NHTSA lists 5 safety recalls and 268 owner complaints for the 2021 Kia Sorento (including the hybrid).
One recall for this model year tells owners not to drive or to park outside until repaired:Trailer hitch, park outside (22V-703). Check your VIN below to see whether yours is affected.
5Safety recalls
268Owner complaints
4Complaints citing a crash
1Complaints citing a fire
Data: NHTSA recall and complaint filesUpdated Sep 27, 2026
Recalled components: trailer hitch, electrical system, powertrain, seat belts, and 1 more. Most-reported area: powertrain (137 complaints, 51%; median mileage when it happened: 65,000). Includes the Sorento Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid.
5 safety recalls for the 2021 Kia Sorento
Do-not-drive and park-outside recalls first, then newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.
Debris and moisture accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (PCB) may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire.
Risk: A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will inspect the vehicle, and, as necessary, replace the fuse and/or tow hitch harness module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 11, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC249.
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.
NHTSA listings: SORENTO, SORENTO HYBRID. Kia campaign SC249.
The heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) blower motor wiring harness may be inadequate, which can result in a fire.
Risk: A fire increases the risk of injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will replace the wiring harness and blower motor resistor, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 23, 2026. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC351. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning October 9, 2025.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Sorento vehicles.
NHTSA listing: SORENTO. Components: Electrical system: wiring, fuses and circuit breakers; Visibility: defroster/defogger/hvac system, fan/motor. Kia campaign SC351.
The vehicle's "fail-safe" limited-mobility drive mode may be impaired, when prompted by a transmission oil pump malfunction, which can result in a complete loss of drive power.
Risk: Loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the transmission, as necessary. Dealers will also update the transmission control unit software. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 9, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC250.
Kia Motors, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Sorento and 2021-2023 K5 vehicles.
In the event of a crash, the front driver-side and/or passenger-side seat belt pretensioner(s) may explode upon deployment.
Risk: An exploding seat belt pretensioner can project metal fragments into the vehicle, striking vehicle occupants and resulting in injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will secure the seat belt pretensioners with a cap, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 17, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC241. This recall expands and replaces NHTSA recall number 22V-127. Vehicles already repaired under the previous recall will need to have the new remedy completed.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Sorento Hybrid and 2022 Sorento Plug-in Hybrid vehicles.
5L turbocharged engines. Fuel may leak at the pipe connection between the high-pressure fuel pump and fuel rail.
Risk: A fuel leak increases the risk of a fire.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will inspect and tighten, or replace the fuel pipe as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 21, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC214.
Kia Motor America (Kia) is recalling certain 2021 Sorento and 2021-2022 K5 vehicles equipped with 2.
NHTSA listing: SORENTO. Kia campaign SC214.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What owners report
The areas named in the 268 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 Sorento. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Powertrain137 · 51%
Median 65,000 miles at failure (19 reports)
Engine76 · 28%
Electrical system57 · 21%
Fuel and propulsion system25 · 9%
Speed control12 · 4%
Forward collision avoidance10 · 4%
Most named: warnings (7)
Visibility8 · 3%
Most named: windshield (3)
Unknown or other45 · 17%
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.
Kia Sorento recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2021 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2021 Sorento drew the most (132).
Owner complaints
2021: 268 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Kia Sorento
Model year
Complaints
2016
1,250
2017
804
2018
254
2019
426
2020
135
2021
268
2022
223
2023
157
2024
49
2025
127
2026
6
Safety recalls
2021: 5 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Kia Sorento
Model year
Recalls
2016
8
2017
4
2018
3
2019
2
2020
1
2021
5
2022
9
2023
4
2024
2
2025
4
2026
2
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
Tested version
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Kia Sorento Hybrid SUV FWD Early Release
Rollover risk 15.9%
Kia Sorento Hybrid SUV FWD Later Release
Rollover risk 15.9%
Kia Sorento SUV AWD Early Release
Rollover risk 15.9%
Kia Sorento SUV AWD Later Release
Rollover risk 15.9%
Kia Sorento SUV FWD Early Release
Rollover risk 15.9%
Kia Sorento SUV FWD Later Release
Rollover risk 15.9%
Questions
What are the most common 2021 Sorento problems?
The areas owners name most often in NHTSA complaints: powertrain (137), engine (76), electrical system (57). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can name several areas.
Is the 2021 Kia Sorento safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2021 Kia Sorento earns 4 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
How do I check if my Sorento has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Kia dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Sep 27, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Sep 26, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: SORENTO, SORENTO HYBRID.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.