KIA Sorento Hybrid transmission problems

POWER TRAIN

While driving in a 55mph highway, I lost all accelerative power in my KIA Sorento Hybrid, driving my speed down to 25mph with vehicles behind me and no shoulder to pull onto. When I put my foot on the accelerator, the rmps on the dash would go all the way up 3000-4000 rpms, but there wasn't even a revving sound, and the car would not accelerate. Luckily I had just left my house was able to turn around and drive slowly home with my hazard lights on, the two miles back home. The first moment it happened the car behind me had to break, and luckily did so in time. From looking up the symptoms, it seems it may have been a malfunction with the HPCU. At no time did any diagnostic lights come on to alert of an issue. I shut the car off after returning home, tried to drive up my street, the same thing happened even when I tried to accelerate to 25mph. I am making an appointment to take it to a kia dealership.

NHTSA complaint #11763631 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

My 2025 Kia Sorento Hybrid SX-Prestige has repeated issues with the engine and drive train. On December 30th, 2025 it was diagnosed with a blocked breather hose sensor, causing the check engine light to come on. On July 1, 2026, the car rapidly decelerated while driving on the highway (limp mode), creating an unsafe condition, with an alert to charge the battery. The car also seemed to struggle getting up to speed, and shifted gears less smoothly, and at higher engine RPMs than it had previously. The deceleration behavior was confirmed by the Kia Technician. On July 21st, 2026, the car again rapidly decelerated while driving on the highway (limp mode), creating another unsafe condition, but no alert to charge the battery was received. This time the fuel rail pressure sensor was replaced. The car is now sitting in my driveway, completely dead. I drove it 2 days ago, and nothing appeared amiss. Yesterday morning, the doors would not unlock using either key fob, so I used the physical key to enter the car. It would not start. My husband measured the voltage from the battery terminal (inside the fuse box under the hood) to the bolt on the wheel strut at ~3 Volts. No settings were changed in the car and I verified the headlights remain in "Auto" mode. As it is Sunday, I will contact the Kia dealer tomorrow for directions. Due to the repetitive nature of issues with this car, I would like help from the NHTSA to ensure this is promptly and permanently fixed.

NHTSA complaint #11760757 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

First AWD Coupler failed at approximately 25,000 miles. It was replaced and the replacement AWD Coupler is failing at approximately 55,000 miles. As the AWD Coupler fails, when accelerating from a stop and turning, a loud clunking sound is heard from the vehicle and a jerking motion is felt. The symptoms continue to get worse as the AWD Coupler fails. The jerking can cause unsafe turns and acceleration.

NHTSA complaint #11753955 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The contact owns a 2025 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving approximately 75 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power and failed to exceed 30 MPH. The contact pulled over to the side of the road to avoid other vehicles. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer to be diagnosed; however, the cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 16,386.

NHTSA complaint #11751110 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

For an unknown reason when driving on the highway in heavy traffic the engine started to shake violently causing us to immediately pull over and when we opened the hood the engine was shaking violently. This was a dangerous situation because during this time the engine was not very responsive to input. No warning lights came on at all.

NHTSA complaint #11746457 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

1/24/26 -- While driving ~25-30mph (~2 miles from start of trip) car produced “Engine Management System error” and within a minute or so “Check Hybrid System. Stop Safely” warning and went into electric only mode, limp mode. Turning off the car and turning back on temporarily enabled the gas engine to run. Dealer reviewed fault codes and stated vehicle was now running correctly. ~800 miles and less than 30days later the same problem occurred again. 2/17 – While driving ~30mph (~1mile from start of trip) the car produced a “Engine Management System error”. At this point I was approaching a traffic light and stopped at the red light. Decided to return home and attempted to turn right on red at the light. When I hit the gas to turn, the gas engine did not engage, the car limped forward a few feet in electric mode, and the car started beeping with the “Check Hybrid System. Stop Safely” warning. If I had less less space when turning right, or the car would have a moved a few feet farther, I would have been hit in the intersection by an oncoming car. Thankfully I had left a lot of space and my car did not pull that far into the intersection. I turned the car off, when I turned the car on again, the gas engine engaged, and I was able to slowly drive the 1 mile home. Car was then towed to the dealer 2/18 for repair. As of 3/17 dealer still has the vehicle (so do not have a second repair invoice) and waiting on an Customer Care escalation from KIA as dealer recalibrated the Hybrid module but can't recreate the issue after driving 400miles. This issue leaves the car in a limp mode with a significant chance of causing a accident, I was almost hit, when there is loss of ability to accelerate at any meaningful rate or drive any sustained distance.

