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exact model and see every recall for it.
Recalls are issued for a make, model and model year. Whether the repair has already been done on one specific car is known only to its manufacturer and dealers. Check your vehicle's official status at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a dealer.
US recalls (4)
Park outsideTrailer hitches
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Sorento, 2021-2022 Sorento Hybrid (HEV), 2022-2023 Sorento Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV), and 2017-2022 Sportage vehicles equipped with a tow hitch harness installed as original equipment, or purchased as an accessory through a Kia dealership. Debris and moisture accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (PCB) may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire.
Risk and remedy
Risk: A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will inspect the vehicle, and, as necessary, replace the fuse and/or tow hitch harness module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 11, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC249.
Visibility: defroster/defogger/hvac system, fan/motor
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Sorento vehicles. The heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) blower motor wiring harness may be inadequate, which can result in a fire.
Risk and remedy
Risk: A fire increases the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the wiring harness and blower motor resistor, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 23, 2026. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC351. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning October 9, 2025.
Power train: automatic transmission
Kia Motors, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Sorento and 2021-2023 K5 vehicles. The vehicle's "fail-safe" limited-mobility drive mode may be impaired, when prompted by a transmission oil pump malfunction, which can result in a complete loss of drive power.
Risk and remedy
Risk: Loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the transmission, as necessary. Dealers will also update the transmission control unit software. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 9, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC250.
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery, hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Kia Motor America (Kia) is recalling certain 2021 Sorento and 2021-2022 K5 vehicles equipped with 2.5L turbocharged engines. Fuel may leak at the pipe connection between the high-pressure fuel pump and fuel rail.
Risk and remedy
Risk: A fuel leak increases the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and tighten, or replace the fuel pipe as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 21, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC214.
Canadian recalls (5)
Show 5 Canadian recalls
Heater and defroster
2025-09-26 · campaign 2025-516
Issue:
On certain vehicles, the wiring harness for the blower motor may not have been manufactured properly. As a result, the wiring could overheat and melt.
Note: This recall only affects Sorento LX+ models.
Safety Risk:
Wiring that overheats and melts can create the risk of a fire.
Corrective Actions:
Kia will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to replace the blower motor wiring harness and the blower motor resistor.
Label
2024-08-15 · campaign 2024-549
Issue:
On certain vehicles, the compliance label may be missing information in French. The words listed on the label for "Tires", "Rims", "Front" and "Rear" appear in English only, when they should be listed as "Tires/Pneus", "Rims/Jantes", "Front/Avant" and "Rear/Arriere". Canadian regulations require this information to be listed on the label in both English and French.
Safety Risk:
These small errors do not affect vehicle safety.
Corrective Actions:
This is not a recall. Kia has corrected the compliance label for all new vehicles.
Powertrain
2022-10-12 · campaign 2022-580
Issue:
On certain vehicles, a fault in the transmission oil pump can cause the vehicle to enter "fail-safe mode". When this happens, a programming error can cause a sudden loss of power to the wheels after 20-30 seconds.
Note: This recall only affects vehicles equipped with a 2.5 L turbo gasoline (T-GDI) engine and an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT).
Safety Risk:
A sudden loss of power to the wheels could increase the risk of a crash.
Corrective Actions:
Kia will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealership to inspect and, if necessary, replace the transmission. The dealer will also update the transmission control unit software.
Accessories
2022-09-20 · campaign 2022-531
Issue:
Certain vehicles may be equipped with an accessory trailer wiring harness kit that could fail. Over time, this could result in a short circuit that can cause the control module to overheat.
Note: This recall only affects Kia Genuine tow hitch wiring harness kits with the part number R5F03AP100 or R5F03AP200. These kits may have been ordered at the time of a vehicle purchase, or purchased separately from a dealer as an aftermarket accessory.
Safety Risk:
A short circuit could create a fire risk, even while the vehicle is parked and turned off.
Corrective Actions:
Kia will notify owners by mail and instruct you to inspect if your vehicle has a trailer wiring harness installed. If it does, Kia advises that you should park your vehicle outdoors, and away from other vehicles or structures until the recall repairs have been complete. The corrective actions for this recall are under development. As an interim repair, Kia will advise you to make an appointment at your local dealership to replace the 30 A "TRAILER" fuse with a 15 A fuse.
Fuel system
2021-07-09 · campaign 2021-421
Issue:
On certain vehicles, the connection between the high-pressure fuel pipe and fuel pump may not be properly sealed. As a result, a fuel leak could occur.
Safety Risk:
A fuel leak can create the risk of a fire.
Corrective Action:
KIA will notify owners by mail and instruct you to bring your vehicle to a dealer to inspect and replace the high-pressure fuel pipe, as required.
Owner complaints (255)
Owners filed 255 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Kia Sorento (5 crashes, 1 fires, 2 injuries reported). Among 24 model years of this model, it ranks #11 for the most complaints (median 255).
| Most-reported problem | Complaints | |
|---|
| Power train | 144 | |
| Engine | 68 | |
| Electrical system | 47 | |
| Unknown or other | 40 | |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 23 | |
| Vehicle speed control | 13 | |
| Forward collision avoidance | 10 | |
| Visibility | 8 | |
Crash test ratings
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2021 Kia Sorento.
| Version | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover |
|---|
| 2021 Kia Sorento SUV FWD Early Release | 4★ | 4★ | 5★ | 4★ |
| 2021 Kia Sorento SUV AWD Early Release | 4★ | 4★ | 5★ | 4★ |
| 2021 Kia Sorento SUV AWD Later Release | 4★ | 4★ | 5★ | 4★ |
| 2021 Kia Sorento SUV FWD Later Release | 4★ | 4★ | 5★ | 4★ |
Fuel economy
EPA ratings for each 2021 Kia Sorento version.
| Version | City MPG | Highway MPG | Combined | Yearly fuel cost |
|---|
| Sorento AWD 2.5 L Automatic (S8) | 23 | 25 | 24 | $2,800 |
| Sorento AWD 2.5 L Automatic (AM-S8) | 21 | 28 | 24 | $2,800 |
| Sorento FWD 2.5 L Automatic (S8) | 24 | 29 | 26 | $2,600 |
| Sorento FWD 2.5 L Automatic (AM-S8) | 22 | 29 | 25 | $2,700 |
| Sorento Hybrid 1.6 L Automatic (AM-S6) | 39 | 35 | 37 | $1,800 |
Need this data in your app?
Recalls, complaints, crash ratings and fuel economy as a JSON API. Decode up to 50 VINs per call and get a daily feed of new recalls.
Explore the API →Sources: NHTSA recalls, complaints and 5-Star Safety Ratings, US EPA fuel economy and Transport
Canada's Vehicle Recalls Database (contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada).
Recalls updated 2026-10-30.