Total Complaints
32 filings
KIA SORENTO PHEV · model year
32 NHTSA complaints, 1 crash report, and 5 active recalls for this specific cohort.
NHTSA overall rating
Not crash-tested
New Car Assessment Program
The 2022KIASORENTO PHEV carries 32 consumer safety complaints in NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation database for this specific model-year cohort. Within that volume, owners reported 1 crash, 0 fires, 0 injuries, and 0 fatalities. No NCAP 5-star crash-test rating is available for this model year in the federal database.
Component-level analysis is where model-year complaints become actionable: the top complaint category for the 2022 SORENTO PHEV is power train with 8 filings, followed by electrical system (5) and engine (4). Concentration in one or two component groups is the classic signature of a systemic defect; a flat distribution usually reflects normal aging, warranty complaints, or isolated build-plant variability. This model year has 5 active recall campaigns, which means the manufacturer is obligated to remedy the covered defect at no charge for the life of the vehicle — the full NHTSA campaign numbers are listed below.
NHTSA currently has 38 investigation files overlapping the 2022 SORENTO PHEV, and 1 remain open. Owners comparing this cohort against neighboring years should pair the counters above with the complaint-by-year trend on the parent model page — a spike in a single year often tracks to a platform refresh, a new transmission supplier, or an updated ECU calibration. Use the related-complaint feed below to read raw owner narratives before deciding whether any pattern here affects your specific use case.
Total Complaints
32 filings
Crashes Reported
1 reports
Source
NHTSA ODI
Federal complaints database
At or below the fleet median complaint volume.
| Component | Count |
|---|---|
| POWER TRAIN | 8 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 5 |
| ENGINE | 4 |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 3 |
| TRAILER HITCHES | 2 |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 2 |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING | 2 |
| STRUCTURE:BODY | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS:PRETENSIONER | 1 |
| VISIBILITY/WIPER | 1 |
| SEAT BELTS | 1 |
| FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS | 1 |
| BACK OVER PREVENTION | 1 |
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. As such, these vehicles fail to comply
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:STORAGE:TANK ASSEMBLY
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2022 Sorento Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV) vehicles. The fuel tank may have been improperly molded, which can result in a fuel leak.
SEAT BELTS:FRONT
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Sorento Hybrid and 2022 Sorento Plug-in Hybrid vehicles. In the event of a crash, the front driver-side and/or passenger-side seat belt pretensioner(s) may explode upon deployment.
TRAILER HITCHES
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Sorento, 2021-2022 Sorento Hybrid (HEV), 2022-2023 Sorento Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV), and 2017-2022 Sportage vehicles equipped with a tow hitch harness installed as original equipment, or purchased as an accessory through a Kia dealership. Debris a
SEAT BELTS:FRONT
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2022 Sorento Hybrid and Sorento Plug-in Hybrid vehicles. In the event of a crash, the front driver-side and/or passenger-side seat belt pretensioner(s) may explode upon deployment.
My Sorento PHEV popped a P0c4e code and now the car is gutless on electric power. Kia cleared the code in an attempt to fix it but now the code is gone and itâs still weak. When I let off the brake it rolls when it used to have the power to hold it. I used to be able to get on the freeway and now I canât get up to speed in town (35mph). Itâs running in some sort of limp mode and Kia canât see any codes. Itâs loud, too. Each gear whines. It whines when I hit the brake and it regenerates electricity. It regens so little now that it doesnât hardly slow me down anymore until I stand on them and use the brake pads. Kia said that it might be a sensor in the electric motor but itâs not replaceable and you have to replace the whole motor. Even though itâs under warranty, itâs 15 hours labor to replace it. I have family with the same car and theirs has done the same thing in the past and had to be replaced. My dealer said that they have seen a bunch of these throw that sa
My Sorento PHEV popped a P0c4e code and now the car is gutless on electric power. Kia cleared the code in an attempt to fix it but now the code is gone and itâs still weak. When I let off the brake it rolls when it used to have the power to hold it. I used to be able to get on the freeway and now I canât get up to speed in town (35mph). Itâs running in some sort of limp mode and Kia canât see any codes. Itâs loud, too. Each gear whines. It whines when I hit the brake and it regenerates electricity. It regens so little now that it doesnât hardly slow me down anymore until I stand on them and use the brake pads. Kia said that it might be a sensor in the electric motor but itâs not replaceable and you have to replace the whole motor. Even though itâs under warranty, itâs 15 hours labor to replace it. I have family with the same car and theirs has done the same thing in the past and had to be replaced. My dealer said that they have seen a bunch of these throw that sa
