TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: TRANSMISSION FLUID APPLICATION GUIDE - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information relating to the correct transmission fluid type and fill quantity requirement for each Kia model. A flush is required ONLY when a transmission is replaced, and the transmission oil cooler is transferred to the new transmission.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2025 Kia Sorento powertrain problems
moderate 17 complaints filed with NHTSA · avg repair $2,500 · see powertrain across all vehicles →
Complaints
17
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$2,500
What stands out
Powertrain accounts for 27% of all owner complaints filed against this vehicle, across 5 categories tracked.
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering powertrain on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
This bulletin provides information relating to the correct transmission fluid type and fill quantity requirement for each Kia model. A flush is required ONLY when a transmission is replaced.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
Owners of 2025 Kia Sorento vehicles report a pattern of serious powertrain failures. Battery discharge causes complete vehicle shutdown as early as 11,345 miles, leaving drivers stranded with inoperable power locks and flickering headlights before total power loss. Some owners needed jump-starts or towing within weeks of purchase.
Engine power loss strikes without warning across multiple mileage points. Drivers press the accelerator and nothing happens—the vehicle decelerates rapidly or fails to accelerate, creating hazardous situations at highway speeds and during merging. One incident occurred at just 1,920 miles with the check engine light on; another at 213 miles with no warning lights. Some owners get check engine codes like P0301 (cylinder misfire) or P0698; others get nothing despite symptoms.
Transmission issues dominate complaints. Drivers report the transmission caught between gears at low speeds, engine RPMs spiking to 5,000+ with no acceleration, hard jerking shifts from 1st to 2nd gear, and complete power loss in traffic. One vehicle's transmission housing exploded catastrophically at 48,000 miles, scattering shrapnel. Another transmission shifted between Automatic and Manual modes without driver input. A third threw error messages about "gear already selected" and locked in Reverse gear.
Unintended acceleration and autonomous engine revving occur with and without cruise control active. One dealer visit showed the vehicle in "perfect health" on the app while sitting completely immobilized. Dealerships across multiple locations repeatedly state they cannot replicate the issues or find diagnostic codes, leaving owners with unfixed vehicles still under warranty.
Same Kia Sorento powertrain reports on nearby years: 2022 · 2023
Failure modes owners describe
Battery discharge and electrical power loss
Vehicle experiences complete loss of electrical power with no warning, requiring jump-starts or towing. Battery fails to hold charge. Power locks fail, preventing door and trunk access. Headlights flicker like strobe lights before power loss.
When: As early as 11,345 miles; first occurrence ~2.5 weeks after lease; incidents in March, April, and November-December
Symptoms owners cite: Complete vehicle shutdown without warning; Battery fails to hold charge even after jump-start; Power locks inoperable; Headlights flickering strobing before loss of power; Vehicle stranded, unable to restart
Repairs/costs cited: One case reports battery replacement by Kia dealership; vehicle towed for diagnosis in December
Loss of engine power and unresponsive accelerator
Engine fails to provide power when accelerator is pressed. Vehicle rapidly decelerates or fails to accelerate, especially during highway driving or when merging. Occurs without warning lights on some occasions. Gas engine fails to engage on hybrid models.
When: As early as 213 miles; occurring at various mileages up to 47,900 miles; incidents across multiple months (March through December 2025)
Symptoms owners cite: Accelerator does not respond to driver input; Engine fails to provide adequate power; Vehicle rapidly loses speed or decelerates unexpectedly; Gas engine fails to engage on hybrid models; Vehicle unable to accelerate or merge safely; Loss of power during normal driving and hill climbs
Codes mentioned: P0698, P0301
Repairs/costs cited: One case reports replacement of high-pressure fuel pump and high-pressure fuel line; dealership unable to replicate issue in most cases; check engine light may clear when codes are manually cleared
Transmission slipping and loss of power transmission
Transmission fails to transfer engine power to wheels. Engine RPMs increase significantly without corresponding vehicle acceleration. Vehicle caught between gears at low speeds. Transmission may shift hard or jerk unexpectedly. On one vehicle, transmission housing exploded catastrophically.
When: As early as 4,850 miles; occurring across the fleet at various mileages up to 48,000 miles; incidents from June through December 2025
Symptoms owners cite: Engine revs but vehicle does not accelerate; RPMs spike to 5,000-5,500 with minimal or no speed increase; Transmission caught between gears at speeds below 25 mph; Hard, jerky, or delayed shifts from 1st to 2nd gear; Power loss while in traffic; Transmission stalling during acceleration; Hesitation at slow speeds or from complete stop
Repairs/costs cited: One vehicle required complete transmission replacement after housing failure; another received high-pressure fuel system repair; dealership unable to replicate issue in most cases despite multiple visits; one transmission housing catastrophically exploded
Unintended engine acceleration and autonomous revving
Engine revs up or accelerates beyond set speed without driver input. Vehicle may exceed cruise control set limit. Occurs with HDA2 (Highway Driving Assist) active and when HDA2 is not actively engaged.
