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Kia · NHTSA safety record

2026 Kia Sorento

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

Owners have filed 5 safety complaints about the 2026 Kia Sorento with the US government. Of those, 2 describe a crash, 1 person was injured and no death is recorded. 2 recall campaigns are open against it, covering the electrical system and the tires.

The most complained-about system is back-over prevention, named in 1 complaint, 20% of the total.

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

What is on file

5 complaints on file

5

Complaints

2

Describe a crash

0

Mention fire

1

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
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 2 · 40%
BACK OVER PREVENTION 1 · 20%
ENGINE 1 · 20%
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING 1 · 20%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 · 20%
SERVICE BRAKES 1 · 20%
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 1 · 20%
0 4 8

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 5.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA has not crash tested the 2026 Kia Sorento. Its New Car Assessment Program tests a selection of each year's vehicles and does not reach motorcycles, heavy trucks, motorhomes or most low-volume models, so an absence here says nothing about how the vehicle would perform. It is not a low score.

What owners have reported about this vehicle is below, and it is a different question: a crash test measures what happens to the people inside in a controlled impact, while a complaint records what broke during ordinary use.

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

TIRES:TEMPORARY/EMERGENCY SPARE TIRE

25V745000 · October 31, 2025

The defect
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2025 Telluride and 2026 Sorento vehicles. The vehicles are equipped with an incorrect spare tire which, when installed, can impair the anti-lock braking system (ABS) and the traction control system (TCS). As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
The risk
Anti-lock braking or traction control systems that do not function properly can increase the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the spare wheel and tire assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 3, 2025. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC355. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning November 13, 2025.

Kia America, Inc. · up to 45 vehicles across all model years covered

Compare

Other years of the Kia Sorento

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2025 74 3 —
2024 41 2 —
2023 120 3 —
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 2026 Kia models

Sportage 27 Carnival 26 EV9 26 Carnival Hybrid 22 K5 13 K4 12 Sportage Hybrid 7

Complaints on file, same model year.

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