2018 Kia Sorento: recalls and complaints
NHTSA advisory: park outsideCampaign 22V703000. NHTSA received the report on . 70,887 units. Trailer Hitches
Remedy of campaign 22V703000, in the NHTSA record
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.
Park-outside advisory: A mark on a recall campaign in the NHTSA recall file. This site shows the mark as NHTSA sets it.
NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for the 2018 Kia Sorento. The newest campaign is 22V703000. NHTSA received the report on 19 Sep 2022. The NHTSA record gives the component Trailer Hitches. NHTSA has 254 complaints on file for this model year. 1 NHTSA investigation names this model year.
This page cannot show if a recall applies to one vehicle. The NHTSA VIN lookup shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle.
Complaint information entered into NHTSA’s Office of Defects Investigation vehicle owner's complaint database is used with other data sources to identify safety issues that warrant investigation and to determine if a safety-related defect trend exists.
NHTSA publishes these words. Source: NHTSA Datasets and APIs, section Complaints, read on . Complaint file through . Recall file through .
Since the last update
No tracked figure of this page changed in a data update. What the log tracks
Recall campaigns
3 campaigns, newest first. 72,998 units in total.
22V703000Received . 70,887 units.
Trailer HitchesPark-outside advisory
- Defect, in the NHTSA record
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.
- Consequence, in the NHTSA record
A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
- Remedy, in the NHTSA record
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.
Report filed by Kia America, Inc.. Manufacturer campaign number SC249. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .
18V656000Received . 97 units.
Steering / Electric Power Assist System
- Defect, in the NHTSA record
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2018 Kia Sorento vehicles. The cowl crossbar that connects to the Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS) steering column may be improperly welded, allowing the steering column to separate.
- Consequence, in the NHTSA record
If the steering column separates, it can cause a loss of steering ability, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the cowl crossbar, free of charge. The recall began October 26, 2018. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC167.
Report filed by Kia Motors America. Manufacturer campaign number SC167. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .
17V784000Received . 2,014 units.
Air Bags / Side/Window
- Defect, in the NHTSA record
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2018 Kia Sorento vehicles. The side curtain air bags on these vehicles have a component that may detach during deployment of the inflatable curtain air bag.
- Consequence, in the NHTSA record
If the component detaches during deployment, it may enter the passenger compartment and be a projectile within the vehicle cabin, increasing the risk of injury.
- Remedy, in the NHTSA record
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver and passenger side curtain air bags, free of charge. The recall began on December 18, 2017. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC159.
Report filed by Kia Motors America. Manufacturer campaign number SC159. Owner notification date in the NHTSA record: .
The campaign number opens the NHTSA record. Each quotation is the text of the NHTSA recall file.
Recall campaign: One recall in the NHTSA recall file, with one campaign number. A campaign can name many makes, models and model years.
Units: The number of vehicles or products that a recall can include. The manufacturer or the firm reports the number to the agency.
Complaints by component
254 complaints, 343 component mentions.
A complaint can name more than one component. Each component that a complaint names is one component mention. The figure per 1,000 component mentions shows how many of each 1,000 mentions name the component.
- 2018 Kia Sorento
- All 2018 vehicles
| Component | 2018 Sorento | All 2018 vehicles | Sorento, all years | Mentions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 309 | 162.1 | 272.3 | 106 |
| Exterior Lighting | 119.5 | 15.2 | 60.3 | 41 |
| Unknown or Other | 107.9 | 100.9 | 91.3 | 37 |
| Electrical System | 87.5 | 120.7 | 98.9 | 30 |
| Steering | 75.8 | 58.4 | 38.7 | 26 |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 37.9 | 47.4 | 29 | 13 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 32.1 | 45 | 9 | 11 |
| Air Bags | 29.2 | 24.9 | 51.4 | 10 |
| Power Train | 26.2 | 102.3 | 83.9 | 9 |
| Structure | 26.2 | 30.4 | 66.8 | 9 |
The table shows the 10 components with the most mentions, of 24.
- Complaints that report a crash
- 12
- Complaints that report a fire
- 11
- Injuries in the complaints
- 11
- Deaths in the complaints
- 1
- Date of the newest complaint
- 18 Sep 2026
These figures are the entries of the persons who sent the complaints.
Complaint: A report about a possible safety problem that a person sends to NHTSA. This site shows the number of complaints and not their text.
Investigations
| Number | Type | Subject | Component | Opened | Closed | Campaign |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DP22003 | Defect petition | Loss of Motive Power | Engine | 12 Sep 2022 | 12 Dec 2023 |
Investigation: A study of a possible safety defect by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. An investigation with no closing date in the NHTSA file is open.
Other model years
The number under each year is the number of recall campaigns.
Official channels
- NHTSA VIN lookupNHTSA shows the unrepaired recalls of one vehicle from its VIN or its license plate.
- NHTSA: report a safety problemThe NHTSA form for a complaint about a vehicle, a tire, a child seat or equipment.
- NHTSA page of the 2018 Kia SorentoThe recalls, the complaints and the investigations that NHTSA shows for this model year.
Cite this page
Recall Register. 2018 Kia Sorento: recalls and complaints. https://recallregister.com/vehicle/kia/sorento/2018/. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, recall, complaint and investigation files. Data through .
Sources
- Source
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
- Licence
- US government work, public domain
- Recall file through
- 30 Sep 2026
- Complaint file through
- 30 Sep 2026
- First complaint in the file
- 1 Jan 1995
- Manufacturer in the recall file
- Kia America, Inc.
The NHTSA record is the authority. A complaint count is the number of different complaint numbers for the make, the model and the model year. How the register is made. Report an error.
Questions
- How many units are in the recall campaigns for the 2018 Kia Sorento?
- 72,998 units in 3 campaigns. A campaign can name other models and model years, and its units include them.
- How many recall campaigns does the Kia Sorento have for all model years?
- NHTSA lists 40 recall campaigns for the Kia Sorento, model years 2003 to 2026. 3 of them name the 2018 model year.
- Which component do the complaints about the 2018 Kia Sorento name most often?
- Engine: 106 of 343 component mentions, or 309 per 1,000. For all 2018 vehicles the figure is 162.1 per 1,000.
- Is an NHTSA investigation of the 2018 Kia Sorento open?
- No. The 1 investigation that names this model year has a closing date in the NHTSA file.