2021 Kia Sorento transmission and drivetrain problems
140 of the 271 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2021 Kia Sorento name the transmission and drivetrain (NHTSA’s “Power Train” heading — the transmission, transfer case, driveshafts, axles and differentials — NHTSA files them under one heading). Filed under the same heading: 29 manufacturer bulletins, 1 recall. Every figure below is a document in a federal file, linked; none is a failure rate, and none is a verdict on any one car.
What owners filed about the transmission and drivetrain
Source: NHTSA complaint database1 of the 140 reports a crash · 0 a fire · 1 injury. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2021: 18 · 2022: 41 · 2023: 8 · 2024: 11 · 2025: 19 · 2026: 43
Half of the 20 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the transmission and drivetrain problem between 35,000 and 73,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
271 complaints in all about the 2021 Kia Sorento, 43 filed in 2026. The whole picture, every system →
Counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many of these were sold; nothing here is a rate. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so “Power Train” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.
Across model years: Kia Sorento transmission and drivetrain problems, every year on file →
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the transmission and drivetrain. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
At first from 1st to 2nd took RPM to 5,000 before shifting to 3rd. Almost like it was stuck in neutral over that time but clearly in Automatic. Once in third girl no power until RPM drops and then shifted. At high speed all seemed fine. Happened ever time I start/stopped until When turned off car and it on went away.
The vehicle has a dual clutch transmission which causes the vehicle to lunge forward at idle. The transmission also "slips" at times during hard acceleration and results in very slow acceleration when entering a highway on a ramp or making way across an intersection.
When coming to a parking lot stop the vehicle skips or jumps and it can be felt on the floor board. I took it to get inspected at a Kia dealer who was able to identify the problem being my transmission and not the brakes. He informed me that Kia considers this a “normal condition” and that there was nothing they could do about it.
I was driving to work on I-95 when a message appeared on the dash to “Stop Safely Immediately”. Less than a minute later, I lost the ability to accelerate and the vehicle was losing speed. I pulled over to the shoulder. Vehicle was towed to the dealer.
My 9 month old (9000+ miles) car went completely into neutral while driving without any warning. The speed dropped quickly, and I was very closed to get hit by the car behind. I carefully stopped and turned off the car at a curbside, and it went back to normal when restarted.
What is on file about the transmission and drivetrain
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communicationsRecall filed under this heading
- 22V760000 HighOct 11, 2022 · 69,038 vehicles
- 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.
29 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading
The 0 newest are listed; every one is on the model year’s page. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.
Trouble codes named on this system
P193B P0303 P0420 P0456 P0506 P2178
Codes a bulletin or an owner’s complaint about the 2021 Kia Sorento names on this model year; a code with a record of its own links it.
Other systems with a record on the 2021 Kia Sorento
Source: the same files- engine problems 78 complaints
- electrical problems 57 complaints
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre transmission and drivetrain problems common on the 2021 Kia Sorento?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 140 owner complaints naming the transmission and drivetrain on this model year (52% of everything owners filed about it), and 29 manufacturer bulletins, 1 recall are filed under the same heading. Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count, and a count says nothing about how many were sold.
Is there a recall for the transmission and drivetrain on the 2021 Kia Sorento?
Yes — one campaign is filed under this heading: 22V760000. A recall is matched by VIN; check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
When do transmission and drivetrain problems show up on the 2021 Kia Sorento?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 65,000 miles; half of them between 35,000 and 73,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.
What does NHTSA's "Power Train" heading cover?
The transmission, transfer case, driveshafts, axles and differentials — NHTSA files them under one heading. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.