Power Train Problems of Kia Motor Sorento - part 1

Engine has a leak, the engine oil sensor was defected ,front axel leak and needs replacement.

See all problems of the 2019 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.

Our 2025 kia Sorento has exhibited several issues with shifting into gears especially from 1-2 gear there is hesitation, hard shifting, where it has delayed engagement, rough or jerky shifts, and a feeling of power loss while driving. It has a hard time getting into 3rd gear and just stalls, dragging at 1st/2nd when attempting to accelerate and coming down from 4th gear back into 2nd and 3rd. A "check transmission' warning light has appeared on the dashboard. This is teh second time we have had this issue. The car only has 16k miles on it, we have had it for 12 months exactly now and only drive it locally.

My vehicle has a slow speed pick up and I’m getting code p0018 and has very rough idling !.

See all problems of the 2015 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.

The contact owns a 2015 kia Sorento. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked and shifted into park(p), the gear shifter failed to shift into the intended gear. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the gear shifter had seized in park(p). In addition, the contact stated that the failure had occurred while at the drive-thru picking up lunch. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to tow the vehicle to the dealer for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact referenced an unknown recall with a similar failure description; however, the VIN was not included. The failure mileage was approximately 109,200.

The vehicle is shifting weird out of first, knocking sound. A code of p1326 skds is showing on diagnostic. This was supposedly repaired by kia a few months ago from a recall. I am questioning if they corrected and inspected the recall appropriately, due to this being the issue. The car is now unable to be driven because I do not want to do more damage.

See all problems of the 2011 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.

My 2016 kia Sorento sx awd shows a noticeable delay in the powertrain when shifting from park into first gear. The car hesitates before moving, which affects drivability and feels like a transmission lag. I consider this a safety issue because the delay could cause the car to stall unexpectedly. I’m especially worried about driving with my children or merging onto highways, where a stall or hesitation could lead to loss of control and increase the risk of an accident.

See all problems of the 2016 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.

On 10/3 driving at roughly 60mph on the freeway, when going to accelerate, the vehicle would not accelerate with no power going to the engine. The gas motor was not engaging, and the car rapidly decelerated to around 20mph in an incredibly unsafe situation. Coasting it off the freeway, it was towed to the local kia dealership. No warning lights or any indicators went off during that event. 10/9/2025, I picked up the vehicle after they replaced the high-pressure fuel pump and high-pressure fuel line, I noticed the battery was very low and thought it would charge while driving. As I left the dealership, the vehicle did not engage the gas engine and quickly avoided acceleration - no power was going to the engine. The battery reached a catastrophic low, and the engine failed in a busy intersection - creating another extremely unsafe situation - as I was turning around to return to the dealership. This time the hybrid system warning system went off and the battery and oil lights went on. While waiting for the tow truck, the vehicle would not turn off. It is currently with the dealership, 41k miles on vehicle, 1 year old.

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.

See all problems of the 2021 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.

My check engine light came on and my SUV started sputtering so I pulled over called my husband who came and had it towed to langdale kia of valdosta, GA.

See all problems of the 2022 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.

The contact owns a 2025 kia Sorento. Upon starting the vehicle and shifting into reverse(r); the vehicle failed to respond with the message "service in" displayed on the instrument panel. The contact repeatedly depressed the accelerator pedal, but the vehicle failed to respond. The contact placed the gear shifter back into park(p) and then shifted back into reverse(r) and the vehicle started to accelerate slightly before coming to a complete stop with the accelerator pedal depressed. After repeatedly depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle jolted backwards. The contact decided to park(p) the vehicle and scheduled an appointment with the dealer for service. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was 4,850.

The contact owns a 2023 kia Sorento. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, the gear shifter was shifted into drive, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to move forward. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure had occurred more than five times within a month. The failure occurred after a previous repair was performed by the dealer. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact stated that previously, while the vehicle was parked on a hill, the gear shifter was shifted into reverse, and the vehicle rolled forward and crashed into a curb. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was repaired. The contact was informed that the failures were not failures but instead the normal function of the vehicle. The contact submitted a lemon law claim and was advised to contact the NHTSA hotline to report the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 21,700.

