2021 KIA SORENTO

What owners reported to NHTSA, ranked by how often and how seriously.

This is complaint data, not a random sample.

It only includes owners who chose to file a federal complaint, so it over-represents dramatic and safety-related problems and under-represents minor issues an owner just had fixed without reporting. Read this as what NHTSA complainants report most, not as this vehicle's true failure rate. Full methodology.

Component ranking

  1. #1

    transmission automatic

    8 stranded, 74 unsafe

    82
    incidents

    Commonly reported, insufficient mileage data - n=21, median 65,000 mi, no reliable range below 25 reports.

    • "The contact owns a 2021 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently shifted into neutral. The check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The con…"~11,978 mi, complaint #1813623
    • "The contact owns a 2021 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while parking the vehicle, the vehicle jerked abnormally. The contact stated that while the vehicle was in drive, the vehicle jerked and unexpectedly accelerated while driving 55 MPH and was dragging…"~35,000 mi, complaint #2218376
    • "The contact owns a 2021 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at unknown speeds, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who mentioned a re…"~66,550 mi, complaint #1929213
    • "The contact owns a 2021 KIA Sorento. The contact stated while driving the vehicle on a hill he states the vehicle stutters very hard and moves back and forth with hesitation to accelerate. The vehicle was seen by a dealer 3 months before and was made aware of…"~136,577 mi, complaint #2206609
  2. #2

    engine stall or no start

    3 stranded, 29 unsafe

    32
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Purchased vehicle new on 4/7/21 Had an issue on 4/15/21(NHTSA CLAIM# 11408325) - Sons Kia advised that it was just a loose battery terminal cable. Pleaded with them to replace cable for possible short to no avail. On 6/6/21 - the car wouldnt open with key or…"complaint #1750932
    • "Engine stall while sitting in red light twice in one month. I had to put vehicle in park and restart the vehicle to get the vehicle moving."complaint #1761740
    • "In 2 instances the car shut off without warning. Once After the car had been shut off, ( would not restart.) Then again while the car was in drive sitting at a red light. (Engine shut off without warning). Dealership could not figure out cause. When trying to…"complaint #1803793
    • "Car has been having issues with not starting many times also dealership was contact also was serviced and still having issues. "complaint #1812651
    • "Vehicle stuck in high RPM until I parked and restarted vehicle. Additionally continues to rock back and forth while parked and jumps forward significantly upon braking and acceleration. "complaint #1825121
  3. #3

    acceleration loss or hesitation

    18 unsafe

    18
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=5)

    • "The contact owns a 2021 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving approximately 5 MPH and attempting to merge onto the highway, the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed. The contact stated that she pulled off the highway ramp, turned off and restarted th…"~40,000 mi, complaint #1851356
    • "The contact owns a 2021 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle hesitated while depressing the accelerator pedal, with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where the contact was info…"~80,000 mi, complaint #2103575
  4. #4

    glass and windshield

    8 unsafe, 2 annoyance

    10
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "HAD CAR FOR 5 DAYS AND WINDSHIELD IS CRACKED ON PASSENGER SIDE NO INDICATION OF ANYTHING HITTING WINDSHIELD. DIDN'T NOTICE TELL AFTER BEING HOME AND SHOWING FRIENDS THE NEW CAR"~540 mi, complaint #1725197
  5. #5

    other

    3 unsafe, 4 annoyance

    7
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Hello Sir / Madam, I bought this used 2021 Kia Sorento with Vin Number [XXX]. Greenway Kia Orlando, Has Verified with me and given me a print out saying This Recall has been repaired successfully by them in March of 2022 before they sold it to me. They eve…"complaint #1829743
    • "I received the recall notice essentially telling me not to drive this vehicle and park it away from my home or other vehicles. When i contacted KIA I was told all they are currently doing is a reimbursement of up to 40 dollars a day for a rental while they fig…"complaint #1862862
    • "The contact owns a 2021 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V703000 (Trailer Hitches) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The undisclosed dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were…"complaint #1904821
    • "I am unable to open the gas tank door. The gas tank door is open and closed by pushing in the gas tank door on the right side. I have not had a problem with this until recently. The information in the owner's manual indicates to check that doors are unlocked.…"complaint #1991098
    • "Kuat notified me of a recall on this bike rack. I submitted a claim immediately after being notified, and they mailed me a part that arrived 2 weeks later. The part arrived with incomplete instructions, but I figured out how to remove the old part and install…"complaint #2018557
  6. #6

