At stop lights trying to excel it stales for a couple of seconds then resumes. Does this on and off all day because I drive for a living. Finally the check engine light is on and now have to replace the whole turbo because it’s failing. I just got the car mid march of 2026. I have kids and scared to drive around and the car fail on me.
2022 Kia Sorento transmission complaints
Page 2 of 3: complaints 11 to 40 of 68, newest first, as owners wrote them.
I am submitting a formal safety complaint regarding my 2022 Kia Sorento, which is experiencing a dangerous and recurring loss of engine power during acceleration. This issue presents a significant safety hazard, particularly during situations requiring immediate acceleration such as highway merging, crossing intersections, and passing traffic.
on my way home Friday evening from work. After exiting the expressway , I made a right turn on the street going towards my house. My steering wheel locked to the right and almost caused me to run into another car. If I had not be driving slow than the speed limit or still on the expressway, this would have been a very bad accident, if not fatal! This is after the dealership made repairs on my vehicle and deemed it safe to drive.
The transmission and related drivetrain components malfunctioned. While driving, the vehicle’s RPMs would surge into the 5,000–6,000 range without corresponding acceleration, and the vehicle would not shift properly into the next gear. The issue caused poor acceleration and inconsistent performance. The dealership later replaced the transmission and updated the ECM after identifying a fault code. My family’s safety and the safety of others were put at risk due to the vehicle’s inability to properly accelerate. The engine would rev excessively without increasing speed, making it difficult to merge, cross traffic, or respond to driving conditions. This created a dangerous situation where the vehicle could not reliably keep up with traffic flow. The issue was initially reported to the dealership, but they were unable to duplicate the concern at that time and noted no active or stored diagnostic codes. However, the problem persisted after the vehicle was returned. During a subsequent visit, a check engine light was present, and the dealership identified a fault code and ultimately replaced the transmission and updated the ECM, confirming a drivetrain-related failure. Initially, there were no warning lights when the issue first occurred. At a later point, the check engine light began intermittently turning on and off when the problem occurred. The primary symptoms were sudden RPM surges, failure to shift properly, and lack of acceleration during normal driving.
The vehicle’s transmission failed. While driving on the highway, the transmission began slipping and then would not allow the vehicle to accelerate beyond approximately 10 mph. The vehicle also lost the ability to reverse. My family’s safety was put at significant risk. The incident occurred on a highway with a speed limit of 70 mph and low visibility. Due to the sudden loss of acceleration, our vehicle was unable to keep up with traffic, creating a dangerous situation with a high risk of being struck by other vehicles. The dealer reproduced and confirmed the issue. They documented very hard shifting, lack of reverse, and stated the transmission fluid smelled burnt. No diagnostic codes were present. The dealer advised replacement of the transmission. No warning lights or messages appeared on the dashboard prior to the failure.
2022 Kia Sorento. Dec 2024(previous owner incident) to new owner purchase May 2025- April 2026 vehicle keeps displaying all lights and warnings, loses acceleration & loss of throttle power while driving. High voltage code P0653 code displays. RPM’s will go up and down while vehicle is in park. Have had an active case open with Kia America Escalated case specialist since Nov 2025. Vehicle has been taken to two different Kia dealerships and has had this incident 7 times since May 2025 used purchase. A few different parts have been changed while working with a Kia America tech over a computer, yet it doesn’t fix the problem. It was reported in 2024 by the previous owner and the dealership could not find the source. It was never disclosed from the dealership prior to reselling. My problems started 3 weeks after owning the car. Less than 200 miles. I got in contact with previous owner, the vehicle kept going into limp mode while driving & the code would clear before she could get it to the shop & they couldn’t resolve it, so she traded it back in. 1st Incident: Dec 2, 2024 (previous owner) 2nd: June 6, 2025 3rd: July 19, 2025 4th: August 14, 205 5th: September 19,2025 Contacted Kia after and finally assigned a case officer Nov 10, 2025. Taken to shop Nov 11, 2025. 6th: Feb 22, 2026 7th: April 4, 2026 - going 75Mph on a highway and having to cross 4 lanes of traffic with no throttle power.
