2023 KIA SORENTO Electrical System Problems

I purchased a new 2023 Kia Sorento in February 2023 from Ken Garff Kia Avondale. Since shortly after purchase, the vehicle has experienced repeated electrical and mechanical failures that substantially impair safety. In July 2023, the vehicle began displaying flashing lights, dashboard error messages, and system malfunctions while driving, despite no collision or visible damage. The air conditioning system malfunctioned and blew hot air even when turned off. The dealership stated a front sensor was “damaged” and not warranty-covered, despite no visible damage, and verbally indicated that many other customers were experiencing similar issues. Repairs took nearly four months, during which Kia Corporate engineers were involved. The issue persisted despite repairs. In December 2024, the vehicle began displaying repeated transmission system error warnings, often within the first 5–10 minutes of driving, causing significant loss of speed and drivability. After multiple service visits, the vehicle required a full transmission replacement in July/August 2025 under warranty. Despite this repair, the same transmission errors returned in December 2025. More critically, the vehicle then experienced multiple sudden and complete electrical shutdowns without warning, including: Shutting off entirely while stopped at a red light, requiring a jump start All screens going black and the vehicle failing to restart Restarting only after being left parked for several minutes These events occurred without any battery or system warning indicators and created a serious safety risk, including risk of being stranded or disabled in traffic. The issues have been documented with photos, videos, repair records, and written communications. Due to the ongoing and dangerous nature of these failures, I am reporting this as a vehicle safety defect.

Upon starting the vehicle, it flashed several warning lights that were not on the day before. Including popping codes up on the infotainment system and urging me to schedule a service with KIA. Upon looking up the codes it states HVAC issue, when calling to dealership to schedule a service for it (while it is still barely under warranty) they let me know it might not be covered. That’s when I found out there is a recall only for certain VIN #’s for the exact same issue. My car won’t even drive because the electrical system is being affected. Windshield wipers going crazy, lights not working, AC/heat not working, the emergency braking system braking out of nowhere, the lane departure pulling the wheel while driving without cause. I don’t even feel safe driving the vehicle anymore. Kia needs to have a recall on this that alerts the vehicles owners because I had no clue that there was a potential fire hazard due to faulty wiring.

Was driving on Dallas North Toll way when my vehicle lost acceleration. Had to pull over and engine started smoking and lit a flame under the hood. Car is now at Clay Cooley Kia in Irving, TX. Car has been there for over two weeks and I still have no answers or information regarding the plan to fix it. Major dealership delay and all they keep saying is “Waiting on a Kia Engineer to come out but we don't have a date.”

I have been calling the nearest Kia dealership to have this recall fixed since September 2025 and there has been no remedy since. We do not feel safe using the vehicle due to the recall involving a fire hazard due to HVAC wiring. We have a family that needs the vehicle and its been 3 months with no remedy and no estimated date of when remedy will be available, so remedy for recall is indefinite. We would like Kia to repurchase the vehicle or assist in auto monthly payments, as we are paying for a vehicle that we cannot use. We have kids and do not feel comfortable driving in this vehicle. We use this vehicle to help work and recall has impacted us financially. Below are details of the recall as we are trying to get Kia to help with: Manufacturer Recall Number SC351 There is no remedy for this safety recall ***REMEDY IS NOT AVAILABLE YET*** KIA AMERICA, INC. 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. Safety Risk A FIRE INCREASES THE RISK OF INJURY.

The contact owns a 2023 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while attempting to activate the HVAC system, there was an abnormal burning plastic odor inside the vehicle. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the blower motor relay had short circuited and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired; however, the contact performed a repair based on guidance from the mechanic. The contact stated that the vehicle was repaired, but the failure with the blower motor relay reoccurred. The contact recently received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V649000 (Electrical System, Visibility). The contact related the failures to the recall. The contact called a local dealer and was advised that the remedy was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 48,000.

Mileage: 48,000

Check engine light on. Rear defrost doesn't work. Auto stop/start not working. Cruise control not working. Vehicle shuts off sometimes at stand still and have to put in neutral or park and push Start button. Engine looses power while driving. Check rear cross traffic, check tire pressure monitoring system, check lane departure warning system, check speed limit system, check lane keeping assist, check forward safety system lights are cycling on the front screen and warning ⚠️ signs pinging. Vehicle has been inspected 3 times at a local KIA DEALERSHIP. 1st in 4/2025, 2nd 6/2025 3rd time 10/2025. Module was replaced and 2 days later same issue so Vehicle will be going back a 4th time. No warnings before issues started. Sometimes it does it for hours and sometimes it's back to normal.

On 8 occasions, while driving on a highway, the emergency lights started to flash out of no where and the driver could not accelerate. The driver had to find a way to pull over and turn the car off and then restart the car. The car was taken in 3 times and checks were run but no codes showed up. The third time the car was brought in, the mechanic agreed to drive it until the problem could be reproduced. The car was driven for 70 miles but it could not be reproduced. The mechanics were informed that it happened every 300-500 miles and the car had not been driven enough. The mechanics said it was running as designed. Our safety and everyone on the road was put at risk if we could not get over to a shoulder.

