What breaks most · 2021 to 2025 model years
Kia Sorento Hybrid problems by year
Owners have filed 110 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Kia Sorento Hybrid across model years 2021 to 2025. Three years stand out: 2025 for engine complaints, 2023 for engine complaints and 2021 for electrical system complaints.
- Years to check closely: 2025, 2023, 2021
- Complaints on file
- 1102021 to 2025, all trims
- Worst year
- 202541 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 21 fires · 6 injuries · 0 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 11kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 10Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | 0 | 2 | Electrical system (10) | |
| 12 | 0 | 4 | Electrical system (4) | |
| 30 | 1 | 2 | Engine (12) | |
| 6 | 0 | 0 | Engine (3) | |
| 41 | 1 | 2 | Engine (21) |
What fails on the 2025 Kia Sorento Hybrid
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 51% |
21 | 0 | Shop all engine parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 39% |
16 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 32% |
13 | 0 | Shop all fuel system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 22% |
9 | 0 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2025 Kia Sorento Hybrid |
| Unknown or other | 20% |
8 | 0 | — |
| Speed control and throttleThrottle and pedal sensors | 7% |
3 | 0 | Shop speed control and throttle parts for the 2025 Kia Sorento Hybrid |
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 2% |
1 | 0 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 2025 Kia Sorento Hybrid |
| Lane departure systemCamera sensors | 2% |
1 | 0 | Shop all lane departure system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
Will be driving when it switches to EV mode it will have no power and go into limp mode. Can't go over 30 mph. This is now the second time this has happened. Dealership tried to say it was because of temperature. Come on.
-
My vehicle died inThe middle of an extremely busy four lane road. A light came on That said to turn the car off immediately. The engine light and battery light flashed on. It sounds like the engine recall for the 22 and 21 hybrid sorento’s. I had to have the vehicle towed to the dealership, it is only 7 mos old.
-
My Kia 2021 Hybrid EX has a message warning to "refill inverter coolant". Took it to dealer and they said it's a software issue, but no remedy is available.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Kia Sorento Hybrid years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2025, 2023, 2021 carry the most filings on the Kia Sorento Hybrid. The 2025 alone has 41 complaints, led by engine.
What is the most common Kia Sorento Hybrid problem?
On the 2025 model year, the most-reported component is engine with 21 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Kia Sorento Hybrid problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Kia Sorento Hybrid complaints that include mileage is about 11,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.