2022 Kia Sorento PHEV Powertrain (other) Problems

The drive train and motor slow to a near stop in traffic when trying to clear a lane and makes it very dangerouos for other traffic to have to wait for me to clear a lane. There is something wrong and we complained about this before the warranty ran out, but they could not find anything. The car stops in traffic unexpectedly. I am not sure if sensors are causing this or what, but it has put me in danger of collision many times. We have to plan an exceedingly long time to pull into traffic so we don't get run over. Anti slip also doesn't turn off even though it says it is off. The car will slip a little bit and then shut the motor down to a crawl making it very dangerous in traffic. The 4x4 doesn't seem to work as we turn it on to try to eleminate slipping. The slipping mostly occurs because of the motor becoming doggedly slow and then decides to speed up. The 4x4 on and the turning of the anti-slip do not work because it still slips and shuts down. The other tires don't seem to slip or do anything. Please help!!!

NHTSA ID

11723548

Incident

Mar 11, 2026

My Sorento PHEV popped a P0c4e code and now the car is gutless on electric power. Kia cleared the code in an attempt to fix it but now the code is gone and it’s still weak. When I let off the brake it rolls when it used to have the power to hold it. I used to be able to get on the freeway and now I can’t get up to speed in town (35mph). It’s running in some sort of limp mode and Kia can’t see any codes. It’s loud, too. Each gear whines. It whines when I hit the brake and it regenerates electricity. It regens so little now that it doesn’t hardly slow me down anymore until I stand on them and use the brake pads. Kia said that it might be a sensor in the electric motor but it’s not replaceable and you have to replace the whole motor. Even though it’s under warranty, it’s 15 hours labor to replace it. I have family with the same car and theirs has done the same thing in the past and had to be replaced. My dealer said that they have seen a bunch of these throw that same code and have to have the motor replaced. She said she is expecting Kia to start replacing them for free or possibly recall them because of how many she has seen all doing the same thing.

NHTSA ID

11678045

Incident

Jul 29, 2025

I have gotten the notice Refill Inverter Coolant and Hybrid System Failure and lost acceleration and the all power. The first time this happened was in Dec 2024 with about 60,000 miles on the car. Dealer flushed system and it worked fine until April 2025 at about 71000 miles Hybrid system failure alert again, barely able to accelerate from stop light, made to a parking space just as I lost power steering. After about 2 hours to cool off car started and could be driven home. Got Refill inverter coolant alert.

NHTSA ID

11662012

Incident

Dec 12, 2024

The contact owns a 2022 Kia Sorento PHEV. The contact stated the upon starting the vehicle, an abnormally loud revving sound was coming from the engine while the vehicle was idling. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle hesitated upon the depression of the accelerator pedal while traveling at various speeds. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was initially taken to Seelye Kia of Battle Creek (791 W Dickman Rd, Battle Creek, MI 49037) where the contact was informed that the acceleration issue was normal vehicle operation due to the Hybrid feature. The vehicle was then taken to another dealer where the contact was provided the same issue as the dealer. The contact stated that the hesitation had worsened and had become more frequent. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided a case number. The vehicle was not repaired and remained in the possession of the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.

NHTSA ID

11593737

Incident

May 11, 2022

Mileage

20,000 mi

When accelerating to pull out of driveway and enter traffic, while struggles to find correct gear causing tires to spin and loud clunking noise. Forward collision detects objects that are not there causing vehicle emergency breaking to engage

NHTSA ID

11582034

Incident

Feb 13, 2024

The contact owns a 2022 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH up an incline in inclement weather, the vehicle rolled backward. The contact stated that the AWD failed to lock the wheels. The contact then stated that all four tires started to spin while in AWD. Additionally, the contact stated that while attempting to turn on the heat, she smelled a burning odor through the vents. The contact also stated that there was an alert indicating to activate the heat in hybrid mode; however, the vent was blowing cold air. Additionally, the contact stated that previously the sensor malfunction warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 17,000.

NHTSA ID

11504669

Incident

Jan 30, 2023

Mileage

17,000 mi

Multiple times I have experienced weirdness with the Transmission in my 2022 Sorento PHEV. One specific situation has happened to me multiple times and is a safety risk. Occasionally while stopped at a red light or stop sign with a reasonable incline it seems the electric motor fails to engage and it never switches to the ICE engine either. Step by step 1 - Stopped at Stop Sign or Red light 2- Release Brake an Hit Gas 3- Vehicle does not move forward no matter how hard you hit the gas (Doesnt seem to engage electric or traditional engine) 4 - Instead the vehicle seems like its in neutral and starts rolling backwards 5 - I slam on the brakes, and then try the gas again and everything is fine. I took it to the Anderson, SC kia dealer and they just told me they couldn't replicate it. It has happened to me or my wife probably 4 times over the last year. Just wanted to report it because it feels like a good chance this is eventually going to cause a wreck.

NHTSA ID

11498899

Incident

Dec 26, 2022

The contact owns a 2022 Kia Sorento PHEV. The contact stated that upon depression of the accelerator pedal, the vehicle would hesitate without warning. The contact also stated that while attempting to park the vehicle, the gear shifter remained stuck in neutral(N) and the vehicle could not be moved or turned off. The contact called the dealer and had the vehicle towed to the dealer. A diagnostic test was performed; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The manufacturer had also been notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 500.

NHTSA ID

11486970

Incident

Apr 10, 2022

Mileage

500 mi

Purchased the car new in early February 2022. Within about six weeks, heard a loud bump from under the car as I was pulling away from the driveway, this happened 2-3 times. After these incidents the car felt like it was stuck in first gear, with whining upon acceleration and deceleration. I use the car locally and the speed limit is 25mph, so luckily I didn't have to drive it on the highway. The service center asked me to wait a month for an appointment but allowed me to bring it in when I stated I believed there was a safety issue. The car at this point had just over 700 miles on it after 9+ weeks of driving. The diagnostic performed that day showed the transfer case fluid was black, had a burnt smell, and pieces of metal in the fluid, and the service center informed me this was covered by warranty and they would be holding onto the car for safety reasons. I am now in the 3-5 business day period where the service center is waiting for Kia to approve the repair and hopefully provide a new transfer case within that timeframe. The service center confirmed to me they would be testing the new part before they install it. I am concerned about it breaking again if it is coming from the same place as the faulty part, and endangering my family's safety on a long road trip. This major failure in the transfer case, occurring within months of new purchase, is a major concern for the quality and safety of Kia's 2022 Sorento Hybrid.

NHTSA ID

11460732

Incident

Mar 25, 2022