See all problems of the 2023 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.

The contact owns a 2012 kia Sorento. While the contact's son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the traction control and abs warning lights were illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that the vehicle stalled and went into limp mode. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The contact used a portable diagnostic machine and retrieved dtc: c1613,c1205, c1206, c1207, c1208, c1210 and c1211. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 204,000.

See all problems of the 2012 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.

2022 kia Sorento under 86,000 miles is jerks intermittently but no codes are being shown. Currently at the dealership and tech suspects transmission, which has been reported by numerous consumers of this issue but the recall was only applied to certain kia Sorentos and it should be broader.

2022 kia Sorento lx started off with rpm acceleration randomly. It progress and started happening multiple times during a ride. Took it to jake sweeney kia dealership, they were not able to pick up on any codes. They said they tried a flight recording and couldn’t record data, but not even 15 minutes off the lot the symptoms proceeded. Now the vehicle is trying to shift gears while in drive. I’ve provided videos and the dealership responded back and said, “after speaking with my manager about this situation I can't really do too much until it becomes a constant issue. I know that isn't what you want to hear but at this time without a check engine light or it happening all the time there isn't much I can accomplish for you. ” not only is this a safety hazard for myself and my child this is negligence on kia and jake sweeney kia florence.

While driving at speeds below 25 mph, my transmission seems to get caught between gears. When I press the accelerator, the engine revs, but the car doesn’t accelerate as it should. It feels like the power just drops out. There were no warning lights or indicators on the dashboard. The exact same thing happened again the very next day, at low speed, in the same general area. Both times, the car suddenly lost power in traffic, leaving me unable to move normally. This is extremely dangerous — other drivers have no idea that my vehicle isn’t responding, which puts me and everyone around me at risk. It’s clear there’s a serious issue with the transmission malfunctioning.

The contact owns a 2019 kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving 65 mph and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The contact pulled over to the right side of the road and waited for several minutes before the vehicle started working as intended. The check engine warning light was illuminated. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission needed to be replaced, and that the transmission fluid was burnt. The contact had experienced the failure on several occasions. The transmission was replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified on the failure and opened a case. The approximate failure mileage was 71,682.

My car started to act crazy not wanting to move when in traffic.

Transmission caught between gears at speeds below 25mph. Engine revs without acceleration: drivers report pressing the accelerator, and the engine's rpms increase, but the vehicle does not speed up as expected. Driver returned the vehicle to dealership and reported the incident. Dealership reported, malfunction could not be replicated. No indicator or warning lights present. The same incident occurred the following day for second time. Both incidents occurred around [xxx]. On [xxx] at low operating speeds. Sudden loss of power places you and those around you in harm's way when traveling at/below posted speed limits. Other drivers around you don't know that your car is unable to move. This is a safety hazard. Clearly the transmission is failing in malfunctioning. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Dad, driving back with daughter, noticed a brief and unusual delay between shifts, but was able to make it home fine. A few minutes later, mom left for picking up son after school. On the way there, she noticed sluggish acceleration, louder engine sounds/effort on acceleration and mild slopes, and there was a lag in acceleration response. After powering off the vehicle and sit in idle to recharge battery, restarted trip home and was unable to get acceleration response up the hills, doing only 20 mph. Engine was struggling and not getting any acceleration response. No check engine lights were generated as usual. Dad called service manager at kia temecula and he said to call kia roadside assistance to come tow the car to them. He also said that likely we'll be out of pocket to do any car rentals until they have a car to loan to us.

Kia Sorento has a well documented engine failure. The issue starts with the vehicle consuming engine oil. Subsequently the connecting rod bearings fail resulting in severe engine failure. This happens even with regular oil change maintenance. I experienced that with this vehicle. Kia was contacted but said this vehicle's VIN did not fall under the list of affected vehicles in their class action lawsuit.

See all problems of the 2020 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.

