2025 Kia Sorento problems & reliability
68 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2025 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).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Power Train → | 19 | 28% |
| Electrical System → | 18 | 26% |
| Engine → | 18 | 26% |
| Unknown OR Other | 18 | 26% |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 8 | 12% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 6 | 9% |
| Service Brakes | 5 | 7% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 4 | 6% |
| Visibility/wiper | 3 | 4% |
| Air Bags | 2 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 16 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“The engine sputters several times in a single trip, and is available upon request. The engine sputtered and the vehicle stopped in the middle of the road as I was trying to cross 2 lanes of traffic. It has sputtered so bad, I almost rear ended the vehicle in front of me. Yes, the dealership confirmed via text on…”
Power Train · filed Aug 2, 2026
“The transmission is not shifting gears correctly. The engine revs loudly and hesitates for a few seconds before shifting. There were no warning lamps. The vehicle has not been inspected yet. This causes a dangerous situation when driving and accelerating in traffic.”
Power Train · filed Jul 1, 2026
“I was stopped at a red light. The light turned green, the vehicle in front of me was easily 4 car lengths ahead at this point into the intersection, I then slowly began to accelerate, my car gave me a false collision warning even though there was no car or hazard in front of me, then I brake checked me (initiated my…”
Forward Collision Avoidance · filed Jun 15, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
33 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2025 Kia Sorento. The 10 most recent:
RELEASE NOTES: OVER-THE-AIR: SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR DATA CONNECTIVITY (ELE413 Revision 2) - This Over-the-Air (OTA) software update is designed to update the Data Connectivity Unit (DCU) logic of certain 2025 - 2026MY…
OTA_ELE413_NOTES_R2 · Over The Air · issued Jun 18, 2026
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
RELEASE NOTES: OVER-THE-AIR: SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR DATA CONNECTIVITY (ELE413 Revision 1) - This Over-the-Air (OTA) software update is designed to update the Data Connectivity Unit (DCU) logic of certain 2025 - 2026MY…
OTA_ELE413_NOTES_R1 · Over The Air · issued Apr 24, 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
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER ACTION: ECU LOGIC IMPROVEMENT FOR DTC P2B59F0 (CA2516) - This bulletin provides information to upgrade the Engine Control Unit (ECU) software on certain 2024–2025MY vehicles equipped…
TSB_ENG264 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 1, 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
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 2025 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 2025 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.