2023 Kia Sorento Hybrid Recalls & Complaints

Incident: May 15, 2024 · Filed: October 27, 2026

The contact owns a 2023 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while stopped at a light or making a left or right turn, while depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to respond. The contact stated that seconds later, the vehicle responded, and the vehicle hesitated and moved forward independently. The contact stated that during the failure, there was a vibration coming from the rear passenger’s side wheel, and the vehicle lost motive power while driving. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed; however, the diagnostic result was unknown. The battery and all four tires were replaced, and the vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the failures had occurred several times over the past two years. The manufacturer was notified of the failures and stated that the VIN was not under recall. The approximate failure mileage was 95,000.

Incident: October 13, 2026 · Filed: October 14, 2026

The back camera has fallen out and it appears the clips are broken off that was holding camera inside of car.

Incident: October 4, 2026 · Filed: October 5, 2026

On [XXX] at [XXX], while driving northbound on [XXX] in Montgomery County, MD, just before Exit [XXX] (about 10-15 minutes after leaving home), the engine overheat warning came on. My child was in the vehicle with me. I pulled over to the shoulder briefly. Thinking it might be a temporary error, I resumed driving, but the same overheat warning came back almost immediately, so I pulled into a nearby restaurant parking lot and stopped the vehicle. I checked under the hood and found the coolant reservoir nearly empty. Because the vehicle was not safe to drive, I had it towed that evening to King Kia (Gaithersburg, MD). Next day on Monday morning, the dealer diagnosed that the Exhaust Heat Recovery System (EHRS) had failed internally, causing coolant to leak into the exhaust system, and recommended replacing the EHRS at a cost of $1,475.55. The vehicle has approximately 61,000 miles, just past the 60,000-mile basic warranty, so the dealer stated it is not covered. This failure caused sudden engine overheating while driving on a highway with a child on board, creating a serious risk of engine damage, stalling, and a crash. Kia Customer Care case number: [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Incident: July 6, 2026 · Filed: July 6, 2026

The sub roof exploded while on the freeway and all the glass shattered like rain onto the fabric underneath. We pulled over on the side of the freeway and are waiting for a tow. We didn't see any large objects fall or fly towards the car. It sounded like a huge explosion then left a big whole.

Incident: October 20, 2025 · Filed: February 17, 2026

The contact owns a 2023 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving approximately 40 MPH on several occasions, the vehicle stalled after the battery became drained. The vehicle was able to restart each time after waiting for the battery to recharge. The vehicle was taken to two different dealers on three occasions. During the first two visits, the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure. On the third visit, the failure was duplicated, but the dealer was unable to provide a cause for the failure. During a visit to the dealer, the vehicle stalled while a mechanic was driving it, and the vehicle was towed back to the dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 25,000.

Incident: February 9, 2026 · Filed: February 9, 2026

While driving hybrid battery depletes and car stops accelerating. With pedal to the floor, it may get to 60 MPH, other times 15 MPH. Car doesn't sound great while this is happening. 3/4 times an error showed up stating "Check Hybrid System-Stop Safely". The 4th time the error didn't appear , but was driving on hilly road where battery charged when it was going down a hill. The problem occurred on back roads and Highways. It is VERY unsafe when you suddenly can't accelerate. The car was towed to a kia dealer twice. 1st time I was told it was "bad gas." $1,500 later, it happened again. The 3rd time I had it again towed to a Kia Dealer. 6 weeks later, I was told they couldn't find anything wrong, and Kia released the car. 1 week later, it happened again on the Highway. Dates of occurrence: November 17, 2025 November 25, 2025 December 11, 2025 February 9, 2026 (car was at the dealer from Dec 11-January 29th)

Incident: September 23, 2025 · Filed: September 26, 2025

While driving on September 15, 2025, the vehicle displayed a loud beeping and the warning message “Check Hybrid System. Stop Safely.” The vehicle restarted about an hour later, but the combustion engine ran very rough. The Kia dealer inspected it but reported no stored error codes. On September 23, 2025, the vehicle suddenly lost power while driving. It appeared to operate only on electric at low speed, then died completely in the roadway. The vehicle would not power down until the start/stop button was held. It required a tow back to the dealer. Prior to the first incident, a faint electrical smoldering odor was present. The vehicle remains at the Kia dealer for evaluation. This is a serious safety concern because the vehicle experienced sudden loss of motive power and stalling in traffic, which put both myself and others at risk. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Incident: September 18, 2025 · Filed: September 18, 2025

On passenger side interior between glove box and dashboard, there is a textured, metallic trim plate that during a sunny mid day, casts a reflection on the passenger side window over the top of the where the passenger side rear view mirror is.

Incident: February 17, 2025 · Filed: May 14, 2025

Vehicle suddenly loses power while driving. Engine does not turn on, vehicle will run on battery until battery is dead, then putting the vehicle in park once stopped. Vehicle will not accelerate normally since the engine does not turn on. Only goes 10-20 mph. Lights on the dash come on, prompting to keep car on to charge the battery. No code is found when the vehicle is scanned. Dealerships can't seem to diagnose the issue. This is a safety concern when driving on busy roads or state highways at higher speeds.

Incident: May 1, 2025 · Filed: May 2, 2025

Critical Issue: Gasoline leaks into engine. That causes increasing engine oil level significantly and mixed with engine oil. I dropped off me car (mileage: 11731) at Kia Pro in Glendale, CA on 5/1/2025 as soon as I confirmed that engine oil level exceeds the maximum (twice of max) and smelled Gasoline from the dipstick. The service advisor and a tech confirmed that the excessive engine oil level and gasoline smell. However, they refused to repair it under warranty because they don't see any physical leaks and error codes. In addition to that, they told me that the car is not good to drive as is because Gasoline is mixed with engine oil. In my opinion, this can cause critical powertrain failures or possible life-threatening damages if that initiates fire from engine. Car maintenance history: at 6312miles, 1 oil change change at Kia in Alhambra, CA I have attached the service receipt on 5/1 for your reference. That shows that the dealership confirmed the issue but they didn't try to resolve the issue.