Recalled components: trailer hitch, seat belts, backover prevention and rearview camera, electrical system, and 4 more. Most-described problem: loss of power or limp mode (53 complaints, 23%). Most-reported area: powertrain (79 complaints, 34%).
More complaints than a typical Sorento year
The 2022 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.
Data: NHTSA recall, complaint and investigation filesUpdated
Year to avoidBest year
Includes the Sorento Hybrid and the Sorento Plug-in Hybrid.
9 safety recalls for the 2022 Kia Sorento
Parts with a do-not-drive or park-outside recall come first, then the rest, largest first. Within a part, do-not-drive and park-outside recalls come first, then the newest. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for what is wrong, the fix and the full notice.
Risk: A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
What's wrong, 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.
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.
70,887 vehicles.
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, SORENTO PHEV. Kia campaign SC249.
Risk: An exploding seat belt pretensioner can project metal fragments into the vehicle, striking vehicle occupants and resulting in injury.
What's wrong, the fix and the full notice
In the event of a crash, the front driver-side and/or passenger-side seat belt pretensioner(s) may explode upon deployment.
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.
17,199 vehicles.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Sorento Hybrid and 2022 Sorento Plug-in Hybrid vehicles.
Risk: An exploding seat belt pretensioner can project metal fragments into the vehicle, striking vehicle occupants and resulting in injury.
What's wrong, the fix and the full notice
In the event of a crash, the front driver-side and/or passenger-side seat belt pretensioner(s) may explode upon deployment.
Fix: Dealers will replace the seatbelt pretensioner(s), free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 3, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC231. This recall is replaced by NHTSA recall number 22V-447. Vehicles already repaired under this recall will need to have the new remedy completed.
213 vehicles.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2022 Sorento Hybrid and Sorento Plug-in Hybrid vehicles.
Risk: A rearview camera that does not properly display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
What's wrong, the fix and the full notice
The mounting clips for the rearview camera may break, which can cause the rearview camera image not to appear properly on the display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera housing, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 27, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC280.
Fails federal standard 111 (rear visibility) · 144,979 vehicles.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2022-2023 Sorento, Sorento Hybrid, and Sorento Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) vehicles.
NHTSA listings: SORENTO, SORENTO HYBRID, SORENTO PHEV. Kia campaign SC280.
The heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) blower motor wiring harness may be inadequate, which can result in a fire.
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.
39,536 vehicles.
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.
Risk: An oil leak in the presence of an ignition source such as hot engine or exhaust components, can increase the risk of a fire.
What's wrong, the fix and the full notice
The oil supply pipe to the turbocharger may crack, which could result in an oil leak in the engine compartment.
Fix: Dealers will replace the turbocharger oil supply pipe, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 22, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC233.
26 vehicles.
Kia Motor America (Kia) is recalling certain 2022 Sorento vehicles.
NHTSA listing: SORENTO. Components: Engine and cooling: engine, gasoline, turbo/supercharger; Engine and cooling: engine, oil/lubrication, pipes, hoses, and fittings. Kia campaign SC233.
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
What's wrong, the fix and the full notice
The fuel tank may have been improperly molded, which can result in a fuel leak.
Fix: Deales will inspect and replace the fuel tank, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 22, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC261.
34 vehicles.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2022 Sorento Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV) vehicles.
Risk: Loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
What's wrong, the fix and the full notice
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.
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.
69,038 vehicles.
Kia Motors, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Sorento and 2021-2023 K5 vehicles.
Risk: Impaired anti-lock braking or traction control systems can increase the risk of a crash.
What's wrong, the fix and the full notice
The vehicles may be equipped with an incorrect spare tire which, when installed, can impair the anti-lock braking system (ABS) and the traction control system (TCS). As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 110, "Tire Selection and Rims."
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the spare tire, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 27, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC244.
Fails federal standard 110 (tire and rim labeling) · 8 vehicles.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2022 Sorento and Telluride vehicles.
NHTSA listing: SORENTO. Kia campaign SC244.
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 has opened 1 investigation that names the 2022 Kia Sorento; it is closed. An investigation means NHTSA is reviewing reports of a problem. It is not a finding that the vehicle has a defect.
Seat belt pretensioners may rupture
Recall query RQ22003Closed May 26, 2023 (opened Aug 8, 2022)
On August 8, 2022, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened this Recall Query (RQ) based on 3 incidents alleging front seat belt pretensioners that may rupture during deployment, on model year (MY) 2020-2022…NHTSA's full summary
A recall query is a review of whether a recall covered the right vehicles or whether its fix works. NHTSA lists investigations by make, model and model year only, so one can apply to only some versions of a model, such as one engine; its summary says which.
What owners report
Owners have filed 229 complaints with NHTSA about the 2022 Sorento. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Most named: automatic emergency braking (6); warnings (4)
Unknown or other41 · 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 2022 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 2022 drew 132.
Owner complaints
2022: 229 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
2022: 9 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 229 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2022 Kia Sorento, the problems described most are loss of power or limp mode (53), the check engine light coming on (37), and hesitation or slow acceleration (22). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is the 2022 Kia Sorento safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2022 Kia Sorento earns 4 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
Is NHTSA investigating the 2022 Kia Sorento?
No. NHTSA's investigations file, dated Nov 12, 2026, lists no open investigations for the 2022 Kia Sorento. It lists one closed investigation, which closed on May 26, 2023.
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, SORENTO PHEV.
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.