Complaint volume
63 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.
Complaint records
2025 Kia Sorento Complaints
63 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2025 Kia Sorento, grouped by component category.
63 Total complaints
5 Crash reports
0 Fire reports
2 Injury reports
Complaint data reflects consumer-submitted reports. A complaint is not proof
of a defect, recall, or manufacturer fault. Enriched severity fields come
from official bulk records when the complaint can be matched by ODI number.
Buyer interpretation
How to use these complaints before buying
Complaint records are most useful when they turn into inspection points, seller questions, and comparison checks against nearby model years.
Pattern to inspect
The most common categories are unknown or other, power train, electrical system. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 5 crash reports, 0 fire reports, 2 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 7 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 4,751 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to unknown or other, power train, electrical system?
- Can I see recent maintenance and repair records?
- Has the vehicle ever been towed, involved in a crash, or repaired for the same issue twice?
- Can we also check the recall record for this 2025 Kia Sorento?
Used-car checklist
Use these complaints before the test drive.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
2025 Kia Sorento
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2025 Kia Sorento complaints?
5 Crash
0 Fire
2 Injury
0 Fatality
5 Towed
1 Medical attention
What are the most common 2025 Kia Sorento complaint categories?
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 9
POWER TRAIN 8
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 6
ENGINE 3
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE 3
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER 2
ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 2
POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 2
VISIBILITY/WIPER 2
AIR BAGS,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1
63 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 2026 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Today, May 12, 2026 at 12:10pm the panoramic sunroof spontaneously exploded. I heard some shacking sounds in the car, right as I was picking up speed on the freeway and then heard a bang above my head. Nothing had hit the car. It sounded like a balloon had popped in my ear. When I stopped the car 5mins later, I could see the glass was getting pushed out from the inside and then broke apart in the sunshade. I am my kids were not in the car at the time. It was above their car seats. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The contact owns a 2025 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that an unknown, sticky fluid had spilled through the slits of the mode selector which was a dial that can be selected for driving during different road conditions. Upon start of the vehicle, the 4WD mode selector would intermittently flash on the instrument panel. In addition, the contact stated the mode selector would remain stuck in eco drive and that the contact could not switch out of the mode selector. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where upon a diagnostic, it was discovered that an unknown, sticky substance had entered the mode selector through the slits in the mode selector. The contact agreed to have the part replaced; however, the part for the repair was on backorder. The manufacturer was notified of the failure where they refused to offer any assistance with the vehicle's repair. The vehicle remained in the dealer's possession and had yet to be repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 8,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | ENGINE | 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 . i found on kia of Manahawkin they have a page on this issue forced acceleration and cause so how they can tell me no it doesn't happen also goggle searches show this a reported issue , and recently friend of my women in Florida her car did the same thing . | Crash: Yes Fire: No | Unknown |
| May 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE | I purchased this vehicle from McGrath Kia in [XXX] . The fuel line recall kept me from picking up the car the day of purchase as was indented and stated. This was deception because they knew about the recall even know they waited for me to sign the contract before telling me. This was verified by another sales person at Kia. The current problem is electrical with the 12 volt battery discharging to zero at unusual and times with no particular reason such as lights or anything in the vehicle turned in the on position or running. The service coordinator told me the solution is to un hook the battery terminal when stopped. That is wildly unacceptable to have myself and family risk injury due to Kia's faulty electronics on a newly manufactured vehicle. This added risk of using the kia Sorento makes it unsafe. Multiple visits to the dealership resulted in nothing. They did not want me to bring the car in twice as they don't have a solution. This is becoming more frequent and the McGrath is openly stating I'm over 12 months time for lemon law and ill have to pay to fix my new car. Which has the "lifetime" warranty. Im stuck with a new car that's unsafe to drive. