NHTSA has received 123 owner complaints about the 2025 Kia Sorento, or 73.5 per year on the road — more complaints than typical for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 1.75, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 85 model-year 2025 vehicles we track, it ranks #70 for fewest complaints per year. Against other Kia models its rate is 107% higher; against other Midsize SUVs it is 38% higher.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Complaints filed between 2024-11-22 and 2026-09-02. Median delay from incident to filing: 7 days.
123Complaints
73.5Complaints per year on the road
1.75Complaint index vs. all tracked vehicles
3Recalls
5.7%Share involving a crash or fire
93Last 12 months
Analysis
The previous model year (2024) drew 17.2 complaints per year, fewer than this one.
The most common problem area is Engine (34.1% of complaints), followed by Electrical (19.5%) and Interior & equipment (16.3%). Engine complaints are 1.5 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. Within Engine reports, owners most often mention “hybrid”, “engine”, “power”, “decelerated” and “traffic”. 7 reports (5.7%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 5 injuries and 0 deaths.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 11 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was the first year (55% of incidents). In the last 12 months 93 new complaints were filed, versus 30 in the 12 months before — the pace is rising.
NHTSA lists 3 safety recalls for this model year. 54% of the complaints fall in component areas that a recall addresses.
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…
Driver-assist systems · 2026-06-15 · ODI 11744310
My wife was pulling in spot and car took off at high rate of speed and hit parking pole . Kia corporate after 2 months tells me nothing wrong with vehicle .
Engine · 2026-05-08 · ODI 11736475 · Crash
The central ccNC infotainment display screen on my 2025 Kia Sorento Hybrid intermittently and now permanently failed (blank/black screen).
Electrical · 2026-09-02 · ODI 11761641
My 2025 Kia Sorento Hybrid SX-Prestige has repeated issues with the engine and drive train. On December 30th, 2025 it was diagnosed with a blocked breather hose sensor, causing the check engine light to come on.
Engine · 2026-08-30 · ODI 11760757
VEHICLE: 2025 Kia Sorento (VIN: [XXX]) KIA CORPORATE CASE #: XXX SAFETY DEFECT DESCRIPTION: The central ccNC infotainment display screen suffers from recurring, thermal-induced flickering and complete blackouts while driving and parking.
Electrical · 2026-08-28 · ODI 11760338
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Summary: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2025 Kia K4, 2025-2026 Sorento, Sorento Hybrid, Sorento Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV), 2026 Sportage, Sportage Hybrid, Sportage PHEV, K5, EV9, Carnival, and Carnival Hybrid vehicles. Due to a software error, the instrument panel display may fail. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 101, "Controls and Displays" and 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring System."
Risk: An instrument panel display that fails to show critical safety information, such as the speedometer, tire pressure, or warning lights, increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: The instrument panel display software will be updated over-the-air (OTA) or by a dealer, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed March 26, 2026. Owners may contact Kia Customer Service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC361. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov on February 9, 2026.
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:CRITICAL FASTENERS Campaign 25V548000 · 2025-08-25
Summary: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2025 K4 and Sorento vehicles. The connecting rod bolts in the engine may have been improperly tightened, which can cause a loss of drive power.
Risk: A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the sub engine assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 12, 2025. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC349.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:BODY CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE Campaign 25V006000 · 2025-01-13
Summary: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2024-2025 Sorento, 2025 Sorento Hybrid, and 2025 Sorento Plug-In Hybrid vehicles. A software error in the Body Domain Control Unit (BDC) may cause a loss of low beam headlights and taillights. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Risk: A loss of headlights and taillights can reduce visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will update the BDC software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 21, 2025. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC331.
No NHTSA investigation covers the tracked model years.
Frequently asked questions
How many complaints were filed for the 2025 Kia Sorento?
123 complaints were filed with NHTSA for the 2025 Kia Sorento, or about 73.5 per year on the road.
What is the most common problem reported for the 2025 Kia Sorento?
The most common category is Engine, accounting for 34.1% of complaints.
Does the 2025 Kia Sorento have any recalls?
NHTSA lists 3 safety recall(s) for this model year.
Is the 2025 Kia Sorento still generating complaints?
In the last 12 months 93 new complaints were filed, versus 30 in the 12 months before — the pace is rising.
How does the 2025 Kia Sorento compare with similar vehicles?
NHTSA has received 123 owner complaints about the 2025 Kia Sorento, or 73.5 per year on the road — more complaints than typical for a vehicle of its age (complaint index 1.75, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 85 model-year 2025 vehicles we track, it ranks #70 for fewest complaints per year. Against other Kia models its rate is 107% higher; against other Midsize SUVs it is 38% higher.