2023 Kia Sorento
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Electrical system is the leading concern among 120 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 18th highest complaint count among 23 Sorento model years with reports.
Of the 2023 reports, 3 involved a crash and 2 involved a fire. 3 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Electrical system, wiring, fuses and circuit breakersSep 25, 2025
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.
A fire increases the risk of injury.
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.
Campaign 25V649000 on NHTSA.gov
Back over prevention, sensing system, cameraAug 31, 2023
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."
A rearview camera that does not properly display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
Campaign 23V610000 on NHTSA.gov
Equipment, other, labelsAug 15, 2023
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."
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.
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.
Campaign 23V579000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints
120 reports, newest first.
Power train, Sep 18, 2024
Car is a huge safety issue. Seems to be DCT transmission issue. Car gets stuck in first or second gear and revs all the way up. Happened multiple times getting on highway or at intersections. This has almost caused multiple accidents for me. You can push the pedal to the floor and it won’t do anything. The only temp fix is turning car off and back on.
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Engine, Sep 17, 2024
I had just entered the highway and reached highway speed of 70 mph. Without any warning, the engine died, all of the dashboard lights came on, and I was unable to accelerate. Thankfully I was in the right-hand lane and there was an exit ramp a short distance ahead. The car decelerated as it had no power, and cars behind me were honking. I was able to exit the highway and coast into a parking lot just off the frontage road. Had I not been able to get off the highway, the vehicle would have been stalled in fast-moving traffic, and a pile-up could have easily occurred. I turned the car off using the push button start/stop, waited several minutes, and restarted the car. The check engine light was on and the car diagnostics system reported an issue with the "engine management system." Upon clicking the details link, the diagnostics system further stated "A possible condition with your Engine Control System has been detected. A full system check is recommended to be done soon. Please contact your local dealership to schedule an appointment." I took the car to a local Kia dealership, and they stated they could not recreate the problem. They reported they "inspected the vehicle for DTC's and found code PO65312 in history." They cleared the code and reported, in writing, that "no issues found during test drive, vehicle currently operating properly, no further action taken" and gave the car back to me without fixing anything. They stated it may need to be diagnosed for longer ext diag time. The vehicle is available for inspection, and I would appreciate any help I can get as I got no help at the dealership.
Steering, Lane departure, Forward collision avoidance, Aug 27, 2024
When attempting to start the car, the engine will not start and every alert system and dashboard light turns on. The car is undriveable when it does this. It takes 5-10 minutes of turning the car on and off before it stops and is drivable again. It does not happen every time and seems to be random. This has happened 5 times. An additional 6th time this same issue happened while I was driving - all of the dashboard lights went on, and every alert / warning turned on (forward collision, lane warning, etc). The steering wheel also became stiff and extremely difficult to turn. I have been attempting to work with 2 different Kia service departments and their corporate escalations department without luck. They are unable to replicate the issue and are planning to give the car back to us. After seeing so many similar or same issues reported on various forums I am filing a NHTSA claim. (One forum example here: [XXX] ) INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Electrical system, Engine, Aug 14, 2024
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 did not diagnose the problem. The only action that they took was to refill the engine coolant reservoir. Prior to pick-up, we notified the KIA Customer Service Escalation Case Manager in writing that the vehicle had not been fixed and continued to represent a safety risk to our family. They took no further action. After pick-up, the vehicle was driven approximately 35 miles before the smoke started to fill the engine cabin. It was taken to two independent mechanics along the side of the highway. One was Vienna Auto Care and the other was Jiffy Lube Auto Care. Both identified that the motor blower resistor had likely failed. The JLAC manager also identified white material on the engine manifold believed to be engine coolant. All was documented in writing. The vehicle was towed back to King KIA. Prior to towing, the JLAC manager told us that melted motor blower casing was highly toxic. (Later, the KIA Case Manager informed us that he would admit that our family was put at risk by being told to pick-up the unfixed vehicle.) He also told us that if the motor blower failed then it likely was not an isolated case. This time, the motor blower failure was reproduced. However, the engine coolant issue has yet to be resolved. We are now being instructed to pick-up the car again.
Engine, Jul 30, 2024
This was an alarming situation. I was taking my wife for a cancer treatment in our 2023 KIA Sorrento with 2600 miles on it. The instrument panel showed a A with a circle around it, blinking continuously. I was going up a grade in a town and the car would not accelerate. All of a sudden the engine SURGED the brakes would not stop the car, I put it into neutral and went into a parking lot. If there would have ben a car in front of me or no place to pull over there would have been a serious accident. I called the KIA dealership and took it in for a diagnostic test. Nothing wrong with car was their answer. In the mean time I am afraid to drive the car. I am [XXX] and reflexes are not as good as they were [XXX] . INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Electrical system, Engine, Jul 26, 2024
Twice while driving on the highway the engine power went off and all the safety lights flash and I could not accelerate. I was able to pull Over in neutral and restart the engine. When taken in for inspection, no problems were found. It happened again in June after the 7500 mile inspection on May 9th. This issue is life threatening as it could easily cause a fatal crash if I was not in the right lane, on flat ground, with a shoulder. There was no warning light.