Nhtsa complaint – kia Sorento vehicle: 2025 kia Sorento component/system: engine, fuel/propulsion system, power train date of incident: [xxx] location: [xxx] , southbound description of the problem: while driving my 2025 kia Sorento southbound on [xxx] , the accelerator did not respond properly both on a flat road and while going uphill. The engine failed to provide adequate power, creating a serious safety risk on the highway. The vehicle is currently at the dealer for inspection, which will take place on Monday. However, I am extremely frustrated that I have not been provided a loaner or rental vehicle, even though I need transportation immediately. Additionally, as a u. S. Citizen, I feel I am being treated unfairly and receiving discriminatory service compared to others in similar situations. No warning lights or messages appeared before the incident. The dealer has not confirmed or fixed the issue yet. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, or insurance representatives. I am reporting this issue to document the safety risk, service denial, and potential discrimination, and to seek proper investigation. Inspection availability: unknown – vehicle can be inspected upon request. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

On [xxx], while driving home at highway speeds, I attempted to accelerate and the vehicle bucked and sputtered violently. The check engine light came on, and my obd scanner showed multiple misfires in cylinder 1. I have also experienced suspected transmission slipping from a full stop and during highway driving—rpms will spike (up to ~5,500) with little or no increase in speed, sometimes after releasing the accelerator. These issues have occurred multiple times prior to [xxx]. On [xxx], while traveling 80–85 mph, I released the accelerator and the rpms again spiked to ~5,500 while the vehicle rapidly lost speed and barely moved. Starting mileage at first occurrence is unknown, but kia should have this documented from a prior service visit. The condition is ongoing and worsening, creating a serious safety risk by causing loss of acceleration and unpredictable power surges while in traffic. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact owns a 2020 kia Sorento. The contact stated that for approximately a month, while driving at various speeds, the vehicle started jerking abnormally. The contact stated that the jerking stopped while accelerating. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and the vehicle was not diagnosed; however, the mechanic test-drove the vehicle and stated that the failure might be associated with the transmission. The contact stated that after visiting the dealer, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 97,085.

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.

The engine light came on and then two hours later the entire system started flashing and the engine started stalling. The car would not accelerate and had to be taken to kia. This is the second time this has occurred. The first time, the engine froze and I could not accelerate on the highway. I barely got to the side and had to get towed to kia. Please, please investigate this vehicle and the power train.

While driving my 2022 kia Sorento on the interstate a sudden check engine light illuminated and the car totally stalled out with a severe decrease in power causing me to almost be rear ended by interstate traffic before I could get off the road safely. After taking the vehicle to the dealership for diagnostics I was informed there was a p1c2d03 trouble code which is associated with the 8 speed dual clutch transmission indicating an internal fault in the electric oil pump of the tcu. Upon further investigation we find out this code was associated with a safety recall that went out for this particular kia model and transmission. The original owner took this car in to have the recall repaired back in 2023 without the fault code showing or any issue presenting from the vehicle. They were simply taking it in to clear the recall they were sent. While it was at the dealership they flashed the system like they were supposed to do according to the campaign instruction and sent them on their way. Fast forward to now and I am getting this same fault that the recall was sent out for but I have the code which according to the campaign instructions kia was supposed to replace the transmission due to a mfg defect. Kia is refusing to replace the transmission now saying the recall can not be reopened and since I am the second owner and my warranty is expired I will have to pay over $5,000 for a replacement.

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.

The contact owns a 2016 kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at 15 mph, she attempted to park the vehicle in her driveway. As the contact tapped on the brake pedal, the vehicle independently accelerated as the contact slammed on the brake pedal and steered the vehicle out of the way of her home. The contact ran over a gutter and a bird feeder before applying the emergency brake, which stopped the vehicle. The contact was uncertain if any warning lights had appeared on the instrument panel prior to the failure. The contact was not injured, the air bags did not deploy, and a police report was not filed. The next day, the contact had the vehicle towed to a dealer. The contact was informed that rust was discovered on the vehicle's brake rotors; however, they had yet to determine the cause of the failure. The contact stated that the engine had been replaced almost a month prior to the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired and remained in the possession of the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 83,000.

