Seat Belt Problems of Kia Motor Sorento - part 1

On [xxx] I was in a car accident. When it happened the airbags did not deploy and the seatbelt not locking. This resulted in me hitting my head in on the dash and chest on the steering wheel multiple times and having to go to the er to receive care and be put out of work. This is a major safety risk 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 🔎.

Driver seatbelts randomly unlatches itself while operating vehicle.

See all problems of the 2020 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.

My car totally stopped on me due to one of the 8 recalls I have undone related to my car. My insurance company verified that the recalls were open related to my car. I verified it to make sure by VIN number at NHTSA. Gov. Up until today 2/13/2026 as I spoked with a representative at NHTSA my 8 recalls went from 8 to 0 recalls all of a sudden. I'm pretty sure the young lady went updated they website to read just that. I still have some proof that the 8 recalls pertain to my car and needs to be repaired. The dealership had me to bring my car in due to the recalls but because it had a motor failure now they're saying it's my fault for going over the approximate mileage of getting an oil change which is not true. The recalls were due way before my time and should have been taken care of before the car was sold to me. I purchased the car in March of 2025 and the car just failed on me in November of 2025. Within that time frame of me purchasing the car, I took good care of the car getting and oil change as well. Providing all oils where needed replacing tires that were needed, keeping gas tank clean. Changing air filters, and just keeping up with the maintenance. The car had no accidents no losses perfectly good car other than the recalls that were pointed out. When I brought the car in they told me everything was fine and that they would take care of those for me. My car has been there for like three weeks now and now they're telling me that the car is showing that the car was driven 11 thousand miles before it had an oil change. I have no idea of who drove the car before I purchased it and that I can only provide them with documents of what I took care of within the time frame I drove it up until the day it just stopped on me while I was driving. I really need my car and they is holding my car doing nothing to it all this time just to tell me that it's up to the manufacturer and sending him my documents for them to decide wether they will approve the repairs or not.

I was involved in an automobile collision. It was a t- bone collision on the driver side. My vehicle flipped on it's side, the moon roof completely shattered, my seatbelt released me and I was ejected through the moon roof. The vehicle landed on top of me. All of my air bags did not deploy even though my vehicle rolled over twice.

See all problems of the 2024 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.

The contact owned a 2021 kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving 15-20 mph and making a quick left turn to avoid a truck that did not have the right-of-way, another vehicle crashed into the driver's side door of the vehicle. The driver's side curtain air bags deployed. The front driver's seat air bag deployed but failed to inflate. The front passenger's side seat belt retracted even though the front passenger's side seat was not occupied. There was no injury sustained. No police report was filed. Both drivers were able to drive away from the scene. The vehicle was taken to an autobody repair shop, where an estimate of the damage sustained was provided. The vehicle was totaled by the insurance company. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the front driver's seat air bag and the front passenger's side seat belt operated as designed. The failure mileage was approximately 49,000.

See all problems of the 2021 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.

On August 6, 2025, I discovered that both the driver and passenger front seat belts in my 2024 kia Sorento were installed backwards from the factory, with the buckle facing inward instead of outward. This defect has been present since the vehicle was purchased brand new, but it was only discovered and documented on this date. The issue was confirmed by an authorized kia dealership in an official service report and in a video recorded by the service technician. I also have photos and videos taken before the dealership visit showing the same defect. This is a manufacturing defect and poses a serious safety risk to occupants in the event of a collision, as the seat belts may not function as intended. Supporting documentation is available upon request.

The contact owns a 2018 kia Sorento. The contact stated that the rear driver's side seat lap belt harness anchor pin had detached while the contact's son was attempting to wear the seat belt, rendering the seat belt inoperable. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where an unknown diagnosis was made, and the contact was informed that there was a fee for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and referred the contact to the dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 76,000.

See all problems of the 2018 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.

We were involved in a t-bone type accident at highway speeds. I am filing a complaint because I feel kia of America did not pursue potential safety issues with the seatbelts. I called them to inform them of the issue to see if there was any other similar trending reports. They stated that they would send an inspector out which they never did. I believe that the seatbelt failed due to the nature of my injuries and discussion with medical experts. I was sitting behind driver. The accident resulted in a fractured sternum and rib injuries, injuries to both of my shins and injury to my coccyx. Most significant is that there was no seatbelt bruising on my chest. All suggestive of hitting back of front seat. I have pix. Also, upon attempting to exit the vehicle post impact, the seatbelt was fully extended, as I got tangled up in it trying to exit. Also to note the driver’s seatbelt was fully extended also however they were protected by airbag deployment. The front and rear passenger seatbelts were not extended and those passengers had only minor injuries. My wife’s, the driver, injuries were much more serious and has resulted in permanent damage. I contacted kia of America to report the concern and they assured me they would send an engineer out to provide an inspection. They had multiple months to do this, and I followed up multiple times as to the status of this inspection. During that time the car switched insurance carriers hands however there was ample time to perform the inspection. After a couple months, I followed up again and they informed me that the car was destroyed. I informed them that was not satisfactory and please escalate this. They did and a gentleman called me and left a voicemail. I returned his call 4 times and left voicemails but again no follow up. I feel that this attention to a potentially significant safety issue has been neglected and I ask you to further investigate. I have emails and timelines of conversations documented. Thank you.

