2020 Kia Sorento
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Decode a VIN1 recall and 134 owner complaints on record for this model year.
Almost all of this describes the model year, not the individual car. Nothing here can tell you about this vehicle’s mileage, accidents or ownership — no identifier encodes those.
MY DAUGHTER'S FATHER WAS INVOLVED IN A CAR ACCIDENT ON 12/17/2020, HIS VEHICLE FULLY ENGULFED RESULTING IN HIS DEATH
I was driving on the highway at 65 mph with other flow of triffid. As I was crested a hill, I had notice ahead there was emergency vehicles ahead about half-three quarter mile and I had let go of the accelerator. By the time I had looked down in front of me there was a vehicle that appeared to not have stopped due to not seeing any brake lights. By the time I realized the vehicle had stopped, I rear ended him. During the collision the was six people in the vehicle including myself. Me, my wife and four of our children. Ages 13, 11, 7 & 2. The 2 yr old was in a car seat. Out of the the 6 seatbelts that were buckled were dislodged from it receptacle. The 11 yr old daughter was flung to the front of the vehicle hitting her head into the dashboard causing a concussion and neck pain. The front facing car seat had its buckle dislodged but the 2yr old did not sustain any injuries. Both of them sitting in the 2nd row. The 13 yr old in the 3rd row, his seatbelt was dislodged and sustain bruising and scrapes on his right side of his face. The 7 yr old complained about his stomach, but his seat belt did not dislodge. And my wife had sustained bruising around her waist and a broken collarbone. Theses seatbelts should not have dislodged from its receptacles if the were clicked in. I always make sure that everyone has there seatbelts on before operating the vehicle.
VEHICLE STOPPED IN FRONT OF US ON A STATE HIGHWAY. I SLAMMED ON THE BRAKES. THE CAR FAILED TO STOP WITHIN REASONABLE DISTANCE AND PULLED HARD TO THE LEFT. CAUSING US TO STRIKE A CONCRETE WALL DESTROYING THE CAR AND MASONRY WALL. THREE OCCUPANTS SUSTAINED MINOR IMJURIES. BRAKES ALWAYS FELT WEAK BUT SINCE WE BOUGHT IT AS A NEW CAR WE DIDN'T KNOW ANY BETTER. UPON LOOKING OVER THE CRASH SCENE ONLY A SINGLE SKID MARK WAS OBSERVED FROM OUR CAR. IT APPEARS THAT THE BRAKES ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE CAR DID NOT ENGAGE OR THE ABS SYSTEM MALFUNCTIONED CAUSING ONLY THE LEFT SIDE TIRES TO BRAKE FULLY. I AM AWARE OF BRAKE ISSUES WITH THIS MODEL CAR AND IT MAY HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE CRASH. CAR WAS SEEMED A TOTAL LOSS.*DT
The vehicle was not even 3.5 years old, it had been serviced in February 2023 and there was no warning before the fire began. The vehicle stopped accelerating and I immediately pulled over. The fire began as soon as I stopped the car and the vehicle was engulfed within minutes. My daughter and I were in the car. We barely escaped before the vehicle was on fire. I did not have a vehicle hitch on the vehicle and this was unrelated to the vehicle recall notice that I received several weeks after my incident.
I REALLY DONT REMEMBER THE DRIVER IMPACTED THE FRONT DOOR AREA OF MY VEHICLE.
Made a right turn wasn't going over 20mph wheel locked system went dead hit a parked car and my car flipped don't know why
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65-70 mph when another vehicle swerved in front causing them to rear-end the vehicle in front. The air bags did not deploy. The contact's vehicle, as well as, the other vehicle had been damaged. The contact sustained injuies to her head, neck, and back. The contact had a passenger in the vehicle who sustained abdomen and neck injuries. Medical attention was needed. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed however it had not been decided if the vehicle was totaled. The vehicle had not been taken to the dealer as of yet. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure was 37,000.
While driving on a paved highway, very light traffic in the early afternoon at approximately 65 miles per hour the sunroof on my vehicle suddenly and violently exploded spraying shards of glass everywhere. The "explosion" caused me to veer from the roadway and momentarily lose control of the vehicle. My safety as well as my 2 (two) passengers were placed at risk. Damage to my vehicle is substantial and both of my passengers complained of bits of glass in their eyes.
