2021 Kia Sorento Problems, Recalls & Reliability
353 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2021 Kia Sorento, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 14/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Transmission & drivetrain leads the reports, typically around 62,500 miles.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2021 Kia Sorento has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2021 sits among all Sorento years
What owners report
“Driving @70 miles per hour complete loss of transmission ...this is not a safe car to drive ..”— owner report to NHTSA, 2021 Sorento
“This is 2nd time that my Kia Sorento shuts off while we’re stopped at a red light. When we release the brake the engine didn’t start.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2021 Sorento
“My vehicle has been slow to start and I have had all other issues come on on my vehicle as far as lights as far as the forward collision warning light has came on and the check driver attention warning light has come on as well while I’m running my HVAC past the level 2. I have also had my battery…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2021 Sorento
“The check engine light has come on. The vehicle has stalled or loss power while driving 3 times with the last week. Once at 70 mph and the other 2 at 35 mph. Still very concerning on how to control when this occurs!!”— owner report to NHTSA, 2021 Sorento
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 44 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 36,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 11,978 and 68,846 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (4)
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Sorento vehicles. The heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) blower motor wiring harness may be inadequate, which can result in a fire.
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 Motors, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Sorento and 2021-2023 K5 vehicles. 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…
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…
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…
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…
Kia Motor America (Kia) is recalling certain 2021 Sorento and 2021-2022 K5 vehicles equipped with 2.5L turbocharged engines. Fuel may leak at the pipe connection between the high-pressure fuel pump and fuel rail.
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…
Federal defect investigations
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 2021 Kia Sorento reliable?
The 2021 Kia Sorento drew 353 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 14/100, scored against the model's worst year (2011).
What are the most common 2021 Kia Sorento problems?
The top reported problems for the 2021 Kia Sorento are transmission & drivetrain (126 complaints), engine (62), and electrical (48).
At what mileage do 2021 Kia Sorento problems show up?
Owners most often report 2021 Kia Sorento problems around 36,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 11,978 and 68,846 miles.
Does the 2021 Kia Sorento have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 2021 Kia Sorento. At least one carries a do-not-drive or park-outside warning — check your VIN before driving.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.