The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) lists 3 official safety recall campaigns for the 2018 Kia Sorento in AutoUtility's current federal dataset. The primary affected vehicle systems include Air Bags & Restraints, Other / Miscellaneous, Steering System. NHTSA records include 1 campaign carrying an official Park Outside safety advisory.
Key Recall Findings
- • Official Recall Campaigns: 3 campaigns on file with NHTSA
- • Primary Affected Subsystems: Air Bags & Restraints, Other / Miscellaneous, Steering System
- • Urgent Safety Advisories: 1 campaign carries urgent Do Not Drive or Park Outside instructions
- • Official Remedy: Detailed per campaign in official NHTSA records below
- • Most Recent NHTSA Report: September 19, 2022
VIN-Specific Notice: Safety recall campaigns apply to specific production date ranges and vehicle identification numbers (VINs). A campaign listing on this model-year page does not establish that every vehicle or trim is affected. Check your 17-digit VIN at NHTSA.gov or with an authorized dealer to verify whether a safety repair is needed.
Vehicle Subsystem 1 campaign
Air Bags & Restraints
NHTSA records also contain 13 consumer complaint filings involving this same system.
View Complaints →
Vehicle Subsystem 1 campaign
Other / Miscellaneous
NHTSA records also contain 28 consumer complaint filings involving this same system.
View Complaints →
Vehicle Subsystem 1 campaign
Steering System
NHTSA records also contain 26 consumer complaint filings involving this same system.
View Complaints →
Vehicle Subsystem 1 campaign
Visibility, Wipers & Glass
NHTSA records also contain 7 consumer complaint filings involving this same system.
View Complaints →
Domain Mapping Methodology: A single NHTSA recall campaign may involve more than one vehicle subsystem (such as electrical wiring affecting fuel delivery), so domain totals can exceed the total number of unique recall campaigns. Complaint and recall counts are grouped by broad vehicle system; component co-occurrence does not establish that an individual owner complaint is related to a specific recall campaign.
NHTSA Campaign #22V703000 Other / Miscellaneous
⚠️ Park Outside Advisory
Affected Component: TRAILER HITCHES
NHTSA Report Date: September 19, 2022
Safety Defect Summary: 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 / Consequence: A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Authorized Remedy Instructions: 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.
Manufacturer & NHTSA Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.nhtsa.gov.
NHTSA Campaign #18V656000 Steering System
Affected Component: STEERING:ELECTRIC POWER ASSIST SYSTEM
NHTSA Report Date: September 21, 2018
Safety Defect Summary: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2018 Kia Sorento vehicles. The cowl crossbar that connects to the Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS) steering column may be improperly welded, allowing the steering column to separate.
Safety Risk / Consequence: If the steering column separates, it can cause a loss of steering ability, increasing the risk of a crash.
Authorized Remedy Instructions: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the cowl crossbar, free of charge. The recall began October 26, 2018. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC167.
Manufacturer & NHTSA Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
NHTSA Campaign #17V784000 Air Bags & RestraintsVisibility, Wipers & Glass
Affected Component: AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW
NHTSA Report Date: December 8, 2017
Safety Defect Summary: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2018 Kia Sorento vehicles. The side curtain air bags on these vehicles have a component that may detach during deployment of the inflatable curtain air bag.
Safety Risk / Consequence: If the component detaches during deployment, it may enter the passenger compartment and be a projectile within the vehicle cabin, increasing the risk of injury.
Authorized Remedy Instructions: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the driver and passenger side curtain air bags, free of charge. The recall began on December 18, 2017. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC159.
Manufacturer & NHTSA Notes: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov.
Source Data Notice: Campaign summaries, safety consequences, and remedy descriptions are direct text extracts published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Office of Defects Investigation.
Historical Reporting Note: Recall campaign counts are shown by model year and should not be interpreted as a vehicle reliability score. Campaigns may cover multiple model years, and newer model years naturally have had less calendar exposure time for new safety campaigns to be issued.
Safety recall campaigns on this page are associated with this make, model, and model year in NHTSA federal records. A campaign may apply only to certain vehicles based on production date, equipment, manufacturing details, or other campaign-specific criteria.
AutoUtility cannot determine whether a particular VIN is affected or whether a recall remedy has already been completed.
For vehicle-specific recall status, check the 17-digit VIN using NHTSA's official recall lookup or contact an authorized dealer. Campaign-specific remedy information shown above is reproduced from official NHTSA recall records.
Official NHTSA Safety Resources:
NHTSA Vehicle Safety Hotline: 1-888-327-4236 (TTY: 711)