SUV, hybrid, 4WD/4-Wheel Drive/4x4, built in South Korea. Owner complaints on file from Feb 17, 2025 to Sep 25, 2026.
Owner complaints about this model year, by the year they were filed with NHTSA.
Owner complaints by component. Hover or focus a bar for the crash, fire, injury or death count.
Check a specific vehicle by VIN on NHTSA's site: a campaign may cover only part of a model year's production.
| Campaign | Filed | Subject | Component | Vehicles | Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26V-046 | Jan 26, 2026 | Due to a software error, the instrument panel display may fail | Electrical system | 42,677 | Software update |
| 25V-006 | Jan 13, 2025 | Software error in the Body Domain Control Unit (BDC) may cause a loss of low beam headlights and taillights | Lighting | 74,469 | Software update |
The full text of every complaint filed with NHTSA about this model year, newest first. Complaints are filed by owners and are not verified by NHTSA; NHTSA removes personal details before publishing.
43 complaints on file, page 1 of 3.
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. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint 11766939While 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 alert of an issue. I shut the car off after returning home, tried to drive up my street, the same thing happened even when I tried to accelerate to 25mph. I am making an appointment to take it to a kia dealership.
NHTSA complaint 11763631The 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 11761641My 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 no alert to charge the battery was received. This time the fuel rail pressure sensor was replaced. The car is now sitting in my driveway, completely dead. I drove it 2 days ago, and nothing appeared amiss. Yesterday morning, the doors would not unlock using either key fob, so I used the physical key to enter the car. It would not start. My husband measured the voltage from the battery terminal (inside the fuse box under the hood) to the bolt on the wheel strut at ~3 Volts. No settings were changed in the car and I verified the headlights remain in "Auto" mode. As it is Sunday, I will contact the Kia dealer tomorrow for directions. Due to the repetitive nature of issues with this car, I would like help from the NHTSA to ensure this is promptly and permanently fixed.
NHTSA complaint 11760757This 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 there have been two additional occurances that I have had. I believe the issues are related to either a fuel pressure sensor or a sudden loss of power within the EV system that causes the vehicle to protect itself by enetering into the limp-mode. I have discovered a short term resolution is to disconnect the 12-V battery and let the car sit for 30 minutes to clear the system codes, but sitting on a busy roadway and the loss of power at speed is a serious safety issue. I have spoken to other owners who have experienced similar issues so this appears to be a wider spread issue.
NHTSA complaint 11757346My rear windshield exploded out when back door was closed
NHTSA complaint 11755773The contact owns a 2025 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving approximately 75 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power and failed to exceed 30 MPH. The contact pulled over to the side of the road to avoid other vehicles. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer to be diagnosed; however, the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 16,386.
NHTSA complaint 11751110The 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 11749335Wireless cell phone charging pad causes phone to overheat. I have tried other vehicles (Ford Explorer) and this had no detrimental effect on cell phone. As well as heating the cell phone (Apple iPhone 16) it also doesn’t charge the phone. I have also tried other cell phones (Apple iPhone 16 and 14) and same issues were presented. The safety issue is the inability to charge the cell phone reliably as well as the very hot condition caused to the cell phone. I purchased this vehicle new in July 2025 and I realized the issue almost immediately. I did let my Kia service department know of this and was told at the time that this is very common and that a recall (repair) would likely be available soon. To be best of my knowledge this hasn’t happened. The only reason I am bringing it up now is that my son in law (the Ford Explorer) mentioned that he utilizes his with no problem. Thank you
NHTSA complaint 11748874I purchased a 2025 Kia Sorento Hybrid from Dulles Kia. Since I've owned it, I've had the same problem three times — my car randomly goes into limp mode while I'm driving. It doesn't matter what speed I'm going. The car just starts slowing down on its own, won't let me accelerate, and the RPMs start surging up and down. It's terrifying. The first time it happened, it was towed to Fayetteville Kia. They couldn't even recreate the problem. They redownloaded some software and sent me on my way. The second time it happened, it was taken to Herson's Kia in Rockville. This time they were able to recreate it. They told me it was the fuel pump and replaced it under warranty. Now it's happened again — this time while I was on vacation in Ocean City, Maryland. I was stranded with my two dogs, one of which is my service animal. I had to arrange a tow and find a last-minute hotel out of pocket. The car is currently at Pohanka Kia in Salisbury. They first told me it was a fuel injector, then changed their diagnosis to a valve seal issue — and apparently it's a known issue with this type of vehicle. It has now been sitting at the dealership for over a week. This is the third time the same problem has occurred. It has ruined multiple vacations and left me stranded, stressed, and without my car for extended periods. I just want a car that works.