    adas collision warning

    6 unsafe

    6
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2021 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT UPON PARKING HIS VEHICLE IN A PARKING LOT, THE FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE WARNING ACTIVATED WITHOUT ANOTHER VEHICLE BEING IN THE VICINITY. UPON INSPECTION, THE CONTACT DISCOVERED THAT THE FORWAR…"~500 mi, complaint #1727996
  7. #7

    hv system fault reduced power

    5 unsafe

    5
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "My 2021 Kia Sorento with 15,500 miles suddenly displayed a “stop safely immediately” warning with no other lights or indicators as to an issue. My husband and I were trying to find a safe place to stop when the vehicle suddenly stopped accelerating and would n…"complaint #1831054
    • "Vehicle went into limp mode suddenly while driving on the road and would only go 10 mph. We were able to pull vehicle aside and within a minute the car would not move. Check engine light came on with a warning message to pull vehicle to the side of the road.…"complaint #1834833
    • "The automatic start/stop function (ISG) stopped functioning. The light turned from green to amber and flashes intermittently. When the light is flashing the vehicle has a loss of power. On 8/28/23 I was accelerating to get on the interstate. Suddenly the speed…"complaint #1929141
    • "On 3/26/2026, I was driving at 45mph when the vehicle started slowing down and the auto stop light on the dash was blinking yellow. Every time it blinked, the car slowed even more. I tried to speed up, but it slowed down more. This could have caused an acciden…"complaint #2191315
    • "My car will randomly go into limp mode and I am unable to accelerate. The auto stop/start light will flash orange on the dashboard. I need to pull over and restart car and it seems to reset. I see there is a recall for a 2021 KIA Sorrento but I don't think…"complaint #2234132
  8. #8

    transmission manual clutch

    1 stranded, 4 unsafe

    5
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "The vehicle has a dual clutch transmission which causes the vehicle to lunge forward at idle. The transmission also "slips" at times during hard acceleration and results in very slow acceleration when entering a highway on a ramp or making way across an inters…"complaint #1778758
    • "The vehicle stutters before it comes to a complete stop and creates a panic feeling thinking it is not going to stop completely. Have had the car into KIA for two separate inspections and they just tell me it's due to a dual manual clutch working in and automa…"complaint #1803403
    • "Wet clutch went out causing the car to stall and stutter, that has been replaced and now it is struggling to shift into 2nd gear. Jerry shifting and high rpms. "complaint #1824570
    • "Vehicle transmission completely failed immediately after long (~4 hr, 224 mile) highway drive. During drive vehicle hesitated slightly when downshifting to accelerate. After arriving at destination, vehicle showed a check engine light and would not consistentl…"complaint #1855916
    • "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 slowi…"complaint #2227458
  9. #9

    wiring harness

    5 unsafe

    5
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=7)

    • "ONLY HAD CAR 8 DAYS WITH 500 MILES. WENT TO PULL AWAY FROM STOP SIGN AND CAR CUT OFF. WHEN ATTEMPTED TO RESTART, CAR ADVISED TO PLACE IN PARK FIRST. ONCE PLACED IN PARK AND PRESSED START BUTTON - ALL SYSTEMS WENT DEAD. SPARKS CAME FROM GROUNDING CABLE UNDE…"~500 mi, complaint #1741419
    • "The contact owns a 2021 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving approximately 10 MPH over a speed bump, the vehicle shut off. The contact was unable to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to the dealer, whe…"~6,099 mi, complaint #2135972
    • "The contact owns a 2021 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked or while driving, there was an abnormal sound coming from the A/C when activated or turned off. The contact stated that after lowering the temperature, the air conditioni…"~108,000 mi, complaint #2146076
  10. #10

    control module

    4 unsafe

    4
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Vehicle shut off on interstate while slowing for a wreck and almost caused our own ACDA crash. Entire gauge cluster flashed and started back up after stopping in the roadway for approximately 5 minutes without restarting. The vehicle was able to be driven home…"complaint #1875634
    • "My 2021 Kia Sorento lx has been having issues everyday where all of my dash lights come on, my power steering goes out and I can’t shift into or out of any gears. I have taken it to a Kia dealership (towed) twice already and they can’t find out the issue or un…"complaint #2104813
    • "Electrical issue all dash lights came on and couldn’t shift into gear, had to replace my main computer as it was fried at 72,000 miles, also had to get the steering column replaced total of $6,000 fixes "complaint #2114557
    • "The drive mode selector in my Kia Sorento was found to be defective. The selector forces the vehicle into "Eco" mode on startup regardless of the previously selected mode. This creates unexpected throttle response at startup given the manual states leaving the…"complaint #2145375
  11. #11

