Federal safety advisory

Park this vehicle outside and away from structures until the repair is completed.

Model year record

2020 Kia Sorento

1 recall campaign on file for this model year. 296 owner complaints on file.

Recalls

Recall campaignNHTSA 22V703000

Trailer hitches

Component: Trailer hitches
Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Vehicles affected: 70,887
Reported to NHTSA: 2022-09-19
Owners notified: 2023-07-27

Defect description

Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Sorento, 2021-2022 Sorento Hybrid (HEV), 2022-2023 Sorento Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV), and 2017-2022 Sportage vehicles equipped with a tow hitch harness installed as original equipment, or purchased as an accessory through a Kia dealership. Debris and moisture accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (PCB) may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire.

Safety risk

A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.

Manufacturer remedy

Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will inspect the vehicle, and, as necessary, replace the fuse and/or tow hitch harness module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 11, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC249.

Owner complaints

A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.

Component	Complaints	Median mileage
Engine	114	89,000 mi
Unknown or other	38	7,000 mi
Electrical system	28	130,000 mi
Power train	25	5,000 mi
Fuel/propulsion system	14	17,500 mi
Trailer hitches	10	—
Air bags	7	9,000 mi
Exterior lighting	7	—
Service brakes	6	12,000 mi
Steering	5	19,000 mi
Vehicle speed control	5	—
Engine and engine cooling	3	100,000 mi
Forward collision avoidance: adaptive cruise control	3	—
Lane departure: blind spot detection	3	8,550 mi
Seat belts	3	—
Back over prevention: rearview system braking	2	—
Electrical system: horn	2	71,188 mi
Exterior lighting: headlights	2	—
Firerelated	2	—
Forward collision avoidance: automatic emergency braking	2	—
Forward collision avoidance: warnings	2	—
Suspension	2	—
Visibility	2	—
Visibility/wiper	2	5,073 mi
Wheels	2	7,000 mi
Electrical system: 12V/24V/48V battery	1	50,000 mi
Electrical system: wiring	1	—
Engine and engine cooling: engine: oil/lubrication: pressure/temperature sensor	1	—
Visibility: glass, side/rear	1	4,357 mi
Visibility: sun/moon roof assembly	1	—

The 2019 model has about a third as many complaints as this one. The 2021 model has about half as many complaints as this one. These figures reflect raw complaint counts, not failure rates. Higher-selling model years naturally receive more complaints.

Safety recall repairs are provided free of charge by franchised dealers, regardless of vehicle age or mileage. This page displays aggregated data for the model year. To check recall status for a specific vehicle, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.