NHTSA complaint 11748306Warning lights on while driving. The emergency triangle, collison warning, break warning, both turn signals, and departure warning lights were illuminated. We were concerned of causing damage to the vehicle and pulled over. Dealer knows of issues in CA and AZ with other Sorentos. Dealer said it is due to camera overheating; the camera housing is metal and therefore causes this issue. No known fix and we are apprehesive to drive it. KIA customer care had no information and only said to go to dealer when lights are on so a code can be pulled. I believe the housings need to be replaced if that is the case and if there is a true issue with the vehicle I cannot distignuish between "camera" or mechanical when lights come on.
NHTSA complaint 11746569For an unknown reason when driving on the highway in heavy traffic the engine started to shake violently causing us to immediately pull over and when we opened the hood the engine was shaking violently. This was a dangerous situation because during this time the engine was not very responsive to input. No warning lights came on at all.
NHTSA complaint 11746457My 2025 Kia Sorento Hybrid, with approximately 20,000 miles, has experienced a sudden loss of power and entered a limp-mode condition twice within two days. During both incidents, the vehicle would not accelerate normally and was unable to maintain expected traffic speed, creating a significant safety hazard. No warning lights, warning messages, or check-engine light appeared before or during either event. After the incidents, no OBD-II diagnostic trouble codes were present. Stopping and starting the vehicle restored normal operation temporarily, but the problem reoccurred. The sudden and unexplained loss of propulsion without any warning or stored fault codes increases the risk of a crash, particularly when merging, passing, or driving in traffic.
NHTSA complaint 11744877Around XXX the car was suddenly unable to accelerate properly. When pushing the accelerator, the engine would rev only after a long lag, would rev significantly higher than normal without shifting, and the acceleration response was dramatically less than usual. It felt as if the engine simply had no power, or at times almost as if something were resisting the engine. It made it nearly impossible to accelerate past roughly 40mph and the response in acceleration from the pedal was very unpredictable. A mechanic was able to replicate the issue and it was initially attributed to the high pressure fuel pump. Roughly a week after the pump was replaced in early August 2024, the issue occurred again and was again replicated by the dealer and attributed to the fuel sensor, which was replaced. The issue then re-occurred on June 14, 2026. The car is currently in the shop awaiting diagnosis and repair. At no point during any of these instances did any warning appear on the dashboard or anywhere else in the car. The parts are not available for inspection, it is unclear to me who from Kia or any other organization has examined them beyond the dealership (Kia of Riverdale in Riverdale, NJ). The safety of the car’s occupants and potentially other motorists was put at risk by acceleration performing radically differently than would be anticipated from a properly functioning car. The issue was noted several times, including while pulling out of a parking lot onto a busy road and while attempting to keep up with traffic on a busy divided highway.
NHTSA complaint 11744327Car will suddenly go into limp mode while driving. Took to dealership and couldn' t find anything wrong. One week later did the same thing. Took back to dealership and haven't heard anything from them yet. It will just go limp and cars coming behind you could crash into you.
NHTSA complaint 11740215In February, on my car that I had had for six months with less than 3500 miles on it, I was driving and got a “driver assist warning“ on my car and I no longer have the ability to apply gas to the car. Thankfully, I was able to pull over safely. I restarted the car and everything was fine. I called the dealership and they said it is probably a bad sensor and I made an appointment to bring in my card that Friday. They said that this was due to probably a dirty sensor due to it being snowing out. The next day I took my car to a car wash to clean it to make sure that there was nothing messing with the sensor. As soon as I exited the car wash, I got the same quote, driver, warning, assist quote, warning on my dashboard and lost the ability to gas my car. I immediately took my car to the dealer where it stayed for 18 days. They said that they replaced the sensor which was causing the issue. I had my car back for a total of 10 days when the same thing happened to me. This time I was driving on a 55 mph road. Luckily, again I was able to pull over safely. I took my car straight to the dealer where they had it for 28 days. They got the corporate Kia mechanics involved. They tried a bunch of things to fix my car, and eventually said that the sensor malfunctioning was due to the oil being too high. This is on a car now with less than 38,000 miles which has never had service on it. My car has been in the shop for a total of 46 days of the last two months. The sensor just going out abruptly can cause a major accident. Since I have had this problem, I have heard of at least two other cars doing the exact same thing.
