Recalled components: trailer hitch, electrical system, powertrain, seat belts, and 1 more. Most-described problem: loss of power or limp mode (61 complaints, 22%). Most-reported area: powertrain (146 complaints, 53%; median mileage when it happened: 64,500).
More complaints than a typical Sorento year
The 2021 drew 132 owner complaints in its first three years, against 116 for a typical Sorento year.
Years to avoid: 2011; best years: 2018 and 2019. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.
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 listings: SORENTO, SORENTO HYBRID. Kia campaign SC249.
The heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) blower motor wiring harness may be inadequate, which can result in a fire.
Risk: A fire increases the risk of injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Sorento vehicles.
NHTSA listing: SORENTO. Components: Electrical system: wiring, fuses and circuit breakers; Visibility: defroster/defogger/hvac system, fan/motor. Kia campaign SC351.
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: Loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
Kia Motors, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Sorento and 2021-2023 K5 vehicles.
In the event of a crash, the front driver-side and/or passenger-side seat belt pretensioner(s) may explode upon deployment.
Risk: An exploding seat belt pretensioner can project metal fragments into the vehicle, striking vehicle occupants and resulting in injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will secure the seat belt pretensioners with a cap, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 17, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC241. This recall expands and replaces NHTSA recall number 22V-127. Vehicles already repaired under the previous recall will need to have the new remedy completed.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Sorento Hybrid and 2022 Sorento Plug-in Hybrid vehicles.
Fuel may leak at the pipe connection between the high-pressure fuel pump and fuel rail.
Risk: A fuel leak increases the risk of a fire.
The fix and full notice
Fix: 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.
Kia Motor America (Kia) is recalling certain 2021 Sorento and 2021-2022 K5 vehicles equipped with 2.5L turbocharged engines.
NHTSA listing: SORENTO. Kia campaign SC214.
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.
NHTSA investigations
NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2021 Kia Sorento.
What owners report
Owners have filed 278 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Sorento. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Median 64,500 miles at failure, from 22 reports with mileage
Engine78 · 28%
Electrical system58 · 21%
Fuel and propulsion system25 · 9%
Speed control13 · 5%
Forward collision avoidance10 · 4%
Most named: warnings (7)
Visibility8 · 3%
Most named: windshield (3)
Unknown or other47 · 17%
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.
Kia Sorento recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2021 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 2011 Sorento drew the most (281) and the 2021 drew 132.
Owner complaints
2021: 278 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Kia Sorento
Model year
Complaints
2011
1,520
2012
880
2013
985
2014
989
2015
755
2016
1,263
2017
811
2018
255
2019
437
2020
140
2021
278
2022
229
2023
170
2024
52
2025
139
2026
9
Safety recalls
2021: 5 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Kia Sorento
Model year
Recalls
2011
7
2012
5
2013
5
2014
6
2015
3
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.
In the 278 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Kia Sorento, the problems described most are loss of power or limp mode (61), the check engine light coming on (46), and transmission failure or replacement (46). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is the 2021 Kia Sorento safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2021 Kia Sorento earns 4 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
Is NHTSA investigating the 2021 Kia Sorento?
No. NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no investigations for the 2021 Kia Sorento.
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 Nov 12, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Nov 11, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026. Defect petitions, which ask NHTSA to open an investigation, are listed apart and only while open. Audit queries, which check whether a company met its recall and reporting duties rather than whether a vehicle has a problem, are not listed.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: SORENTO, SORENTO HYBRID.
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.