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,SERVICE BRAKES | I am submitting this revised complaint to correct a prior report that was not accurately documented during a phone submission. Vehicle: 2025 Kia Sorento (259 miles at purchase) Within approximately two months of ownership (~3,000 miles), the vehicle began experiencing serious safety-related issues, including intermittent stalling, braking problems, and electrical malfunctions. Symptoms include: •Vehicle stalled and failed to restart, leaving me stranded •Radio/display screen went blank •Heating/climate system became nonfunctional •Vehicle would not shift into neutral •Persistent burning odor inside and outside the vehicle These issues raise concern about a potential fire risk. In May 2025, the vehicle was inspected by two separate dealerships, both of which reported no issues. The condition worsened, resulting in a complete failure requiring towing. A dealership later identified “electrical issues,” but key symptoms were not documented. A second dealership has since stated the vehicle is operating normally; I disagree, as I believe the root cause has not been resolved. Issues began at ~3,000 miles, with major failure at ~22,000 miles. I have contacted Kia and requested a buyback due to repeated failures and safety concerns. This request was denied twice; a goodwill credit was offered but not accepted. This complaint is submitted to report ongoing safety defects involving stalling, braking, electrical failure, and a potential fire risk. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The contact owns a 2025 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle unexpectedly stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the braking system became inoperable and failed to function properly. Additionally, while the vehicle was parked, it failed to start and lost motive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the electrical system had failed and needed to be repaired. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was then taken to another dealer, where it was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 22,000. | Crash: No Fire: No Towed | 22,000 |
| Apr 2026 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,VISIBILITY/WIPER | Sunroof exploded when driving sounded like a shotgun. This is a known issue by kia.the glass blow upward. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | I have a 2025 KIA Sorento Hybrid and several months a go Car play stoped working correctly If car developers like to replace the car stereo with Car Play or a new Tecnology they better make shore that the Tecnology is working correctly before they Install it in people vehicle don't let the consumer develop the product for Tham, Car play is not working, at times sounds stop playing ,navigation stop talking and there is no AI I'm a Uber Driver wen I"m in the car I need to concentrate on the road driving I should not trying to figure out how to fix the sound, or what is wrong with Car Play. I would like for Apple to make a Recall. Car Play is a very dangers issue that no one is been able to fix. Please I hope you take this in cosideration it's a Sefty issue. Mahalo | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2026 | POWER TRAIN | In December I submitted a complaint about the powertrain not knowing the extent of the problem. My 2025 Kia Sorento X-Line SX prestige with shy of 48000 miles had a catastrophic and potentially life threatening malfunction with the powertrain. The technicians revealed that the transmission housing actually exploded, launching shrapnel into the surrounding area. This had the potential to impact other drivers on the road, and had the blast gone in my direction it may have pierced the shielding and struck me or my passenger. It was far beyond a regular breakdown. The damage was so severe that while under warranty i still as of today 4/18/2026 do not have my vehicle back. They seem to be unable to fix the problem. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Mar 2026 | SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Driving 40 mph coming around a bend. There was a car stopped about to rear off to the left and when coming up around the turn I saw and tried to stop. I was about two car lengths behind the car when I pressed the brake down and I pushed it all the way down and nothing happened. It was grinding and shaky when pressing it down. Not tight or anything. I feel like I normally would have that tension right away to be able to stop. There was no warning or anything and the car always has warnings when something is close. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Towed | Unknown |
| Mar 2026 | ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | I am reporting a loss of propulsion event in a 2025 Kia Sorento S AWD. The vehicle experienced a sudden loss of drive power when pressing the accelerator. The engine did not respond normally and the vehicle entered a reduced power (limp mode) condition. Stopping in the middle of major intersections, [XXX] and then [XXX] and [XXX] at 4:30 pm. This vehicle is subject to Recall 25V548 involving engine connecting rod bolts, which warns of possible engine damage and loss of propulsion. The dealership (Gettel Kia of Bradenton, FL) stated they were unable to duplicate the issue. The recall language states that engine damage or loss of propulsion may occur and could create a safety hazard. This event occurred at approximately moving from a stop position to ? mph on [XXX]] with