NHTSA complaint 117360961/24/26 -- While driving ~25-30mph (~2 miles from start of trip) car produced “Engine Management System error” and within a minute or so “Check Hybrid System. Stop Safely” warning and went into electric only mode, limp mode. Turning off the car and turning back on temporarily enabled the gas engine to run. Dealer reviewed fault codes and stated vehicle was now running correctly. ~800 miles and less than 30days later the same problem occurred again. 2/17 – While driving ~30mph (~1mile from start of trip) the car produced a “Engine Management System error”. At this point I was approaching a traffic light and stopped at the red light. Decided to return home and attempted to turn right on red at the light. When I hit the gas to turn, the gas engine did not engage, the car limped forward a few feet in electric mode, and the car started beeping with the “Check Hybrid System. Stop Safely” warning. If I had less less space when turning right, or the car would have a moved a few feet farther, I would have been hit in the intersection by an oncoming car. Thankfully I had left a lot of space and my car did not pull that far into the intersection. I turned the car off, when I turned the car on again, the gas engine engaged, and I was able to slowly drive the 1 mile home. Car was then towed to the dealer 2/18 for repair. As of 3/17 dealer still has the vehicle (so do not have a second repair invoice) and waiting on an Customer Care escalation from KIA as dealer recalibrated the Hybrid module but can't recreate the issue after driving 400miles. This issue leaves the car in a limp mode with a significant chance of causing a accident, I was almost hit, when there is loss of ability to accelerate at any meaningful rate or drive any sustained distance.
NHTSA complaint 11725121While travelling in the center lane of the highway, the vehicle experienced a sudden loss of power and could not maintain speed. Vehicle could not go faster than approximately 20 miles per hour. Managed to exit highway off ramp by driving approximately 20 miles per hour as there was not a shoulder to exit the lane of traffic in that particular area. The hybrid battery voltage went very low. After exiting highway turned off vehicle and turned back on again, was able to drive normally to the dealership service center. Dealership found code history of fuel rail pressure sensor, cleared code and test drove and stated not able to duplicate concern at this time. 2025 Kia Sorento Hybrid mileage is 14250 miles
NHTSA complaint 11722826The vehicle experiences a sudden and complete loss of power while driving. Specifically, the vehicle loses the ability to accelerate. During these incidents, the battery indicator shows critically low battery levels despite there being sufficient gasoline in the vehicle. The exact component causing the malfunction has not been identified by the dealership, as they report no diagnostic codes are present. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. This issue has occurred multiple times while driving on highways at speeds where surrounding traffic is traveling approximately 55 mph or higher. This has also happened while pulling out into traffic, causing near misses of an accident. When the malfunction occurs, the vehicle rapidly loses acceleration capability and slows down to approximately 20 mph. This creates a dangerous speed differential between my vehicle and surrounding traffic. It becomes extremely difficult to safely maneuver into the breakdown lane due to the inability to accelerate. This situation creates a significant risk of rear-end collision or multi-vehicle accident. The dealership has been unable to reproduce the issue during service visits. However, the vehicle has been brought in multiple times for this same concern. The dealership has stated that no diagnostic trouble codes are stored, and therefore they cannot identify or repair the root cause. I have multiple videos documenting the issue occurring while driving. The vehicle has been inspected multiple times by the authorized Kia dealership service department. This issue has been occurring since July of 2025. Video Link: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint 11721493Currently at a Kia dealership for the 3rd time since the end of December. While driving the electric refuses to switch to gas after the battery drains, it is a hybrid. Maxes out at 18 mph and then an alarm goes off for Hybrid System error. First two time check engine light also came on. Have had vehicle towed to Kia dealerships all three times. Never the same thing repaired or replaced but problem stops for a few days to two weeks and then happens again. They vehicle has been examined and the issue has been replicated or examined by the Canton Kia dealership in Canton, MI two times. Currently at Taylor Kia Toledo, OH. This is a safety issue due to the lack of speed and acceleration. So far I have been in relatively low speed areas but what if it happened on the expressway or in heavy traffic. I normally have my kids in the car and now feel that my vehicle is unsafe and I have only had it 11 months.
NHTSA complaint 11718991Technical service bulletins and other notices the manufacturer sent to dealers. A bulletin is not a recall.