2021 Kia Sorento Problems

My car will randomly go into limp mode and I am unable to accelerate. The auto stop/start light will flash orange on the dashboard. I need to pull over and restart car and it seems to reset. I see there is a recall for a 2021 KIA Sorrento but I don't think it affected my vehicle even though the issue is exactly the same. Recall #22V6000. It happened once a few months ago then didn't reoccur until about two weeks ago and it has happened three times since. It is scary because I am afraid to cross traffic in fear that the car won't move fast enough

"The vehicle has twice suffered a sudden, catastrophic loss of motive power at highway speeds (approx. 70 MPH) on the interstate, forcing the driver to coast across active traffic to the shoulder without engine pull. The engine revs freely in 'Drive' but the transmission fails to engage any gears. No dashboard warning lights, check engine lights, or diagnostic trouble codes are triggered during or after the failure. The failure resets temporarily only after cycling the ignition key off and on.The vehicle previously had Safety Recall SC250 (8-speed Electric Oil Pump) performed by an authorized dealer, but the software flash completely failed to prevent this catastrophic hydraulic/electronic failure mode or provide the federally mandated dashboard warning countdown. The vehicle is entirely unsafe to drive,

"The vehicle has twice suffered a sudden, catastrophic loss of motive power at highway speeds (approx. 70 MPH) on the interstate, forcing the driver to coast across active traffic to the shoulder without engine pull. The engine revs freely in 'Drive' but the transmission fails to engage any gears. No dashboard warning lights, check engine lights, or diagnostic trouble codes are triggered during or after the failure. The failure resets temporarily only after cycling the ignition key off and on.The vehicle previously had Safety Recall SC250 (8-speed Electric Oil Pump) performed by an authorized dealer, but the software flash completely failed to prevent this catastrophic hydraulic/electronic failure mode or provide the federally mandated dashboard warning countdown. The vehicle is entirely unsafe to drive,

previous warranty repair for a failed fuel injector (RO #1103175) resulted in severe gasoline dilution of the engine oil. the vehicle now vents raw fuel vapors into the cabin (Fire Hazard) and hesitates/jerks when braking at stoplights (Stall/Crash Hazard). Kia Corporate has refused to communicate for over two weeks while the dealer holds the car.

Motor will not turn over, starter/electrical failure.

I am filing this complaint regarding my 2021 Kia Sorento, which has suffered a serious transmission failure. The vehicle is displaying diagnostic code P0741, indicating a torque converter clutch malfunction. The transmission slips, shifts harshly, hesitates during acceleration, loses power unexpectedly, and has become unsafe to drive. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request.This defect has put my safety and the safety of others at risk. On several occasions the vehicle failed to respond properly when accelerating, including while entering highways and driving in traffic. The hesitation and sudden loss of power created fear and anxiety because I could not trust the vehicle to move when needed to avoid a dangerous situation. The problem has been reproduced and confirmed by a repair facility, and the symptoms are consistent with a transmission torque converter clutch failure. I also contacted Kia and provided the vehicle information. Kia informed me that they would not repair the vehicle because it has exceeded 100,000 miles and that the recall or warranty extension had expired. However, my vehicle is experiencing the same transmission-related symptoms reported by many other Kia owners.I never received any recall notification because I purchased the vehicle from a dealership as the second owner. Had I been properly notified, I would have taken the vehicle in for inspection much earlier. It is extremely frustrating and financially devastating to be denied assistance solely because of mileage when the failure appears to be related to a known transmission defect.Before the failure, the check engine light illuminated and code P0741 appeared. Prior to that warning, the vehicle had already shown delayed shifting, slipping, hesitation, rough gear changes, and loss of power, which became progressively worse.This situation has caused significant emotional stress, anxiety, and financial hardship. I am requesting a full investigation and a fair resolution from kia.

My car will randomly go into limp mode and I am unable to accelerate. The auto stop/start light will flash orange on the dashboard. I need to pull over and restart car and it seems to reset. I see there is a recall for a 2021 KIA Sorrento but I don't think it affected my vehicle even though the issue is exactly the same. Recall #22V6000. It happened once a few months ago then didn't reoccur until about two weeks ago and it has happened three times since. It is scary because I am afraid to cross traffic in fear that the car won't move fast enough

Intermittently, when coming from a stop (stop sign, red light, etc) or recent start of the vehicle, the Sorento will not accelerate past approximately 30 miles per hour and the auto-stop light will flash orange in the panel. Once the vehicle is stopped, turned off, and restarted, it goes back to operating as it should and accelerates like normal. This has happened when driving on small, low speed limit roads and on large, high speed limit roads. My safety and the safety of those driving around me is put at risk when vehicles around me are expecting me to drive a certain speed but I can't and am looking for a safe place to pull over to stop and restart the vehicle. To date, the vehicle acceleration has not suddenly dropped from a high speed to a low speed thankfully, but when the issue presents itself, it will not allow the vehicle to accelerate above the 30mph range. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. It is currently at a dealership that is working to reproduce and confirm the problem. There are Reddit threads that discuss other Sorento owners experiencing this same issue. To my knowledge, there were not any warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to this issue presenting itself. It has been happening on and off for the last 1-2 years. My vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or others but I am happy to have any of them do so. A simple battery replacement has not resolved the issue - it was happening before I had my battery replaced and it has happened since having my battery replaced.

