Owners have filed 29 complaints
about the 2021 KIA Sorento Hybrid with NHTSA between 2022 and 2025.
The largest single group is the engine & cooling.
Across this model's run it ranks 4 of 4 worst.
The letter says how bad. This says what kind — whether this year drew
an unusual number of complaints, unusually dangerous
ones, or failures that arrived unusually early.
The dashed ring is 50 — the national norm. Further out is worse.
Complaint volume — 34
Against the median year of the KIA Sorento Hybrid. 50 means typical for this
model; 100 means roughly double.
Severity — 0
0% of these complaints
involved a crash, fire, injury or death, against a national rate of
9.7%.
Early failure — not reported
Too few complaints recorded a mileage to measure this.
How 2021 compares with every other KIA Sorento Hybrid
The agency crash-tested this model year itself. These are its own
photographs and star ratings.
Frontal crash test
Side barrier crash test
Side pole crash test
Photographs taken by NHTSA during its own New Car Assessment Program crash
tests of this model year. Public domain.
Configuration
Overall
Front
Side
Rollover
2021 Kia Sorento Hybrid SUV FWD Later Release
15.9% risk
2021 Kia Sorento Hybrid SUV FWD Early Release
15.9% risk
When owners complained
A spike years after the car went on sale usually means a part wearing
out on schedule across the whole fleet — the kind of pattern no single
owner can see from inside their own car.
Feb 2022peak 7Jul 2025
NHTSA investigations into the 2021 KIA Sorento Hybrid
An investigation is the step before a recall: the agency has seen enough
complaints to look into a pattern itself. An open one means it thinks
something may be wrong and nothing has been fixed yet.
DP22005Opened 27 Jan 2023Closed 7 Aug 2023ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:PROPULSION SYSTEM
Pedestrian alert sounds
NHTSA received a petition on or about July 18, 2022, requesting that Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 141 be applied to all electric and hybrid vehicles operating in the United States. The petition can be reviewed at NHTSA.gov under ODI Number 11486072. FMVSS 141 establishes performance requirements for pedestrian alert sounds for motor vehicles. The standard applies to hybrid and electric vehicles that have a gross vehicle weight rating of 4,536 KG or less or are defined as low-speed vehicles. The standard became fully applicable to all such vehicles manufactured on or after Marc...
Recalls on the 2021 KIA Sorento Hybrid
A complaint is one owner's allegation. A recall is the point at which
the manufacturer or a regulator agreed the defect is real and dangerous
enough to fix for free — however old the car is.
United States — NHTSA
22V703000
TRAILER HITCHES
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. 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.
22V447000
SEAT BELTS:FRONT
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Sorento Hybrid and 2022 Sorento Plug-in Hybrid 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.
In the owners' own words, exactly as filed with NHTSA.
Forest Home, AL
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Recall SA512 was previously completed on my vehicle. The problem is happening again. Since there are no open recalls, I am unable to get it fixed under the recall.
NHTSA complaint #11673619 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Forest Home, AL
ENGINE
Recall SA512 was previously completed on my vehicle. The problem is happening again. Since there are no open recalls, I am unable to get it fixed under the recall.
