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What 416 owners told NHTSA about the 2019 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 (416)Crash / fire / injury (29)Engine (150)Electrical system (67)Body & structure (54)Transmission & drivetrain (50)Fuel system (27)Lights (22)Visibility & wipers (21)Driver assistance (18)Brakes (14)Speed control (14)

1 of 416 complaints match · Transmission & drivetrain · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Dec 14, 2022EngineTransmission & drivetrainFire

The evening of December 13, the driver noticed an engine rattle when accelerating. No “check engine” or other warnings were displayed. The morning of December 14, the vehicle stalled. The driver waited then restarted the vehicle, which immediately turned over. The driver perceived no issues with electronics or engine and, again, the vehicle displayed no warnings or alerts. Upon accelerating from the location at which the vehicle was stopped, the driver heard a “boom” and the vehicle cabin filled with smoke. Upon exiting the vehicle and attempting to ascertain the issue, the driver noticed flames. The entire engine became engulfed.

NHTSA ODI 11497498

Working with the data? Download all 416 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 2019 Kia Sorento Plug-in Hybrid verdict →