2025 KIA SORENTO Complaints

The DCT transmission causes significant hesitation at slow speeds or starting from a stop. This often leaves the driver and it’s occupants in a vulnerable position if the car hesitates when trying to navigate through traffic. I have taken it to the dealership and they stated that nothing is wrong with it, However, in reviewing online forums, it is obviously a significant concern.

My wife first drove the vehicle and started noticing intense fumes entering the cabin which required rolling down the windows. There were no alerts from the car at this time or engine lights. We checked to see if the exhaust got plugged and it was not. I later drove the car that same day and it would not accelerate when I tried to right turn onto a main road. The check engine light then popped on and loud alerting from the vehicle cause me to have to pull over and shut the vehicle off. We had it towed by the dealer and the last thing we heard was that gas and oil had leaked together and it would take 5 days to get the part to fix it.

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.

This incident started within the first 100 miles of ownership. The dealership hasn’t been able to recreate the incident. I put my 2025 Kia Sorento in the “automatic” drive position. I start driving and my transmission won’t shift gears. I looked down at my dashboard and it shows the vehicle is in “manual” drive gear 1. I look at my gear shift and it shows the vehicle is in “automatic” drive position. If I push the vehicle to its redline or approximately 5000 RPM’s the vehicle shifts and dashboard changes from “1” to “D”. In summary my transmission is malfunctioning and shifting intermittently on its own from automatic to manual drive and the gear shifter is always in the automatic shift position. This happens several times a month. I video taped the incident because the dealership didn’t believe me when I told them this keeps happening.

Instrument gauge cluster freezes while driving. Cannot view current speed, blinker status, cruise control settings, tachometer information, fuel status, or ADAAS items. Also gear select indicator light freezes and does not show correct gear/park. Can only be reset by disconnecting negative battery cable and discharging system.

Today is 12/15/2025 About a month or 2 ago i was on the highway coming from South Carolina to North Carolina when the engine revved up unexpectedly without input. It has HDA2 and that was doing most of the work. The vehicle started to speed up beyond the set limit and once i hit the brakes and manually shifted i was able to regain control. Last week the vehicle made a small noise that I wasn’t sure about. I called the dealership thinking that it could be a transmission problem. When i called they didn’t seem concerned and asked me to bring it in Monday (today). I had no lights or error codes (and still don’t) on the dash and they did not recommend that I don’t drive it so i continued using the car. Last night it made a horrendous noise started revving on its own and shifting very hard ans if something was coming apart. This morning on my way to the dealership the car completely seized up at an intersection. The car has 47900 miles on it. It’s a 2025 and the transmission seems to have completely blown. Ive read online several complaints about the transmission on these vehicles and think that they may be a major concern. For a new car to have this type of issue locking up while on public roads and smoking is absolutely a hazard. My only saving grace is that it happened at an intersection and not on the highway where an accident would have been inevitable. Please look into the DCT transmission on Kia Sorentos. Particularly X-Line SX prestige models. It is a highly unsafe vehicle. Another issue that the car is having is a clicking noise on the steering column that seems to be getting much worse over time and im afraid will result in loss of steering. Im having them check it out as well. The vehicle never showed a malfunction and I’ve attached a screenshot of the app showing it in perfect health despite being undrivable. I still have no invoice and no police report was made.

Road debris under normal driving conditions caused a puncture of the inverter radiator resulting in a total loss of coolant in the inverter and battery system. Inspection of the system at a Kia dealer confirmed the problem. The first sign of concern was an error displayed on the driver screen stating, "Check drive motor cooling system". There is no mention of this error in the owner's manual for the vehicle, though I did find several online discussions surrounding similar issues and warnings. I was driving on the highway at the time, and outside temperature was just under 40 degrees F. The car continued to drive normally for roughly 15 miles while utilizing the gas engine on the highway but eventually began struggling to accelerate or brake when switching to the electrical system after moving to residential streets. There is not a means of turning off the hybrid system. I received further warnings for several various driver assist functions becoming unavailable and the car became difficult to steer. I parked in a parking lot until the car could be towed for evaluation.

There is an electronic glitch with the gear shifting system where it will randomly / sporadically not allow shifting from reverse to drive and provides the error message "gear already selected." This has happened numerous times and resolves itself after 1-2 minutes. However, the vehicle remains in the wrong gear (reverse) while waiting, creating a significant safety issue. I purchased this vehicle brand new from Kia Coughlin in Dublin, OH. After two service visits where they were unable to recreate the problem (it happens randomly / sporatically), they have not provided resolution or a way ahead. I have multiple videos of this issue taken while it was happening.

Vehicle: 2025 Kia Sorento (leased) VIN: [XXX] Mileage at failure: 11,345 Incident dates: March 23, April 27, November 28–December 1 Type: Loss of power / electrical failure / safety hazard Complaint Description: I am reporting repeated electrical failures and complete loss of power in my 2025 Kia Sorento that created unsafe situations for myself and my children. The first failure occurred on March 23, approximately 2½ weeks after leasing the vehicle. The vehicle died without warning and had to be jumped. I brought it to the Kia dealership, but service would not perform a diagnostic without an appointment and sent me home with no repair. The second failure occurred on April 27. This time the vehicle was completely dead again. Kia’s service manager retrieved the vehicle from my home, diagnosed a failed battery cell, and replaced the battery. The third failure occurred between November 28 and December 1. The vehicle was again completely inoperable. I attempted to jump the vehicle on multiple days, but it would not hold a charge. I was stranded without transportation. The interior doors and trunk would not unlock because the power locks failed, and my belongings and large business related were inaccessible. Headlights flickered like a strobe light before the vehicle lost power entirely. Kia towed the vehicle from my home on December 1. These repeated electrical failures have resulted in multiple incidents of being stranded, including with my children, and have caused loss of use of the vehicle for several days. The defect is unpredictable and creates a serious safety concern, especially because the vehicle can lose power without warning and i am unable to unlock the doors. This raises a SERIOUS safety concern when transporting children. I am requesting that NHTSA document this as a potential electrical system safety defect. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

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.