2021 KIA SORENTO — Problems, Recalls & Safety Data

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4/5

★★★★

Safety Rating

281

Owner Complaints

6 Crashes 1 Fire

4

Recalls

ACTIVE RECALL

34

Service Bulletins

0

Investigations

Overview of the 2021 KIA SORENTO

The 2021 KIA SORENTO has received a total of 281 safety complaints filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It earned an overall safety rating of 4 out of 5 stars in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program crash tests. There have been 11 recall campaigns affecting this vehicle, covering issues with ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS, VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:FAN/MOTOR, TRAILER HITCHES. 34 technical service bulletins have been issued by Kia America, Inc. for this model year. The most commonly reported problems involve the Power Train (98 complaints), Engine (48 complaints), and Unknown Or Other (34 complaints).

Recalls for the 2021 KIA SORENTO

NHTSA has recorded 11 recalls for the 2021 KIA SORENTO, potentially affecting up to 665,894 vehicles.

Recall 25V649000 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS

| 39,536 vehicles affected

Defect: 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.

Consequence: 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)...

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Recall 25V649000 — VISIBILITY:DEFROSTER/DEFOGGER/HVAC SYSTEM:FAN/MOTOR

| 39,536 vehicles affected

Defect: 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.

Consequence: 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)...

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Recall 22V703000 — TRAILER HITCHES

| 70,887 vehicles affected

Defect: 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,...

Consequence: 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...

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Recall 22V703000 — TRAILER HITCHES

| 70,887 vehicles affected

Defect: 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,...

Consequence: 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...

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Recall 22V703000 — TRAILER HITCHES

| 70,887 vehicles affected

Defect: 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,...

Consequence: 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...

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Recall 22V703000 — TRAILER HITCHES

| 70,887 vehicles affected

Defect: 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,...

Consequence: 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...

View full details →

Recall 22V703000 — TRAILER HITCHES

| 70,887 vehicles affected

Defect: 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,...

Consequence: 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...

View full details →

Recall 22V703000 — TRAILER HITCHES

| 70,887 vehicles affected

Defect: 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,...

Consequence: 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...

View full details →

Recall 22V703000 — TRAILER HITCHES

| 70,887 vehicles affected

Defect: 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,...

Consequence: 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...

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Recall 22V760000 — POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION

| 69,038 vehicles affected

Defect: 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.

Consequence: 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...

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Recall 21V519000 — FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

| 21,575 vehicles affected

Defect: 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.

Consequence: 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.

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Owner Complaints for the 2021 KIA SORENTO

281 complaints have been filed with NHTSA for the 2021 KIA SORENTO. Below is a breakdown by vehicle component.

Most Recent Complaints

#11718150 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | | N/A miles
The car has completely shutdown and nothing works while parked and has not started until the next day. This has happened 3 times in 5 months.
#11717619 | EXTERIOR LIGHTING | | 111,178 miles
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.
#11715558 | POWER TRAIN | | 62,500 miles
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while stopped at a traffic light or a stop sign, the vehicle rolled backwards and stalled. The contact was able to coast to the side of the road. The ignition key was cycled several times before the vehicle restarted. The failure was intermittent, with the check engine light illuminating intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with transmission failure. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The failure persisted. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V760000 (POWER TRAIN); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 62,500.
#11714485 | POWER TRAIN | | N/A miles
The engine pump went in my vehicle (21 Kia Sorrento) and is giving a code of P193B79. There was a recall that the dealership said they completed in 2023 to fix this. When I asked the dealership what they did to fix this in 2023, they said they checked for the code and it didn't have the code. Since they closed the recall, because it didn't currently have the code, they marked it complete and won't fix the issue with the transmission now. This was the information I got from the dealership. Then they proceded to tell me that SC250 is for code P1C2D03 and my car is giving code P193B79. I explained when I search online the two issues are very closely related and the kmsister company of Hyundai includes both coves in their recall. I have loss of power, as stated in the recall. I explained to the dealership that when I pulled out of my road, I tried to cross and I pressed the gas. The car would not got above 15 mph and the rpms went very high. The dealership called it a "limp motor" when I described it to them. After calling Kia customer service they told me that the dealership makes the call if it is under warranty. I called the dealership back and they told me again that because it was marked completed in 2023, it can't be under that recall. I easked because I didn't have the code in 2023, what was done to prevent this issue from happening on my car. They explained again they closed the ticket in 2023, so it can't be under that recall. I am having the loss of power, explained in SC250 and the dealership told me it is the engine pump fail. They explained it is the same part but a different code. I explained again how those 2 codes are very similar issues and their sister company agrees. I also explained an article I found online for Kia, where those 2 codes are very related. The article explained if the dealership did not cover it, call Kia. If still not resolved, file a complaint with NHTSA. That brings me here. Thank you!
#11711535 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | | 75,000 miles
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.

