Collision Avoidance complaints by model year
| Year | Complaints | Share of year's complaints | Typical mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 3 | 50% | 1,000 miles |
| 2025 | 13 | 17% | — |
| 2024 | 4 | 9% | — |
| 2023 | 19 | 15% | 35,000 miles |
| 2022 | 11 | 6% | — |
| 2021 | 11 | 4% | 1,000 miles |
| 2020 | 7 | 5% | 9,000 miles |
| 2019 | 28 | 6% | 21,000 miles |
| 2018 | 8 | 3% | 72,000 miles |
| 2017 | 11 | 1% | 65,000 miles |
| 2016 | 14 | 1% | 100,000 miles |
| 2015 | 3 | 0% | — |
| 2014 | 9 | 1% | 75,000 miles |
| 2013 | 3 | 0% | 119,000 miles |
| 2012 | 6 | 1% | 55,000 miles |
| 2011 | 6 | 0% | — |
| 2005 | 1 | 0% | — |
Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise, lane keeping, backup camera).
Mileage when the problem started
What owners report
The contact owns a 2026 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at 2 MPH, the brake pedal was depressed and went to the floorboard. The vehicle failed to stop and rolled forward. The Forward Collision Avoidance feature also failed, causing the vehicle to crash into a building. No warning light was illuminated. The air bags did not deploy. The contact and his wife did not sustain any injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was able to be driven away from the crash site. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who sent the computer system to the manufacturer; however, no data was retrieved. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The insurance company was made aware of the failure but had not yet deemed the vehicle totaled. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that they would notify NHTSA of the failure. …
I am reporting a suspected brake system malfunction. About one block before my destination, I stopped at a traffic light and applied light pressure to the brake pedal. The vehicle slammed and jerked to a stop unexpectedly. Moments later, while turning into a parking space, I pressed the brake pedal again and the vehicle did not stop as expected. The SUV went over the cement parking post and struck a tall sign about 10 to 12 feet ahead. A large bush around the sign slowed the vehicle before it could continue into a tree. This created a serious safety risk to me and my passengers, who included one adult and two young children. Thankfully, no one was seriously injured. The suspected failed system is the brake system. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. It was towed after the incident because I did not feel it was safe to drive. …
Driving 40 mph coming around a bend. There was a car stopped about to rear off to the left and when coming up around the turn I saw and tried to stop. I was about two car lengths behind the car when I pressed the brake down and I pushed it all the way down and nothing happened. It was grinding and shaky when pressing it down. Not tight or anything. I feel like I normally would have that tension right away to be able to stop. There was no warning or anything and the car always has warnings when something is close.
My wife was slowly pulling into a parking spot at kohls and the car lunged like the gas pedal was pressed all the way down and hit parking pole in spot . I googled to see if this was an issue reports and found information on this not actual recall but reports on this issue . Kia has done nothing with this case
Car has sensor issues. It ran into pole and median after defective collision assist said sensor was blocked. Has emission leak. Second vehicle i had with that and they wont cover under warranty. Kia refuses to by back a car do not feel safe driving. They refuse to fix things under warranty. The refuse to do anything about sensors, says its the safety features and they cannot remove them. Only offered me 19k for car. Why would I be upside down for a car that was sold to me with safety features issues..
1. **Component or System Failure:** - The malfunction occurred in the **automatic braking system** while the vehicle was in **snow mode**. The brakes engaged and locked the wheels, resulting in a loss of traction. - This system is available for inspection upon request to assess the failure, where the car was towed to. 2. **Safety Risk:** - The automatic brakes locking the wheels put the driver at risk by causing the vehicle to slide uncontrollably. - The situation was further exacerbated by the fact that the vehicle collided with a tree, indicating a significant safety concern. 3. **Reproduction of the Problem:** - It is unclear if the issue has been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center, but given the nature of the malfunction, it would be advisable to have it inspected by a professional to verify the problem. 4. …
The contact owns a 2023 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the brakes spontaneously engaged. The brake warning light was illuminated. The contact stated there was no other vehicles nearby when the failure occurred on several occasions. Additionally, the sunroof was deactivated due to the software being disconnected spontaneously. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure and informed the contact that the manufacturer needed to be contacted to check the logs. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 35,000.
I have only had the Kia Sorento for a few months and bought it brand new. While driving normally, one of the collision warning indicators came on while switching lanes and then nearly every alarm in the car cycled continuously. These audible and visual alarms were highly distracting to drive with and it is surprising the software allows this to happen and that there's no sensor override or silencer button. Even when the car is turned off and back on again the alarms continue. I took the car into the dealer and it sat there for two weeks waiting for Kias central maintenance group to give them some guidance on what to do. They suspected a short somewhere and checked the main controller wires and one of the pins was a bit loose. After adjusting the pin they drove the car a few times and returned the car to me after it had been there for 3 weeks total. …
Related recalls (2)
Back over prevention › Sensing system › Camera
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2019 Sorento vehicles. Due to a manufacturing error, water may leak into the rearview camera, which can cause the rearview camera image not to appear on the display.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the rearview camera and add additional water proofing to the camera harness, or replace the camera as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 8, 2024.
Back over prevention › Sensing system › Camera
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2022-2023 Sorento, Sorento Hybrid, and Sorento Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) vehicles. The mounting clips for the rearview camera may break, which can cause the rearview camera image not to appear properly on the display.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera housing, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 27, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542.
Frequently asked questions
Which Kia Sorento years have collision avoidance problems?
By NHTSA complaints, the 2019 (28), 2023 (19), 2016 (14), 2025 (13) and 2017 (11) model years. Collision Avoidance complaints make up 6% of all complaints for the 2019.
Is there a recall for Kia Sorento collision avoidance problems?
Yes — 2 recalls, including 23V-639 (camera, Sep 15, 2023); 23V-610 (camera, Aug 31, 2023). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers; check a specific car with the VIN recall check.
At what mileage do Kia Sorento collision avoidance problems start?
Across all years, half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 52,000 miles; 50% happened before 50,000 miles.
What part fails most often?
Owners most often name the warnings (63 mentions), followed by the automatic emergency braking (46).
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.