My Sorento PHEV popped a P0c4e code and now the car is gutless on electric power. Kia cleared the code in an attempt to fix it but now the code is gone and itâs still weak. When I let off the brake it rolls when it used to have the power to hold it. I used to be able to get on the freeway and now I canât get up to speed in town (35mph). Itâs running in some sort of limp mode and Kia canât see any codes. Itâs loud, too. Each gear whines. It whines when I hit the brake and it regenerates electricity. It regens so little now that it doesnât hardly slow me down anymore until I stand on them and use the brake pads. Kia said that it might be a sensor in the electric motor but itâs not replaceable and you have to replace the whole motor. Even though itâs under warranty, itâs 15 hours labor to replace it. I have family with the same car and theirs has done the same thing in the past and had to be replaced. My dealer said that they have seen a bunch of these throw that sa
I have gotten the notice Refill Inverter Coolant and Hybrid System Failure and lost acceleration and the all power. The first time this happened was in Dec 2024 with about 60,000 miles on the car. Dealer flushed system and it worked fine until April 2025 at about 71000 miles Hybrid system failure alert again, barely able to accelerate from stop light, made to a parking space just as I lost power steering. After about 2 hours to cool off car started and could be driven home. Got Refill inverter coolant alert.
The contact owns a 2022 Kia Sorento PHEV. The contact stated that while reversing the vehicle, the rearview camera failed to display a clear image, and the grid lines were not properly aligned. The contact crashed the vehicle into his mailbox. There were no injuries sustained and no police report was filed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V610000 (Back Over Prevention); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 22,500.
Mileage: 22,500
Several times over the past 12 months, the car has applied emergency braking when a car approaches me from behind in the lane to my left. The dealer was not able to replicate the problem but I have captured it twice on my dash cam. I was only able to intentionally replicate the problem once on my own but it has happened 15-20 times. If I do not press the accelerator, the car will come to a stop without me pushing the brake. When the emergency brake is applied, the warning sound is heard in the car and the dash lights up with the emergency braking icon and emphasizes the left rear of the vehicle. I have been to the dealer twice for this issue. The first time they told me it was due to a faulty camera mount under recall. It was replaced but the issue continued. The second time they told me they decreased the sensitivity of some sensor. The issue continued.
Several times over the past 12 months, the car has applied emergency braking when a car approaches me from behind in the lane to my left. The dealer was not able to replicate the problem but I have captured it twice on my dash cam. I was only able to intentionally replicate the problem once on my own but it has happened 15-20 times. If I do not press the accelerator, the car will come to a stop without me pushing the brake. When the emergency brake is applied, the warning sound is heard in the car and the dash lights up with the emergency braking icon and emphasizes the left rear of the vehicle. I have been to the dealer twice for this issue. The first time they told me it was due to a faulty camera mount under recall. It was replaced but the issue continued. The second time they told me they decreased the sensitivity of some sensor. The issue continued.
While driving down the highway the EV side of my PHEV wouldn't switch to gas. The car wouldn't accelerate past 40-50 mph and drained the remaining battery till my car shut off and forced me to the side of the road. Been to the dealer multiple times (over 4) for the same issue. They claim they recreate it and no resolution has been done.
While driving down the highway the EV side of my PHEV wouldn't switch to gas. The car wouldn't accelerate past 40-50 mph and drained the remaining battery till my car shut off and forced me to the side of the road. Been to the dealer multiple times (over 4) for the same issue. They claim they recreate it and no resolution has been done.
While driving down the highway the EV side of my PHEV wouldn't switch to gas. The car wouldn't accelerate past 40-50 mph and drained the remaining battery till my car shut off and forced me to the side of the road. Been to the dealer multiple times (over 4) for the same issue. They claim they recreate it and no resolution has been done.
The contact owns a 2022 Kia Sorento PHEV. The contact stated the upon starting the vehicle, an abnormally loud revving sound was coming from the engine while the vehicle was idling. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle hesitated upon the depression of the accelerator pedal while traveling at various speeds. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was initially taken to Seelye Kia of Battle Creek (791 W Dickman Rd, Battle Creek, MI 49037) where the contact was informed that the acceleration issue was normal vehicle operation due to the Hybrid feature. The vehicle was then taken to another dealer where the contact was provided the same issue as the dealer. The contact stated that the hesitation had worsened and had become more frequent. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided a case number. The vehicle was not repaired and remained in the possession of the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.