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Safety Rating for the 2021 KIA SORENTO

The 2021 KIA SORENTO received an overall safety rating of 4 out of 5 stars from NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program (NCAP).

Test Category Rating
Overall Rating ★★★★ (4/5)
Frontal Crash ★★★★ (4/5)
Side Crash ★★★★★ (5/5)
Rollover ★★★★ (4/5)

Safety ratings are based on controlled crash tests conducted by NHTSA. A 5-star rating indicates the highest level of occupant protection.

Technical Service Bulletins for the 2021 KIA SORENTO

Kia America, Inc. has issued 34 technical service bulletins (TSBs) for the 2021 KIA SORENTO. TSBs are notices sent by manufacturers to their dealers describing a known issue and the recommended repair procedure.

TSB_ELE361 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: AVN 5.0 WIDE DEALER MODE FACTORY RESET - This bulletin provides the procedure to perform the ‘Dealer Mode Factory Reset’ on multiple 2020-2021MY vehicles (listed on page 5) equipped with AVN 5.0 Wide head units. The affected vehicles may exhibit inoperable and/or interrupted Kia Connect services due...

TSB_TRA113 — POWER TRAIN

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: PRECAUTIONS FOR TRANSMISSIONS WITH ISG/EOP - This bulletin provides information related to the replacement or servicing of transmission assemblies on all Kia vehicles equipped with Idle-Stop-Go (ISG) and High-Flow Electric Oil Pump (HF EOP). The HF EOP protective connector cover may NOT have been installed on a...

CS2304C_OWNR2 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN: OWNER RE-NOTIFICATION - This document is the owner re-notification advising that Kia has developed a software upgrade that can be installed on the vehicle to restrict the operation of the vehicle's ignition system should a locked vehicle be the subject of a break-in and theft attempt without...

PS742 — POWER TRAIN

PITSTOP: PRECAUTIONS FOR WET 8-SPEED DCT: This Pitstop provides information related to the replacement of an 8-Speed Wet Dual Clutch Transmission (WDCT) assembly on some 2021-2023MY K5 (DL3a) and Sorento (MQ4a) vehicles, where the High Flow Electric Oil Pump (HF EOP) protective connector cover may NOT be installed on the...

TSB_ENG235 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:EXHAUST SYSTEM:EMISSION CONTROL:CRANKCASE (PCV)

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: AIR INTAKE SYSTEM CLEANING, PCV VALVE & AIR FILTER REPLACEMENT DUE TO OIL CONTAMINATION - This bulletin provides information regarding the air intake system which may become contaminated with oil due to a faulty Positive Crankcase Ventilation (PCV) check valve on some 2021-2022MY Sorento (MQ4a) vehicles equipped...

TSB_TRA100 — POWER TRAIN:CLUTCH ASSEMBLY

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: 8 SPEED WET DUAL CLUTCH TRANSMISSION (WDCT) JUDDER EVALUATION - This bulletin provides information to inspect for judder in the 8-speed Wet Dual Clutch Transmission (WDCT) and possibly replace the Dual Clutch Assembly on some 2021MY~ K5 GT (DL3a) vehicles produced from November 16, 2020 and later...

TSB_FUE055 — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SERVICE ACTION: 2.5L GDI WITH MIL ON DTC P2074XX ECM LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (SA489A) - This bulletin provides the procedure to update the software logic of the Engine Control Module (ECM) system on some 2021-2022MY Sorento (MQ4a) vehicles with Theta 2.5L GDI engines, produced from September 30, 2020...

TSB_FUE055 — FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SERVICE ACTION: 2.5L GDI WITH MIL ON DTC P2074XX ECM LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (SA489A) - This bulletin provides the procedure to update the software logic of the Engine Control Module (ECM) system on some 2021-2022MY Sorento (MQ4a) vehicles with Theta 2.5L GDI engines, produced from September 30, 2020...

TSB_FUE055 — ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SERVICE ACTION: 2.5L GDI WITH MIL ON DTC P2074XX ECM LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (SA489A) - This bulletin provides the procedure to update the software logic of the Engine Control Module (ECM) system on some 2021-2022MY Sorento (MQ4a) vehicles with Theta 2.5L GDI engines, produced from September 30, 2020...

TSB_FUE054_CLSD — ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING

TSB_FUE054_CLOSED: TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN CLOSED

Showing 10 of 34 technical service bulletins.

NHTSA Investigations for the 2021 KIA SORENTO

There are no NHTSA defect investigations on record for this vehicle.

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