2026 Kia Sorento problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Structure:body (1) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic (1) · Service Brakes (1)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Kia Sorento model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
Safety recalls (2)
Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel 2026-01-26 · campaign 26V046000 · 42,677 vehicles
Defect: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2025 Kia K4, 2025-2026 Sorento, Sorento Hybrid, Sorento Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV), 2026 Sportage, Sportage Hybrid, Sportage PHEV, K5, EV9, Carnival, and Carnival Hybrid vehicles. Due to a software error, the instrument panel display may fail. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 101, "Controls and Displays" and 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring System."
Risk: An instrument panel display that fails to show critical safety information, such as the speedometer, tire pressure, or warning lights, increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: The instrument panel display software will be updated over-the-air (OTA) or by a dealer, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed March 26, 2026. Owners may contact Kia Customer Service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC361. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov on February 9, 2026.
Tires:temporary/Emergency Spare Tire 2025-10-30 · campaign 25V745000 · 45 vehicles
Defect: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2025 Telluride and 2026 Sorento vehicles. The vehicles are 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."
Risk: Anti-lock braking or traction control systems that do not function properly can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the spare wheel and tire assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 3, 2025. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC355. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning November 13, 2025.
Service bulletins (8)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Electrical System 2026-06-18 · OTA_ELE413_NOTES_R2 · Over The Air
release notes: over-the-air: software update for data connectivity (ele413 revision 2) - this over-the-air (ota) software update is designed to update the data connectivity unit (dcu) logic of certain 2025 - 2026my carnival, ev9, k5 and sorento vehicles. this update is designed to improve the vehicl
Electrical System 2026-05-28 · TSB_ELE422 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
technical service bulletin: infotainment system software update using update.kia.com - this bulletin provides information and service procedures for updating the infotainment systems on applicable kia vehicles using the kia navigation updater available at update.kia.com. the software update may impr
Electrical System 2026-04-24 · OTA_ELE413_NOTES_R1 · Over The Air
release notes: over-the-air: software update for data connectivity (ele413 revision 1) - this over-the-air (ota) software update is designed to update the data connectivity unit (dcu) logic of certain 2025 - 2026my carnival, 2025 - 2026my k5 and 2025 - 2026my sorento vehicles. this update is designe
Electrical System 2026-04-14 · TSB_ELE417 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
technical service bulletin: infotainment software update procedure - this bulletin provides information on the process for downloading infotainment software updates and preparing usb for installation on applicable kia vehicles. the software downloads and usb preparation process is similar across all
Electrical System 2026-03-20 · TSB_ELE413 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
technical service bulletin: dcu communication logic improvement - this bulletin provides the procedure to upgrade the data connectivity unit (dcu) system software on some 2025–2026my vehicles listed in the table below. kia has identified that connected car services (ccs) functionality may intermitte
Engine 2026-02-10 · TSB_ENG261_R1 · Service Campaign
technical service bulletin: data collection: extract california emissions data from ecu (dc26) - this bulletin has been revised to include additional information. new/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. this bulletin provides information related to extr
Showing the 6 most recent of 8 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-07 · Structure:body“passenger door failed to open three times since purchase. tried locking/unlocking door from inside, outside and with key fob. dealership looked at it in may 2026 and i reported it again because it happened two more times since. they couldn't duplicate it the first time and said it was to intermittent for the service manager to talk to me when i wen…”
2026-09-02 · Unknown Or Other“my 2026 sorento developed a fault after just two weeks of use. it had to be towed three times because the engine shuts down and won't restart. i tried to resolve the issue with the dealership, but they claim there is nothing wrong with the car. i reported the situation to kia america; after a 19-day wait, they replied that there is nothing they can…”
2026-06-29 · Engine And Engine Cooling · 7,000 mi“the contact owns a 2026 kia sorento. the contact stated that while driving 75 mph, the check engine warning light started flashing and the vehicle entered limp mode. the contact pulled over, turned off, and restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle operated as intended while driving to the residence. the contact stated that the following day, while dr…”
2026-05-12 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic · 600 mi · 💥 crash“the contact owns a 2026 kia sorento. the contact stated that while his wife was driving at 2 mph, the brake pedal was depressed and went to the floorboard. the vehicle failed to stop and rolled forward. the forward collision avoidance feature also failed, causing the vehicle to crash into a building. no warning light was illuminated. the air bags d…”
2026-05-11 · Unknown Or Other“i had got off work and got inside my vehicle,a 2026 kia sorento and when i started my vehicle the back window sporadically shattered and i do have cctv of it as well…”
2026-04-14 · Service Brakes · 💥 crash“i am reporting a suspected brake system malfunction. about one block before my destination, i stopped at a traffic light and applied light pressure to the brake pedal. the vehicle slammed and jerked to a stop unexpectedly. moments later, while turning into a parking space, i pressed the brake pedal again and the vehicle did not stop as expected. th…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.