I am reporting a serious safety defect regarding my 2022 Kia Sorento Hybrid (Mileage: 91,661). The vehicle was diagnosed with an internal short in the EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) Control Unit (Error codes P0404, P049D). Upon inspection, significant engine oil intrusion was found inside the EGR unit. The EGR system is designed to handle exhaust gases only; the presence of liquid engine oil indicates a critical failure in the powertrain system (likely the PCV system or turbocharger seals) which is forcing oil into the intake/exhaust tract. Safety Risk: This defect causes the EGR system to short-circuit, which can lead to unpredictable engine performance, reduced power, or sudden engine stalling while driving. Any sudden loss of power on a highway poses a severe risk of a rear-end collision. Furthermore, oil intrusion into electrical components increases the risk of thermal incidents or localized fires within the engine bay. Despite the vehicle being within the 10-year/100,000-mile Powertrain Warranty, the dealership (Suntrup Kia South) is refusing coverage, claiming the EGR is not a powertrain component, while ignoring the fact that a powertrain failure (oil bypass) is the root cause of the damage. I request the federal safety agency to investigate this "oil intrusion into EGR" issue as it appears to be a systemic defect in Kia’s hybrid powertrain that compromises vehicle safety.
While driving from Phoenix to Tucson in midday traffic, the vehicle displayed a "Check Transmission" error message. Immediately following this warning, the vehicle experienced a significant loss of motive power while navigating a busy intersection. The car would not shift gears appropriately to maintain speed or move out of the path of traffic, which created an immediate risk of a collision. I was able to avoid an accident, but the vehicle's inability to accelerate or change gears left me stranded in a hazardous location. Component Failed: Transmission/Transmission Control Module. Safety Risk: The sudden loss of power in an intersection put me and other drivers at risk of a high-speed side-impact or rear-end collision. Warning Symptoms: The "Check Transmission" message appeared moments before the failure. Inspection Status: We have had the recall taken care of on January 25 , 2023 with 8810 miles at Peoria KIA initially. The incident happened on December 6, 2025 and the vehicle was taken to Royal KIA on December 6, 2025 for inspection.".
The contact owns a 2022 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle failed to accelerate while depressing the accelerator pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact restarted the vehicle; however, the failure persisted. The contact called a mobile mechanic to the residence, and the mechanic diagnosed the vehicle with a defect in the transmission. The mechanic informed the contact that there was a recall on the model vehicle related to the transmission. Upon investigation, the contact discovered the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 22V760000 (Power Train); which was linked to the failure. The contact called several dealers in the area and was informed that the vehicle was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was provided with the same information as the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.
My check engine light came on and my SUV started sputtering so I pulled over called my Husband who came and had it towed to Langdale Kia of Valdosta, Ga.
2022 Kia Sorento LX started off with rpm acceleration randomly. It progress and started happening multiple times during a ride. Took it to Jake Sweeney Kia dealership, they were not able to pick up on any codes. They said they tried a flight recording and couldn’t record data, but not even 15 minutes off the lot the symptoms proceeded. Now the vehicle is trying to shift gears while in drive. I’ve provided videos and the dealership responded back and said, “After speaking with my manager about this situation I can't really do too much until it becomes a constant issue. I know that isn't what you want to hear but at this time without a check engine light or it happening all the time there isn't much I can accomplish for you.” Not only is this a safety hazard for myself and my child this is negligence on Kia and Jake Sweeney Kia Florence.
2022 Kia sorento under 86,000 miles is jerks intermittently but no codes are being shown. Currently at the dealership and tech suspects transmission, which has been reported by numerous consumers of this issue but the recall was only applied to certain Kia sorentos and it should be broader.
While driving my 2022 Kia sorento on the interstate a sudden check engine light illuminated and the car totally stalled out with a severe decrease in power causing me to almost be rear ended by interstate traffic before I could get off the road safely. After taking the vehicle to the dealership for diagnostics I was informed there was a P1C2D03 trouble code which is associated with the 8 speed dual clutch transmission indicating an internal fault in the electric oil pump of the TCU. Upon further investigation we find out this code was associated with a safety recall that went out for this particular Kia model and transmission. The original owner took this car in to have the recall repaired back in 2023 without the fault code showing or any issue presenting from the vehicle. They were simply taking it in to clear the recall they were sent. While it was at the dealership they flashed the system like they were supposed to do according to the campaign instruction and sent them on their way. Fast forward to now and I am getting this same fault that the recall was sent out for but I have the code which according to the campaign instructions Kia was supposed to replace the transmission due to a mfg defect. Kia is refusing to replace the transmission now saying the recall can not be reopened and since I am the second owner and my warranty is expired I will have to pay over $5,000 for a replacement.
The vehicle will sometimes, after shifting from park to drive, roll backwards if on an incline, even while gassing. If not an incline when this occurs, the vehicle will not move forwards. This typically lasts for a few seconds before the transmission engages. This happens intermittently; the first time it happened to my family member, it almost caused an accident. Kia has attempted to repair this defect three times but has been unsuccessful. During the last repair attempt, the Kia tech told me that they’ve seen multiple vehicles with this issue, and that it is “normal” for Kia.
