CSR

Kia · NHTSA safety record

2023 Kia Sorento

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

114

Complaints

2

Crashes

2

Fires

3

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2023 Kia Sorento have filed 114 safety complaints with NHTSA between November 2022 and August 2026. The most complained-about system is the electrical system, named in 36 of them (32%). The typical failure was reported at 16,850 miles, the median across the 12 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

NHTSA has issued 3 recalls covering this vehicle.

Recalls (3)

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

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 114.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 36 32%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 34 30%
ENGINE 28 25%
POWER TRAIN 19 17%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 14 12%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 11 10%
LANE DEPARTURE 10 9%
SERVICE BRAKES 10 9%
STEERING 7 6%
VISIBILITY/WIPER 7 6%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 6 5%
VISIBILITY 4 4%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2026 at 37.

2022 2026
2022 to 2026, the last of them a part year

In owners' own words

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.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I believe my car should be in the ac recall for faulty ac motor/wire harness due to my ac is only cooling on passenger side. Blowing hot on driver. I’m afraid it may catch fire as I read this can happen.

NHTSA complaint 11756282. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
While driving, the dashboard lit up with warnings about forward collision, lane departure, lane keeping assistance, breaks, speed etc. that keep cycling through with alarm sounds on the dashboard. I have brought my car to the dealership few times and they reprogram the car but the issue keeps coming back randomly. Seems like a loose connection somewhere. I am afraid of driving when it happens.

NHTSA complaint 11756297. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
All of the ADAS you have listed stop working on my car. I will be driving my car, stop at a red light, drive through, or just driving down the road and it starts throwing sensors. It won’t even show the MPH I’m driving and some times the steering wheel locks up, as does the car itself. I can’t shift gears, move the vehicle, or anything until leaving the vehicle alone for a while and coming back to it. I have proof of multiple repairs, call ins to Kia, and even a request for buy back which was denied on the vehicle.

NHTSA complaint 11755298. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN

208,600 miles

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.

NHTSA complaint 11754478. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The vehicle intermittently fails to start in two different situations. First, when the auto Stop/start system shuts the engine off while the vehicle is stopped anywhere, the engine sometimes refuses to restart, leaving the vehicle immobilized. Second, there are occasions when I park the vehicle, turn it off normally, and upon returning, the engine will refuse to start.

NHTSA complaint 11754178. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
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.

NHTSA complaint 11751796. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Kia Sorento

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2025 69 3
2024 36 2
2022 185 6
2021 236 4
2020 131 1 1
2019 419 2
2018 248 3 1
2017 795 4
2016 1,242 8
2015 747 3
2014 982 6 1
2013 979 5
2012 876 5
2011 1,517 7

Other 2023 Kia models

Every Kia on this site — 176 vehicles, 208 recall campaigns and 1 open investigation .

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. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

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