See all problems of the 2023 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.

The contact owns a 2022 kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at 70 mph, the forward camera was obstructed. The steering over corrected while turned off. The transmission was accelerating and decelerating without application. The collision control engaged without an object in the driving path. The drive-side seat belt randomly unlatched. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was taken back to the local dealer, who diagnosed and determined that the transmission and seat belt needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was contacted, who opened a case but declined to buy back the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 28,660.

See all problems of the 2022 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.

While my 6 year old was attempting to put on his rear right seat belt, the belt gave way and tore in half completely unhinged at the seams. We were leaving so we move our child to the left rear seat that has hardly ever been used. As he was putting this seat belt on it also became completely torn in half at the seams . My child’s life has been at risk for the our most recent drives as the seat belt would most likely have been busted in the case of a car accident not being able to hold my child safe and secure. Dealer says they have never seen this. Dealer inspected and reported to manufacturer, stated they would only do a 1 time courtesy replacement. There were no warning lamps and zero symptoms or problems prior to malfunction. This first occurred the weekend of oct 23rd 2023.

See all problems of the 2019 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.

I took my car into winn kia dealership in fremont, CA to have my recall completed which entailed seat belts and airbags. They claimed to have completed the recall and gave me my car back a few days later. A month or so later, they called and ask me to bring my car in so they could complete. After back and forth, they couldn’t confirm if the recalls were done and advised I take it to another sister dealership which I did. I took it to dublin kia and they confirmed via email that wynn kia in fremont, CA did not connect my seatbelts and air bags properly - they stated they missed that step when completing the recalls. I drove my car around with my 2 year old daughter niece and nephew in the car for over a month without seatbelts and airbags connected without knowing.

We bought the car 6 months ago from a dealership and since then the breaks are bad the engine makes this strange noise it always smells like oil is burning. The seat belts don't stay latch and I hr suspension is all over the place.

See all problems of the 2014 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.

Item- down hill accent light came on, traction control light came on, not sure if caused by brake stop lamp switch defective. Item- bugler alarm will not shut off. Resetting the alarm failed three different ways. The battery cable was removed to reset alarm, the fuse was removed, and procedure using the key fob to reset alarm also failed to deactivate system. This happened same time as above. Vehicle is non-moveable at present because of the anti-theft system cannot be shut off. Item-driver side seat belt buckle will not latch or must be repeatably latched to be engaged. This vehicle is equipped with kia remote start accessory. See this NHTSA sc098.

See all problems of the 2011 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.

Rear passenger seat belt exploded.

See all problems of the 2013 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.

Driver's side seat belt locked up and was unable to be pulled out and secured. No warning lights to indicate issue.

We bought a used 2016 kia sorrento. Upon driving, we realized that the seat belts were not tightening up on the driver's seat. We took the car into kia in order to get the seat belt fixed. They told us it was the seat belt tentioner was bad and that the repair would not be covered under any kind of warranty. I called kia directly to ask them to override what the dealer was telling me and cover the seat belt since it was a safety issue and the car was under 10 years old. They denied my claim.

This morning while driving on the highway I was unable to accelerate. It triggered an engine light & then went off. I have taken my car in for paid services a few months back just to be told to wait until my car knocks in order for them to replace the engine. This is unsafe and an terrifying option on the highway with my children.

I have tried to work with the dealer who sold me the car and they are either unresponsive or don't have the parts to fix the concern.

Passenger seat belt not on warning no longer works when car is running or not running. Passenger can forget to put on seatbelt and no reminder chime. Problem is continuous. No warning lamps. Has been inspected but not repaired. Headlights come on and go off intermittently. Headlights come on when vehicle is off and not running draining the battery down. Hard to duplicate. Has not been duplicated or repaired as it's intermittent without warning.

See all problems of the 2017 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.

Werner kia sold pre-owned vehicle with driver side seatbelt defect, very loose. It was acknowledged by dealer, on paperwork, stated they repaired/replaced it, only to see it was not repaired/replaced due to cost. To date, seatbelt still loose, may not work in crash situation. Werner kia 2755 w. Tennessee st. Tall, FL.

