CSR

Kia · NHTSA safety record

2023 Kia Sorento

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

Owners have filed 120 safety complaints about the 2023 Kia Sorento with the US government. Of those, 3 describe a crash, 2 mention a fire, 3 people were injured and no death is recorded. 3 recall campaigns are open against it.

The most complained-about system is the electrical system, named in 37 complaints, 31% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 16,850 miles, the median across the 12 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers November 2022 to September 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

120 complaints on file

120

Complaints

3

Describe a crash

2

Mention fire

3

People injured

0

Deaths

A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.

A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free. Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a model year.

Which system owners named

Complaints naming each system
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 37 · 31%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 35 · 29%
ENGINE 31 · 26%
POWER TRAIN 20 · 17%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 14 · 12%
SERVICE BRAKES 11 · 9%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 11 · 9%
LANE DEPARTURE 10 · 8%
STEERING 7 · 6%
VISIBILITY/WIPER 7 · 6%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 6 · 5%
VISIBILITY 4 · 3%
0 15 31

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 120.

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2026 at 43.

48 36 24 12
22 23 24 25 26

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2022 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2023 Kia SORENTO, and it is a separate question from what owners report going wrong later.

Test SUV AWD SUV FWD
Overall
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Side barrier
Side pole
Rollover
Chance of rollover 15.9% 15.9%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard

A rating belongs to a tested body style and drivetrain, not to the model as a whole, which is why more than one is listed. A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.

Recall campaigns

3 on file

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS

25V649000 · September 25, 2025

The defect
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Sorento vehicles. The heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) blower motor wiring harness may be inadequate, which can result in a fire.
The risk
A fire increases the risk of injury.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the wiring harness and blower motor resistor, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 23, 2026. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC351. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning October 9, 2025.

Kia America, Inc. · up to 39,536 vehicles across all model years covered

BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA

23V610000 · August 31, 2023

The defect
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2022-2023 Sorento, Sorento Hybrid, and Sorento Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) vehicles. The mounting clips for the rearview camera may break, which can cause the rearview camera image not to appear properly on the display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
The risk
A rearview camera that does not properly display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera housing, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 27, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC280.

Kia America, Inc. · up to 144,979 vehicles across all model years covered

EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS

23V579000 · August 15, 2023

The defect
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Sorento vehicles. The air bag warning labels on the driver and front passenger sun visors may detach. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
The risk
A detached air bag warning label will not warn occupants about the risks of air bag deployment, increasing the risk of injury in a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect and replace the driver and front passenger sun visors, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 10, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC277.

Kia America, Inc. · up to 50,517 vehicles across all model years covered

In owners’ own words

Quoted from the complaint file

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

1 injured · crash · towed

I was driving down the highway on cruise control going 67 on a 65. The car started revving up and then proceeded to go faster. I turned off the cruise control but its continued to speed up. I stomped on the brake 4 or 5 times with no effect. I rammed into the back of a bus at 110 mph.

NHTSA complaint 11540904. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

1 injured

The vehicle was purchased new. From day one, there were issues. When it was delivered from the factory, it was discovered to be partly unpainted. This raised quality concerns. So far, the most serious has been that the motor blower failed at approximately 29,700 miles. This resulted in the vehicle filling with noxious fumes. It then had to be abandoned on the side of the highway. This led to a fire dispatch and later urgent care visits. Prior to towing, it was discovered that the AC was not working and the engine coolant reservoir was at ~ 1/4 of the minimum line. Ultimately, the vehicle was towed to King KIA. They held the vehicle for 2 weeks. They drove the vehicle 16 miles. However, they

NHTSA complaint 11608380, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

1 injured

Automatic lift gate closed and injured child. Was placing groceries in vehicle. Closed lift gate with button on lift gate, child was next to me, but hand was behind him. Liftgate closed and would not reopen. Child was injured.

NHTSA complaint 11695211. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE

fire

Was driving on Dallas North Toll way when my vehicle lost acceleration. Had to pull over and engine started smoking and lit a flame under the hood. Car is now at Clay Cooley Kia in Irving, TX. Car has been there for over two weeks and I still have no answers or information regarding the plan to fix it. Major dealership delay and all they keep saying is “Waiting on a Kia Engineer to come out but we don't have a date.”

NHTSA complaint 11708410. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
When traveling up an incline or when gassing the car to accelerate quickly my car registers a spike in heat causing my car to go into limp mode creating a dangerous situation where I can not accelerate at the cars normal rate. When I lift off the gas the temperature normalizes and the car goes back to normal. I have taken the car to two Kia dealerships and they both charged for an assessment and gaslighted me saying they don’t see the issue even tho there are reports all over the internet with the same issue. I also presented a video showing the problem. Two years ago around 35000 miles I had the same issue and the dealership replaced the itm module which corrected the problem. The problem

NHTSA complaint 11767249, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
My 2023 Kia Sorento has experienced repeated failures involving the engine, transmission/powertrain, and electrical wiring system. The vehicle has been inspected and repaired multiple times by authorized Kia dealerships, including Kia of Round Rock and Clay Cooley Kia in Irving, and the repair history and vehicle are available for inspection upon request. The most serious incident occurred on XXX, while I was driving on the [XXX]. The vehicle suddenly lost acceleration, began smoking, and experienced a catastrophic engine-related failure, creating a serious safety concern while I was traveling on a high-speed roadway. The vehicle had to be towed to Clay Cooley Kia, where it remained for

NHTSA complaint 11763054, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Carry Handle, Shell, Base
I own two Nuna RAVA car seats, and both have developed unraveling/tearing of the two-point harness buckle/strap between the child’s legs. One seat had noticeable tearing, which prompted me to closely inspect the second seat, where I found the same area beginning to unravel. I contacted Nuna and was initially advised to use glue or tape on the damaged area. After expressing my safety concerns about that, Nuna acknowledged that the damage is a safety hazard and instructed me to discontinue use of both seats. However, they refused to repair or replace the seats and instead offered a 10% discount toward purchasing a new seat. I am concerned that the same safety-critical component is failing on

NHTSA complaint 11761341, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
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

NHTSA complaint 11759602, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
On multiple occasions, my 2023 Kia Sorento has experienced an intermittent failure where numerous dashboard warning lights and alerts illuminate and the engine will not start. During the failure, the brake pedal becomes very stiff and the vehicle cannot be shifted out of Park. The problem is unpredictable and has left the vehicle disabled. The vehicle was taken to a Kia dealership for diagnosis. The dealer initially stated that the battery was not properly secured and was moving around, possibly contacting nearby electrical components. They told me the issue had been repaired. However, when I returned to pick up the vehicle, the exact same failure occurred again in the dealership parking

NHTSA complaint 11759161, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES

crash

The brakes failed; they felt spongy, as if my foot were pressing directly against the road. The car accelerated and I headed toward a wall; the sensors didn't stop the vehicle. It came to a halt against the wall after the impact. I was on my way to the repair shop for a scheduled appointment due to electrical problems.

NHTSA complaint 11757893. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Kia Sorento

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2026 5 2 —
2025 74 3 —
2024 41 2 —
2022 189 6 —
2021 250 4 —
2020 136 1 1
2019 428 2 —
2018 254 3 1
2017 804 4 —
2016 1,252 8 —
2015 750 3 —
2014 987 6 1
2013 981 5 —
2012 880 5 —
2011 1,518 7 —

Other 2023 Kia models

Every Kia on this site — 181 vehicles.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst