2023 Kia Sorento problems & reliability
111 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2023 Kia Sorento, alongside 3 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
3 complaints report injuries (3 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2023 Kia Sorento vehicles were involved in 16 fatal crashes with 6 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 35 | 32% |
| Unknown OR Other | 32 | 29% |
| Engine | 28 | 25% |
| Power Train | 19 | 17% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 12 | 11% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 11 | 10% |
| Service Brakes | 10 | 9% |
| Lane Departure | 9 | 8% |
| Visibility/wiper | 7 | 6% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 6 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The contact owns a 2023 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while accelerating from a stop or while driving and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle jerked and lost automotive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The message “Transmission Fluid Low” was displayed. The local dealer was contacted…”
Power Train · filed Aug 3, 2026
“The vehicle intermittently fails to start in two different situations. First, when the auto Stop/start system shuts the engine off while the vehicle is stopped anywhere, the engine sometimes refuses to restart, leaving the vehicle immobilized. Second, there are occasions when I park the vehicle, turn it off normally…”
Fuel/propulsion System · filed Aug 1, 2026
“The panoramic sunroof on my 2023 Kia Sorento intermittently fails to close. When commanded to close, the glass travels most of the way, then stops or reverses before reaching the fully closed position. It frequently takes many repeated attempts. In some cases the panel will not seat at all until the vehicle is driven…”
Visibility/wiper · filed Jul 21, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
51 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2023 Kia Sorento. The 10 most recent:
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM SOFTWARE UPDATE USING UPDATE.KIA.COM - This bulletin provides information and service procedures for updating the infotainment systems on applicable Kia vehicles using the…
TSB_ELE422 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 28, 2026
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: FRONT BRAKE DISC REPLACEMENT & BURNISHING - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin…
TSB_CHA126_R2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 6, 2026
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: INFOTAINMENT SOFTWARE UPDATE PROCEDURE - This bulletin provides information on the process for downloading infotainment software updates and preparing USB for installation on applicable Kia…
TSB_ELE417 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 14, 2026
WARRANTY EXTENSION CAMPAIGN: OWNER NOTIFICATION (WTY042) - This document is the owner notification advising that Kia is extending the New Vehicle Limited Warranty coverage, to all owners, for repairs related to the horn…
WTY042_OWNR · Warranty Program/Extension · issued Mar 26, 2026
WARRANTY EXTENSION CAMPAIGN: TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: HORN ASSEMBLY INSPECTION AND REPLACEMENT (WTY042) - This bulletin provides information associated with the ‘Warranty Extension Program’ (WTY042) to inspect and…
WTY042_TSB · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 24, 2026
WARRANTY EXTENSION CAMPAIGN: REIMBURSEMENT FORM (WTY042) - This document is a Reimbursement Request form that was mailed with the customer letter advising them to submit the form if they had paid for repairs for this…
WTY042_REIMB · Warranty Program/Extension · issued Mar 24, 2026
WARRANTY EXTENSION CAMPAIGN: QUESTION AND ANSWER (WTY042) - This document is the Question and Answer Guide containing the most frequently asked questions regarding the Warranty Extension Campaign WTY042.
WTY042_QA · Warranty Program/Extension · issued Mar 24, 2026
WARRANTY EXTENSION CAMPAIGN: DEALER PARTS & SERVICE MANAGER MEMO (WTY042) - This document is the announcement to the dealer Parts and Service managers advising that Kia is is extending the New Vehicle Limited Warranty…
WTY042_DPSM · Warranty Program/Extension · issued Mar 24, 2026
WARRANTY EXTENSION CAMPAIGN: DEALER PRINCIPAL MEMO (WTY042) - This document is the announcement to the dealer principals advising that Kia is is extending the New Vehicle Limited Warranty coverage, to all owners, for…
WTY042_DP · Warranty Program/Extension · issued Mar 24, 2026
PITSTOP: TECHNICAL OPERATIONS: EXTERNAL DAMAGE TO ULTRASONIC SENSOR: This Pitstop provides information related to Parking Distance Warning (PDW) alerts and repairs involving ultrasonic sensors. The PDW system alerts the…
PS797 · Other · issued Dec 9, 2025
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2023 Kia Sorento has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2023 Kia Sorento?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.