The car is accelerating without anyone pressing down on the gas, not accelerating when our foot is on the gas, jerking unexplainably and the emergency brake warning is coming on when it has not been employed.

Even though the dealership reports that safety recall 23V610 / SC280 for the mounting clip replacement was completed on 2/16/24, my rearview camera has just fell out of its housing, hanging by its wires, with the mounting clips laying broken in my driveway. My rearview camera is currently unusable; its taped up so that it is not just swinging by the wires. When I contacted my dealership, they are pretty sure they can get this work covered under the warranty, but they are not sure. And my VIN# is currently not pulling up any "Active Recalls". Either the clips they used to replace the previous clips were also bad, or the dealership didnt actually complete the work as reported.

All safety features disabled, srs light turns on, vehicle shuts off when driving, guage cluster is inop doesn’t show speed.

Vehicles instrument cluster goes black at times ( speedometer, tach and all exterior lights and turn signals are inoperative during this time) I took it to the dealership and they said they couldn’t duplicate the problem

The USB ports disconnect intermittently cause maps and phone calls to disconnect temporarily. Sometimes not connecting again until I turn off and on the car.

Was driving up a hill when the 'Auto-Off' light started flashing on the driver display. Car would not accelerate above 20mph. At the top of the hill, I switched gears to neutral and the car began operating as expected; however, the same behavior occurred again at the next hill. Pulled over and restarted the car. Car worked as expected after restart. This is dangerous. I was taking my daughter to school in morning rush hour traffic. We live in a very hilly area and I'm terrified to drive the car. I dropped it off at the dealership almost 2 weeks ago and they have yet to identify the issue. I do see similar complaints on this site so I'm hoping that you are investigating.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? I was driving and the car completely shut down- I could not use my brakes or accelerate. I had to pull along the road in ongoing traffic to coast to a stop. I lost all control. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? I was in traffic and the cars behind me had to slow down immediately, I could not speed up or even brake to come to a stop. Others around me as well as myself were in danger. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? They reviewed and said they scanned it and did a drive test and could not find the cause. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Yes, It was seen at the Kia dealer I bought it from. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? As soon as the vehicle lost power there was a warning sign on the dash that showed "limit" with a half circle emblem.

While driving vehicle looses throttle power, goes into limb mode. Does not throw any codes. Turn the car off then back on and drives fine for a little bit. Has happened numerous times. Multiple trips to the dealership but since no codes pop up nothing can be fixed. Major safety issue!!!!

The vehicle was purchased new. From day one, there were issues. When it was delivered from the factory, it was discovered to be partly unpainted. This raised quality concerns. So far, the most serious has been that the motor blower failed at approximately 29,700 miles. This resulted in the vehicle filling with noxious fumes. It then had to be abandoned on the side of the highway. This led to a fire dispatch and later urgent care visits. Prior to towing, it was discovered that the AC was not working and the engine coolant reservoir was at ~ 1/4 of the minimum line. Ultimately, the vehicle was towed to King KIA. They held the vehicle for 2 weeks. They drove the vehicle 16 miles. However, they did not diagnose the problem. The only action that they took was to refill the engine coolant reservoir. Prior to pick-up, we notified the KIA Customer Service Escalation Case Manager in writing that the vehicle had not been fixed and continued to represent a safety risk to our family. They took no further action. After pick-up, the vehicle was driven approximately 35 miles before the smoke started to fill the engine cabin. It was taken to two independent mechanics along the side of the highway. One was Vienna Auto Care and the other was Jiffy Lube Auto Care. Both identified that the motor blower resistor had likely failed. The JLAC manager also identified white material on the engine manifold believed to be engine coolant. All was documented in writing. The vehicle was towed back to King KIA. Prior to towing, the JLAC manager told us that melted motor blower casing was highly toxic. (Later, the KIA Case Manager informed us that he would admit that our family was put at risk by being told to pick-up the unfixed vehicle.) He also told us that if the motor blower failed then it likely was not an isolated case. This time, the motor blower failure was reproduced. However, the engine coolant issue has yet to be resolved. We are now being instructed to pick-up the car again.

Twice while driving on the highway the engine power went off and all the safety lights flash and I could not accelerate. I was able to pull Over in neutral and restart the engine. When taken in for inspection, no problems were found. It happened again in June after the 7500 mile inspection on May 9th. This issue is life threatening as it could easily cause a fatal crash if I was not in the right lane, on flat ground, with a shoulder. There was no warning light.

