2022 KIA Sorento Hybrid problems

WHEELS

My vehicle has a breaking issue. When breaking the breaks either hard break or get sticky and grab, release, and grab. This is scary. Sometimes you are slowing down on a 55MPH road and suddenly you hard break even though you weren’t slamming down on the breaks! I have almost been rear ended multiple times. The problem has been reproduced by myself, a few friends, and family members. However, the dealership says it is normal. I know it’s not! I’ve had this vehicle for 42000 miles! This has not been checked by the police. This started after the dealership replaced my tires.

NHTSA complaint #11659868 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SERVICE BRAKES

My vehicle has a breaking issue. When breaking the breaks either hard break or get sticky and grab, release, and grab. This is scary. Sometimes you are slowing down on a 55MPH road and suddenly you hard break even though you weren’t slamming down on the breaks! I have almost been rear ended multiple times. The problem has been reproduced by myself, a few friends, and family members. However, the dealership says it is normal. I know it’s not! I’ve had this vehicle for 42000 miles! This has not been checked by the police. This started after the dealership replaced my tires.

NHTSA complaint #11659868 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

SEAT BELTS

I took my car into Winn Kia dealership in Fremont, Ca to have my recall completed which entailed seat belts and airbags. They claimed to have completed the recall and gave me my car back a few days later. A month or so later, they called and ask me to bring my car in so they could complete. After back and forth, they couldn’t confirm if the recalls were done and advised I take it to another sister dealership which I did. I took it to Dublin Kia and they confirmed via email that Wynn Kia in fremont, Ca did not connect my seatbelts and air bags properly - they stated they missed that step when completing the recalls. I drove my car around with my 2 year old daughter niece and nephew in the car for over a month without seatbelts and airbags connected without knowing.

NHTSA complaint #11639500 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

AIR BAGS

I took my car into Winn Kia dealership in Fremont, Ca to have my recall completed which entailed seat belts and airbags. They claimed to have completed the recall and gave me my car back a few days later. A month or so later, they called and ask me to bring my car in so they could complete. After back and forth, they couldn’t confirm if the recalls were done and advised I take it to another sister dealership which I did. I took it to Dublin Kia and they confirmed via email that Wynn Kia in fremont, Ca did not connect my seatbelts and air bags properly - they stated they missed that step when completing the recalls. I drove my car around with my 2 year old daughter niece and nephew in the car for over a month without seatbelts and airbags connected without knowing.

NHTSA complaint #11639500 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

TRAILER HITCHES

The contact owns a 2022 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 called another local dealer, First Team Kia (4834A Bridge Rd, Suffolk, VA 23435, (757)260-3590). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. 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 #11628212 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2022 Kia Sorento Hybrid. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the message "Battery Not Fully Charged" was displayed. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the engine wiring harness was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 12,000.

NHTSA complaint #11624790 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

The vehicle's oil was changed at Transitowne Kia of West Seneca, NY on 10/19/24 with 19,576 on the odometer. During the oil change, a Kia multi-point inspection was performed. No leaks or other concerns were found. On [XXX] with around 19,596 on the odometer while driving on [XXX] the vehicle experienced a sudden loss of power accompanied by grinding noises coming from the engine. This was followed by the check engine light flashing and the low oil indicator illuminating. I pulled over and found that a massive amount of oil was rapidly pouring out from beneath the vehicle. Vehicle was towed back to Transitowne Kia who on 10/21/24 diagnosed the issue as a failure to the oil pressure setting unit. Transitowne Kia replaced an oil plug and alleges the issue is unrelated to the oil change. They further allege the vehicle's engine is functioning fine following their complete engine diagnostic testing and the vehicle is ready to be picked up. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11621452 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

The contact owns a 2022 Kia Sorento Hybrid. The contact stated that after purchasing the vehicle brand new, the contact became aware that the maximum battery charge was 60-70 percent. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was test-driven, and the battery was charged. The dealer confirmed the failure and reported the failure to the manufacturer. The manufacturer advised the dealer to test-drive and to charge another vehicle with the same year make and model to verify whether the failure would reoccur. The dealer followed the instructions and advised the manufacturer that the failure reoccurred. The contact followed up with the manufacturer and was advised that he would be contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 200.

