2022 Kia Sorento Hybrid

Routine

Owners filed 12 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the electrical system. It has been recalled 4 times.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Electrical System4
010
Visibility › Windshield1
000
Vehicle Speed Control1
000
Unknown or Other1
000
Trailer Hitches1
000
Service Brakes1
000
Power Train1
000
Engine1
000
Air Bags1
000

4 safety recalls

Part 573 reports
Back Over Prevention › Sensing System › Camera23V610000
Filed Aug 31, 2023144,979 vehiclesKia America, Inc.

Defect. 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."

Risk. A rearview camera that does not properly display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy. 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.

Trailer Hitches22V703000Park outside
Filed Sep 19, 202270,887 vehiclesKia America, Inc.

Defect. Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Sorento, 2021-2022 Sorento Hybrid (HEV), 2022-2023 Sorento Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV), and 2017-2022 Sportage vehicles equipped with a tow hitch harness installed as original equipment, or purchased as an accessory through a Kia dealership. Debris and moisture accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (PCB) may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire.

Risk. A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.

Remedy. Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will inspect the vehicle, and, as necessary, replace the fuse and/or tow hitch harness module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 11, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC249.

Seat Belts › Pretensioner22V447000
Filed Jun 23, 202217,199 vehiclesKia Motors America

Defect. Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Sorento Hybrid and 2022 Sorento Plug-in Hybrid vehicles. In the event of a crash, the front driver-side and/or passenger-side seat belt pretensioner(s) may explode upon deployment.

Risk. An exploding seat belt pretensioner can project metal fragments into the vehicle, striking vehicle occupants and resulting in injury.

Remedy. Dealers will secure the seat belt pretensioners with a cap, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 17, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC241. This recall expands and replaces NHTSA recall number 22V-127. Vehicles already repaired under the previous recall will need to have the new remedy completed.

Seat Belts › Front22V127000
Filed Mar 4, 2022213 vehiclesKia Motors America

Defect. Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2022 Sorento Hybrid and Sorento Plug-in Hybrid vehicles. In the event of a crash, the front driver-side and/or passenger-side seat belt pretensioner(s) may explode upon deployment.

Risk. An exploding seat belt pretensioner can project metal fragments into the vehicle, striking vehicle occupants and resulting in injury.

Remedy. Dealers will replace the seatbelt pretensioner(s), free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 3, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC231. This recall is replaced by NHTSA recall number 22V-447. Vehicles already repaired under this recall will need to have the new remedy completed.

What owners reported

Newest filings
Service Brakes
Filed May 9, 2025OH

My vehicle has a breaking issue. When breaking the breaks either hard break or get sticky and grab, release, and grab. This is scary. Sometimes you are slowing down on a 55MPH road and suddenly you hard break even though you weren’t slamming down on the breaks! I have almost been rear ended multiple times. The problem has been reproduced by myself, a few friends, and family members. However, the dealership says it is normal. I know it’s not! I’ve had this vehicle for 42000 miles! This has not been checked by the police. This started after the dealership replaced my tires.

Air Bags
Filed Jan 29, 2025CA

I took my car into Winn Kia dealership in Fremont, Ca to have my recall completed which entailed seat belts and airbags. They claimed to have completed the recall and gave me my car back a few days later. A month or so later, they called and ask me to bring my car in so they could complete. After back and forth, they couldn’t confirm if the recalls were done and advised I take it to another sister dealership which I did. I took it to Dublin Kia and they confirmed via email that Wynn Kia in fremont, Ca did not connect my seatbelts and air bags properly - they stated they missed that step when completing the recalls. I drove my car around with my 2 year old daughter niece and nephew in the car for over a month without seatbelts and airbags connected without knowing.

Trailer Hitches
Filed Dec 2, 2024VA

The contact owns a 2022 Kia Sorento Hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V703000 (Trailer Hitches); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact called another local dealer, First Team Kia (4834A Bridge Rd, Suffolk, VA 23435, (757)260-3590). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

Electrical System
Filed Nov 12, 202412,000 milesGA

The contact owns a 2022 Kia Sorento Hybrid. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the message "Battery Not Fully Charged" was displayed. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the engine wiring harness was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 12,000.

Engine
Filed Oct 23, 2024NY

The vehicle's oil was changed at Transitowne Kia of West Seneca, NY on 10/19/24 with 19,576 on the odometer. During the oil change, a Kia multi-point inspection was performed. No leaks or other concerns were found. On [XXX] with around 19,596 on the odometer while driving on [XXX] the vehicle experienced a sudden loss of power accompanied by grinding noises coming from the engine. This was followed by the check engine light flashing and the low oil indicator illuminating. I pulled over and found that a massive amount of oil was rapidly pouring out from beneath the vehicle. Vehicle was towed back to Transitowne Kia who on 10/21/24 diagnosed the issue as a failure to the oil pressure setting unit. Transitowne Kia replaced an oil plug and alleges the issue is unrelated to the oil change. They further allege the vehicle's engine is functioning fine following their complete engine diagnostic testing and the vehicle is ready to be picked up. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Electrical System
Filed Aug 14, 2024200 milesGA

The contact owns a 2022 Kia Sorento Hybrid. The contact stated that after purchasing the vehicle brand new, the contact became aware that the maximum battery charge was 60-70 percent. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was test-driven, and the battery was charged. The dealer confirmed the failure and reported the failure to the manufacturer. The manufacturer advised the dealer to test-drive and to charge another vehicle with the same year make and model to verify whether the failure would reoccur. The dealer followed the instructions and advised the manufacturer that the failure reoccurred. The contact followed up with the manufacturer and was advised that he would be contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 200.

