Home · 2013 Kia Sorento Plug-in Hybrid · Complaints

What 977 owners told NHTSA about the 2013 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 (977)Crash / fire / injury (72)Engine (494)Electrical system (116)Body & structure (89)Brakes (88)Lights (70)Transmission & drivetrain (69)Airbags (60)Fuel system (37)Seats (33)Visibility & wipers (31)

3 of 977 complaints match · Lights · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

May 10, 2017LightsBody & structureFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 KIA SORENTO. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO OPEN THE REAR PASSENGER DOOR, THE DOOR HANDLE FRACTURED AND DETACHED FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE HEADLAMP AND ELECTRICAL COMPONENT MELTED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER WHERE THE HEADLAMP WAS REPAIRED; HOWEVER, THE DEALER DECLINED TO REPAIR THE DOOR HANDLE FREE OF CHARGE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURES. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 102,000.

NHTSA ODI 10984715

Nov 2, 2015Electrical systemLightsVisibility & wipersFire

I TOOK T\HE VEHICLE TO A NON DEALER LOCATION TO BE INSPECTED AFTER HAVING MULTIPLE ISSUES WITH THE HEADLAMP ASSEMBLY BEING FAULTY. UPON INSPECTION I WAS NOTIFIED BY THE MECHANIC ON DUTY THAT THE WIRING ASSEMBLY WAS ACTUALLY MELTING , A MANUFACTURERS DEFECT. BECAUSE THIS BEING A FIRE HAZARD HE WAS UNABLE TO REPLACE THE BULBS FOR ME AND SAID HE FELT THE VEHICLE WAS UNSAFE TO DRIVE BECAUSE IT WOULD PLACE MYSELF, MY FAMILY AND OTHERS ON THE HIGHWAY AT RISK. HE PROCEEDED TO SHOW ME THE PROBLEM. THIS PROBLEM HAS RESULTED IN MY HAVING TO REPLACE THE BULBS FIVE TIMES IN THE PAST ON THE DRIVERS SIDE AND AT LEAST TWICE ON THE PASSENGER SIDE. THE DEALER HAD TO REPLACE THE WIRING ASSEMBLY ON THE PASSENGER SIDE DUE TO THE SAME PROBLEM. HAVE ALSO PROVIDED A PICTURE OF THE REPAIR NOTE OF THE PROBLEM ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE VEHICLE. ALSO PROVIDING A CLIP SHOWING THAT ACCORDING TO THEIR INSPECTION MY LIGHTS WERE IN WORKING ORDER WHEN IN ACTUALITY THEY WERE NOT. LASTLY NOTING SEVERAL ELECTRICAL ISSUES REMAIN IN ADDITION TO HAVING TO REPLACE THE BATTERY AS IT IS BEING CONTINUALLY DRAWN FROM DUE TO THESE ISSUES.

NHTSA ODI 10787877

Aug 14, 2015Electrical systemLightsSeatsFire

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2013 KIA SORENTO. APPROXIMATELY TWO WEEKS AFTER THE CONTACT PURCHASED THE VEHICLE, SHE BEGAN SMELLING TAR. THE VEHICLE WS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT THE TECHNICIAN WAS UNABLE TO DIAGNOSE THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE HEADLIGHTS BURNED OUT. THE DEALER REPLACED THE HEADLIGHTS AND STATED THAT THERE WAS A RECALL; HOWEVER, THE CONTACT DID NOT RECEIVE ANY RECALL NOTICE. APPROXIMATELY THREE WEEKS AGO, THE FAILURE RECURRED AND THE DRIVER SEAT BEGAN TO BURN, JAMMING THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR. THE CONTACT CALLED 911 AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES AND A POLICE REPORT WAS NOT FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AWAY BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. THE VIN AND NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER WERE UNAVAILABLE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 37,000.

NHTSA ODI 10748707

Working with the data? Download all 977 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 2013 Kia Sorento Plug-in Hybrid verdict →