train — automatic transmission — shift interlock system.

Had to replace transmission at 133k miles. It was jolting sometimes providing a hard jolt at times will driving. There are also times of what feels like a cylinder misfire. Oil is constantly leaking and have to replace oil every 1k miles. Have had multiple shops look at it and not able to find anything. Now during acceleration there is a huge grey smoke cloud coming from the exhaust. Looking at this site and through online it seems to be a common issue with this car and engine. So there has been multiple issues with this car - oil consumption of the engine leading to smoke in the exhaust and the transmission which was replaced a week ago.

2016 kia Sorento 2. 4 mileage 75,500 (just out of warranty as of Jan 2026), vehicle is having transmission issue, hard shifting/jerking from1st gear to 2nd gear on first cold start-up of the day. No warning lamps on. Took into kia to have the transmission serviced, cost $462, did not solve the issues. Kia paperwork upon completion of service paperwork stated "no further action required, transmission operates to manufacturer's specifications". Safety issue: vehicle may stall during operation.