    engine internal

    1 stranded, 2 unsafe, 1 annoyance

    4
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owns a 2021 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the engine was vibrating abnormally. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer. The dealer set an appointment however, the vehicle had not yet been diagnosed or repaired.…"~500 mi, complaint #1772055
  12. #12

    engine oil consumption

    4 unsafe

    4
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owns a 2021 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while reversing, she noticed a trail of oil on the ground. The contact parked the vehicle. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local Pep Boys who informed the contact that…"~10,394 mi, complaint #1805763
  13. #13

    paint and clearcoat

    2 unsafe, 2 annoyance

    4
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "My Kia Sorento has the Nightfall trim package on it and currently has 13K miles. The paint on the trim around the windows has started to come off, sort of looking like acid rain effect. The dealership said this is not covered as it is an environmental and wash…"complaint #1920610
    • "Pearl white paint completely peeling off."complaint #1959397
    • "Pearl white paint suddenly peeling off in several places on fender. Car is less than 3 1/2 years old."complaint #2009531
    • "Pearl white paint is peeling on vehicle. Had no idea this a very large issue until I started looking more into as it has began to peel in large chunks."complaint #2033821
  14. #14

    airbag system

    3 unsafe

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "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 curtai…"~49,000 mi, complaint #2119906
  15. #15

    stability and traction control

    3 unsafe

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • " I am having trouble with traction control on my 2021 SX Xline... when turning it comes on suddenly resulting in power loss and no ability to accelerate. This has happened four times since purchasing the vehicle. I nearly got hit when it happened twice last…"complaint #1761459
    • "When making a turn and accelerating from a stop (pulling out into traffic from a parking lot), if there is any loose gravel or potholes, the traction control system engages and renders the vehicle unable to accelerate. This has almost caused accidents on multi…"complaint #1787071
    • "Vehicle suddenly displayed the message "Stop Safely Immediately" and then lost all traction to the wheels. This happened as I was entering a busy street and could have resulted in an accident. I had to coast to the side of the road where the car would not driv…"complaint #1856295
  16. #16

    transmission cvt

    3 unsafe

    3
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "I have a 2021 SX with 6000 miles sitting at the dealership with a failing transmission. yesterday September 2, 2022, my vehicle lost 100% of power and I was left at a traffic light with no power. The dashboard said, "Stop safely immediately". The engine light…"complaint #1838258
    • "I had purchased my vehicle in January of 2024. At the time the car drove great. Fast forward a few months later and that’s when the issues started happening. I would go to accelerate the vehicle and it’s like the car didn’t want to go anywhere. I would have th…"complaint #2090150
    • "Vehicle: 2021 Kia SorentoCurrent Mileage: Over 100,000 miles (Original Owner) Description of Safety Defect & Failed Recall Remedy: Background: This vehicle is equipped with the 8-speed Dual-Clutch Transmission (DCT) and has suffered from severe slipping, jer…"complaint #2239383
  17. #17

    battery and charging

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "My electrical system failed. While on park I was unable to shut of the vehicle using the engine start stop button. After waiting for the vehicle to automatically turn off. The vehicle started trying to restart itself. The negative battery post had to be remove…"complaint #2093666
    • "My vehicle has been slow to start and I have had all other issues come on on my vehicle as far as lights as far as the forward collision warning light has came on and the check driver attention warning light has come on as well while I’m running my HVAC past t…"complaint #2152984
  18. #18

    engine cooling

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owns a 2021 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that after parking the vehicle, the contact noticed that the exhaust started to leak. The contact also stated that the engine was overheating. The contact stated that there was no warning light illuminate…"~7,911 mi, complaint #1759102
  19. #19

    fuel tank and lines

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owned a 2021 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V703000 (Trailer Hitches) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of ti…"~20,000 mi, complaint #1856123
  20. #20

    power windows and locks

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Intermittent issues with windows not operating and doors will not unlock, which means the rear doors will not open. "complaint #1997460
    • "Windows and door locks will intermittently stop operating. When doors will not unlock the rear doors will not open. Turning vehicle off and restarting 1-6 times will usually make the problem stop for a short time. "complaint #1998313
  21. #21

    steering electric assist

    2 unsafe

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "The car drifts from right to left all the time on any road surface. This was addressed at about 2,000 miles months ago and they could not get it to steer straight. I brought this up on the oil change visit and the tech never addressed this at all ! The dual…"complaint #1785147
    • "My 2021 Kia Sorento (VIN: [XXX] , built July 2021) has a persistent scraping/metal-on-metal noise when turning the steering wheel. This noise comes from inside the steering column. It matches exactly what Kia documents in TSB CHA111, which identifies failure o…"complaint #2109202
  22. #22

