Engine complaints by model year
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The contact owns a 2025 Kia Sorento Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. The message "Check Fluids. Fluids Are Low" was displayed. The contact stated that the vehicle was able to restart but failed to respond upon depressing the accelerator pedal. The vehicle was towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed that an inverter coolant component had sustained a hole from a pebble or a bug, causing the coolant leak. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 2,000.
The contact owns a 2025 Kia Sorento Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode, and the vehicle decelerated to 35 MPH. The vehicle was driven to the residence and was later towed to the local dealer. While at the dealer, the cause of the failure was not determined, and the failure had self-corrected. The vehicle was retrieved; however, approximately 1,500 miles late,r the failure reoccurred. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 2,300.
I was driving on the highway about 60mph, I go to accelerate and merge to the exit lane since that lane funnels another previous merge lane. I press the gas and the gauge stayed frozen at 60mph then a violent loud clunk came from the floor like as if the transmission gear got stuck and then slipped in. After parking at the store the hybrid inverter coolant refill warning came on the dash. I drove back home to get fluid 2 miles from home the vehicle lost all power. The issue is search through the internet I'm seeing many many kia sorentos hybrid or gas with the same inverter issue. And every person posting online says the dealer has the same excuse a rock hit and punctured the small radiator. But the car also had a check engine light on and the dealer never brought that up. I'm a mechanic for 12yrs. Something fishy is going on, thank you.
Purchased this vehicle last year, and less than a week into ownership developed a coolant leak. KIA determined the hybrid radiator leaking due to damage, such as a rock or related impact. While I didn't receive any warnings on the dash, there was noticeable coolant on the ground when parked and smell. I don't believe the level got low enough to trigger a warning or vehicle disabled by the computer. The front lower grille, which allows air to cool the hybrid radiator, creates a significant exposure of the radiator(s) due to manufacturer design. I have heard from an alarming number of Sorento owners that have experienced this problem, and they are installing their own mesh to reduce the size of holes through the grille. This defect in design should be escalated.
The contact owns a 2023 Kia Sorento Hybrid. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact stated that several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle, but the failure persisted. The contact stated while attempting to drive the vehicle the following day the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where a diagnostic result was undetermined. The dealer stated that while attempting to drive the vehicle, there were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 19,700.
2023 Kia Sorrento - The engine turned off while driving, leaving me stranded in the middle of a busy road in the first six months of ownership. The vehicle was towed, and the dealer was unable to reproduce it. On 01/12/24, the car leaked all the contents of the coolant system onto my driveway. The vehicle was towed, and the dealer later stated the radiator adapter had a small pebble that appeared to have bent some of the fins. The dealer said it was "external forces," and they are not assuming liability. I firmly believe it was a failure of the radiator adapter and not a tiny pebble that caused the entire system to fail. I write this hoping that if other issues are reported with this vehicle's radiator, it will become a known issue to assist other customers and potentially keep people safe on the roadways. …
We had just received our Sorento back from being in the shop for 4 months due to being in an accident. Part of the repair work was to have the software updated and reprogrammed at a Kia dealership, which was completed. We picked up the car on Tuesday, Feb 15, 2022, and on Wednesday, Feb. 16, as we were traveling down hwy 27 in Lake Wales, FL, the alert began to ding and the hybrid warning came on, as well as other lights (I can't remember which ones). The car lost acceleration capability, but as we slowed and turned down another road, the car began to slightly accelerate very slowly. We were able to travel another mile, when the acceleration completely stopped. We pulled over to the side of the road and put the car in park. The engine was very rough. The message came on to leave vehicle in park to charge the hybrid battery. …
On [redacted] 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. …
Frequently asked questions
Which Kia Sorento Hybrid years have engine problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2025 (24), 2023 (13) and 2021 (10) model years. Engine complaints make up 53% of all complaints for the 2025.
Is there a recall for Kia Sorento Hybrid engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for any Kia Sorento Hybrid model year. A widespread problem may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin, so ask a dealer.
At what mileage do Kia Sorento Hybrid engine problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 13,000 miles; 100% happened before 50,000 miles.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.