approximately 1,936 miles on the vehicle. As I drove it home it would disengage and reengage. I am concerned about the safety of continued operation given the recall notice and the propulsion failure experienced. VIN: [XXX] Please advise. [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | This is the 4th time car is unable to start after being parked for one day and it had to be jump starting. At first I thought it was some accessory, specifically a dashcam and aftermarket ambient lights, so I disconnected both and I even turned off the wireless charging pad and disable the function to turn the lights on when doors open and it didn't help, dead car again after 1 day parked. Car was purchased new in august of 2025 and this issue started this past january coincidentally after an OTA update in december. Today, I got the 12v battery tested at my local Advance Auto Parts and battery health came out good, battery level was low (as supposed after a jump start) and it only recommended a recharge. So the issue lies inside the electrical system of the car and to my surprise this parasitic draw is not new, in online forums a lot of owners talk and complaint about this specific issue, even here I found a similar complaint and I wonder why there's not at least a technical bulletin from KIA addressing this issue. Finding out the cause of the battery draining fast is imperative because if overlook this can evolve into something more serious because we don't know what it is that is "always on" drawing big amounts of power and can clearly be classified as a fire hazard. I remember having the same issue with my old car, a 2019 Kia Sorento EX, and it was solved with a simple computer update (NOT the map or infotainment update), it was a firmware only available at the dealership. I just hope this could be the case this time and KIA can respond in a timely manner to solve this issue. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | The Kia Connect fuse was confirmed by Gerald Kia of Naperville to cause a parasitic draw that cannot be fixed. The dealership had to remove the fuse after stating that no software update is yet available, and that numerous owners have had the issue. My car has died 7x with less than 7K miles on it and less than a year old. Bought new. They still have not put the fuse back in and Kia has refused to issue a recall. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2026 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | The sunroof spontaneously shattered while I was driving in the highway. No one was injured but glass did fly off of the vehicle and luckily the cover inside was closed so no glass got in the vehicle. There was no warning just an explosion sound. The sunroof glass was blowing outward once I was able to pull over and inspect it. The dealership did replace the sunroof and said it was covered under my warranty. I did try to contact Kia directly first and they were taking weeks to reply and eventually said they would do a good faith one time repair but I never messaged them back since my dealership took control and told me it was covered under my warranty and proceeded to order and fix it. They also had to replace the sunroof cover because they said it was also damaged from the pressure of it spontaneously shattering. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2026 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | While driving on a freeway I hear a crashing sound of glass and heard loose glass above me. When I pulled over I looked to see that my sunroof shattered. There was nothing above me for something to fall from and hit my car. There was also nothing found that would have struck the glass | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2026 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | While driving the engine stops running and only runs on battery power. The only remedy that is partially successful is to stop and restart the vehicle. Problem often repeats itself and makes driving unsafe as the battery cannot fully power the engine. Upon restart the check engine light will be on and report this error: "Powertrain P112000 A possible condition with your Engine Control System has been detected. A full system check is recommended to be done when convenient. Please contact your local dealership to schedule an appointment." This is the 3rd time this has happened since December. Has been at dealership twice and they essentially just reset the error condition, only for it to happen again after a couple weeks of driving. Most recent occurrence was yesterday morning. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2026 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | Was merging onto the San Tan L202 Freeway from the SR24 On Ramp. While accelerating to up to roughly 65mph, what sounded like a gunshot went off and it became very loud in the cabin of my car. I then noticed glass flying around the outside of my car, so I immediately pulled over onto the shoulder to see what happened. When I got out and looked up I noticed that the sunroof had completely exploded out in the center and that the glass was facing upwards. My husband came to help me take the vehicle to Horne Kia Dealership and we left it with them that day. There was no any indication of anything hitting or striking the vehicle, anything falling down onto it, or any external factors that could have contributed to the sunroof exploding. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2026 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | My wife was slowly pulling into a parking spot at kohls and the car lunged like the gas pedal was pressed all the way down and hit parking pole in spot . I googled to see if this was an issue reports and found information on this not actual recall but reports on this issue . Kia has done nothing with this case | Crash: Yes Fire: No Injuries: 1 Towed | Unknown |
