2021 Kia Sorento: stuck in gear or won't shift

Filed Sep 23, 2026 · Transmission · PA

Car will lose power sporadically ,go into limp mode . Need to shut off ignition,restart and then fine till next time!

Filed Aug 19, 2026 · Transmission · WI

The transmission pump on my transmission just went out randomly last week. The power in my car went into limp mode and the car won't drive properly now. The car was being driven at the time this happened, and my husband had to pull over, as the car wouldn't work. I had this looked at by an auto body shop and they diagnosed it with this, which is to be found that there is a recall on my specific year and model of car for this issue as well. For about a month prior, we had noticed a few "stutters" when driving the car. After I hit 100k miles on the car, it was doing it almost daily.

Filed Aug 15, 2026 · Electrical, Transmission · LA

On August 15, 2026, while operating my 2021 Kia Sorento, the transmission warning light came on and the vehicle displayed the following warning on the infotainment screen: “A possible condition with your Transmission Control System has been detected. Please press the SOS button on the rear view mirror or roof console for Roadside Assistance.” At the time of the malfunction, my vehicle would not properly switch gears. The transmission appeared to become stuck and would not shift as expected. This created a serious safety concern because I could not rely on the vehicle to change gears or respond normally while driving. The component/system that appears to have malfunctioned is the transmission and/or Transmission Control System/Transmission Control Module (TCM). The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The problem first occurred on August 15, 2026. Prior to this occurrence, I had not received this specific transmission control system warning. When the problem occurred, the transmission warning light illuminated and the vehicle displayed the transmission control system diagnostic message described above. As of the filing of this complaint, the vehicle has not yet been inspected or diagnosed by a Kia dealership or independent repair facility. I have photographs documenting the warning message that appeared on the vehicle's display. I am concerned about the safety of continuing to operate this vehicle because an unexpected inability of the transmission to shift gears could cause a loss of acceleration, an inability to maintain appropriate speed, or an inability to safely maneuver the vehicle in traffic. I am also requesting that the federal safety agency review whether this failure is related to any existing recalls, investigations, technical service campaigns, or known transmission/Transmission Control Module issues affecting the 2021 Kia Sorento, including vehicles equipped with the 8-speed dual-clutch transmission.

Filed Aug 10, 2026 · Acceleration, Transmission · DE

My car will randomly go into limp mode and I am unable to accelerate. The auto stop/start light will flash orange on the dashboard. I need to pull over and restart car and it seems to reset. I see there is a recall for a 2021 KIA Sorrento but I don't think it affected my vehicle even though the issue is exactly the same. Recall #22V6000. It happened once a few months ago then didn't reoccur until about two weeks ago and it has happened three times since. It is scary because I am afraid to cross traffic in fear that the car won't move fast enough

Filed Apr 2, 2026 · Transmission · IN

Car began going into limp mode not accelerating. Brought it in to be told it was the transmission which in my car some of them had recalls for the exact same things but mine was not included in this recall

Filed Nov 27, 2022 · Transmission · CA

Vehicle transmission completely failed immediately after long (~4 hr, 224 mile) highway drive. During drive vehicle hesitated slightly when downshifting to accelerate. After arriving at destination, vehicle showed a check engine light and would not consistently accelerate. After sitting for ~36 hrs, vehicle would not shift into any gear (drive or reverse). Had to have vehicle towed. After unsuccessfully attempting to update and flush transmission, and consulting with Kia engineers, Future Kia in Fresno, CA informed me that the dual clutches in the transmission had “melted and fused.” Failure occurred the day after a transmission software update by the Kia dealer in Carson, CA.

Filed Aug 22, 2022 · Transmission · UT

Car fails to shift gears. Will not allow to switch to manual and get stuck in first gear. Car has less than 12,000 miles

Filed Aug 20, 2022 · Electrical, Transmission · AZ

Vehicle went into limp mode suddenly while driving on the road and would only go 10 mph. We were able to pull vehicle aside and within a minute the car would not move. Check engine light came on with a warning message to pull vehicle to the side of the road. We were able to drive the vehicle home 7 miles after waiting about 1 hour after the issue and the next day drove it to the dealership. Car has been at dealership since 8/8/22 and service advisor and Kia engineer have yet to figure out what went wrong. We have no eta as of today when we will get car back. This issue is concerning as the vehicle came to a complete stop with traffic around us.

