9.1

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
2,093 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2021 Kia Sorento drivetrain problems

drivetrain problem

Find something helpful? Spread the word.
Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2021 Kia Sorento:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

2021 Kia Sorento Owner Comments (Page 4 of 4)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #13

Oct 122021

Sorento

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The transmission periodically does not engage when in drive the transmission also over revs the engine while going a slow speed I pointed this out to the dealer when in for service they stated they were aware of other transmission complaints, and I should keep an eye on it. Nothing was done to fix the problem there were no warning lamps or indicators when this happened

- Hartsdale, NY, USA

problem #12

Oct 302021

Sorento

  • miles
Transmission failure with no warning while driving on the highway. No warning lights before or while this occurred. Car would not accelerate. After being diagnosed at the dealership, we were told there have been other reports of the same issue therefore replacing the transmission would not be an option and Kia may have to buy the vehicle back. This is NOT a safe vehicle!!

- Royse City, TX, USA

problem #11

Nov 182021

Sorento

  • miles
At first from 1st to 2nd took RPM to 5,000 before shifting to 3rd. Almost like it was stuck in neutral over that time but clearly in Automatic. Once in third girl no power until RPM drops and then shifted.At high speed all seemed fine. Happened ever time I start/stopped until When turned off car and it on went away. Now this morning on the way to dealship no Forward or Revese so having it towed to dealership.

- Yellow Spring, WV, USA

problem #10

May 212021

Sorento

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The vehicle has a dual clutch transmission which causes the vehicle to lunge forward at idle. The transmission also "slips" at times during hard acceleration and results in very slow acceleration when entering a highway on a ramp or making way across an intersection. The transmission also shifts extremely hard when coming to a stop and then lunges requiring additional braking. This presents a safety issue when crossing an intersection or coming to a sudden stop in stop and go traffic. The vehicle has 10,000 miles was inspected (and reproduced) at the Kia dealership where I purchased it, and the service department states that the transmission is working as designed, which I believe since there are numerous complaints about the same issue on line and Kia forums. The newest issue (about 2 months old) is that there is a whining noise that appears to be coming from the transmission during acceleration until the transmission shifts into another gear. There are no warning lamps - the issue has been occurring since purchased in May 2021. It appears that this issue is with the dual clutch 2.5 turbo models across the Kia line.

- Monroe, NC, USA

problem #9

Oct 222021

Sorento

  • miles
When coming to a parking lot stop the vehicle skips or jumps and it can be felt on the floor board. I took it to get inspected at a Kia dealer who was able to identify the problem being my transmission and not the brakes. He informed me that Kia considers this a -??normal condition-?? and that there was nothing they could do about it. This is extremely alarming and concerning that Kia is not concerned about transmission issues in their brands. There are no warning lights that come on. I feel unsafe driving this vehicle in fear of the transmission tearing up completely or running into the back of another vehicle or object. I drive on a busy interstate everyday for work and driving this vehicle in this condition is not safe in my opinion.

- Trappe , MD, USA

Search CarComplaints.com for these popular complaint phrases...

problem #8

Oct 282021

Sorento

  • miles
I was driving to work on I-95 when a message appeared on the dash to -??Stop Safely Immediately-??. Less than a minute later, I lost the ability to accelerate and the vehicle was losing speed. I pulled over to the shoulder. Vehicle was towed to the dealer. They were unable to pinpoint the issue and stated the entire transmission needs to be replaced.

- Wilmington, DE, USA

problem #7

Oct 182021

Sorento

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My 9 month old (9000+ miles) car went completely into neutral while driving without any warning. The speed dropped quickly, and I was very closed to get hit by the car behind. I carefully stopped and turned off the car at a curbside, and it went back to normal when restarted. However, the next day I started the car like normal and found it wouldn't move either forward or reverse with the Check Engine Light on. The car was then towed to the dealership for inspection, and they were able to reproduce the problem. I was told the entire transmission needs to be replaced. The same terrifying experience is seen from multiple internet forums for the same new Kia Sorrento 2021.