NHTSA complaint #11725121 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

While travelling in the center lane of the highway, the vehicle experienced a sudden loss of power and could not maintain speed. Vehicle could not go faster than approximately 20 miles per hour. Managed to exit highway off ramp by driving approximately 20 miles per hour as there was not a shoulder to exit the lane of traffic in that particular area. The hybrid battery voltage went very low. After exiting highway turned off vehicle and turned back on again, was able to drive normally to the dealership service center. Dealership found code history of fuel rail pressure sensor, cleared code and test drove and stated not able to duplicate concern at this time. 2025 Kia Sorento Hybrid mileage is 14250 miles

NHTSA complaint #11722826 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

The vehicle experiences a sudden and complete loss of power while driving. Specifically, the vehicle loses the ability to accelerate. During these incidents, the battery indicator shows critically low battery levels despite there being sufficient gasoline in the vehicle. The exact component causing the malfunction has not been identified by the dealership, as they report no diagnostic codes are present. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. This issue has occurred multiple times while driving on highways at speeds where surrounding traffic is traveling approximately 55 mph or higher. This has also happened while pulling out into traffic, causing near misses of an accident. When the malfunction occurs, the vehicle rapidly loses acceleration capability and slows down to approximately 20 mph. This creates a dangerous speed differential between my vehicle and surrounding traffic. It becomes extremely difficult to safely maneuver into the breakdown lane due to the inability to accelerate. This situation creates a significant risk of rear-end collision or multi-vehicle accident. The dealership has been unable to reproduce the issue during service visits. However, the vehicle has been brought in multiple times for this same concern. The dealership has stated that no diagnostic trouble codes are stored, and therefore they cannot identify or repair the root cause. I have multiple videos documenting the issue occurring while driving. The vehicle has been inspected multiple times by the authorized Kia dealership service department. This issue has been occurring since July of 2025. Video Link: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11721493 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

1. I'm not sure what component or system malfunctioned. The dealership has said something different every time it's had to be taken in. The first time they said it could have been the dip stick. The second time they said they didn't know but did an update to the car's system. Last week, was the third time we've had to take it in and they said they are doing an oil change and replacing the air intake hose assy, GDI fuel pump, High pressure fuel pump, valve cover assy, oil filter and oil but didn't say if this would fix the issue. 2. We have loss confidence in this car's safety and reliability and the dealership's ability to repair it. It's been in the shop multiple times and continues to fail. The issue with the vehicle is that when we got a warning the power to the car shuts off. It doesn't allow you to do anything with the gas pedal no matter what speed you are going. We have experienced this multiple times on city streets and the highway. The potential for an accident is very high when the car does this. 3. We have taken it to the dealership and they don't know what's wrong with it. I created a case with Kia and have not heard back from a case manager at all. 4. The vehicle has only been inspected by the dealership and no one else. They have contacted Kia corporate for solutions via messaging but this is the third time the car has just loss power while we are driving. 5. There were some warning signs like check hybrid batter system on the dashboard. The kia Access app allow shows diagnostic alerts like ADAS_DRV. I have attached some photos and some of the documentation we have. There have been multiple dates but I put the first date that the car broke down. Other dates include (1/28/26 and 2/6/26).

NHTSA complaint #11717334 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

While driving hybrid battery depletes and car stops accelerating. With pedal to the floor, it may get to 60 MPH, other times 15 MPH. Car doesn't sound great while this is happening. 3/4 times an error showed up stating "Check Hybrid System-Stop Safely". The 4th time the error didn't appear , but was driving on hilly road where battery charged when it was going down a hill. The problem occurred on back roads and Highways. It is VERY unsafe when you suddenly can't accelerate. The car was towed to a kia dealer twice. 1st time I was told it was "bad gas." $1,500 later, it happened again. The 3rd time I had it again towed to a Kia Dealer. 6 weeks later, I was told they couldn't find anything wrong, and Kia released the car. 1 week later, it happened again on the Highway. Dates of occurrence: November 17, 2025 November 25, 2025 December 11, 2025 February 9, 2026 (car was at the dealer from Dec 11-January 29th)