Visibility › Windshield
Filed Aug 2, 202419,000 milesAZ

The contact owns a 2022 Kia Sorento Hybrid. The contact stated that after closing the front driver's side door, the rear windshield inadvertently shattered. The glass shards from the rear windshield fell inside the vehicle, but the contact was not injured. The contact stated that there was no impact to the vehicle to cause the rear windshield to shatter. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 19,000.

Electrical SystemFire
Filed Jun 24, 202442,000 milesMO

The contact owned a 2022 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked overnight and the following morning it was driven a short distance to pick up their children, upon arrival the vehicle was parked in the garage and all the occupants exited, it caught on fire. No injuries were sustained. There was no property damage to the residence. No warning light had previously been illuminated. The contact stated a few weeks prior that the vehicle had new parts installed for routine maintenance. The local fire department arrived at the scene and extinguished the fire. The contact was advised by the fire department and insurance provider that the fire origin was related to the wiring behind the odometer. A police report was not filed. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was later taken to the insurance provider. The failure was being investigated by the manufacturer and insurance provider. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 42,000.

Power Train
Filed Feb 6, 2024OK

While attempting to merge into 70mph traffic on the interstate, the vehicle suddenly lost all acceleration capabilities. I could have been in an accident due to the sudden loss of acceleration and eventual power to the engine. When I pressed on the gas pedal, there was no resistance and the pedal went all the way to the floor. The vehicle slowly accelerated on it's own from 20MPH to 55MPH without my pressing the accelerator. There were no warnings on the dash at this time. Once it reached 55MPH, it slowly began to decrease it's speed without my pressing the brake or accelerator. As it started decreasing in speed, a warning popped up "Check Hybrid system, Stop safely". At this time, the battery level showed 0 bars though it showed half full (8 bars before this happened). I got over to the side of the highway and continued coasting until the vehicle slowed itself to a complete stop at which point the car put itself in Park and engaged the Emergency Brake and the dash displayed "Parking brake automatically engaged" and the Engine Oil Pressure Warning light came on. I attempted to put the car back in Drive and the dash displayed "Shifting conditions not met". I turned the car off, let it sit a few minutes and restarted it. When I restarted it, the battery showed 0 bars and the display said "Park with engine On to charge battery". I put it in Drive and I was able to drive without any issues. The battery level went back up 6 bars in less than a minute and I drove it to the dealersh

Electrical System
Filed May 12, 2023VA

Vehicle unexpectedly shuts down while driving posing an immediate danger as there was no warning on four different occasions

Vehicle Speed Control
Filed Feb 3, 2023IL

While driving the car it failed to accelerate while pressing gas. It has happened 3 times. In each case it happened within approximately 5 min of driving, twice after idling for 10-15 min. The 'Hybrid System Warning-Safely Stop and Do Not Drive' light came on but not immediately. The engine display in the car seemed to show that the engine was not sending any charge to the battery which was rapidly depleting. Stopping and restarting the engine clears the problem. A car that won't accelerate randomly is clearly a safety risk. I have taken it in to be checked, no resolution found, unable to reproduce the problem as it is very random. First time was probably 2-3 months after purchase. My son was driving so I didn't see first hand. Second time was about 3 months after. I did have KIA check for codes after that event. Nothing found. And then about 3 weeks ago. Had KIA check again. Error codes not saved in the system when car is stopped. KIA maintenance can take no action at this time. They requested I try take a picture of system activity next time it happens.

Unknown or Other
Filed Nov 4, 2022OH

I was driving down the highway at 8:00 AM. The weather conditions were foggy. The air temperature was 43 degrees and I had the heat on in the vehicle. I experienced a sudden loud BANG, followed by a shower of shattered glass. The front panel of my panoramic sunroof exploded, sending glass into the vehicle. There were no other cars around, I did not hit a bump in the road, I did not see any evidence of debris hitting or falling onto the vehicle, and I was not driving under any bridges or trees where something could have dislodged and fallen onto it. It was just a weird spontaneous explosion without reason. When I inspected the glass, it was clear that the stress around the edges where glass was still present was directed from inside the vehicle to outside, (or down to up), as the glass was bowed upward, perhaps indicating unusual torque around the edge of the glass panel. The entire panel was compromised except for about 6" of glass extending inward around the perimeter of the panel housing. I was hit by some falling glass, but was uninjured. Glass also showered down into the middle row seats, where my children would have been sitting if they had they been along with me.

12 of 12 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2025
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
20260100Routine
202542200Routine
20246000Routine
202330200Routine
2022 — this page12410Routine
202121200Routine

Compare every Sorento Hybrid year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Recall repairs are free for as long as the recall stands. Check whether a specific car still has open work at NHTSA's VIN lookup.

Most recent recall on file: Aug 31, 2023. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.