NHTSA complaint #11673619 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Tyaskin, MD 21865, MD
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
On [XXX] we were driving the Kia at slow speed due to snow on the road when a warning light came on which we think said hybrid vehicle failure pull over. The car stopped and the traffic lane with the engine off. The car would not start and we were exposed to traffic. Fortunately, we were on a country road at the time about a mile from our house and we were not struck by following vehicle when the car shut off and stopped in the traffic lane. If we had been on a beltway with 60 or 65 mph traffic obviously the result would’ve been quite different. Because I felt the vehicle was not safe to drive. I had it towed to the Kia dealer in Salisbury Pocahontas Kia, who have not been able to duplicate the problem and have also not been able to tell us what was wrong with the Kia to cause this problem in the first place. Unless there is a clear reason why this happened And it can be fixed then we have no reason to believe this would not happen again and endanger our safety. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11637251 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Tyaskin, MD 21865, MD
ENGINE
On [XXX] we were driving the Kia at slow speed due to snow on the road when a warning light came on which we think said hybrid vehicle failure pull over. The car stopped and the traffic lane with the engine off. The car would not start and we were exposed to traffic. Fortunately, we were on a country road at the time about a mile from our house and we were not struck by following vehicle when the car shut off and stopped in the traffic lane. If we had been on a beltway with 60 or 65 mph traffic obviously the result would’ve been quite different. Because I felt the vehicle was not safe to drive. I had it towed to the Kia dealer in Salisbury Pocahontas Kia, who have not been able to duplicate the problem and have also not been able to tell us what was wrong with the Kia to cause this problem in the first place. Unless there is a clear reason why this happened And it can be fixed then we have no reason to believe this would not happen again and endanger our safety. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint #11637251 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Nogales, AZ
ENGINE
There is a malfunction in the vehicles.computer system that gives a warning about low coolant level for the hybrid battery. It's been been seen by the KIA dealer and the issue keeps arriving.
NHTSA complaint #11632039 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Nogales, AZ
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
There is a malfunction in the vehicles.computer system that gives a warning about low coolant level for the hybrid battery. It's been been seen by the KIA dealer and the issue keeps arriving.
NHTSA complaint #11632039 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Lawrenceville, GA
ENGINE
For a few days ( especially if is a HOT day (over 80F) ) my 2021 Kia Sorento Hybrid with 15,421 miles on it displays a "Refill Inverter Coolant" message. I checked the coolant level and is OK. After my research, it seems that the factory put the wrong Blue inverter coolant instead Red (all other KIA hybrid cars have Red coolant) . I found out that there is a KIA Technical Service Bulletin SA515 that addresses this issue. Called a few dealers in GA and I have been told that they need the cars for 7-10 days for investigation. Why???? when there is a Service Bulletin.. On top of this, I have been told that I need to rent a car at my expense and fight with KIA Corp to be reimbursed. This is Outrageous!!!!!! Other dealers do not have the required Vaccum Pump to flush the system or they can schedule me after 25 days. A safety Recall shall be issued and put pressure on KIA to address this issues before a catastrophic inverter fault occurs
NHTSA complaint #11593293 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Claremont, CA
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
My Kia Sorento will shift from drive to first or second gear’s several times. I’ve been told by the dealership that I’m probably touching the shifter accidentally, I disagree. My opinion is that this is a safety concern because it slows the vehicle down. My vehicle also at times does not accelerate. These two issues are intermittent.
NHTSA complaint #11587074 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Cypress, CA
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
UNKNOWN. The “Replace Inverter Coolant” warning message repeatedly comes on for unknown reasons and may be quickly reset to the “Ready to Drive” status by turning the vehicle off, opening the driver side door, putting my foot on the break pedal, turning the vehicle back on and closing the door before the system readiness cycle is completed. While this is not perhaps an injury issue to anyone, it is a nuisance issue which KIA apparently refuses to issue a recall to fix. The reliability of the Inverter Coolant monitoring system is important to the driving public of KIA vehicles and a system that is unreliable should not be tolerated. This issue is also known to exist on numerous other KIA manufactured and marketed models.
NHTSA complaint #11572604 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Barboursville, VA
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Intermittent message on dash "Refill inverter coolant" Been to dealer 6x and no fix. Reported to KIA corporate to work with dealer Have been without this car several days
NHTSA complaint #11523067 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Citrus Springs, FL
TRAILER HITCHES
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Sorento Hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V703000 (Trailer Hitches); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
NHTSA complaint #11511518 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Lexington, MI
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:SOFTWARE
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.
NHTSA complaint #11501053 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Santa Clarita, CA
ENGINE
i have 2021 Kia Sorento Hybrid, which a regular message stating that it needs to refill inverter coolant fluid keeps coming up, even though the car coolants level is full. This is not a new problem for the all the Kia users that have this model. Also, Kia and their network of dealerships have known of this problem for over 1 yr and their standard answer is" we know its a software program, and will get back to you once the software code is fixed". Basically, they are dismissing the complaints and issues from the car owners. Also, this is poses a security and safety concern, since the warning light/message takes over the entire center console/display. Other relevant safety and security warnings/functionality is obstructed by it. Please force Kia to make this a mandatory recall for all Hybrid owners. There are thousands of customers impacted.
