NHTSA lists 1 safety recall and 135 owner complaints for the 2020 Kia Sorento.
One recall for this model year tells owners not to drive or to park outside until repaired:Trailer hitch, park outside (22V-703). Check your VIN below to see whether yours is affected.
1Safety recalls
135Owner complaints
10Complaints citing a crash
11Complaints citing a fire
Data: NHTSA recall and complaint filesUpdated Sep 27, 2026
Recalled components: trailer hitch. Most-reported area: engine (64 complaints, 47%). Includes the Sorento Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid.
1 safety recall for the 2020 Kia Sorento
Do-not-drive and park-outside recalls first, then newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.
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: A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
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.
NHTSA listing: SORENTO. Kia campaign SC249.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What owners report
The areas named in the 135 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2020 Sorento. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Engine64 · 47%
Electrical system19 · 14%
Powertrain18 · 13%
Fuel and propulsion system9 · 7%
Trailer hitch9 · 7%
Brakes5 · 4%
Exterior lighting5 · 4%
Unknown or other24 · 18%
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%.
Kia Sorento recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2020 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2021 Sorento drew the most (132) and the 2020 drew 29.
Owner complaints
2020: 135 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Kia Sorento
Model year
Complaints
2016
1,250
2017
804
2018
254
2019
426
2020
135
2021
268
2022
223
2023
157
2024
49
2025
127
2026
6
Safety recalls
2020: 1 recallTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Kia Sorento
Model year
Recalls
2016
8
2017
4
2018
3
2019
2
2020
1
2021
5
2022
9
2023
4
2024
2
2025
4
2026
2
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
Tested version
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Kia Sorento SUV AWD
Rollover risk 15.8%
Kia Sorento SUV FWD
Rollover risk 15.0%
Questions
What are the most common 2020 Sorento problems?
The areas owners name most often in NHTSA complaints: engine (64), electrical system (19), powertrain (18). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can name several areas.
Is the 2020 Kia Sorento safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2020 Kia Sorento earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
How do I check if my Sorento has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Kia dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Sep 27, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Sep 26, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: SORENTO.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.