I was driving on the highway at 65 mph with other flow of triffid. As I was crested a hill, I had notice ahead there was emergency vehicles ahead about half-three quarter mile and I had let go of the accelerator. By the time I had looked down in front of me there was a vehicle that appeared to not have stopped due to not seeing any brake lights. By the time I realized the vehicle had stopped, I rear ended him. During the collision the was six people in the vehicle including myself. Me, my wife and four of our children. Ages 13, 11, 7 & 2. The 2 yr old was in a car seat. Out of the the 6 seatbelts that were buckled were dislodged from it receptacle. The 11 yr old daughter was flung to the front of the vehicle hitting her head into the dashboard causing a concussion and neck pain. The front facing car seat had its buckle dislodged but the 2yr old did not sustain any injuries. Both of them sitting in the 2nd row. The 13 yr old in the 3rd row, his seatbelt was dislodged and sustain bruising and scrapes on his right side of his face. The 7 yr old complained about his stomach, but his seat belt did not dislodge. And my wife had sustained bruising around her waist and a broken collarbone. Theses seatbelts should not have dislodged from its receptacles if the were clicked in. I always make sure that everyone has there seatbelts on before operating the vehicle.

Rear passenger left seat belt is locked will not release.

The front passenger side seat belt will not latch. It did this once before last week and it finally latched. Last night I could. Not get the red bottom to come back up so that it would latch. We where sitting in a parking lot in sitting still. The vehicle was in park noth times.

Right side passenger seat has not warning/sound to remind passenger to fasten seat belt. Spoke with dealer after purchase and was told the vehicle I purchased only has a reminder sound for driver side only. Does not seem to coincide with requirements for seat belt notification.

My seat belt keeps locking on me. Fortunately, thus far I have been able to eventually get it to come loose. Sometimes it is a little difficult to fasten. I'm afraid someday I will need to get out fast and won't be able to. I am parked and the car is turned off on a city street and sometimes in my driveway and stores.

On 7/25/2020, my 2019 kia Sorento had complete brake failure, for the third time in 4 months. I took my Sorento to my dealership service department where I was told that the problem was a "deformed booster brakes vacuum hose"which they replaced (2 days in the shop March 23rd too much 25th). On July 13, 2020 it happened again and the car was back at the dealership service department, for the second time. A week later(July 25th) they call to me to pick up the car. The service manager informed me that they had replace the host with an updated vacuum hose, and that kia cooperation engineers were aware of this problem. On Saturday 5 days after having the vehicle back from the service department, the brakes failed again completely while I was driving, which resulted in a accident. My insurance company is calling it a total lost. My car is a lease with 9,800 miles only. I have had the car for 1 year only. My was not the only kia Sorento brought back to the dealership with the same problem. What should I do?.

The contact owns a 2012 kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving uphill, the driver's seat belt tightened. The contact attempted to loosen the seat belt however, the retractor failed to release the seat belt. The contact stated that the retractor permanently ceased in place and was inoperable. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the driver's seat belt mechanism needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000.

See all problems of the 2012 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.

Right sided passenger seatbelt buckle with not fasten/lock. Car was stable as we were trying to buckle up before we drove.

My abs, airbag light is on before. After replacing the clock spring the lights are still on, and also both my back seat belts will not go down. The car has not been in any accidents.

I was involved in a rear end collision on Friday, Jan. 3, 2020. I was stopped/stationary behind a vehicle turning left on a one lane (in both directions) road traveling south. The car behind me struck my vehicle going between 30-35 mph. My vehicle was thrust forward and hit the vehicle in front of me and then the vehicle behind me struck my again, felt like bumper cars. During the initial rear impact my face slammed into the steering wheel causing my nose to bleed profusely for at least 25 minutes. I still have blood coming out of my nose four days later. During this accident in which my vehicle experienced both front and rear collision damage my air bag did not deploy nor did my seatbelt lock. As a result I suffered a head injury both front and back of my head.

I noticed my rear seatbelt had a severe tear. I took the vehicle to a certified lia dealership to have the damage assessed. The technician explained that due to seatbelts being extremely durable, this was the cause of a defective seatbelt retractor. Once the seatbelt tore, the airbag light came on and locked the seatbelt in place. The seatbelt is unable to be used. Any passenger would be injured or potentially face death.

Tl- the contact owns a 2019 kia sodona. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle with the passenger side seatbelt unsecured no warning chime was activated. The local dealer gerald kia of north aurora(201 hansen blvd n aura IL. ) and the manufacturer was notified of the issue. The failure mileage was 13,000. Jft.

Middle row passenger side seat belt will locked inside the seat belt retractor causing the seat belt to become extremely frayed and unsafe for use.

"takata recall" I bought this car just recently and the drivers side air bag stays on all the time there have been recalls but not on my car is it safe to drive this like this or is it dangerous and the factory should send out a recall on this right !.

See all problems of the 2004 Kia Motor Sorento 🔎.

Tl the contact owns a 2018 kia Sorento. The contact stated that the front passenger seat belt did not have a seat belt warning system to advise when the front passenger seat belt was unfastened. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer who confirmed that the seat belt unfastened warning system was not installed in the 2018 kia Sorentos. The manufacturer was contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 0.