Driving back from vacation from California to Texas we smelled smoke and then within minutes of trying to pull over from highway the car was on fire. Got burt on my face and hand,second degree burn. CW
THE ABS DOES NOT WORK CORRECTLY. WHEN I CONTACTED KIA THEY SAID THAT THE BRAKES ARE SUPPOSED TO PULSATE MY KIA DOES NOT DO THAT WHEN I HAVE TO SLAM ON MY BRAKES THE BRAKES DO WHAT I CALL SKIP WHERE MY FOOT IS USUALLY PUSHED OFF BRAKES AND STOPS BRAKING COMPLETELY. DUE TO THIS MY FAMILY ALMOST LOST OUR LIVES WHEN I COULD AVOID A DEER THAT RAN OUT INTO THE ROAD WHEN I WAS EVATUCATING FOR HURRICANE DELTA.
While driving my 2020 Kia Sorento on the freeway at highway speed, the panoramic sunroof suddenly shattered without warning. There was a very loud explosive sound that startled and frightened me while I was driving. I was not aware of anything striking the sunroof immediately before it shattered, and there were no warning lights, messages, noises, cracks, or other indications that the glass was about to fail. Because I was traveling at freeway speed when this occurred, the sudden explosion/shattering of the glass was extremely distracting and created a serious safety concern. I was frightened by the unexpected loud noise and could have lost control of the vehicle. Broken glass from a panoramic sunroof also presents a risk to the occupants of the vehicle and to other motorists. The component that failed was the panoramic sunroof glass. To my knowledge, the failure has not yet been reproduced or confirmed by a Kia dealer or independent repair facility, and the vehicle has not yet been inspected by Kia for the cause of the failure. I am reporting this incident because the sunroof appeared to shatter suddenly during normal highway driving without any prior warning, and I am concerned that this may represent a safety defect.
To the Office of Defects Investigation, I am submitting this formal complaint regarding NHTSA Recall 22V703000 (Kia Recall SC249) involving my 2020 Kia Sorento (VIN: [XXX] ). This recall identifies a fire risk due to a potential electrical short in the tow hitch harness module. The recall notice specifically warns that a vehicle fire may occur while parked or driving. After receiving the recall notification, we made multiple attempts to schedule the required repair with Pompano Kia, the authorized dealership in our area. Despite repeated efforts, we were not provided with a confirmed repair appointment, and the recall remained incomplete. On [1-19-2026], before the recall remedy was performed, the vehicle caught fire while being driven on a highway in Florida. The vehicle became fully engulfed and was declared a total loss. Law enforcement and/or fire services responded. The incident appears consistent with the fire risk described in the recall. Following the incident, we visited the dealership to report the fire and the unresolved recall. We were told the matter would be reviewed and that we would receive a follow-up call. No follow-up was received. Attempts to contact the dealership through publicly listed email addresses resulted in delivery failure notices. According to NHTSA records, this recall affects tens of thousands of vehicles nationwide. We are concerned about: • Timeliness and availability of recall repairs • Dealership accessibility and communication • Risk to consumers when recall remedies are not completed before failure occurs We also attempted to consult several attorneys regarding this incident. We were advised that due to the volume of recall-related fire cases involving this manufacturer, representation may not be feasible unless severe bodily injury is involved. This further raises concern about the scale and seriousness of the issue. We respectfully request that NHTSA review: • Whether recall 22V703000 is being remedied INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
I was driving 2 minutes away from my house and all of the sudden every warning light on the dashboard came on, billowing smoke started coming through the vents. I immediately pulled in a random driveway, as I was turning I. I heard a loud pop. I shut the car off immediately, jumped out. As I looked at the front of my car, flames were coming from the bottom front. I ran up to the house, the man of the house came out with a fire extinguisher. He put out the flames underneath, asked me to pop the hood, I did so and he put out the flames underneath the hood. As I was waiting for a tow truck, I seen a shiny object at the bottom of the vehicle, I pulled it out. It was a wrist pin from the engine. I also noticed a ton of fluids poured out in the man’s driveway. I had the vehicle towed home and contacted Kia and my insurance company. My case was escalated to Kia corporate and Elizabeth Barooni contacted me. She promised to tow my vehicle to the dealership of my choice, get me a rental car, pay any out of cost expenses and repair the vehicle. The vehicle only had 75,000 miles on it. After all her promises, she never contacted me again. I have tried to contact her and a Kia number called me, I answered they hung up on me. I called the number back and it was James Hope, an employee who works at Kia America Corporation. They have not returned my call since around Christmas. I also contacted GEICO, my insurance company, they sent out a adjuster, they denied my claim. They stated that all of this was caused by mechanical failure, they put on the claim that Kia is known for these issues and they will not cover it. I still remain without a vehicle and Kia Corporate has completely ignored me after making promises to help.
