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2023 Kia Sorento
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2023 Kia Sorento — Safety Summary
The 2023 Kia Sorento has 3 NHTSA safety recalls and 122 owner complaints on record. Transport Canada separately lists 4 Canadian recalls for this model. The most frequently reported complaint area is unknown or other. It earned an NHTSA overall safety rating of 4 out of 5. Based on this public data we rate its risk profile as high. Enter your VIN above to confirm which of these apply to your exact vehicle, then get the Smart Buyer Report for a buyer analysis of this model's reliability, common issues by mileage, and a pre-purchase inspection checklist.
Should you buy the 2023 Kia Sorento in Canada?
The 2023 Kia Sorento shows a higher level of recall or complaint activity in public data. That is not a reason to rule it out, but it does mean a careful inspection and VIN-specific check are especially worthwhile.
The best next step is to run the exact VIN and, if the car still looks promising, get a Smart Buyer Report for a model-specific reliability read and an inspection checklist before you visit the seller.
What owners complain about most
The complaint categories reported most often for the 2023 Kia Sorento, based on owner reports in the public NHTSA data.
Complaint patterns suggest where to look — they are not proof any specific vehicle has that issue. Treat them as inspection prompts.
What to check before buying a used 2023 Kia Sorento
- Owners report unknown or other concerns most often for this model — worth checking during an inspection.
- Owners report power train concerns most often for this model — worth checking during an inspection.
- Owners report engine concerns most often for this model — worth checking during an inspection.
- Owners report electrical system concerns most often for this model — worth checking during an inspection.
- Confirm any open recall work was completed by running the exact VIN.
Canadian ownership considerations
General things worth checking on a used Sorento in the Canadian climate — winter, road salt, and cold-weather wear.
- Check AWD or 4WD operation if equipped — driveline components are costly to repair.
- Road salt drives corrosion on underbody and subframe points; inspect the undercarriage on salt-belt vehicles.
- Verify heater, defroster, and rear demister all work ahead of winter.
- Battery and cold-start reliability are worth confirming for Canadian winters.
Pre-purchase inspection priorities
- Bring a qualified mechanic or book an independent pre-purchase inspection.
- Check the undercarriage for rust and corrosion, especially on salt-belt vehicles.
- Confirm all open recalls have been repaired using the VIN.
- Review maintenance records and look for gaps in servicing.
- Test all winter-critical systems: heater, defroster, battery, and (if equipped) AWD/4WD.
Want a buyer-focused summary for this VIN?
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Unlock the full buyer reportNHTSA Safety Ratings
Government crash test results
NHTSA Recalls
3 recall(s) for this year/model
EQUIPMENT:OTHER:LABELS
15/08/2023Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Sorento vehicles. The air bag warning labels on the driver and front passenger sun visors may detach. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the driver and front passenger sun visors, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 10, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC277.
BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA
31/08/2023Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2022-2023 Sorento, Sorento Hybrid, and Sorento Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) vehicles. The mounting clips for the rearview camera may break, which can cause the rearview camera image not to appear properly on the display. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 111, "Rear Visibility."
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the rearview camera housing, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 27, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC280.
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING:FUSES AND CIRCUIT BREAKERS
25/09/2025Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2023 Sorento vehicles. The heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) blower motor wiring harness may be inadequate, which can result in a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the wiring harness and blower motor resistor, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 23, 2026. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC351. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning October 9, 2025.
Transport Canada Recalls
4 Canadian recall(s) from the official Transport Canada database
Label
2023-08-17Issue: On certain vehicles, the airbag warning labels on the driver and passenger sun visors could peel off. Canadian regulations require information about the airbag system to be provided on the sun visors. Safety Risk: The airbag warning labels provide information about the airbags and child restraint safety recommendations. Not following these recommendations could create an increased risk of injury. Corrective Actions: Kia will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to inspect and replace the driver and passenger sun visors, as needed.
Visual System
2023-09-01Issue: On certain vehicles, the rearview camera mounting clips could fail. If this happens, the rearview camera could fall out of position and cause the rearview image not to display correctly. Safety Risk: A rearview camera image that doesn't display correctly could reduce a driver's ability to see behind the vehicle while backing up. This could increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: Kia will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to inspect the rearview camera housing, and replace it as necessary.
Label
2024-08-15Issue: On certain vehicles, the compliance label may be missing information in French. The words listed on the label for "Tires", "Rims", "Front" and "Rear" appear in English only, when they should be listed as "Tires/Pneus", "Rims/Jantes", "Front/Avant" and "Rear/Arriere". Canadian regulations require this information to be listed on the label in both English and French. Safety Risk: These small errors do not affect vehicle safety. Corrective Actions: This is not a recall. Kia has corrected the compliance label for all new vehicles.
Heater And Defroster
2025-09-26Issue: On certain vehicles, the wiring harness for the blower motor may not have been manufactured properly. As a result, the wiring could overheat and melt. Note: This recall only affects Sorento LX+ models. Safety Risk: Wiring that overheats and melts can create the risk of a fire. Corrective Actions: Kia will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to replace the blower motor wiring harness and the blower motor resistor.
Contains information sourced from Transport Canada's Vehicle Recalls Database, licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Data is provided "as is" from Transport Canada's monthly release and may not reflect real-time updates. Transport Canada does not endorse this service. Always confirm open recalls with the manufacturer or Transport Canada before purchase.
Owner Complaints
122 complaint(s) filed with NHTSA
Top complaint categories:
Want the full picture?
The free data above comes from public NHTSA records. The Smart Buyer Report adds buyer analysis for this exact model — reliability score, common problems by mileage, real maintenance costs in CAD, a pre-purchase inspection checklist, a market value estimate, and Canadian notes on rust, winter, and fuel.
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Data disclaimer:Vehicle history information on CarHistoryReport.ca is compiled from publicly available government sources, primarily the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Reports may not include all incidents, recalls, or issues related to a specific vehicle. Data is provided "as-is" without warranty of completeness or accuracy. Always obtain a professional pre-purchase inspection before buying any used vehicle. CarHistoryReport.ca is not liable for purchasing decisions made based on report contents.