2021 Kia Sorento Safety Report
2021 KIA SORENTO Safety Analysis
Safety Decision Cockpit for the 2021 Kia Sorento
This page is the hub for deciding what to inspect next on the 2021 Kia Sorento. It connects recall campaigns, owner complaint patterns, service bulletins, sibling model years, component issue hubs, and the model buying guide so a shopper or owner can move from a single report into the wider safety graph.
| Signal | Value | What to inspect next |
|---|---|---|
| Recall burden | High (4) | Review campaign numbers, affected components, and dealer remedies below. |
| Owner complaints | Moderate (21) | Scan complaint narratives for recurring symptoms, mileage, crashes, fires, injuries, and dates. |
| Crash and fire reports | 0 | Treat any crash, fire, injury, or fatality-linked pattern as a priority pre-purchase inspection item. |
| Primary component hub | Electrical System,Engine | Compare electrical system,engine issues across vehicles. |
| Cleaner nearby model year | 2024 | Compare against the 2024 Kia Sorento with 29 complaints and 2 recalls. |
| Riskier nearby model year | 2019 | Check the 2019 Kia Sorento before buying across this generation. |
Kia Sorento Year-by-Year Comparison
The safest purchase decision usually comes from comparing neighboring model years, not reading a single page in isolation. The table below uses only validated Kia Sorento years already present in the cleaned NHTSA dataset, so each comparison links to a real vehicle safety report rather than a generated combination.
| Model Year | Complaints | Recalls | Use case |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 Kia Sorento | 166 | 6 | Inspect as a potentially higher-complaint year. |
| 2020 Kia Sorento | 121 | 1 | Inspect as a potentially higher-complaint year. |
| 2023 Kia Sorento | 90 | 3 | Inspect as a potentially higher-complaint year. |
| 2019 Kia Sorento | 394 | 2 | Inspect as a potentially higher-complaint year. |
| 2024 Kia Sorento | 29 | 2 | Inspect as a potentially higher-complaint year. |
| 2018 Kia Sorento | 240 | 3 | Inspect as a potentially higher-complaint year. |
2021 Kia Sorento Complaint Theme Map
Complaint counts become more useful when they are grouped into inspection themes. For the 2021 Kia Sorento, these are the component areas with the clearest NHTSA complaint signals. Use each link to jump from this single vehicle into broader component hubs and make-specific issue pages.
Electrical System,Engine
6 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Electrical System,Engine issues Kia onlyUnknown Or Other
5 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Unknown Or Other issues Kia onlyElectrical System
4 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Electrical System issues Kia onlyEngine
2 owner complaints mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Engine issues Kia onlyUnknown Or Other,Engine
1 owner complaint mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Unknown Or Other,Engine issues Kia onlyEngine,Fuel/Propulsion System
1 owner complaint mention this component in the current safety profile.
All Engine,Fuel/Propulsion System issues Kia onlyAI Safety Analysis for the 2021 Kia Sorento
Reliability Score
The 2021 Kia Sorento receives a reliability score of 55 out of 100 based on analysis of NHTSA complaint data, recall history, crash reports, and safety ratings. This indicates average reliability — some notable concerns exist that prospective buyers should be aware of.
NHTSA Safety Ratings for the 2021 Kia Sorento
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) evaluates vehicles through controlled crash tests and assigns star ratings from 1 to 5, with 5 being the safest.
Known Issues for the 2021 Kia Sorento
The following issues have been identified from NHTSA complaint data and owner reports for the 2021 Kia Sorento:
| Issue | Severity | Frequency | Typical Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System Recalled for issues with fuses and circuit breakers, potentially leading to electrical system failures. |
Medium | Common | 30k-60k miles |
| Automatic Transmission Recalled for problems with the automatic transmission, affecting vehicle performance and safety. |
Medium | Common | 30k-60k miles |
| Inverter Coolant Level Warning A persistent warning about the inverter coolant level, causing inconvenience and potential safety concerns. |
High | Common | 30k-60k miles |
| Trailer Hitches Recalled for issues with trailer hitches, potentially leading to towing problems. |
Medium | Common | 30k-60k miles |
Common Problems Reported by Owners
Based on NHTSA complaint data, the following components account for the majority of reported issues with the 2021 Kia Sorento:
Issues with fuses and circuit breakers are common, affecting the vehicle's electrical system.