"The vehicle has twice suffered a sudden, catastrophic loss of motive power at highway speeds (approx. 70 MPH) on the interstate, forcing the driver to coast across active traffic to the shoulder without engine pull. The engine revs freely in 'Drive' but the transmission fails to engage any gears. No dashboard warning lights, check engine lights, or diagnostic trouble codes are triggered during or after the failure. The failure resets temporarily only after cycling the ignition key off and on.The vehicle previously had Safety Recall SC250 (8-speed Electric Oil Pump) performed by an authorized dealer, but the software flash completely failed to prevent this catastrophic hydraulic/electronic failure mode or provide the federally mandated dashboard warning countdown. The vehicle is entirely unsafe to drive,

previous warranty repair for a failed fuel injector (RO #1103175) resulted in severe gasoline dilution of the engine oil. the vehicle now vents raw fuel vapors into the cabin (Fire Hazard) and hesitates/jerks when braking at stoplights (Stall/Crash Hazard). Kia Corporate has refused to communicate for over two weeks while the dealer holds the car.

My windshield randomly cracked from driver side top edge and down in a diagonal direction. There is no visible impact from an object hitting my windshield, which might be a manufacturer defect. This is my daily drive vehicle but the crack is in my line of sight while driving and is not safe. This crack happened yesterday while driving and I contacted KIA service department and left a message since it was on a Saturday afternoon.

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V649000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM, VISIBILITY); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, with the A/C activated, there was an abnormal burning odor entering the vehicle through the vents. The burning odor was coming from the vehicle whether the A/C was in use or turned off. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. The contact was informed that the VIN was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. On a separate occasion, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle jerked and failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that the failure was more evident while the vehicle was driven uphill. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. However, the vehicle was not repaired. Most recently, the battery was replaced, and the contact stated that there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.

The panoramic sun roof opens but will not close. it takes 6-12 attempts to get it to close, it will move to where its an inch away from closing then reopen. Kia has recalls for this make and year but says my car is not affected. attempting to get it to close is very distracting and frustrating taking focus away from driving.

Pearl white paint is peeling on vehicle. Had no idea this a very large issue until I started looking more into as it has began to peel in large chunks.

Power train incident - • transmission holding gears, jerking between shifts, gear shifted into S mode on its own and stuck there, unresponsive acceleration, locked up steering/inability to turn the steering wheel and total loss of drive power. • happened while merging onto a highway in one of two split lanes for highway access. A merging semi truck in the other merging lane almost ran into me because I could not give it gas. Me and a local police officer who saw me broke down and stopped to provide additional cover, were nearly hit several (6) times from other vehicles and semi trucks due to malfunctions happening. • diagnosed by Kia dealership and was told there was a major electrical failure which caused the electrical oil pump to fail and need a new transmission. Although my VIN doesn’t list recalls, similar issue to the recall on my same year/make/model under NHTSA Campaign Number 21V519. • Warning lamps/messages shown in photos attached. __________________________________ Forward Collision warning incident - • front forward safety system light appeared on dash, then moments later a warning appeared and the vehicle braked on its own detecting a vehicle in front of me when there was not another vehicle in front of me within vision!! • happened while driving in a 55mph zone, a vehicle was driving behind me when this occurred and that vehicle almost slammed into the back end of mine causing a crash. • problem not yet inspected on vehicle due to blown transmission from above incident and inability to start/move the vehicle.

Electrical issue all dash lights came on and couldn’t shift into gear, had to replace my main computer as it was fried at 72,000 miles, also had to get the steering column replaced total of $6,000 fixes

Component: Electrical System / Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist / Speedometer Incident Summary: ​I am reporting a catastrophic and uncorrected safety defect in my 2021 Kia Sorento (VIN: [XXX] ). ​Pre-Accident Attempts: Before April 2024, I repeatedly sought diagnosis for instrument cluster 'glitches.' The Kia dealer misdiagnosed this as a battery failure, charging me out-of-pocket for a replacement that did not resolve the issue. ​Collision (April 22, 2024): While driving, the instrument cluster suffered a total system crash into 'Factory Mode,' losing all telemetry. Simultaneously, the vehicle's Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA) failed to engage. Despite the vehicle being equipped with automatic emergency braking designed to detect and mitigate collisions, the system provided no warning and no autonomous braking prior to striking a deer. ​Post-Accident Failures: Following the crash, Geico Insurance funded a wiring harness replacement at a Kia facility (backed by a Geico Lifetime Warranty). However, the glitches and 'Factory Mode' errors have returned, proving the vehicle's core safety systems remain compromised. ​Safety Risk: This vehicle is non-compliant with FMVSS 101 and 127. The failure of both the speedometer and the autonomous emergency braking creates an extreme risk of further injury or death. Kia Corporate has failed to address this documented accident history. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Airbag light on drivers side lit up, clock spring is defective

The contact owned a 2021 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the passenger’s side taillight became inoperable. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the wiring harness for the passenger’s side taillight had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer informed the contact that the failure was related to the tow hitch recall repair. The dealer also informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired because it had an aftermarket tow hitch part. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 111,178.