When: Approximately one month prior to mid-December 2025; issue ongoing
Symptoms owners cite: Engine revs unexpectedly without accelerator input; Vehicle accelerates beyond set cruise control limit; Engine revs on its own with no driver input; Hard shifting and horrendous noises during unintended acceleration
Repairs/costs cited: No repairs documented in narratives
Transmission mode shifting malfunction
Transmission shifts between Automatic and Manual drive modes without driver input. Dashboard displays Manual Mode (gear 1) while shifter remains in Automatic position. Vehicle requires RPMs to reach redline (~5,000) to shift out of manual mode back to drive.
When: Within first 100 miles of ownership; occurring multiple times per month
Symptoms owners cite: Transmission shifts from Automatic to Manual mode without input; Dashboard shows Manual Mode gear 1 while shifter in Automatic position; Vehicle requires high RPMs (~5,000) to shift back to Drive mode; Happens multiple times per month intermittently
Repairs/costs cited: Dealership unable to replicate issue; owner recorded video evidence
Gear selection electronic malfunction
Vehicle displays error message 'gear already selected' when attempting to shift from Reverse to Drive, forcing vehicle to remain in Reverse gear for 1-2 minutes. Issue occurs randomly and sporadically without pattern.
When: Multiple occurrences; timing not specified beyond random/sporadic pattern
Symptoms owners cite: Error message 'gear already selected' appears on dashboard; Vehicle unable to shift from Reverse to Drive; Vehicle remains stuck in Reverse for 1-2 minutes; Issue resolves itself after 1-2 minutes but vehicle trapped in wrong gear during this time
Repairs/costs cited: Two dealership service visits unable to replicate issue; owner has multiple videos of malfunction
Steering column clicking noise
Clicking noise emanates from steering column and worsens over time. Owner expresses concern about potential loss of steering function.
When: Progressive issue; worsening over time
Symptoms owners cite: Clicking noise from steering column; Noise worsens progressively over time
Repairs/costs cited: Owner reports scheduling dealership inspection; no outcome documented
Hybrid system battery warning and engine failure
After fuel system repairs, hybrid system battery reaches critically low levels, triggering hybrid system warning. Engine fails to engage despite repeated attempts. Battery and oil warning lights illuminate. Vehicle will not shut off while waiting for tow.
When: October 2025; on return from dealership after fuel system repair
Symptoms owners cite: Hybrid system warning light illuminates; Battery reaches catastrophic low level; Engine fails to engage; Gas engine will not provide power; Battery and oil warning lights on; Vehicle will not shut off
Repairs/costs cited: Occurred immediately after dealership replaced high-pressure fuel pump and high-pressure fuel line; vehicle required towing back to dealership
Synthesized from 17 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 6 most recent
Today is 12/15/2025 About a month or 2 ago i was on the highway coming from South Carolina to North Carolina when the engine revved up unexpectedly without input. It has HDA2 and that was doing most of the work. The vehicle started to speed up beyond the set limit and once i hit the brakes and manually shifted i was able to regain control. Last week the vehicle made a small noise that I wasn’t…
There is an electronic glitch with the gear shifting system where it will randomly / sporadically not allow shifting from reverse to drive and provides the error message "gear already selected." This has happened numerous times and resolves itself after 1-2 minutes. However, the vehicle remains in the wrong gear (reverse) while waiting, creating a significant safety issue. I purchased this…
Vehicle: 2025 Kia Sorento (leased) VIN: [XXX] Mileage at failure: 11,345 Incident dates: March 23, April 27, November 28–December 1 Type: Loss of power / electrical failure / safety hazard Complaint Description: I am reporting repeated electrical failures and complete loss of power in my 2025 Kia Sorento that created unsafe situations for myself and my children. The first failure occurred on…
Our 2025 Kia Sorento has exhibited several issues with shifting into gears especially from 1-2 gear there is hesitation, hard shifting, where it has delayed engagement, rough or jerky shifts, and a feeling of power loss while driving. It has a hard time getting into 3rd gear and just stalls, dragging at 1st/2nd when attempting to accelerate and coming down from 4th gear back into 2nd and 3rd. A…
While driving at speeds below 25 mph, my transmission seems to get caught between gears. When I press the accelerator, the engine revs, but the car doesn’t accelerate as it should. It feels like the power just drops out. There were no warning lights or indicators on the dashboard. The exact same thing happened again the very next day, at low speed, in the same general area. Both times, the car…
On 10/3 driving at roughly 60mph on the freeway, when going to accelerate, the vehicle would not accelerate with no power going to the engine. The gas motor was not engaging, and the car rapidly decelerated to around 20mph in an incredibly unsafe situation. Coasting it off the freeway, it was towed to the local Kia dealership. No warning lights or any indicators went off during that event.…
Had powertrain trouble with your 2025 Kia Sorento?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the powertrain problem on the 2025 Kia Sorento?
It's a documented issue but not catastrophic. 17 complaints have been filed. Repairs average $2,500 and most owners catch it before it causes a breakdown.
At what mileage does the powertrain typically fail?
Based on the 17 complaints filed, powertrain issues most often appear around 4,850 miles. Some report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 with no symptoms. Maintenance habits matter — vehicles that received timely fluid services and were not regularly overworked tend to last longer.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $2,500 for powertrain repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to powertrain?
No active recalls currently cover powertrain issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2025/Kia/Sorento.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.