Problems with the automatic transmission are reported, impacting vehicle performance.
The inverter coolant level warning is a frequent issue, causing inconvenience.
Issues with trailer hitches are reported, affecting towing capabilities.
Recall Details for the 2021 Kia Sorento
The following 4 recalls have been issued for the 2021 Kia Sorento by NHTSA:
Summary: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Sorento vehicles. The heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) blower motor wiring harness may be inadequate, which can result in a fire.
Consequence: A fire increases the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the wiring harness and blower motor resistor, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 23, 2026. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC351. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning October 9, 2025.
Summary: Kia Motors, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Sorento and 2021-2023 K5 vehicles. The vehicle's "fail-safe" limited-mobility drive mode may be impaired, when prompted by a transmission oil pump malfunction, which can result in a complete loss of drive power.
Consequence: Loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the transmission, as necessary. Dealers will also update the transmission control unit software. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 9, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC250.
Summary: 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: A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
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.
Summary: Kia Motor America (Kia) is recalling certain 2021 Sorento and 2021-2022 K5 vehicles equipped with 2.5L turbocharged engines. Fuel may leak at the pipe connection between the high-pressure fuel pump and fuel rail.
Consequence: A fuel leak increases the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and tighten, or replace the fuel pipe as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 21, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC214.
NHTSA Complaint Summaries for the 2021 Kia Sorento
Below are complaint narratives filed by owners of the 2021 Kia Sorento with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Recall SA512 was previously completed on my vehicle. The problem is happening again. Since there are no open recalls, I am unable to get it fixed under the recall.
On [XXX] we were driving the Kia at slow speed due to snow on the road when a warning light came on which we think said hybrid vehicle failure pull over. The car stopped and the traffic lane with the engine off. The car would not start and we were exposed to traffic. Fortunately, we were on a country road at the time about a mile from our house and we were not struck by following vehicle when the ...
There is a malfunction in the vehicles.computer system that gives a warning about low coolant level for the hybrid battery. It's been been seen by the KIA dealer and the issue keeps arriving.
For a few days ( especially if is a HOT day (over 80F) ) my 2021 Kia Sorento Hybrid with 15,421 miles on it displays a "Refill Inverter Coolant" message. I checked the coolant level and is OK. After my research, it seems that the factory put the wrong Blue inverter coolant instead Red (all other KIA hybrid cars have Red coolant) . I found out that there is a KIA Technical Service Bulletin SA515 t...
My Kia Sorento will shift from drive to first or second gear’s several times. I’ve been told by the dealership that I’m probably touching the shifter accidentally, I disagree. My opinion is that this is a safety concern because it slows the vehicle down. My vehicle also at times does not accelerate. These two issues are intermittent.
UNKNOWN. The “Replace Inverter Coolant” warning message repeatedly comes on for unknown reasons and may be quickly reset to the “Ready to Drive” status by turning the vehicle off, opening the driver side door, putting my foot on the break pedal, turning the vehicle back on and closing the door before the system readiness cycle is completed. While this is not perhaps an injury issue to anyone, it...
Intermittent message on dash "Refill inverter coolant" Been to dealer 6x and no fix. Reported to KIA corporate to work with dealer Have been without this car several days
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Sorento Hybrid. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V703000 (Trailer Hitches); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not...
My Kia 2021 Hybrid EX has a message warning to "refill inverter coolant". Took it to dealer and they said it's a software issue, but no remedy is available.
i have 2021 Kia Sorento Hybrid, which a regular message stating that it needs to refill inverter coolant fluid keeps coming up, even though the car coolants level is full. This is not a new problem for the all the Kia users that have this model. Also, Kia and their network of dealerships have known of this problem for over 1 yr and their standard answer is" we know its a software program, and wil...