Engine, Lane departure, Jul 23, 2024
The blind spot assist warning came on, with no other cars around, and then the engine seized. This Sorento is a 2023 and only had 29000 miles. The engine is now destroyed and kia is not upholding the warranty.
Visibility/wiper, Jul 15, 2024
On the morning of July 14, 2024 I noticed a crack on the driver side on the window. The crack appeared on the bottom of the window and travel upwards where it ended. This morning July 15, 2024, the crack spread across towards the passenger side of the vehicle. Nothing hit the window for it to develop a crack as my car was parked in the driveway and there were no markings on the window. I do put on the window sun visor to keep the excessive heat out of the car.
Electrical system, Engine, Jul 9, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the engine START/STOP feature was malfunctioning. The contact stated that while at a complete stop, the engine START/STOP system caused the vehicle to restart, and then to stall, nearly causing a crash. The battery warning light was illuminated and the message "Shift to Park to Start Vehicle" was displayed. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 1,200.
Seats, Jun 29, 2024
THIS IS THE SECOND REPORT I AM MAKING. As in my last report this involves the driver’s seat and changing profiles on the infotainment system. - The driver’s seat/profile will keep my settings for a few weeks or months and then it randomly forgets and resets to the factory settings. - On June 18, 2024 the infotainment profile was set for my husband. I switched to my profile and was backing out of my garage and the seat switched to factory settings while the car was actively in reverse. I am short and could not reach the break or gas pedal! - The dealer has not had any other complaints like this.
Forward collision avoidance, Jun 7, 2024
While driving on 3 separate occasions the AEB engaged causing vehicle to stop completely in the middle of the roadway with nobody in front or on the side and Im not too sure if anyone was behind. Vehicle was going 50mph on two occasions and 35mph on the third occasion. Took to dealership was told there is nothing they could do about it unless the vehicle is giving off code(s). Called the dealership again when incident occurred told me the same thing, finally when the third time it happened I contacted KIA Corporate made a case and now waiting for a call back. Very concerning safety issue that needs to be recalled
Power train, Service brakes, Engine, May 25, 2024
CURRENT MILEAGE 6,776 miles -Purchased the vehicle and on two occasions the AEB Emergency brake system came on twice without any cars around- Also, twice the engine shutdown light came on and acceleration has stopped on me and the vehicle stalled, which is dangerous if Im on the parkway or road where I cant pull over like a bridge. NICE LOOKING CAR BUT DONT BE FOOLED- A RECALL NEEDS TO BE SENT TO PROTECT OTHERS FROM A CRASH IMMEDIATELY.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Engine, May 24, 2024
I bought a 2023 Kia Sorento SX with 11 miles on the vehicle in June of 2023, On 7/17/23, within a month and a half of driving it, it would lose all power and would not respond to excelleration, whereby coasting to the side of the road. All warning lights would come on, 3 codes popped up, one of which is the malfunction of the engine. I would turn it off and back on to reset the computer and it would drive. I took it to my local Kia service department and they cleared off the codes and couldn't recreate or duplicate the problem. On 8/23/23 I experienced the exact same experience the same scenario, but this time I could barely pull over it had loss of power and I was about to drive through an intersection. Took it back to service they performed a complete check without success they kept it for 2 weeks to try and duplicate the problem, wasn't fixed. The 3rd time on 5/06/24, same problem, they still don't know what causes the car to lose power. I am concerned that the car will cause a fatality to myself, my family, or to another motorist. This car is not safe to drive because the computer systems shut down while driving and it is sporadic and unnerving when it happens.
Power train, Electrical system, Engine, Apr 30, 2024
As I was driving the car it suddenly lost power… then all warning and sensor lights came on in the dash. I pulled the car over and restarted and the engine turned on but would not engage to drive. It was stuck. Multiple engine and transmission warning codes appeared on my Kia app for the car. Kia’s response to resolve has been non existent. I am fearful for my safety if this happens again. It’s the second time.