    sunroof

    1 unsafe, 1 annoyance

    2
    incidents

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "The panoramic sun roof opens but will not close. it takes 6-12 attempts to get it to close, it will move to where its an inch away from closing then reopen. Kia has recalls for this make and year but says my car is not affected. attempting to get it to close i…"complaint #2078682
    • "While driving on an interstate highway, our sunroof exploded with a loud boom and glass fragments fell into the passenger compartment. 2021 Kia Sorento SUV with only 65,000 miles on it."complaint #2161353
  23. #23

    ac compressor and refrigerant

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "The contact owns a 2021 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V649000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, VISIBILITY); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed…"~75,000 mi, complaint #2167209
  24. #24

    adas adaptive cruise

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "KIA's manual gives instructions on two different ways (having two is a bit odd) to disengage their adaptive cruise control (KIA's name for it is Smart Cruise Control). Neither works. It is not possible to disengage SCC and use regular cruise control. This h…"complaint #1755230
  25. #25

    adas lane keeping

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "My 2021 Kia Sorento X-Line Prestige comes with Driver Assist features. One is for steering. Without warning it will disengage, particularly on a 2-lane highway, or when entering a curve in the road. This is dangerous. It needs to come with a warning that Drive…"complaint #1930638
  26. #26

    brake hydraulics

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Tonight was the first time I drive this car in the snow. I was going downhill doing 5 miles per hour, I even downshifted to hold vehicle back, and the brakes totally locked up on me. I couldn't turn the car, it slid straight across the road, at a "T" intersect…"complaint #1786987
  27. #27

    cruise control conventional

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "The stop go feature is not working correctly, when it does cut off at a light after releasing the brake to move forward it takes 3-5 seconds to start. when the cars behind me see that i release the brake they assume im going to move which doesnt happen at firs…"complaint #2078679
  28. #28

    engine head gasket

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "My check engine light came on and went to dealer ship jn Oct of 2025 they stated the Egr needed to be replaced and would cost 1300 to repair but inform me they didn't have the piece to replace at that time to reschedule app. Also reservoir coolant light keeps…"complaint #2191264
  29. #29

    ev drive unit or inverter

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Refill inverter coolant notice comes up after routine oil change and downhill control turns on without me turning it on I have to shit my vehicle off in order for the brake control to turn off, available for inspection upon request. This notice interferes with…"complaint #1846324
  30. #30

    fuel injector

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • " previous warranty repair for a failed fuel injector (RO #1103175) resulted in severe gasoline dilution of the engine oil. the vehicle now vents raw fuel vapors into the cabin (Fire Hazard) and hesitates/jerks when braking at stoplights (Stall/Crash Hazard). K…"complaint #2228053
  31. #31

    fuel pump

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "The system that failed is the high-pressure fuel pump and the intake fuel pump. The fuel system pressure is too low, and the cold start fuel pressure is too high. This is defective because I purchased the car used in November 2023. The car is a safety risk as…"complaint #2196206
  32. #32

    instrument cluster

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Component: Electrical System / Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist / Speedometer Incident Summary: ​I am reporting a catastrophic and uncorrected safety defect in my 2021 Kia Sorento (VIN: [XXX] ). ​Pre-Accident Attempts: Before April 2024, I repeatedly sought…"complaint #2188845
  33. #33

    lighting exterior

    1 broken

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=1)

    • "The contact owned a 2021 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the passenger’s side taillight became inoperable. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and dete…"~111,178 mi, complaint #2176301
  34. #34

    software or update

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=2)

    • "The contact owns a 2021 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving and coming to a complete stop, the auto Start/Stop feature failed to engage upon releasing the brake pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact restarted the vehicle manually…"~34,000 mi, complaint #1875013
  35. #35

    starter

    1 stranded

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "Motor will not turn over, starter/electrical failure."complaint #2226847
  36. #36

    torque converter

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "I am filing this complaint regarding my 2021 Kia Sorento, which has suffered a serious transmission failure. The vehicle is displaying diagnostic code P0741, indicating a torque converter clutch malfunction. The transmission slips, shifts harshly, hesitates du…"complaint #2226414
  37. #37

    unintended acceleration

    1 unsafe

    1
    incident

    Mileage: suppressed (fewer than 10 mileage-bearing reports; n=0)

    • "While in the process of pulling into marked stall in parking lot car accelerated unexpectedly jumping over a concrete stop and crashing into the wall of a building. Car sustained eleven thousand dollars worth of damage and the wall that was hit was caved in. C…"complaint #1994004

NHTSA investigations

Search NHTSA's own recall and complaint database for KIA SORENTO directly.