Refil inverter fluid warning light is on constant, this doesn’t allow the driver to access any digital information while vehicle is on. The vehicle is also having issues with the entertainment consul, Bluetooth connection issues along with the ability to access apple car play. Dealership says it’s Kia and nothing is being done. Various forums with others having similar issues.
Vehicle has a constant, unresolved error reporting that Inverter Coolant level is abnormal. Occurs daily. Dealership is unable to determine whether it is an issue. Has been taken to the dealership 2 times in the last 3 months. The warning also occupies the dashboard screen and cannot be dismissed, preventing me from viewing any vehicle details (engine temperature, tire pressure, digital speedomete...
Refill inverter coolant warning on dashboard. Took it onto local dealer, no problems located. May be a sensor issue.
Inverter fluid light has been coming on and staying on for over a month. It impedes the view of the digital display. The dealership has no fix nor any rental vehicles to bring my vehicle in. I have had this vehicle for 14 months. No one can tell me if this consistent light is harming my vehicle nor is there an urgency to repair. Unacceptable in a 40 grand vehicle
Inverter coolant refill light will not turn off. This is available for inspection. This could be a possible fire risk. Issue has been confirmed at dealership. Components have been inspected by manufacturer. Issue started around 23,000 miles.
There is a constant error happening daily where a warning shows “refill inverter coolant” it takes up the main display and no dealer has a fix
There is a warning message stating "Refill Invertor Coolant" that keeps coming up. The coolant is already full and the car functions normally. However, the warning message can only be cleared for a few seconds before it returns. The message covers up other information on the display such as digital speed and driving warnings such as lane departure. I feel this is an unsafe condition. The deal...
The inverter coolant refill light will illuminate at all times even with the system serviced. Kia has serviced the system but has no solution on how to stop the light. The light also blocks out any other warning that may happen on the dash. With the light illuminated while driving, it is impossible to determine if the system is empty to cause a fire or just a faulty light. The dealership has confi...
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the fluid inverter level indicator warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the dealer informed the contact that there was no known repair available for the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but informed the cont...
I have a ‘21 Sorento hybrid. The refill inverter coolant warning light keeps coming on. The first time it happened was on a road trip. A local dealer told me to check coolant levels and when it was full, told me it was safe to drive. I had it looked at as soon as I got home. By that time, the light had gone off. They flushed and refill the coolant. It happened again within 3 weeks. I took ...
Showing 20 of 21 complaints. Additional complaints are available via the NHTSA database.
NHTSA Defect Investigations for the 2021 Kia Sorento
NHTSA defect investigations are higher-signal than ordinary complaints because they indicate the agency opened a formal review of a potential safety defect. Some investigations later connect to recall campaigns; others close without a recall after review.
Component: Engine
Opened 2022-09-12 · Closed 2023-12-12
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated July 13, 2022, petitioning the Agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain Hyundai Motor America, Inc. and Kia America, Inc. vehicles spanning Model Years (MY) 2005-2021. The Petitioners cited examples of complaints indicating that the subject vehicles were experiencing rapid loss of engine oil due to oil drain plug...
Frequently Asked Questions About the 2021 Kia Sorento
Has the 2021 KIA SORENTO been recalled?
Yes, the 2021 KIA SORENTO has 4 recalls on record with NHTSA. Each recall addresses a specific safety defect identified by the manufacturer or NHTSA.
How many complaints does the 2021 KIA SORENTO have?
The 2021 KIA SORENTO has 21 complaints filed with NHTSA. None of the complaints involved crashes. No injuries or deaths have been reported.
What is the safety rating for the 2021 KIA SORENTO?
The 2021 KIA SORENTO received an overall NHTSA safety rating of good (4/5). Frontal crash: 4/5. Side crash: 5/5. Rollover: 4/5.
What are the most common problems with the 2021 KIA SORENTO?