NHTSA complaint #11716868 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

While driving, have had the engine of my 25 Sorento Hybrid stop working. An emergency notice comes on the screen (see photo) stating to pull over safely. The hybrid system error message has come on 4-5 times in the last month. The vehicle will not drive more than 15-20 miles per hour and has virtually no acceleration making it very dangerous to drive in or around high speed/traffic areas. Took it to a local Kia dealership where I was told nothing was wrong and their only guess was that it was related to the battery and cold weather. The same messaged/incident has happened 2x since bringing it into the dealership. With the most recent being 1/22/26. Problem first arose on 1/9/26. There are dozens of reports of this in online threads over the past few months with Kia hybrid engines

NHTSA complaint #11712750 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

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.

NHTSA complaint #11708773 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Beginning at approximately 750 miles on a brand-new 2025 Kia Sorento Hybrid EX, the vehicle experienced a flashing Check Engine Light accompanied by severe shaking while driving, rough idling, loss of power, and loud engine/exhaust noise. The vehicle became difficult and unsafe to operate due to the vibration and reduced drivability. These symptoms appeared suddenly on November 22, less than three weeks after purchase. The vehicle was taken to the dealership on November 24. Their technician retrieved diagnostic codes P0300 (Random Misfire) and P0304 (Cylinder #4 Misfire) and identified a failed ignition coil on Cylinder #4. The coil was replaced, and the dealership reported the issue resolved. However, less than 24 hours later, with the vehicle still under 800 miles, the exact same symptoms reoccurred: heavy shaking while driving, vibration while idling, loss of power, and unstable engine operation. This indicates the underlying issue may be more serious than a single coil failure. The problem has been reproduced and confirmed by the dealership, and the vehicle is currently back in their possession for further inspection. A loaner vehicle was issued because the vehicle was not safe to drive. The sudden shaking, engine misfire, and loss of power created a significant safety risk, especially if this failure were to occur at highway speeds or while turning across traffic. Given the extremely low mileage and recurrence immediately after repair, this may indicate a broader defect affecting engine performance or ignition components in this model. The vehicle remains available for inspection by NHTSA, the manufacturer, or investigators.

NHTSA complaint #11702272 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

While driving on September 15, 2025, the vehicle displayed a loud beeping and the warning message “Check Hybrid System. Stop Safely.” The vehicle restarted about an hour later, but the combustion engine ran very rough. The Kia dealer inspected it but reported no stored error codes. On September 23, 2025, the vehicle suddenly lost power while driving. It appeared to operate only on electric at low speed, then died completely in the roadway. The vehicle would not power down until the start/stop button was held. It required a tow back to the dealer. Prior to the first incident, a faint electrical smoldering odor was present. The vehicle remains at the Kia dealer for evaluation. This is a serious safety concern because the vehicle experienced sudden loss of motive power and stalling in traffic, which put both myself and others at risk. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11689872 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Dad, driving back with Daughter, noticed a brief and unusual delay between shifts, but was able to make it home fine. A few minutes later, Mom left for picking up Son after school. On the way there, she noticed sluggish acceleration, louder engine sounds/effort on acceleration and mild slopes, and there was a lag in acceleration response. After powering off the vehicle and sit in idle to recharge battery, restarted trip home and was unable to get acceleration response up the hills, doing only 20 MPH. Engine was struggling and not getting any acceleration response. No check engine lights were generated as usual. Dad called Service Manager at Kia Temecula and he said to call Kia Roadside Assistance to come tow the car to them. He also said that likely we'll be out of pocket to do any car rentals until they have a car to loan to us.

NHTSA complaint #11681718 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

While driving my 2025 Kia Sorento SX Hybrid on a normal hot day, I experienced a sudden and dangerous loss of power. I had briefly exited the freeway to pick up my children and left the vehicle running. After re-entering the freeway, the car failed to accelerate despite pressing the gas pedal to the floor. It felt stuck in first gear, with the engine revving but no response. The hybrid battery showed nearly empty, and the car would not switch properly between electric and gas modes. A warning appeared instructing me to “park the car and leave the engine on to charge the battery,” which I did. After idling for several minutes, I slowly drove—with hazards on and speed under 25 mph—to the nearest Kia dealer 1.5 miles away. This incident could have been catastrophic if it occurred while merging into traffic. The dealer has been unable to replicate the issue and is offering no fix. This was a sudden hybrid system failure with no warning lights or prior symptoms. It severely affected drivability and put my family at risk. After researching, I found that multiple other owners of 2025 Kia Sorento Hybrids have reported similar power loss incidents since May 2025, especially during warm weather. This is a serious safety issue. A car that unexpectedly loses propulsion—especially while merging or accelerating—can cause a major crash. I urge NHTSA to investigate this defect in the hybrid system and issue guidance or a recall before someone is injured or killed.