NHTSA complaint #11608417 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD

The contact owns a 2022 Kia Sorento Hybrid. The contact stated that after closing the front driver's side door, the rear windshield inadvertently shattered. The glass shards from the rear windshield fell inside the vehicle, but the contact was not injured. The contact stated that there was no impact to the vehicle to cause the rear windshield to shatter. The dealer was made aware of the failure; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 19,000.

NHTSA complaint #11606167 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

While attempting to merge into 70mph traffic on the interstate, the vehicle suddenly lost all acceleration capabilities. I could have been in an accident due to the sudden loss of acceleration and eventual power to the engine. When I pressed on the gas pedal, there was no resistance and the pedal went all the way to the floor. The vehicle slowly accelerated on it's own from 20MPH to 55MPH without my pressing the accelerator. There were no warnings on the dash at this time. Once it reached 55MPH, it slowly began to decrease it's speed without my pressing the brake or accelerator. As it started decreasing in speed, a warning popped up "Check Hybrid system, Stop safely". At this time, the battery level showed 0 bars though it showed half full (8 bars before this happened). I got over to the side of the highway and continued coasting until the vehicle slowed itself to a complete stop at which point the car put itself in Park and engaged the Emergency Brake and the dash displayed "Parking brake automatically engaged" and the Engine Oil Pressure Warning light came on. I attempted to put the car back in Drive and the dash displayed "Shifting conditions not met". I turned the car off, let it sit a few minutes and restarted it. When I restarted it, the battery showed 0 bars and the display said "Park with engine On to charge battery". I put it in Drive and I was able to drive without any issues. The battery level went back up 6 bars in less than a minute and I drove it to the dealership. This was the 2nd time this happened. The same exact thing happened the first time and when I took it to the dealership they couldn't replicate the issue and there were no codes recorded. First incident was on 1/12/24. I immediately pulled over, put it in park and turned the vehicle off. It worked fine after restarting it. Second incident was on 1/25/24. There were no codes recorded this time either but I do have pictures of the dash displays. They are "live" photos.

NHTSA complaint #11570398 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

While attempting to merge into 70mph traffic on the interstate, the vehicle suddenly lost all acceleration capabilities. I could have been in an accident due to the sudden loss of acceleration and eventual power to the engine. When I pressed on the gas pedal, there was no resistance and the pedal went all the way to the floor. The vehicle slowly accelerated on it's own from 20MPH to 55MPH without my pressing the accelerator. There were no warnings on the dash at this time. Once it reached 55MPH, it slowly began to decrease it's speed without my pressing the brake or accelerator. As it started decreasing in speed, a warning popped up "Check Hybrid system, Stop safely". At this time, the battery level showed 0 bars though it showed half full (8 bars before this happened). I got over to the side of the highway and continued coasting until the vehicle slowed itself to a complete stop at which point the car put itself in Park and engaged the Emergency Brake and the dash displayed "Parking brake automatically engaged" and the Engine Oil Pressure Warning light came on. I attempted to put the car back in Drive and the dash displayed "Shifting conditions not met". I turned the car off, let it sit a few minutes and restarted it. When I restarted it, the battery showed 0 bars and the display said "Park with engine On to charge battery". I put it in Drive and I was able to drive without any issues. The battery level went back up 6 bars in less than a minute and I drove it to the dealership. This was the 2nd time this happened. The same exact thing happened the first time and when I took it to the dealership they couldn't replicate the issue and there were no codes recorded. First incident was on 1/12/24. I immediately pulled over, put it in park and turned the vehicle off. It worked fine after restarting it. Second incident was on 1/25/24. There were no codes recorded this time either but I do have pictures of the dash displays. They are "live" photos.