Power train, Electrical system, Apr 15, 2024
Engine light came on and I don’t have 30,000 miles on my car. The service tech informed me that they’ve seen this and Kia had not issued a recall
Electrical system, Engine, Mar 26, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, several unknown warning lights and messages flashed on the instrument panel. The contact was forced to pull over and restart the vehicle due to the failure. The failure was intermittent. The vehicle had been taken to the dealer on multiple occasions; however, the dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a claim was filed. The vehicle was not repaired and remained in the possession of the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 2,000.
Electrical system, Mar 18, 2024
Battery draining on new car after new battery replacement.
Service brakes, Mar 8, 2024
On 3 different occasion when parking in my driveway (on a hill) my car rolled while in park. On the first occasion I almost ran over my wife who was taking our young daughter out of her car seat. Fortunately I was still in the drivers seat and able to press my foot on the brake. On the next two occasions there was nobody around and the car rolled into the street. I have contacted Kia repeatedly to fix this issue and they have done nothing. The dealership says there is nothing wrong and is now refusing to answer calls from myself and Kia. Kia is saying it's up to the dealership to fix. This is incredibly dangerous for people who are not aware there is an issue. The dealer accused me of not activating the parking brake. As I explained to them the car would have rolled me over before I could walk away - so that is impossible. I can't replicate this every time. I have been able to replicate it one other time but did not get it on video. This makes the situation that much more dangerous especially with little kids. I now park every time with my emergency brake engaged.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Feb 20, 2024
Purchased brand new 2023 Sorento on 12/30/23. On Jan 14th, with less than 300 miles on it, had 1st incident. All lights on dash came on said Engine control system, lost all ability to accelerate. Had to get out of traffic, as safely as I could. Turned car off and waited 5 min. Turn car back on, check engine light stayed on but could give gas. Took to dealership and a code was stored in history, engine control module. 3 days later took it back to get fixed and they could reproduce problem or get any code. Put flight recorder on, drove it for 11 miles, nothing. Said they can't fix without a code. On Feb 17th, with 1500 miles, same situation. All lights on dash, cannot give any gas. Extremely dangerous in traffic. Got off road and on display it said it performed 7 checks. All showing good except Engine Management System. Shows condition with engine control system and take to dealership immediately. It was a Saturday, service was closed. Check engine light stayed on Saturday and all day Sunday. Monday, check engine off. Took to dealership, no code found. This is a brand new car and has has same problem twice now. They are saying they need a code to fix. So now I'm driving a ticking time bomb, a death trap. Scared to drive on interstate or anywhere with heavy traffic. When you loose ability to control cars speed, that's EXTREMELY dangerous. I dropped car off at KIA and will NOT pickup until they can tell me what's going on with my brand new car. Why KIA put a safety feature that "limp mode" stops the car from accelerating is beyond me. This is so scary and disappointing.
Power train, Service brakes, Engine, Feb 8, 2024
On [XXX] while driving and in the process of changing lanes, as I accelerated on the brakes, my Vehicle gave a sudden jerk, at first I figured it was due to the road being wet, but on [XXX] while driving to NYC on [XXX] as we all know we all have to keep up the speed, once again during accelerating my vehicle repeated the same sudden jerk and continue for most of my ride, I brought into KIA on [XXX] with the end result being they did not find this issue, as well as my ongoing issue of my engine light that has been coming on and off for about 5 months now. I do believe my vehicle is having some kind of issue with the transmission and gears are not kicking in during the acceleration process may I add this is on the highway. My vehicle is a 2023 which I purchased in Aug of 2023 and have been in the dealership for shaking during braking engine light on and now gear delay with no resolution to all issues, I will be contacting the Manufactured as my next step in the horrible processes. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Engine, Feb 5, 2024
See attached document for complaint
Structure, Visibility/wiper, Jan 24, 2024
Issue occurred and came to like during the past winter snow storm. The hood of the SUV does not allow and blocks the wiper blade arm from being lifted in order to clean ice off the wiper blade nor can the wiper arm be lifted to clear ice and snow under the wiper arm to allow proper operation. This design flaw does not allow safe and clear sight function of the windshield wipers.
Equipment, Jan 17, 2024
[XXX] was shopping for new vehicle and compared advertised window sticker safety rating to NHTSA rating. The rating on the window sticker was incorrect (stated 5 stars when NHTSA confirms 4 stars). Concerned that this is false advertising and misleading for consumers. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Power train, Jan 5, 2024
Transmission Oil light came on and the vehicle lost power. It was determined that the Transmission was faulty with only 3800 miles.
Steering, Jan 2, 2024
The contact owns a 2023 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, there was squealing sounds coming from the steering wheel and the steering wheel was difficult to turn. The contact stated that several system warning lights illuminated and the check lane departure warning, check speed limit, check high beam assist, and check driver attention messages were displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed but was not repaired. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 2,400.