NHTSA complaint #11678353 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

When accelerating, like when turning from a driveway onto a main road, or from a stop on an incline, there is a significant delay in acceleration, as if the transmission is not moving to a higher gear, or like a turbo lag. This vehicle does not have a turbo but the effect seems similar. This could potentially cause an accident when the driver expects the car to behave as it normally would on a flat straight surface.

NHTSA complaint #11674226 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

On June 5, 2025, I was driving my 2025 Kia Sorento. I proceeded to get onto the highway from an on ramp. At that moment, the engine stalled. The car would not accelerate. I could not go faster than 20-25 mph. This was a huge safety risk to me, to my passengers, and to others on the highway. Eventually I exited the highway and drove home very slowly, since the car would not accelerate beyond 20-25 mph. I was pressing the gas pedal as far down as it would go. I even tried turning off the car and restarting it. The check engine light was on. The car was towed to a Kia dealer. The Kia mechanics noted that the fault log in the car's computer system noted that the stalling/failure to accelerate event did occur, but that they were unable to reproduce it, even after several attempts driving it around in various conditions. The Kia mechanics told me there was nothing they could do or fix, since they were unable to reproduce the stalling event. Then just yesterday, on July 6, 2025, the Sorento stalled again while it was being driven on the highway. I am having it towed tomorrow to the same Kia dealership to have the same mechanics look at it again. At this point, this is an extreme safety issue for anyone driving the car, in the car while it is being driven, or on the highway when the car is on the highway. Imagine if the car stalls again and another car behind us traveling at a high speed slams into us. We could potentially suffer mortal or grave physical injury.

NHTSA complaint #11671685 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

I pulled out of my subdivision and immediately received an error check engine light warning and initially didn't think much of it. As I pressed the accelerator I noticed there was no engine power at all just electric (this is a Sorento Hybrid SX Prestige) so I immediately pulled over and turned the car off for two minutes. Upon turning it back on the engine did rengage so i decided to proceed. About a mile further the same check engine error occurred with the engine not responsive at all and only electric power available so I made a u-turn and proceed back to my house. Prior to arriving at my house another warning error appeared warning me the electric battery was dangerously low and to stop the vehicle immediately. I believe the error was a Hybrid system error with code P112000. Once again I turned the vehicle off and waited 2 minutes with the engine reengaging. I had the car towed to the dealer where it sat for 3 weeks. Their response was they couldn't reproduce the error so had no idea how to proceed to fix the issue. That is unacceptable to me since Kia programmed the car in the first place they should be very aware. I have had two cases open with Kia where they are refusing a solution and my request to buy back the vehicle. I have had another case with KBB Auto and they likewise refer to the WI state lemon law. I have clearly communicted to them that I don't feel safe driving this vehicle any longer and they need to take action for all consumers but that is falling flat. My safety and that of others is being put at major risk here as if this error occurs in situations such as pulling into heavy free flowing traffic or on a busy freeway where the engine doesn't engage many lives are at risk. There was no attempt to fix the vehicle at all. Just reset the error and told me to come get it. Let me make it clear here...the vehicle is working but hidden somewhere in the software is a major programming glitch. Please help!

NHTSA complaint #11668693 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

POWER TRAIN

Vehicle suddenly loses power while driving. Engine does not turn on, vehicle will run on battery until battery is dead, then putting the vehicle in park once stopped. Vehicle will not accelerate normally since the engine does not turn on. Only goes 10-20 mph. Lights on the dash come on, prompting to keep car on to charge the battery. No code is found when the vehicle is scanned. Dealerships can't seem to diagnose the issue. This is a safety concern when driving on busy roads or state highways at higher speeds.

NHTSA complaint #11661044 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.