2026 Kia Sorento

My radiator had to be replaced because a rock flew in and punctured it. After speaking with my insurance adjuster, they made me aware that there isn’t any real protection for the radiator or ac compressor. I went online and I noticed that this is an ongoing problem with KIA. I didn’t receive any warning lights about low coolant or anything. If this happen to someone else, and they don’t notice the leak their engine could overheat. Most people said they have installed a mesh barrier themselves to protect the radiator. KIAs warranty does not cover it because it’s seen as an incidental when really it is a design flaw. My car is a 2026, it’s insane to have to replace the radiator already.

NHTSA ID

11777222

Incident

Nov 10, 2026

Passenger door failed to open three times since purchase. Tried locking/unlocking door from inside, outside and with key fob. Dealership looked at it in May 2026 and I reported it again because it happened two more times since. They couldn't duplicate it the first time and said it was to intermittent for the service manager to talk to me when I went in for an oil change. The lane keeping feature constantly hunts left ant right going down the road and feels unsafe around curves. The dealership took it on a short drive and said nothing was wrong and said they would not check the calibration. The right side of the driver display that has the map and radio goes out sometimes sitting still and at times driving down the road. Has happened at least 14 times. The screen goes blank and then has to reboot/initialize before it is usable.

NHTSA ID

11769489

Incident

May 1, 2026

We bought this car new on XXX. On XXX as my family and I were returning from a vacation, re-entering the interstate, the gas engine on the Sorento hybrid would not start. There was no warning or error message. I put the pedal to the floor and it would not pick up speed as we entered XXX. I tried switching the drive mode to sport, then to smart. Nothing worked. The fastest I could get the car going was about 50mph for a few seconds, then it slowed to 40 mph as traffic was bearing down on us, starting with an 18 wheeler truck that I could see in my rearview mirror. I had to put my emergency blinkers on and drive on the little bit of shoulder that there was on a bridge, and pull off onto the shoulder as fast as I could. The interstate was loaded with traffic today, going 75 mph. It was only fortunate that there was a break when the car rolled onto the interstate at about 40 mph. This car almost caused a wreck which could have killed me and my whole family, including my [XXX] daughter. If there hadn't been enough of a shoulder for me to get mostly off the road, the thick traffic going 75mph would have all had to slow to 40mph, without anyone plowing into the car in front of them. As it was, trucks were flying past me one foot from the side of my car going 75 mph. If one of them was off a little, my whole family could be dead or in the hospital now. After I turned the car off, and then on again, the gas engine started operating as normal. We got home, albeit with a flat from driving through the trash on the shoulder. I have now taken the car to two dealers and they could not repeat the problem. I told Kia I didn't trust the car any more and that if they couldn't fix it, I wanted my money back. They told me yesterday that they will not do a buyback. And they've been claiming for weeks that they plan to have an engineer look at it. All the while, we don't have a car. It has been sitting at the dealer because it is unsafe. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U

NHTSA ID

11764985

Incident

Aug 2, 2026

My 2026 Sorento developed a fault after just two weeks of use. It had to be towed three times because the engine shuts down and won't restart. I tried to resolve the issue with the dealership, but they claim there is nothing wrong with the car. I reported the situation to Kia America; after a 19-day wait, they replied that there is nothing they can do and that I must pick up the vehicle from the Kia East Orlando dealership, or else I will have to pay parking fees. During this time—while the car was being towed three times by Kia’s own partners and transported to the dealership—it sustained damage to the trunk. They claim the car arrived at the dealership in that condition but refuse to provide me with photos or the tow truck inspection checklists.

NHTSA ID

11761556

Incident

Jul 10, 2026

The contact owns a 2026 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving 75 MPH, the check engine warning light started flashing and the vehicle entered LIMP Mode. The contact pulled over, turned off, and restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle operated as intended while driving to the residence. The contact stated that the following day, while driving 75 MPH with an 18-wheeler behind the vehicle, the vehicle hesitated, shuddered, and jerked. The check engine warning light was consistently illuminated, and the message "Engine Management System - Follow Up Check Required" was displayed. Additionally, the Mobile App displayed the message "Engine Issues" with DTC: P030100. The contact pulled over, turned off, and restarted the vehicle, but the failure persisted while driving to the dealer. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with cylinder injector failure. The dealer replaced the cylinder injector; however, the failure recurred while driving 30 minutes later. The contact pulled over, turned off, and restarted the vehicle, but the failure persisted, and the vehicle made abnormal sounds. The vehicle failed to exceed 25-30 MPH and was taken to the dealer. The dealer had not yet provided the result of a diagnostic test. The manufacturer was contacted and informed that the latest diagnostic report submitted by the dealer on June 22, 2026, stated that the vehicle was diagnosed with a gasket failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 7,000.