- Hockessin, DE, USA

problem #6

Sep 302021

Sorento

  • miles
The SUV had a whistling noise then started leaking transmission fluid. I brought it in and the master tech said the whole transmission needed to be replaced. This is a NEW vehicle which only 5000 miles on it.

- Johnsburg , IL, USA

problem #5

Oct 012021

Sorento

  • miles
Power train operation is erratic and unpredictable. I have have experienced the same problems of other reports (loss of power when turning, jerking/rough shifts, cruise control issues) with the addition of this: when stopping the vehicle in a smooth controlled fashion, it suddenly has a boost of acceleration at 1-2 mph which requires extra brake pedal pressure to keep from impacting the car ahead.

- Akron, OH, USA

problem #4

Aug 092021

Sorento

  • miles
Transmission failed at 3200 miles leaving my family stranded. Car was completely disabled abruptly. Luckily I was able to find people to push my car to a safe location until my tow arrived. This was very scary given the fact I had my three children inside.

- Hurdle Mills, NC, USA

problem #3

Oct 022021

Sorento

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The transmission is failing after only 6000 miles. The vehicle suddenly and without warning will stop functioning, this happens while driving. The vehicle comes out of drive gear while still running and leaves driver with no ability to move out of traffic. This has happened numerous times over the last few weeks. After researching online it became evident that this is a common problem with the 2021 Kia Sorento. Many consumers complaining of the same thing. My wife was almost rear ended Saturday when the vehicle jumped out of gear and she was unable to get it out of traffic. These vehicles pose a very high risk and probability of causing accidents.

- Gibsonville , NC, USA

problem #2

Aug 042021

Sorento

  • miles
I am having trouble with traction control on my 2021 SX Xline... when turning it comes on suddenly resulting in power loss and no ability to accelerate. This has happened four times since purchasing the vehicle. I nearly got hit when it happened twice last night trying to get home. It is dry here - no water or rain. The vehicle was in smart mode, has awd and the traction control lights flickered on and off on and off right before the problem happens.

- Portland, OR, USA

problem #1

Jun 022021

Sorento

  • miles
On Wednesday June 2, 2021 around 12:15pm I was leaving a teacher summer workshop and I started the car as usual, no issues, and proceeded to leave the parking lot to make a right turn onto the street. I was about a mile away from home. As I proceeded to hit the gas the car moved forward into the street then failed to shift into the next gear, which left me stranded with traffic quickly coming up behind me. I turned the wheel really hard to get as close to the curb as possible. I proceeded to press the gas pedal all the way to the floor and nothing happened except high rpms around 3-4k. I looked at the dash to see if there were any warning lights, at the same time I am pressing the gas pedal trying to get the car to move forward. It suddenly moved forward so I merged over to the left lane, with traffic coming up behind me, and it happened again. It failed to shift into the next gear and seemed to be stuck. I am moving forward about 1-2 mph. I stop in traffic and within 15 seconds it caught second gear and moved forward and I was able to make it to the middle lane. The Sorento started to act normal, shifting gears and moving forward, so I proceeded towards the light to make a left-hand turn. I waited until all the oncoming traffic passed by to make my left-hand turn, then I hit the accelerator and it lurched forward and wouldn-??t shift into the next gear, it just continued to rev to 4k. I-??m coasting along at about 1-2mph trying to get through the intersection so I don-??t get hit by another car. I move the shifter into a different gear to see if it would catch and it didn-??t. I continue pressing the gas pedal and it all of a sudden lurched forward and started acting like normal. I was about a half mile from home at this point. The car acted like normal and I was watching the dash to see if any warning lights were illuminated, no lights every appeared on the dash. Dealer can't replicate issue.

- Phoenix, AZ, USA

Not what you are looking for?