| Feb 2026 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Vehicle only has 5839 miles and this is the 2nd time the battery has been dead. First time was Dec 18th 2025. Vehicle purchased 7/5/25. 2nd time 2/5/26. First time the outside lights flickered for a long time before finally going off. 2nd time the outside lights didnt flicker and key fob wont even lock the car. We took the vehicle in for service after 1st dead battery instance and they told us we must've not closed a door or left a light on which drained the battery. Will be scheduling another service so they can fix the issue. There were no messages or symptoms of the problem prior to the failures. I am requesting that NHTSA document this as a potential electrical system safety defect. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2026 | LANE DEPARTURE | Driver attention warning light coming on frequently for no reason, is distracting for driver and will cause and accident, today we almost hit a horse and buggy | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2026 | POWER TRAIN | The DCT transmission causes significant hesitation at slow speeds or starting from a stop. This often leaves the driver and it’s occupants in a vulnerable position if the car hesitates when trying to navigate through traffic. I have taken it to the dealership and they stated that nothing is wrong with it, However, in reviewing online forums, it is obviously a significant concern. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2026 | AIR BAGS,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | Hit a deer going 80, airbags did not deploy and car did not attempt to brake | Crash: Yes Fire: No Injuries: 1 Towed Medical attention | Unknown |
| Jan 2026 | POWER TRAIN | This incident started within the first 100 miles of ownership. The dealership hasn’t been able to recreate the incident. I put my 2025 Kia Sorento in the “automatic” drive position. I start driving and my transmission won’t shift gears. I looked down at my dashboard and it shows the vehicle is in “manual” drive gear 1. I look at my gear shift and it shows the vehicle is in “automatic” drive position. If I push the vehicle to its redline or approximately 5000 RPM’s the vehicle shifts and dashboard changes from “1” to “D”. In summary my transmission is malfunctioning and shifting intermittently on its own from automatic to manual drive and the gear shifter is always in the automatic shift position. This happens several times a month. I video taped the incident because the dealership didn’t believe me when I told them this keeps happening. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2025 | VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Instrument gauge cluster freezes while driving. Cannot view current speed, blinker status, cruise control settings, tachometer information, fuel status, or ADAAS items. Also gear select indicator light freezes and does not show correct gear/park. Can only be reset by disconnecting negative battery cable and discharging system. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2025 | POWER TRAIN | Today is 12/15/2025 About a month or 2 ago i was on the highway coming from South Carolina to North Carolina when the engine revved up unexpectedly without input. It has HDA2 and that was doing most of the work. The vehicle started to speed up beyond the set limit and once i hit the brakes and manually shifted i was able to regain control. Last week the vehicle made a small noise that I wasn’t sure about. I called the dealership thinking that it could be a transmission problem. When i called they didn’t seem concerned and asked me to bring it in Monday (today). I had no lights or error codes (and still don’t) on the dash and they did not recommend that I don’t drive it so i continued using the car. Last night it made a horrendous noise started revving on its own and shifting very hard ans if something was coming apart. This morning on my way to the dealership the car completely seized up at an intersection. The car has 47900 miles on it. It’s a 2025 and the transmission seems to have completely blown. Ive read online several complaints about the transmission on these vehicles and think that they may be a major concern. For a new car to have this type of issue locking up while on public roads and smoking is absolutely a hazard. My only saving grace is that it happened at an intersection and not on the highway where an accident would have been inevitable. Please look into the DCT transmission on Kia Sorentos. Particularly X-Line SX prestige models. It is a highly unsafe vehicle. Another issue that the car is having is a clicking noise on the steering column that seems to be getting much worse over time and im afraid will result in loss of steering. Im having them check it out as well. The vehicle never showed a malfunction and I’ve attached a screenshot of the app showing it in perfect health despite being undrivable. I still have no invoice and no police report was made. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |