The 2019 Kia Sorento has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 154,554 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 616 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
BACK OVER PREVENTION23V6390002023-09-1583,667 affected
Defect
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. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard…
Consequence
A rearview camera that does not display an image can reduce the driver's rear view, increasing the risk of a crash.
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. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC282.
TRAILER HITCHES22V7030002022-09-1970,887 affected
Defect
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 and moisture…
Consequence
A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy
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…
Complaints by component
ENGINE
150
2crashes10fires4injuries
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
105
1crashes5fires6injuries
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
67
3crashes7fires2injuries
STRUCTURE:BODY
53
1crashes1injuries
POWER TRAIN
49
1fires
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
23
1crashes3fires1injuries
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
18
VISIBILITY/WIPER
16
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
14
1crashes
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS
13
1crashes
Total complaints616
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“My 2019 kia sorento suddenly began making loud knocking noises from the engine and immediately lost all acceleration while I was driving with my children in the car. The vehicle would not respond when pressing the gas, and the check engine light came on. This created a terrifying situation because…”
“My 2019 kia sorento suddenly began making loud knocking noises from the engine and immediately lost all acceleration while I was driving with my children in the car. The vehicle would not respond when pressing the gas, and the check engine light came on. This created a terrifying situation because…”
“My 2019 kia sorento suddenly began making loud knocking noises from the engine and immediately lost all acceleration while I was driving with my children in the car. The vehicle would not respond when pressing the gas, and the check engine light came on. This created a terrifying situation because…”
“Multiple lights on dash same time. Auto hold, fwd collision, adaptive cruise and abs. Code said abs module faulty. Multiple safety system affected and rendered useless.”
“Multiple lights on dash same time. Auto hold, fwd collision, adaptive cruise and abs. Code said abs module faulty. Multiple safety system affected and rendered useless.”
“Multiple lights on dash same time. Auto hold, fwd collision, adaptive cruise and abs. Code said abs module faulty. Multiple safety system affected and rendered useless.”
“Leaking windshield. Water dripping into cabin. Headliner soaked with water. Windshield possibly not sealed or adhered properly. (similarly to nhtsa campaign 22v158000 and kia recall sc232 for the kia cadenza)”
“My 2019 kia sorento equipped with a theta ii engine entered limp mode and displayed a flashing check engine light along with an active p1326 diagnostic trouble code. The p1326 code is a proprietary kia/hyundai specific code that can only be generated when the knock sensor detection system (ksds)…”
Defect investigations
InvestigationDP22003 Opened 2022-09-12 · closed 2023-12-12
Loss of Motive Power
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated July 13, 2022, petitioning the Agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain Hyundai Motor America, Inc. and Kia America, Inc. vehicles…
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2019 Kia Sorento as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
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