NHTSA complaint #11570398 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

While attempting to merge into 70mph traffic on the interstate, the vehicle suddenly lost all acceleration capabilities. I could have been in an accident due to the sudden loss of acceleration and eventual power to the engine. When I pressed on the gas pedal, there was no resistance and the pedal went all the way to the floor. The vehicle slowly accelerated on it's own from 20MPH to 55MPH without my pressing the accelerator. There were no warnings on the dash at this time. Once it reached 55MPH, it slowly began to decrease it's speed without my pressing the brake or accelerator. As it started decreasing in speed, a warning popped up "Check Hybrid system, Stop safely". At this time, the battery level showed 0 bars though it showed half full (8 bars before this happened). I got over to the side of the highway and continued coasting until the vehicle slowed itself to a complete stop at which point the car put itself in Park and engaged the Emergency Brake and the dash displayed "Parking brake automatically engaged" and the Engine Oil Pressure Warning light came on. I attempted to put the car back in Drive and the dash displayed "Shifting conditions not met". I turned the car off, let it sit a few minutes and restarted it. When I restarted it, the battery showed 0 bars and the display said "Park with engine On to charge battery". I put it in Drive and I was able to drive without any issues. The battery level went back up 6 bars in less than a minute and I drove it to the dealership. This was the 2nd time this happened. The same exact thing happened the first time and when I took it to the dealership they couldn't replicate the issue and there were no codes recorded. First incident was on 1/12/24. I immediately pulled over, put it in park and turned the vehicle off. It worked fine after restarting it. Second incident was on 1/25/24. There were no codes recorded this time either but I do have pictures of the dash displays. They are "live" photos.

NHTSA complaint #11570398 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Vehicle unexpectedly shuts down while driving posing an immediate danger as there was no warning on four different occasions

NHTSA complaint #11521722 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

Vehicle unexpectedly shuts down while driving posing an immediate danger as there was no warning on four different occasions

NHTSA complaint #11521722 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

ENGINE

Vehicle unexpectedly shuts down while driving posing an immediate danger as there was no warning on four different occasions

NHTSA complaint #11521722 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

While driving the car it failed to accelerate while pressing gas. It has happened 3 times. In each case it happened within approximately 5 min of driving, twice after idling for 10-15 min. The 'Hybrid System Warning-Safely Stop and Do Not Drive' light came on but not immediately. The engine display in the car seemed to show that the engine was not sending any charge to the battery which was rapidly depleting. Stopping and restarting the engine clears the problem. A car that won't accelerate randomly is clearly a safety risk. I have taken it in to be checked, no resolution found, unable to reproduce the problem as it is very random. First time was probably 2-3 months after purchase. My son was driving so I didn't see first hand. Second time was about 3 months after. I did have KIA check for codes after that event. Nothing found. And then about 3 weeks ago. Had KIA check again. Error codes not saved in the system when car is stopped. KIA maintenance can take no action at this time. They requested I try take a picture of system activity next time it happens.

NHTSA complaint #11505321 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

While driving the car it failed to accelerate while pressing gas. It has happened 3 times. In each case it happened within approximately 5 min of driving, twice after idling for 10-15 min. The 'Hybrid System Warning-Safely Stop and Do Not Drive' light came on but not immediately. The engine display in the car seemed to show that the engine was not sending any charge to the battery which was rapidly depleting. Stopping and restarting the engine clears the problem. A car that won't accelerate randomly is clearly a safety risk. I have taken it in to be checked, no resolution found, unable to reproduce the problem as it is very random. First time was probably 2-3 months after purchase. My son was driving so I didn't see first hand. Second time was about 3 months after. I did have KIA check for codes after that event. Nothing found. And then about 3 weeks ago. Had KIA check again. Error codes not saved in the system when car is stopped. KIA maintenance can take no action at this time. They requested I try take a picture of system activity next time it happens.

NHTSA complaint #11505321 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I was driving down the highway at 8:00 AM. The weather conditions were foggy. The air temperature was 43 degrees and I had the heat on in the vehicle. I experienced a sudden loud BANG, followed by a shower of shattered glass. The front panel of my panoramic sunroof exploded, sending glass into the vehicle. There were no other cars around, I did not hit a bump in the road, I did not see any evidence of debris hitting or falling onto the vehicle, and I was not driving under any bridges or trees where something could have dislodged and fallen onto it. It was just a weird spontaneous explosion without reason. When I inspected the glass, it was clear that the stress around the edges where glass was still present was directed from inside the vehicle to outside, (or down to up), as the glass was bowed upward, perhaps indicating unusual torque around the edge of the glass panel. The entire panel was compromised except for about 6" of glass extending inward around the perimeter of the panel housing. I was hit by some falling glass, but was uninjured. Glass also showered down into the middle row seats, where my children would have been sitting if they had they been along with me.

NHTSA complaint #11492228 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.