NHTSA complaint #11482634 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
New Braunfels, TX
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Refil inverter fluid warning light is on constant, this doesn’t allow the driver to access any digital information while vehicle is on. The vehicle is also having issues with the entertainment consul, Bluetooth connection issues along with the ability to access apple car play. Dealership says it’s Kia and nothing is being done. Various forums with others having similar issues.
NHTSA complaint #11481962 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Keller, TX
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
Vehicle has a constant, unresolved error reporting that Inverter Coolant level is abnormal. Occurs daily. Dealership is unable to determine whether it is an issue. Has been taken to the dealership 2 times in the last 3 months. The warning also occupies the dashboard screen and cannot be dismissed, preventing me from viewing any vehicle details (engine temperature, tire pressure, digital speedometer)
NHTSA complaint #11475778 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Clearfield, UT
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Refill inverter coolant warning on dashboard. Took it onto local dealer, no problems located. May be a sensor issue.
NHTSA complaint #11475036 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Whiting, NJ
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Inverter fluid light has been coming on and staying on for over a month. It impedes the view of the digital display. The dealership has no fix nor any rental vehicles to bring my vehicle in. I have had this vehicle for 14 months. No one can tell me if this consistent light is harming my vehicle nor is there an urgency to repair. Unacceptable in a 40 grand vehicle
NHTSA complaint #11472183 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Blaine, MN
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
There is a constant error happening daily where a warning shows “refill inverter coolant” it takes up the main display and no dealer has a fix
NHTSA complaint #11471496 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Owasso, OK, OK
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
Inverter coolant refill light will not turn off. This is available for inspection. This could be a possible fire risk. Issue has been confirmed at dealership. Components have been inspected by manufacturer. Issue started around 23,000 miles.
NHTSA complaint #11471515 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Blaine, MN
ENGINE
There is a constant error happening daily where a warning shows “refill inverter coolant” it takes up the main display and no dealer has a fix
NHTSA complaint #11471496 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Owasso, OK, OK
ENGINE
Inverter coolant refill light will not turn off. This is available for inspection. This could be a possible fire risk. Issue has been confirmed at dealership. Components have been inspected by manufacturer. Issue started around 23,000 miles.
NHTSA complaint #11471515 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Saint Joseph, MI
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
There is a warning message stating "Refill Invertor Coolant" that keeps coming up. The coolant is already full and the car functions normally. However, the warning message can only be cleared for a few seconds before it returns. The message covers up other information on the display such as digital speed and driving warnings such as lane departure. I feel this is an unsafe condition. The dealer I talked to said they are aware of the issue and trying to resolve it on another customer's car. At this time they are unable to resolve the issue.
NHTSA complaint #11471393 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Owasso, OK, OK
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The inverter coolant refill light will illuminate at all times even with the system serviced. Kia has serviced the system but has no solution on how to stop the light. The light also blocks out any other warning that may happen on the dash. With the light illuminated while driving, it is impossible to determine if the system is empty to cause a fire or just a faulty light. The dealership has confirmed the faulty warning light. There are no computer codes associated with the warning light.
NHTSA complaint #11468015 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
Owasso, OK, OK
ENGINE
The inverter coolant refill light will illuminate at all times even with the system serviced. Kia has serviced the system but has no solution on how to stop the light. The light also blocks out any other warning that may happen on the dash. With the light illuminated while driving, it is impossible to determine if the system is empty to cause a fire or just a faulty light. The dealership has confirmed the faulty warning light. There are no computer codes associated with the warning light.
NHTSA complaint #11468015 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
at 7,650 milesJensen Beach, FL
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the fluid inverter level indicator warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the dealer informed the contact that there was no known repair available for the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that there was no recall associated with the VIN. The failure mileage was 7,650.
NHTSA complaint #11463873 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.