The engine light came on and then two hours later the entire system started flashing and the engine started stalling. The car would not accelerate and had to be taken to Kia. This is the SECOND time this has occurred. The first time, the engine froze and I could not accelerate on the highway. I barely got to the side and had to get towed to Kia. Please, please investigate this vehicle and the power train.
Thermal Module went out, causing car to not accelerate when pressing on the gas pedal. Mileage at 76,000
Vehicle lost power and transmission failed. Vehicle only has 36,000 miles. Dealer is denying recall from manufacturer.
Transmission loses power.Does not go foward after being in park. Have to turn off car and start it again making weird noise never heard before when it starts and when you turn it off. Has happened several times while driving.
The contact owns a 2022 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle started losing motive power. The contact stated that the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the engine revved without the vehicle responding as needed. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled over and turned off, and restarted the vehicle, and was able to drive the vehicle to the local dealer. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and determined that a cylinder was clogged, and the engine needed to be serviced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the contact stated that later while driving approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle started losing motive power. The contact stated that the "Service Transmission" warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle back to the same dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the transmission had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact drove the vehicle back to the residence, restarted the vehicle, and shifted into reverse(R), and the contact heard an abnormal grinding sound with the "Transmission System Error" message displayed. The contact had the vehicle towed to the same dealer; however, the vehicle was not yet diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 22V760000 (Power Train); however, the VIN vehicle was not included. The failure mileage was 56,941.
Vehicle jerks and goes into a neutral mode while driving. Vehicle shifter still shows it's in "Drive", but vehicle stops moving. Once I drift over to the shoulder of the road, I can shut the engine off and restart. Then it moves. Twice this has happened now. Once on December 13, 2024 and again on January 24, 2025. I reported this to my dealership, Gurley Leep Kia with the first incident and they said it was just a fluke. They did not pursue inspecting anything on the vehicle, knowing some 2022 Sorento's were involved in a transmission recall. In both incidents I was driving on an incline. My VIN currently doesn't have a recall on it, but should. This could result in a crash.
Engine light came on while driving . Solid light. Car started to vibrate and felt like it would stall. Engine has only 38,000 miles. Kia Greenway Certified Technicians at Hickory. They charged me $200 for the diagnosis. They later said the check engine code was due to bad fuel injectors, I paid $950 for that service. That day I took the car out and after 5 minutes of driving it I had to go back to Kia to tell them my check engine light was on again. Now they said they had to drain the gas because the tank was damaged, They charged me $900 and $350 for the spark plug replacement, but none of that worked. The car continues to have problems and they don't know what it is. There is some defect in this car model that should be investigated because I have read on internet forums and I am not the only one with this complaint.
I have had this happen 4 times now with my Sorento hybrid where the gas engine does engage with the drivetrain, leaving only the electric motor providing power. All incidents have occurred where I was sitting idle with the vehicle on. All incidents occurred when I had the vehicle in ECO mode. 2 of the 4 incidents have warnings about pulling over immediately because the hybrid battery was nearly depleted. The only resolution I've had is to pull over or come to a complete stop on the highway and restart my vehicle. Afterwards, the vehicle runs normally. I have not brought this up with a Kia dealer due to others I've discussed with saying Kia does not know what is happening. The circumstances that replicate this problem are probably difficult to recreate.
The contact owns a 2022 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the forward camera was obstructed. The steering over corrected while turned off. The vehicle was accelerating and decelerating independently. The Forward Collision Avoidance system engaged without an object being nearby. Additionally, the driver’s side seat belt randomly unlatched. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was taken back to the local dealer, who diagnosed and determined that the transmission and seat belt needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was contacted, who opened a case but declined to buy back the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 28,660.
While parked on a residential street. I started car and put it in reverse. Car would not reverse when I applied gas. I shifted to drive. Car would not go forward when I applied gas. Repeated attempt to reverse. No movement. Shifted into drive and after applying more pedal , almost to floor, car lurched forward. In just about 30 minutes later car again would not move when reversing. It did go forward in drive the second time. The kia dealership has been dealing with a complaint regarding the car going into limp mode while merging in traffic ...an on going problem since the car was at 25,000 miles. They have "reset" the transmission according to a recall notice but say they can not replace transmission without a "code" that verifies it is the transmission. This is a new issue but also unable to pull any codes. There is a definite safety concern with driving this car. What can I do.
