Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (battery, alternator, wiring, ignition, instrument cluster, infotainment).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2020 Kia Sorento owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owned a 2020 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked, her daughter saw smoke coming out of the vehicle. The contact stated that as she opened the vehicle, she saw flames on the front side of the vehicle. The contact was able to extinguish the fire with the assistance of the fire department. A fire department report was filed. There were no injuries sustained. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot where it was totaled. The dealer was notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and sent out a field technician to investigate the cause of the failure. The manufacturer later sent a letter to the contact stating that the cause of the failure was undetermined. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V703000 (Trailer Hitches) as her vehicle was equipped with a trailer hitch. …
The contact owned a 2020 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed smoke coming from the vehicle. The contact stated the fuse box located on the driver's side had caught on fire. The vehicle was extinguished by the Fire Department. A fire report was filed, and a fire report number was provided; however, the cause of the failure was not yet determined. A Police report was filed and provided to the contact. The dealer was not contacted. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V703000(Trailer Hitches). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.Parts distribution disconnect.
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V703000 (Trailer Hitches) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that the battery drained quickly after not driving the vehicle for several days. The dealer was made aware of the failure but confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 50,000. Parts distribution disconnect.
Driving at highway speed, the vehicle began to make a loud rattling noise that came from under the vehicle. A passerby pulled even with my car and began frantically gesturing. After a few seconds of confusion, me daughter said the she thought the man was saying "it's on fire." We pulled over to the shoulder of the road, exited quickly and realized there was fire visible in the engine area, seen through the grill. A good samaritan attempted to suppress the fire with an exstinguisher but moments later, it was fully engulfed.
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, the contact attempted to use the horn, but the horn failed to operate. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who replaced the horn. Approximately a week later, while attempting to use the horn, the failure recurred. The dealer was informed of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 71,188.
There already is a recall for my problem, NHTSA Recall #22V703, but Kia has refused to honor the recall after my vehicle electrical wires started burning, exactly as warned in the Recall. Kia asserts that the trailer hitch and wiring was not installed by Kia, but in fact it was installed by a Kia Dealer.
To Whom It May Concern, I had a horrible experience with my 2020 Kia Sorento and I can't seem to get anyone to respond to me. This very upsetting. My VIN number is [redacted] , my vehicle only had 75,000 miles on it. I kept up with all maintenance, oil changes, checking oil on a regular basis, checking all fluids, including antifreeze, brake fluid as well. I was driving on a clear day, no snow, no rain, no traffic, country road. I was going about 35 MPH and all of the sudden every light that I could possibly think of came on my dashboard, within 30 seconds of that I heard a very loud pop and smoke barreled in through my vents. Obviously the smoke made it a struggle to breathe and definitely is not good for mine or my children lungs. I immediately pulled into the first driveway I seen. This took 5 seconds from the loud pop and the smoke through the vents, actually not even 5 seconds. …
I was driving 2 minutes away from my house and all of the sudden every warning light on the dashboard came on, billowing smoke started coming through the vents. I immediately pulled in a random driveway, as I was turning I. I heard a loud pop. I shut the car off immediately, jumped out. As I looked at the front of my car, flames were coming from the bottom front. I ran up to the house, the man of the house came out with a fire extinguisher. He put out the flames underneath, asked me to pop the hood, I did so and he put out the flames underneath the hood. As I was waiting for a tow truck, I seen a shiny object at the bottom of the vehicle, I pulled it out. It was a wrist pin from the engine. I also noticed a ton of fluids poured out in the man's driveway. I had the vehicle towed home and contacted Kia and my insurance company. …
To the Office of Defects Investigation, I am submitting this formal complaint regarding NHTSA Recall 22V703000 (Kia Recall SC249) involving my 2020 Kia Sorento (VIN: [redacted] ). This recall identifies a fire risk due to a potential electrical short in the tow hitch harness module. The recall notice specifically warns that a vehicle fire may occur while parked or driving. After receiving the recall notification, we made multiple attempts to schedule the required repair with Pompano Kia, the authorized dealership in our area. Despite repeated efforts, we were not provided with a confirmed repair appointment, and the recall remained incomplete. On [1-19-2026], before the recall remedy was performed, the vehicle caught fire while being driven on a highway in Florida. The vehicle became fully engulfed and was declared a total loss. Law enforcement and/or fire services responded. …
My headlights went out completely and without warning on a dark highway. No brights or even the orange running lights. Not even the front hazard lights would go on. There was no warning until after they went out. I pulled over as best I could but there was very little shoulder and semi trucks speeding past me at 70 mph about a foot away from my car. There was a ditch about a foot to the right. I stayed in my car and turned the interior lights on until after highway patrol officer escorted me to a safe turn off. Thankfully my rear hazard lights were working. My husband had to drive a hour to come pick me up. I got home 3 hours later than originally planned. I talked to a mechanic who said it was likely a fuse that went out. I asked him why there was no warning and he said the warning for the lights is likely on the same fuse as the lights! How is that helpful?! …
Electrical complaints in other Sorento years
Frequently asked questions
How common are electrical problems on the 2020 Kia Sorento?
NHTSA has 20 complaints about the electrical system of the 2020 Kia Sorento, 14% of the model year's 138 complaints. The component named most often is 12v/24v/48v battery (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2020 Kia Sorento electrical problems?
No. NHTSA lists no electrical system recall for the 2020 Kia Sorento, though it has 1 recall for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2020 Kia Sorento electrical problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 71,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 7 fires and 0 injuries to electrical system problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
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.