NHTSA ID

11747249

Incident

May 30, 2026

Mileage

7,000 mi

The contact owns a 2026 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at 2 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed and went to the floorboard. The vehicle failed to stop and rolled forward. The Forward Collision Avoidance feature also failed, causing the vehicle to crash into a building. No warning light was illuminated. The air bags did not deploy. The contact and his wife did not sustain any injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was able to be driven away from the crash site. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who sent the computer system to the manufacturer; however, no data was retrieved. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The insurance company was made aware of the failure but had not yet deemed the vehicle totaled. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that they would notify NHTSA of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 600.

NHTSA ID

11737357

Incident

Apr 14, 2026

Mileage

600 mi

I HAD GOT OFF WORK AND GOT INSIDE MY VEHICLE,A 2026 KIA SORENTO AND WHEN I STARTED MY VEHICLE THE BACK WINDOW SPORADICALLY SHATTERED AND I DO HAVE CCTV OF IT AS WELL

NHTSA ID

11737171

Incident

Apr 18, 2026

I am reporting a suspected brake system malfunction. About one block before my destination, I stopped at a traffic light and applied light pressure to the brake pedal. The vehicle slammed and jerked to a stop unexpectedly. Moments later, while turning into a parking space, I pressed the brake pedal again and the vehicle did not stop as expected. The SUV went over the cement parking post and struck a tall sign about 10 to 12 feet ahead. A large bush around the sign slowed the vehicle before it could continue into a tree. This created a serious safety risk to me and my passengers, who included one adult and two young children. Thankfully, no one was seriously injured. The suspected failed system is the brake system. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. It was towed after the incident because I did not feel it was safe to drive. At this time, the problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent repair facility because the vehicle is pending inspection. The vehicle has been reported to the manufacturer, and an insurance claim has been opened. UNKNOWN whether any electronic braking or driver-assistance system also contributed. I did not observe any warning lamps or messages before the incident. The main symptom before the crash was abnormal brake behavior at the traffic light, when light brake pressure caused the vehicle to slam and jerk to a stop unexpectedly.

NHTSA ID

11731023

Incident

Apr 10, 2026

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SERVICE ACTION: ULTRA-WIDE BAND SENSOR SOFTWARE UPDATE (SA664) - This bulletin provides information to improve the Digital Key 2 system logic on certain Digital Key 2-equipped 2024-2027MY Sorento vehicles listed in the table below. Under certain conditions, repeated Digital Key recognition may contribute to 12V auxiliary battery discharge when parked. The improved software limits Digital Key recognition after repeated Welcome/Approach Unlock activations, when the user (or digital key) moves away from the welcome zone, or when the battery state of charge falls below a specified threshold. This condition may only affect customers using an Ultra-Wideband-capable smartphone.

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SERVICE ACTION: THETA III 2.5L T-GDI ECM MISFIRE DETECTION LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (SA654) - This bulletin provides information to upgrade the ‘ECM’ system software on certain 2024-2026MY Sorento (MQ4a) vehicles equipped with a 2.5L T-GDI SULEV engine produced from December 5, 2023 through May 29, 2026, which may may exhibit an illuminated malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) related to cold-start misfire detection. To address this condition, the Engine Control Module (ECM) software has been updated with revised cold-start misfire diagnostic threshold logic. There is no drivability issue associated with this condition.

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 Carnival, EV9, K5 and Sorento vehicles. This update is designed to improve the vehicle’s network communication performance.

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 Kia Navigation Updater available at update.kia.com. The software update may improve system performance, enhance existing features, and apply the latest operating software for supported vehicles (2021-2026MY All Models).

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 Carnival, 2025 - 2026MY K5 and 2025 - 2026MY Sorento vehicles. This update is designed to improve the vehicle’s network communication performance.

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 vehicles. The software downloads and USB preparation process is similar across all supported platforms; however, in‑vehicle installation procedures vary by head unit type.