The most commonly reported problems with the 2021 KIA SORENTO involve electrical system,engine (6 complaints), unknown or other (5 complaints), electrical system (4 complaints). Other affected components include engine, unknown or other,engine, engine,fuel/propulsion system.
How many crash reports does the 2021 KIA SORENTO have?
There are no crash reports associated with the 2021 KIA SORENTO in the NHTSA database.
How many fire reports does the 2021 KIA SORENTO have?
There are no fire reports for the 2021 KIA SORENTO in the NHTSA database.
Are there any deaths reported for the 2021 KIA SORENTO?
No deaths have been reported in NHTSA complaints for the 2021 KIA SORENTO.
How many injuries are reported for the 2021 KIA SORENTO?
No injuries have been reported in NHTSA complaints for the 2021 KIA SORENTO.
Should I buy a 2021 KIA SORENTO?
Based on NHTSA data, the 2021 KIA SORENTO is acceptable with caveats. It has 21 complaints, 4 recalls, and a good (4/5) safety rating. Always have a pre-purchase inspection done by a qualified mechanic.
What components fail most on the 2021 KIA SORENTO?
The components with the most failures on the 2021 KIA SORENTO are: 1. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE (6 complaints), 2. UNKNOWN OR OTHER (5 complaints), 3. ELECTRICAL SYSTEM (4 complaints), 4. ENGINE (2 complaints), 5. UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE (1 complaints). ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE is the single most-reported problem area with 6 complaints.
What should I know before buying a 2021 KIA SORENTO?
Be aware of potential electrical system and automatic transmission issues, and be prepared for persistent inverter coolant level warnings. The 2021 KIA SORENTO has 21 NHTSA complaints and 4 recalls on record. NHTSA rates it good (4/5).
How reliable is the 2021 KIA SORENTO?
The 2021 KIA SORENTO receives a reliability score of 55/100, indicating average reliability. This is based on 21 owner complaints, 4 recalls, and 0 crash/fire reports in the NHTSA database. Key known issues include Electrical System and Automatic Transmission.
What are the known issues with the 2021 KIA SORENTO?
Known issues with the 2021 KIA SORENTO include: Electrical System, Automatic Transmission, Inverter Coolant Level Warning, Trailer Hitches. These are based on patterns found across 21 NHTSA complaints. 4 of these patterns resulted in formal recalls.
Are there any recalls for the 2021 KIA Sorento?
Yes, there are recalls for electrical system and automatic transmission issues.
What is the inverter coolant level warning about?
It indicates that the coolant level for the hybrid battery inverter is low.
Can the inverter coolant level warning be fixed?
Dealers have been unable to resolve this issue, and it may be a sensor problem.
Buyer Advice
Our recommendation: Be aware of potential electrical system and automatic transmission issues, and be prepared for persistent inverter coolant level warnings.
NHTSA Data Summary for 2021 Kia Sorento
This safety report is based on a comprehensive analysis of data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for the 2021 Kia Sorento. The data includes 21 consumer complaints filed by vehicle owners, 4 manufacturer-initiated safety recalls, and safety rating assessments associated with this vehicle.
The NHTSA has assigned the 2021 Kia Sorento an overall safety rating of 4 out of 5 stars, with a frontal crash rating of 4 stars, a side crash rating of 5 stars, and a rollover rating of 4 stars. These ratings are determined through controlled crash testing conducted by the NHTSA.
All data presented in this report is sourced from public NHTSA databases. Our AI analysis identifies patterns across complaint narratives, correlates them with recall history, and produces the safety assessment above. This analysis is updated as new complaints and recalls are filed with the NHTSA.
Consumers are encouraged to report vehicle safety problems to the NHTSA at nhtsa.gov. If your vehicle is subject to a recall, contact your dealer to schedule the free repair.
Disclaimer: This analysis is AI-generated from NHTSA public data and does not constitute professional automotive or safety advice. Always verify recall status at NHTSA.gov and consult a qualified mechanic.
Analysis last updated: 2026-05-16