Home · 2012 Kia Sorento Plug-in Hybrid · Complaints

What 875 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Kia Sorento Plug-in Hybrid

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (875)Crash / fire / injury (104)Engine (460)Electrical system (127)Brakes (101)Airbags (79)Lights (60)Transmission & drivetrain (55)Fuel system (38)Body & structure (35)Speed control (29)Visibility & wipers (28)

6 of 875 complaints match · Lights · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Dec 23, 2021LightsFire

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact noticed that the driver’s side headlamp failed to operate as needed. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the wiring had melted, and the headlamp socket needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired however, a couple of months later the failure recurred on the passenger’s side. The vehicle was taken back to the mechanic where it was diagnosed the wiring melted and the passenger’s side headlamp socket needed to be replaced. The dealer was contacted twice. The manufacturer was notified of the failure twice. The approximate failure mileage was 147,000. Headlight has replaced once 02/22/2022.

NHTSA ODI 11444803

Sep 1, 2021LightsFire

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the passenger’s side front headlight had stopped working. Upon inspection, the contact noticed that the wiring harness in the headlight was melted. The vehicle was not diagnosed by an independent mechanic or dealer. The headlight assembly was replaced however, the failure recurred. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000.

NHTSA ODI 11431394

Sep 25, 2018LightsFire

A LITTLE AFTER 100,000 MILES, THE LOW BEAM LIGHTS CONTINUOUSLY WENT OUT. THERE WAS NO RHYME OR REASON. I SIMPLY BOUGHT MORE LIGHTS AND REPLACED THEM UNTIL ONE DAY I FOUND THE DRIVER SIDE CONNECTOR HAD MELTED. I WAS ABLE TO BUY A NEW HARNESS AND HAVE IT WIRED IN. THEN, ABOUT A YEAR LATER, THE PASSENGER SIDE CONNECTOR LOOKS LIKE IT IS STARTING TO COME APART, WITH THE LOW BEAM LIGHT FAILING ABOUT 50% OF THE TIME NOW - SO I ASSUME THAT THIS ONE IS ALSO ON THE WAY TO MELTING AS IT IS FOLLOWING THE SAME MANNERS AS THE DRIVER SIDE HAD PRIOR TO MELTING.

NHTSA ODI 11131126

Jul 26, 2017LightsFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FRONT HEAD LIGHT FAILED WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A LOCAL DEALER, COOPER KIA 5056 COMMERCIAL DRIVE, YORKVILLE NY, 13495, WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE LIGHTING HOUSING UNIT MELTED AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS NOT UNDER WARRANTY AND THERE WERE NO RECALLS UNDER THE VIN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 89,000. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

NHTSA ODI 11010794

Mar 27, 2015Electrical systemLightsFire

ON MONDAY, MARCH 23 AT 8 PM, I ARRIVED HOME AND PARKED MY CAR IN OUR DRIVEWAY CLOSE TO OUR HOUSE. I LOVED UP AND WENT INSIDE. AT 4:30 AM WEDNESDAY MORNING, MY SON CAME INTO OUR BEDROOM SAYING BE THOUGHT SUNSHINE WAS TRYING TO BREAK INTO MY CAR BECAUSE THE CAR ALARM WAS GOING OFF. I WENT TO THE WINDOW TO LOOK OUT, AND IMMEDIATELY SEE THAT THE CAR WAS ON FIRE. THE FLAMES APPEARED TO BE COMING FROM THE LEFT DRIVER'S SIDE TAIL LIGHT. WE CALLED 911. BY THE TIME THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED THE WHOLE BACK HALF OF THE CAR WAS ON FIRE. THE FIRE WAS ROARING. THE CAR WAS TOTALED. AN ARSON INVESTIGATOR ROLLED OUT ARSON. IT WAS THE CRAZIEST THING I HAVE EVER WITNESSED AND IT WAS TERRIFYINGLY CLOSE TO OUR HOUSE. THE FIRE WAS ALREADY IN OUR YARD WHEN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED. I SHUTTER TO THINK WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF MY SON HAD NOT WOOLEN UP WHEN HE HAD. THE FIRE WAS SO CLOSE TO THE GAS TANK, WE ARE LUCKY THERE WANT A FULL ON EXPLOSION. THE WEATHER WAS MILD AND DRY WHEN IT HAPPENED AND THERE WAS NO DEFERRED MAINTENANCE ON THE CAR. I SIMPLY CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT COULD HAVE CAUSED THE FIRE. MY BEST GUESS IS THAT SOMETHING SET OF THE CAR ALARM WHICH ON TURN SHORTED AND SPARKED THE FIRE IN THE FLASHING REAR LIGHTS. IT WAS A CERTIFIED USED VEHICLE AND IN PERFECT CONDITION THAT I PURCHASED IN SEPTEMBER 2014. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10702294

Jul 26, 2013Transmission & drivetrainLightsBody & structureCrash

MY 6 YEAR OLD CHILD GOT INTO THE VEHICLE TO GET A DRINK. SHE HIT THE GEAR SHIFT AND IT WENT FROM PARK TO GEAR AND ROLLED DOWN THE HILL UNTIL COMING TO A STOP BY HITTING A TREE. MY NEIGHBOR TRIED TO STOP THE CAR FROM ROLLING BUT HE COULD NOT GET THE DOOR OPEN BECAUSE IT LOCKED. MY CHILD WAS IN THE PASSENGER SIDE OF THE CAR AND THE KEYS WERE NOT IN THE IGNITION. KIA SERVICE MANAGER TOLD ME THAT THE CAR SHOULD NOT GO OUT OF PARK UNLESS THE KEYS ARE IN THE IGNITION AND THE BRAKE IS PUSHED. *TR

NHTSA ODI 10532081

Working with the data? Download all 875 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 19, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2012 Kia Sorento Plug-in Hybrid verdict →