Mileage: 20,000
The contact owns a 2022 Kia Sorento PHEV. The contact stated the upon starting the vehicle, an abnormally loud revving sound was coming from the engine while the vehicle was idling. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle hesitated upon the depression of the accelerator pedal while traveling at various speeds. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was initially taken to Seelye Kia of Battle Creek (791 W Dickman Rd, Battle Creek, MI 49037) where the contact was informed that the acceleration issue was normal vehicle operation due to the Hybrid feature. The vehicle was then taken to another dealer where the contact was provided the same issue as the dealer. The contact stated that the hesitation had worsened and had become more frequent. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided a case number. The vehicle was not repaired and remained in the possession of the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.
Mileage: 20,000
When accelerating to pull out of driveway and enter traffic, while struggles to find correct gear causing tires to spin and loud clunking noise. Forward collision detects objects that are not there causing vehicle emergency breaking to engage
When accelerating to pull out of driveway and enter traffic, while struggles to find correct gear causing tires to spin and loud clunking noise. Forward collision detects objects that are not there causing vehicle emergency breaking to engage
When accelerating to pull out of driveway and enter traffic, while struggles to find correct gear causing tires to spin and loud clunking noise. Forward collision detects objects that are not there causing vehicle emergency breaking to engage
My 2022 KIA Sorrento PHEV periodically gives a "Check Hybrid System, Stop Safely" emergency warning. When this happens the vehicle will not accelerate and can only be limped to a stop. This has occurred 4 times in 18 months. In three instances the vehicle was limped to a safe stop but on the other occasion it left us stranded in an intersection. This problem creates imminent danger and potential peril. KIA maintenance looked at the vehicle after the last two events and reported that they can't do anything because there aren't any recorded fault codes. From a technical perspective, it appears that an electronic problem occurs where the hybrid control either fails to recognize the low battery status or fails to command the engine to run when needed. Once stopped I can see that the hybrid electric battery charge has depleted and the engine failed to start. Cycling power off and on a couple of times appears to reset the circuitry allowing the engine to restart and the hybrid battery to
My 2022 KIA Sorrento PHEV periodically gives a "Check Hybrid System, Stop Safely" emergency warning. When this happens the vehicle will not accelerate and can only be limped to a stop. This has occurred 4 times in 18 months. In three instances the vehicle was limped to a safe stop but on the other occasion it left us stranded in an intersection. This problem creates imminent danger and potential peril. KIA maintenance looked at the vehicle after the last two events and reported that they can't do anything because there aren't any recorded fault codes. From a technical perspective, it appears that an electronic problem occurs where the hybrid control either fails to recognize the low battery status or fails to command the engine to run when needed. Once stopped I can see that the hybrid electric battery charge has depleted and the engine failed to start. Cycling power off and on a couple of times appears to reset the circuitry allowing the engine to restart and the hybrid battery to
The contact owns a 2022 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH up an incline in inclement weather, the vehicle rolled backward. The contact stated that the AWD failed to lock the wheels. The contact then stated that all four tires started to spin while in AWD. Additionally, the contact stated that while attempting to turn on the heat, she smelled a burning odor through the vents. The contact also stated that there was an alert indicating to activate the heat in hybrid mode; however, the vent was blowing cold air. Additionally, the contact stated that previously the sensor malfunction warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 17,000.
Mileage: 17,000
The contact owns a 2022 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving approximately 65 MPH up an incline in inclement weather, the vehicle rolled backward. The contact stated that the AWD failed to lock the wheels. The contact then stated that all four tires started to spin while in AWD. Additionally, the contact stated that while attempting to turn on the heat, she smelled a burning odor through the vents. The contact also stated that there was an alert indicating to activate the heat in hybrid mode; however, the vent was blowing cold air. Additionally, the contact stated that previously the sensor malfunction warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 17,000.
Mileage: 17,000
The contact owns a 2022 Kia Sorento. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V703000 (Trailer Hitches) however, the part to do the repair was unavailable. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer; however, the contact was informed that the remedy was not yet available. The vehicle was not 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.
Data as of 2025. Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) complaints database, NHTSA recall campaign API, NHTSA NCAP crash-test ratings, and NHTSA FARS for fatality cross-reference.
Read our methodology — how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.