CSR

Kia · NHTSA safety record

2025 Kia Sorento Hybrid

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

Owners have filed 43 safety complaints about the 2025 Kia Sorento Hybrid with the US government. Of those, 1 describes a crash, 2 people were injured and no death is recorded. 2 recall campaigns are open against it, covering the electrical system.

The most complained-about system is the engine, named in 21 complaints, 49% of the total.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers February 2025 to September 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

43 complaints on file

43

Complaints

1

Describe a crash

0

Mention fire

2

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
ENGINE 21 · 49%
POWER TRAIN 17 · 40%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 14 · 33%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 10 · 23%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 9 · 21%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 3 · 7%
AIR BAGS 1 · 2%
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 1 · 2%
LANE DEPARTURE 1 · 2%
VISIBILITY/WIPER 1 · 2%
0 12 23

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 43.

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 28.

32 24 16 8
25 26

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2025 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 2025 Kia SORENTO HYBRID, 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

2 on file

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL

26V046000 · January 27, 2026

The defect
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2025 Kia K4, 2025-2026 Sorento, Sorento Hybrid, Sorento Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV), 2026 Sportage, Sportage Hybrid, Sportage PHEV, K5, EV9, Carnival, and Carnival Hybrid vehicles. Due to a software error, the instrument panel display may fail. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 101, "Controls and Displays" and 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring System."
The risk
An instrument panel display that fails to show critical safety information, such as the speedometer, tire pressure, or warning lights, increases the risk of a crash.
The remedy
The instrument panel display software will be updated over-the-air (OTA) or by a dealer, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed March 26, 2026. Owners may contact Kia Customer Service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC361. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov on February 9, 2026.

Kia America, Inc. · up to 42,677 vehicles across all model years covered

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:BODY CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE

25V006000 · January 13, 2025

The defect
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Sorento, 2025 Sorento Hybrid, and 2025 Sorento Plug-In Hybrid vehicles. A software error in the Body Domain Control Unit (BDC) may cause a loss of low beam headlights and taillights. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
The risk
A loss of headlights and taillights can reduce visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will update the BDC software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 21, 2025. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC331.

Kia America, Inc. · up to 74,469 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.

AIR BAGS

2 injured · crash · towed

Upon collision with another vehicle, there was no deployment of any airbags. The vehicle is available for inspection. I was in a head on collision and due to the severity and deployment of the other vehicles airbags, I believe that mine should have as well. The vehicle is currently in the process of being inspected by insurance. A police report was filed for the incident. There was no prior indication of this malfunction.

NHTSA complaint 11674601. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

towed · 2,000 miles

The contact owns a 2025 Kia Sorento Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The message "Check Fluids. Fluids Are Low" was displayed. The contact stated that the vehicle was able to restart but failed to respond upon depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that an inverter coolant component had sustained a hole from a pebble or a bug, causing the coolant leak. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 2,000.

NHTSA complaint 11677253. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE

towed · 2,300 miles

The contact owns a 2025 Kia Sorento Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode, and the vehicle decelerated to 35 MPH. The vehicle was driven to the residence and was later towed to the local dealer. While at the dealer, the cause of the failure was not determined, and the failure had self-corrected. The vehicle was retrieved; however, approximately 1,500 miles late,r the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 2,300.

NHTSA complaint 11716775. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE

towed · 11,000 miles

The contact owns a 2025 Kia Sorento Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle suddenly decelerated and failed to exceed 35 MPH before stalling and losing power. Emergency services were contacted and assisted with pushing the vehicle to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, who held the vehicle for two days but had not diagnosed the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 11,000.

NHTSA complaint 11749335. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
While driving in our Kia Sorento 2025 on XXX, completely secluded from any other traffic or road hazards, the sunroof exploded outward. The explosion was very loud and startled my wife, who was driving, almost causing a single-car accident. This is the second time this has happened in our family, and KIA is refusing to acknowledge any issue and won't even return our calls. I'm very worried about this causing a serious accident or even death. Glass shop in [XXX] said they've seen it multiple times but can't fix. Kia Dealer in [XXX] (our home) won't cover it under the "bumper-to-bumper" warranty or recall. Please intervene. If you don't, nothing will change and someone will die eventually.

NHTSA complaint 11766939, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
While driving in a 55mph highway, I lost all accelerative power in my KIA Sorento Hybrid, driving my speed down to 25mph with vehicles behind me and no shoulder to pull onto. When I put my foot on the accelerator, the rmps on the dash would go all the way up 3000-4000 rpms, but there wasn't even a revving sound, and the car would not accelerate. Luckily I had just left my house was able to turn around and drive slowly home with my hazard lights on, the two miles back home. The first moment it happened the car behind me had to break, and luckily did so in time. From looking up the symptoms, it seems it may have been a malfunction with the HPCU. At no time did any diagnostic lights come on to

NHTSA complaint 11763631, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The central ccNC infotainment display screen on my 2025 Kia Sorento Hybrid intermittently and now permanently failed (blank/black screen). This total display blackout completely disables the backup camera system (FMVSS 111 non-compliance) and critical vehicle setting controls. The issue first began while under the 36,000-mile factory warranty (documented at 12,000-14,000 miles). Despite providing timestamped video proof and taking the vehicle to the dealership for diagnosis (Case #26311712), Kia America has delayed and refused to authorize a goodwill repair/replacement. This issue mirrors official NHTSA safety recall SC361 / 26V046 for 2025 Sorento display defects.

NHTSA complaint 11761641. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
My 2025 Kia Sorento Hybrid SX-Prestige has repeated issues with the engine and drive train. On December 30th, 2025 it was diagnosed with a blocked breather hose sensor, causing the check engine light to come on. On July 1, 2026, the car rapidly decelerated while driving on the highway (limp mode), creating an unsafe condition, with an alert to charge the battery. The car also seemed to struggle getting up to speed, and shifted gears less smoothly, and at higher engine RPMs than it had previously. The deceleration behavior was confirmed by the Kia Technician. On July 21st, 2026, the car again rapidly decelerated while driving on the highway (limp mode), creating another unsafe condition, but

NHTSA complaint 11760757, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
This report concerns a repeating loss of power in the 2025 Kia Sorrento-Hybrid that forces the engine into "limp-mode". This issue has occurred when traveling at speeds exceeding 55mph on highway as well as when accelerating to merge into traffic. The vehicle does not flash any warning lights on the dashboard and shuts down in the middle of traffic which presents a serious safety issue for oncoming traffic as the vehicle must coast to the side of the road. This has occurred multiple times and twice I have had the vehicle towed to the dealership. Initially a fuel pressure sensor was replaced and the second time the dealership indicated they could not find any relatable cause. Since that time

NHTSA complaint 11757346, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My rear windshield exploded out when back door was closed

NHTSA complaint 11755773. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Kia Sorento Hybrid

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2023 30 2 —
2022 12 4 —
2021 21 2 —

Other 2025 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