The contact owns a 2023 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the engine START/STOP feature was malfunctioning. The contact stated that while at a complete stop, the engine START/STOP system caused the vehicle to restart, and then to stall, nearly causing a crash. The battery warning light was illuminated and the message "Shift to Park to Start Vehicle" was displayed. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer however, the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 1,200.

Mileage: 1,200

I bought a 2023 Kia Sorento SX with 11 miles on the vehicle in June of 2023, On 7/17/23, within a month and a half of driving it, it would lose all power and would not respond to excelleration, whereby coasting to the side of the road. All warning lights would come on, 3 codes popped up, one of which is the malfunction of the engine. I would turn it off and back on to reset the computer and it would drive. I took it to my local Kia service department and they cleared off the codes and couldn't recreate or duplicate the problem. On 8/23/23 I experienced the exact same experience the same scenario, but this time I could barely pull over it had loss of power and I was about to drive through an intersection. Took it back to service they performed a complete check without success they kept it for 2 weeks to try and duplicate the problem, wasn't fixed. The 3rd time on 5/06/24, same problem, they still don't know what causes the car to lose power. I am concerned that the car will cause a fatality to myself, my family, or to another motorist. This car is not safe to drive because the computer systems shut down while driving and it is sporadic and unnerving when it happens.

As I was driving the car it suddenly lost power… then all warning and sensor lights came on in the dash. I pulled the car over and restarted and the engine turned on but would not engage to drive. It was stuck. Multiple engine and transmission warning codes appeared on my Kia app for the car. Kia’s response to resolve has been non existent. I am fearful for my safety if this happens again. It’s the second time.

Engine light came on and I don’t have 30,000 miles on my car. The service tech informed me that they’ve seen this and Kia had not issued a recall

The contact owns a 2023 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, several unknown warning lights and messages flashed on the instrument panel. The contact was forced to pull over and restart the vehicle due to the failure. The failure was intermittent. The vehicle had been taken to the dealer on multiple occasions; however, the dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a claim was filed. The vehicle was not repaired and remained in the possession of the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 2,000.

Mileage: 2,000

Battery draining on new car after new battery replacement.

1. I have been complaining about the vehicle turning off by itself. No one is listening to me or telling me what is causing the problem. I have numerous witnesses when the car turns off by itself. It isn’t safe. It could cause a deadly accident. No it’s not the auto shut off either. I have to put the car in park and hope it restarts each time. 2. When auto shut off is in use the vehicle stalls leading it to act like it’s trying to get fuel to move and turns off. I’ve come too close to having accidents. I never know when it will do it. Sometimes I don’t drive it because I don’t want to be held liable for causing an accident and harming somebody's life. 3. I had been complaining to them that I smelled something burning but I couldn’t identify it. I asked them to keep my car and check it out and they refused. While driving in the hottest summer the AC goes out. I immediately took it to the dealership. The worker said we can’t fix it. It'll be a week before they will take my vehicle. The lady was rude and said go to another dealership. It was too hot not to have AC then on top of that it rained the rest of the week and I wasn’t able to work because I couldn’t defog my windows to drive. It finally stopped raining and I was able to get another dealership to check it out and they told me something had burned up that makes the AC work ( I have the paperwork). If they would have checked the car like I asked when I first started complaining about smelling the burning smell this could have been avoided. Also, I don’t get notifications about recalls via mail, phone, call, email etc.

Dear NHTSA, I am writing to report a serious safety issue with my 2023 Kia Sorento, purchased in February 2023 from Ken Garff Kia Avondale. In July 2023, I began experiencing alarming issues, including flashing lights, dashboard error messages, and malfunctions, despite the vehicle being unused for several days with no visible damage. The air conditioning system malfunctioned, blowing hot air even when turned off. Upon inspection at the dealership, I was told the front sensor was damaged, with a repair estimate of $1700. However, no visible damage was evident, and I believe this issue should be warranty-covered due to its electronic nature. The dealership noted that 35 others faced similar problems, raising concerns of a manufacturing issue. Despite persistent efforts and a replacement part installed nearly two weeks later, the problem persists. I've incurred nearly $500 in rental car expenses, as the situation remains unresolved, even with involvement from Kia Corporate engineers. My aim in reporting this issue is to ensure consumer safety and seek a prompt resolution, as I continue to make $1k monthly payments for an unused Sorento. I respectfully request your assistance and prompt investigation into this matter. Sincerely, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I was driving down the highway on cruise control going 67 on a 65. The car started revving up and then proceeded to go faster. I turned off the cruise control but its continued to speed up. I stomped on the brake 4 or 5 times with no effect. I rammed into the back of a bus at 110 mph.

My passenger interior dash and glove box trim are melted. I’ve had it checked out by Kia, however they do not see where an origin could have come from. The day i noticed it, my vehicle had been hit on the front right passenger fender. The melting looked to be electrical or caused by a combustion of sort but we also believe it could have been caused by reflection off of the interior of my vehicle to that spot. I live in Michigan, the temperature was above 80*.