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What 130 owners told NHTSA about the 2020 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 (130)Crash / fire / injury (20)Engine (63)Electrical system (19)Transmission & drivetrain (17)Fuel system (9)Trailer Hitches (9)Brakes (5)Lights (5)Visibility & wipers (5)Driver assistance (4)Steering (4)

4 of 130 complaints match · Steering · clear filters

Jul 9, 2026Steering

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH with her daughter and parents in the vehicle, an abnormal squeaking sound was heard emanating from the steering wheel. No warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the steering column needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but the repair was delayed because the manufacturer required information from the dealer, while the dealer claimed to be waiting for a response from the manufacturer. The failure mileage was 19,000.

NHTSA ODI 11749302

Jan 31, 2024Steering

MY STEERING WHEEL IS MAKING LOUD CLUNK NOISES AND THE STEERING WHEEL IS SHAKING I AM UNABLE TO DRIVE MORE THEN 20 MILES PER HOUR AND IT FEELS VERY UNSAFE

NHTSA ODI 11569114

Sep 12, 2022Steering

Unknown. There is a rattling noise coming from behind the steering wheel. I have it on video on 2 different occasions. I took my vehicle to a Kia dealer and had it looked at they cannot figure out the issue or hear it. It comes and goes and happens when I accelerate. I spoke to Kia customer service and they advised me to make a complaint on here.

NHTSA ODI 11484070

May 3, 2021SteeringEngineFuel system

MY CAR STALLED AS I STARTED TO DRIVE. AS I STARTED TO PARK AGAIN IT SHUT DOWN. I WAITED A FEW MINUTES AND IT STARTED AGAIN. MY INTENTION IS TO GET IT TO THE DEALERSHIP ASAP.

NHTSA ODI 11414892

Working with the data? Download all 130 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 2020 Kia Sorento Plug-in Hybrid verdict →