The vehicle began misfiring while driving on the highway. The check engine light turned on. The vehicle shook violently when the gas pedal was pressed. The vehicle was unable to accelerate and required the driver to pull over on the side of the highway. This issue has presented itself several times since the original incident. After multiple visits to the dealer, the issue has NOT been resolved. The check engine light has been caused by code P0301 (misfire cylinder 1) as well as P0304 (misfire cylinder 4). Spark plugs and ignition coils have been replaced by the dealer, but the issue still persists. Forcing the vehicle to pull over and being unable to accelerate on the highway is risk to the driver's safety as well as the safety of other vehicles on the road. The vehicle also now struggles to start and begins misfiring when left off overnight and started cold.
10/19/2022 – Vehicle stuck in drive and would not shift out of drive. Vehicle towed to the dealer and not touched for a day and a half. Dealer found walnut lodged in shifter column which was preventing the shifter from going into park. Dealer also performed software update on vehicle. 10/21/2022 – Picked up vehicle and it was shifting very hard through every gear, returned to the dealer for further repairs. 10/26/2022 – Picked up vehicle again and performance improved but it still shifted hard and lurched when coming to a stop and when going in reverse. Dealer stated that they had retrained the transmission and performed another software update related to the transmission. I told them that I was driving out of town tomorrow morning for 10 days and that this was the only vehicle I could take and asked if they could provide a rental. Dealer stated that the current issues would not cause any long-term damage and that I could bring it back when I got back in town and that they would take care of it then. 11/17/2022 – Returned vehicle to dealer to correct the previous issues, they said that they did another software update and that it is shifting properly. Performance has improved but the vehicle would still lurch when going into reverse and occasionally when coming to a stop. 12/22/2022 – Returned vehicle for scheduled maintenance and safety recall for the transmission. Another software update was performed and transmission has been working without issue so far. 4/18/2024 - When driving while accelerating we experience a significant loss of power and it will not accelerate as normal. I can have the pedal nearly to the floor and it will barely move. When this occurs you can see the @ symbol flashing on the dash but no other warning lights or indicators. This is the 6th time this happened since February of this year and it has happened 3 times while on the on ramp to the freeway. This has continues to occur at least 3 times a week every week.
My 2022 Kia Sorento has 18K miles on it and in Feb 2024 the first incident of this issue occurred. I will be accelerating or driving through traffic (coming on and off the gas), the car will lurch several times, and then the gas pedal will stop working and the car loses all acceleration. No engine light or warning comes on. The car remains on, but it won't accelerate. I have to restart the car one or more times to get the acceleration to reengage. Since Feb 2024 it has happened 4 times, most recently on May 7, 2024. On these occasions I was driving 5-10mph, 30mph, 40mph, and once at 60mph. I have had all other required maintenance performed, checks performed, etc. I have taken it to the dealer where I leased the vehicle twice. They have not been able to replicate the issue. I'm not sure what this means, "is it available for inspection upon request" but if someone wanted to inspect it, absolutely it's available. The car completely stops accelerating, foot to the floor on the gas pedal and no acceleration happens. This happened to me on 4 separate occasions at 5-10mph, 30mph, 40mph, and once at 60mph at exactly the busiest and heavily trafficked highway in my area that has accidents on a daily basis. It's extremely dangerous. I have taken the car in twice, am scheduled for a third visit. They've kept it for multiple days both times and haven't been able to replicate the issue. The vehicle/component has NOT been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others There were no other warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. The engine light does not come on. No other warning signs of symptoms before this started happening or before each failure. The first issue happened on Feb 6, 2024, then again on March 22, 2024, then again on March 23, 2024, then again on May 7, 2024.
I was driving on the highway when my car suddenly lost all power. I tried to brake, but the pedal went straight to the floor several times with no pressure. The car finally slowed down, and I believe the ABS kicked in, causing a jerky stop. I managed to pull over, but the engine was barely idling and seemed on the verge of stalling. This was a very dangerous situation. Not only did losing power on the highway put me at risk, but I also had to wait on the side of the road at night in the rain with traffic whizzing by. When I initially checked for the problem, I noticed a strong smell of gasoline and exhaust fumes, with no other indications of failure. Check engine light is now on, and there was a warning failure but i can not recall what it said.
Engine shaking P03400
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Engine Control System - yes, it is. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Check engine light came on, the car start shaking really hard, and there was a loss of power. Kia has said the car isn't safe to drive. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No, not yet. Kia dealers are saying it'll be 3-4 months before they can inspect it to figure out what is wrong. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? The check engine light came on at the time the failure occurred. Codes are P219FF and P030400 both are tied to the Powertrain.
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