My vehicle has been slow to start and I have had all other issues come on on my vehicle as far as lights as far as the forward collision warning light has came on and the check driver attention warning light has come on as well while I’m running my HVAC past the level 2. I have also had my battery tested and that has tested fine. I have had my alternator tested and the first time it came back good the second time it came back failed and the third time it came back good.

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V703000 (Trailer Hitches) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The undisclosed dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available for the recall repair. 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.

The contact owned a 2021 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V703000 (Trailer Hitches) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that after being parked for about 3 hours when someone informed them flames were coming from near the fuel tank. The fire department was called to put out the fire. The vehicle was towed and deemed totaled. A fire report was made. The contact's spouse burned their hand attempting to remove items from the vehicle before it completely burned. Medical attention was not needed. The contact stated that a nearby tree became charred by the fire as well as the ground surrounding the vehicle. The dealer was not made aware of the issue. The contact stated their insurance was going to contact the manufacturer however they were unsure if their insurance had done so as of yet. The approximate failure mileage was 20,000. The contact stated that they were not aware of the recall until after the vehicle caught on fire. Both the manufacturer and the insurance company were notified of the chain of events. The insurance company deemed the vehicle a total loss. The contact is still waiting to hear back from both of them about the cause of the fire.

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost drive power temporarily. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with loss of transmission oil pump pressure. The dealer updated the transmission control unit software under NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V760000 (Power Train); however, the failure persisted. The dealer informed the contact that the failure was not related to the recall. The contact stated that the recall remedy also involved the transmission replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

The transmission failed entirely after 3,738 miles, disabling the car. Fortunately, the vehicle was parked when the transmission failed. Loss of power while actively driving could result in serious risk, crashes or death. Upon completion of repairs, Kia Van Nuys self-reported to me that at least 4-5 2021 Kia Sorrento were currently in for repair with the same issue of transmission failure after only 3,000 - 4,000 miles.

Component: Electrical System / Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist / Speedometer Incident Summary: ​I am reporting a catastrophic and uncorrected safety defect in my 2021 Kia Sorento (VIN: [XXX] ). ​Pre-Accident Attempts: Before April 2024, I repeatedly sought diagnosis for instrument cluster 'glitches.' The Kia dealer misdiagnosed this as a battery failure, charging me out-of-pocket for a replacement that did not resolve the issue. ​Collision (April 22, 2024): While driving, the instrument cluster suffered a total system crash into 'Factory Mode,' losing all telemetry. Simultaneously, the vehicle's Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA) failed to engage. Despite the vehicle being equipped with automatic emergency braking designed to detect and mitigate collisions, the system provided no warning and no autonomous braking prior to striking a deer. ​Post-Accident Failures: Following the crash, Geico Insurance funded a wiring harness replacement at a Kia facility (backed by a Geico Lifetime Warranty). However, the glitches and 'Factory Mode' errors have returned, proving the vehicle's core safety systems remain compromised. ​Safety Risk: This vehicle is non-compliant with FMVSS 101 and 127. The failure of both the speedometer and the autonomous emergency braking creates an extreme risk of further injury or death. Kia Corporate has failed to address this documented accident history. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Tonight was the first time I drive this car in the snow. I was going downhill doing 5 miles per hour, I even downshifted to hold vehicle back, and the brakes totally locked up on me. I couldn't turn the car, it slid straight across the road, at a "T" intersection, and I crashed into a sign, and continued to slide down a hill on someone's property. In all my years driving this has NEVER happened to me. We have been complaining to Kia about the brake system on this car for months. Something is wrong with this car.

The contact owned a 2021 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving 15-20 MPH and making a quick left turn to avoid a truck that did not have the right-of-way, another vehicle crashed into the driver's side door of the vehicle. The driver's side curtain air bags deployed. The front driver's seat air bag deployed but failed to inflate. The front passenger's side seat belt retracted even though the front passenger's side seat was not occupied. There was no injury sustained. No police report was filed. Both drivers were able to drive away from the scene. The vehicle was taken to an autobody repair shop, where an estimate of the damage sustained was provided. The vehicle was totaled by the insurance company. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the front driver's seat air bag and the front passenger's side seat belt operated as designed. The failure mileage was approximately 49,000.