To Whom It May Concern, I had a horrible experience with my 2020 Kia Sorento and I can't seem to get anyone to respond to me. This very upsetting. My VIN number is [XXX] , my vehicle only had 75,000 miles on it. I kept up with all maintenance, oil changes, checking oil on a regular basis, checking all fluids, including antifreeze, brake fluid as well. I was driving on a clear day, no snow, no rain, no traffic, country road. I was going about 35 MPH and all of the sudden every light that I could possibly think of came on my dashboard, within 30 seconds of that I heard a very loud pop and smoke barreled in through my vents. Obviously the smoke made it a struggle to breathe and definitely is not good for mine or my children lungs. I immediately pulled into the first driveway I seen. This took 5 seconds from the loud pop and the smoke through the vents, actually not even 5 seconds. I jump out of my car and see a fire under my hood. I immediately run up to the house of the driveway I pulled in. Fortunately, the man of the home, seen what was happening, ran to his garage, got a fire extinguisher and put the fire out. I look under the car. I seen something very shiny lying on the ground, right under where the fire was. It was piston cylinder piece This explains the pop, the fire and nearly every fluid that was in my car now on the ground. Oil, antifreeze and brake fluid were all now spilled in this man's driveway. I called Kia and reported the incident, they stated there were no recalls on my vehicle, according to the VIN number. They also stated the year 2020 did not have recalls, like the years leading up to 2019, stopping at 2020 and then resuming at 2021. Elizabeth from Kia America Corp made promises she didn’t keep by stating they would tow my car to Kia dealership and give me a rental. She promised to make it right and was caught lying, she never contacted the dealership. Elizabeth’s phone number [XXX] . Please help me, my kids and I need a vehicle. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The contact owned a 2020 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed smoke coming from the vehicle. The contact stated the fuse box located on the driver's side had caught on fire. The vehicle was extinguished by the Fire Department. A fire report was filed, and a fire report number was provided; however, the cause of the failure was not yet determined. A Police report was filed and provided to the contact. The dealer was not contacted. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V703000(Trailer Hitches). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.Parts distribution disconnect.
Filed by owners of this model year and unverified by NHTSA — one person’s account, not an established fact.
1 recall carries a do-not-drive or park-outside warning. Check whether this vehicle was remedied before driving or storing it.
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 accessory through a Kia dealership. Debris and moisture accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (PCB) may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire.
Remedy: 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 module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 11, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC249.
Published by model year, not by VIN — may not apply to this vehicle, or may already have been done. Confirm with a dealer.
The Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU), responsible for the Anti-lock Braking System, Electronic Stability Control System and Traction Control System, can remain live even when the vehicle is switched off. If moisture enters the HECU, an electrical short circuit can occur. If an electrical short circuit occurs, this could result in an engine compartment fire. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
Due to an internal leak of brake fluid, a short circuit may occur in the electrical circuit for the ABS/ESC (anti-lock braking system / electronic stability control) system. This may lead to an increase in current and overheating in the fuse box, increasing the risk of the engine catching fire, irrespective of whether the vehicle is parked or being driven. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
Due to a software error, the turn indicators (blinkers) may malfunction. Other road users will be unable to see if the vehicle is about to turn, creating a risk of an accident. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
Damage to the auxiliary heater may cause an electrical fault. This can increase thermal heat generation, increasing the risk of fire. The product does not comply with the Regulation on the approval and market surveillance of motor vehicles and their trailers, and of systems, components and separate technical units intended for such vehicles.
Matched on brand and model name — Safety Gate publishes no VIN. Check the production dates, and quote the recall code to a dealer.