On [xxx], the check engine light came on solid. My car is just 2 years old, only has 22k miles, and is currently under warranty, as it is a leased vehicle. According to auto zone, it was a "speed sensor". On 7/25/25, I was able to get an appointment with garvey kia of queensbury, NY and the fault code is the "input turbine shaft speed sensor b circuit range for performance". The service technician told me that it is not able to be accessed, as it is internal, and it is not serviceable. My safety and the safety of others were at risk because the car would go "limp" when accelerating, there was harsh and delayed shifting, erratic rpm readings, and no power when accelerating. This inability to accelerate causes problems in traffic and when trying to get through intersections or out of side streets when acceleration is imperative. Yes, the car has been inspected by the kia dealership. This same exact thing happened on [xxx], in which destination kia of albany had by car for over 4 weeks to replace the transmission. At that time, the car had under 10k miles and was not even a year old. At that time, they put a refurbished transmission into the car. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Car suffered catastrophic internal engine failure due to rod bearings. Began having problems with engine stuttering then knocking July 2025. Car was taken to local mechanic stated that the engine failed. Followed up with local kia dealer and they verified that the engine had indeed failed. Car is in my possession and available for inspection. My safety and the safety of other drivers was compromised in that all engine systems failed rendering me incapable of driving vehicle and needing to push the car manually. Dealer has reproduced and confirmed the engine failure. Car inspected by dealership only. No warning lights came on. The only lights that have ever come on in my vehicle are the low tire pressure sensor and the scheduled maintenance light. Neither of these sensors came on during these events.

On June 5, 2025, I was driving my 2025 kia Sorento. I proceeded to get onto the highway from an on ramp. At that moment, the engine stalled. The car would not accelerate. I could not go faster than 20-25 mph. This was a huge safety risk to me, to my passengers, and to others on the highway. Eventually I exited the highway and drove home very slowly, since the car would not accelerate beyond 20-25 mph. I was pressing the gas pedal as far down as it would go. I even tried turning off the car and restarting it. The check engine light was on. The car was towed to a kia dealer. The kia mechanics noted that the fault log in the car's computer system noted that the stalling/failure to accelerate event did occur, but that they were unable to reproduce it, even after several attempts driving it around in various conditions. The kia mechanics told me there was nothing they could do or fix, since they were unable to reproduce the stalling event. Then just yesterday, on July 6, 2025, the Sorento stalled again while it was being driven on the highway. I am having it towed tomorrow to the same kia dealership to have the same mechanics look at it again. At this point, this is an extreme safety issue for anyone driving the car, in the car while it is being driven, or on the highway when the car is on the highway. Imagine if the car stalls again and another car behind us traveling at a high speed slams into us. We could potentially suffer mortal or grave physical injury.

See attached document for complaint.

On July 5th 2025 round 5:15 pm est, while driving in the center lane of the highway at approximately 73 mph, the check engine light and multiple amber warning lights suddenly turned on. This occurred at just 1,920 miles on a brand-new vehicle. At the time of the incident, the vehicle stopped responding to the accelerator and would not move forward. Fortunately, traffic was light, and I was able to steer safely to the shoulder. However, I was traveling with my family, and under heavier traffic conditions or with vehicles closely following, this sudden loss of power could easily have resulted in a serious multi-vehicle accident. Following the above incident, I brought my vehicle to the kia dealership for a diagnostic check. However, they did not take any corrective action, stating that the check engine light was not currently illuminated—even though I provided photo evidence and the fault code p069811 captured from the kia app. This raises serious concerns, as I cannot predict when the issue might occur again. According to multiple reports on kia forums and blogs, many owners of new vehicles have experienced the same problem, yet kia has not addressed it. This is a serious, life-threatening safety issue while driving, and this trim should be publicly acknowledged as having low reliability and safety concerns until a resolution is found.

Vehicle hesitation, transmission slippage at low speeds for up shifting and hard shifting. Pulled out of a parking lot onto a main road from stop and my vehicle would not upshift and sounded like I was in neutral and would not accelerate. I had a vehicle behind me that almost rear ended me, I pulled over and had to put the vehicle in park. Once restarted, it would shift again.

See all problems of the 2024 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.