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2022 Kia Sorento: engine and transmission complaints

HIGH COMPLAINT SIGNAL
57%
104 of 187 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

57% of relevant owner complaints filed with NHTSA on the 2022 Kia Sorento are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is a model-level pattern, not bad luck.

Worse than 74% of the 1,230 model years we track (2010–2023).

NHTSA data checked September 13, 2026
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Drivetrain complaints
104
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
187
this model year
Fires reported
1
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
6
4 crashes · 4 injuries

Complaints by component

POWER TRAIN63 · 34%
ENGINE52 · 28%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER37 · 20%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM30 · 16%
SERVICE BRAKES17 · 9%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL15 · 8%

The years either side

2010
too few complaints
2011
44%
551 of 1,517
2012
68%
513 of 877
2013
65%
557 of 981
2014
52%
451 of 984
2015
61%
396 of 749
2016
68%
792 of 1,248
2017
65%
434 of 801
2018
59%
118 of 252
2019
52%
206 of 426
2020
65%
81 of 134
2021
too few complaints
2022
57%
104 of 187
2023
43%
63 of 149

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

Cleaner alternatives

Other midsize SUVs with no elevated signal in 2022

The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.

What owners reported

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING07/25/2023CRASH1 INJURED
The contact owned a 2022 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while approaching a stop light, she lost consciousness. The contact crashed into another vehicle as the air bags deployed and the front driver side tire had separated from the vehicle. The other driver sustained injuries; however, their whereabouts were unkn…
POWER TRAIN09/03/2026
The contact owns a 2022 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle lost drive power. The vehicle was able to continue driving but at a reduced speed. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact pulled over and turned off the vehicle. The vehicle was restarted and …
POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE08/13/2026
Vehicle flashes Auto Start Stop icon on the dashboard, which is not commonplace. When this occurs, the vehicle can not accelerate when the accelerator is actuated. The vehicle can not accelerate past 40mph and the RPM is sporadic. This happens randomly and can not be diagnosed by the dealership. Multiple dealerships ha…

Three of 104 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Recall campaigns on this model year (6)

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:TURBO/SUPERCHARGER
Kia Motor America (Kia) is recalling certain 2022 Sorento vehicles. The oil supply pipe to the turbocharger may crack, which could result in an oil leak in the engine co…
TIRES:TEMPORARY/EMERGENCY SPARE TIRE
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2022 Sorento and Telluride vehicles. The vehicles may be equipped with an incorrect spare tire which, when installed, can i…
TRAILER HITCHES
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 e…

This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.

Before you buy a 2022 Kia Sorento

Have the VIN?Paste it and get the full report for that car. First report free, then a 30-day pass covers a whole car search.

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.