Filed Aug 11, 2022 · Transmission · IN

On my way to the grocery store less than a mile from my home an alarm and dash alert popped up "SAFELY STOP IMMEDIATELY." The vehicle was stuck in first gear and the rpms revved up. Almost immediately I lost power and it was stuck in neutral even though it was in drive. Then the engine shut down. When I restarted it I could not move. This is extremely dangerous and should never happen. The vehicle has 17,802 miles on it and now my wife and I are afraid to drive it. After sitting for about 20 minutes I was able to start it and return home. It has not moved since. We called the dealer and they were backed up for over a month on service. This is a new vehicle? Upon investigating this issue I found just on one website over 43 reports of the same incident. One person said that a dealership has an entire row of these vehicles with the same problem and transmissions are on backorder. It's been 3 days and still waiting for a reply from my local dealer. This is not safe!

Filed Aug 4, 2022 · TN

My 2021 Kia Sorento with 15,500 miles suddenly displayed a “stop safely immediately” warning with no other lights or indicators as to an issue. My husband and I were trying to find a safe place to stop when the vehicle suddenly stopped accelerating and would not shift out of first gear and the RPMs increased to over 5000. We then lost all drivability in the middle of the road and couldn’t move at all. The dealership said a sensor was dirty and “cleaned it” and sent us on our way. Less than a week later, with my four year old daughter in the car with me, the same thing happened again but the “stop safely immediately” warning displayed briefly, disappeared, and then the car again lost all drivability in the middle of a busy highway.

Filed Feb 28, 2022 · Transmission · GA

I've had a concern for last several months with my transmission not shifting from 1st to 2nd gear. A new car with 100,000 mile warranty shouldn't be having transmission issues, so just started paying closer attention to ensure it wasn't my imagination. Gears not shifting became worse & more noticeable. On 2-21-2022 (on way to work), the transmission wouldn't shift from 1st to 2nd and then 2nd to 3rd gears. The RPMs went to 4,000 and 5,000 respectively. No lights are showing. I noticed a beep (like a seatbelt not engaged) that sounds 3 times prior to the transmission issues. Nothing in seats to activate a "seatbelt not buckled" sound. I pulled over, shut car off, sat for a few minutes & restarted the car. Same issue. The car was not moved again until 5:15 p.m. to head home from work (35 miles one-way commute). I pulled out onto the highway and transmission again rev'd to 5,000 RPMs. Pulled over and shut car off again. Car in park, restarted the car, and the car lunged as if going into gear, but I was in park. On 2-22-2022, same issue as the day before. Still no lights coming on. Called dealership & had Kia roadside assistance tow the car. Dealership kept for 3 days and could not duplicate the error. On 2/27/22, drove to church & had same issues. Returned home, put car in park in driveway (still running), the car shuts off and restarts on it's own. Monday, 2/28/22, does not appear to have any gear shift changes on the way to work until 5 miles from work when traveling 45mph and the car stalls almost to a dead stop in traffic; engine light comes on. Sent pic of engine light & text service advisor. Car towed by Kia roadside assistance to dealership. Now I'm without a vehicle because Kia won't provide a loaner car. I can rent a car and take it up with Kia Customer Cares in hopes of getting reimbursed - which is not likely to happen. 25,000 miles on car. Very Unsafe - does someone have to die to get issue resolved/recalled?

Filed Dec 28, 2021 · Steering · FL

The car drifts from right to left all the time on any road surface. This was addressed at about 2,000 miles months ago and they could not get it to steer straight. I brought this up on the oil change visit and the tech never addressed this at all ! The dual clutch transmission does not shift properly. The vehicle larches hard into reverse, feels like it will sometimes stall when starting out from a stop sign or traffic light. (This is dangerous) The idle goes up and down from 750 RPM to 1,100 RPM when the car comes to a stop. (This is dangerous) The brakes feel like they are weak. (This is uncomfortable at best) There is a lot of wind noise at 45 MPH and up. Had you do a $65.00 oil change. When I got home, I checked the oil and it's at least 1/8 quart short. I have not had time to come back for your techs to add more oil yet. So, your tech did not address issues (1) (2) (3) (4) at all. Instead, he wrote up the issue (2) as being normal for that type of transmission. After your service advisor Joshua Mills saw I was very dissatisfied with the lazy diagnosis, he took me to J.D. McClure with the list of problems I had outlined to your company. JD explained he was brand new at KIA and did not have KIA experience which was disheartening at best. I asked that he contact KIA corporate to have a certified KIA rep come look at this vehicle. He assured me he would do so and call me back to see if and when a rep can come look at my vehicle. As of today, he has not called me. Yesterday my wife Ann called right after she used the vehicle and experienced a lot of potential stalling issues and spoke with Christina. She explained that all principles were in a morning meeting but she would tell JD about your issue and have him call you. He did not call !!! What are you going to do about these issues ??? These issues are all over the KIA forums and registered complaints are listed on the N.T.S.B. (National transportation safety board) on all of the above.