YearToAvoid

2015 Kia Sorento Transmission & Powertrain Problems

NHTSA lists 42 Transmission & Powertrain complaints for the 2015 Kia Sorento, about 6% of its 750 total complaints for the year. Owners typically reported sudden power loss and failure to accelerate near a median 74,000 miles. No related recall is on file for this component.

Transmission & Powertrain complaints
42
6% of 750
Crashes reported
1
Fires reported
0
Injuries reported
3
Median mileage
74,000 mi
Related recalls
0

Typical transmission symptoms owners report

  • Vehicle suddenly loses power and cannot exceed a low speed like 40 mph even when the accelerator is pressed on the highway.
  • RPMs rise sharply during acceleration without a matching increase in speed, suggesting the transmission is slipping between gears.
  • Vehicle abruptly drops to a crawl speed of around 15 mph with RPMs spiking, sometimes forcing the driver to pull over and restart the car.
  • Check engine light appears along with a dealer diagnosis pointing to transmission failure, occurring around 73,400 miles in one case.
  • Repeated hesitation to accelerate happens multiple times over a period of months at lower mileage, around 43,237 miles.

When 2015 Kia Sorento transmission complaints were filed

First complaint May 21, 2018, latest Mar 21, 2026.

2015 Kia Sorento transmission & powertrain complaints: complaints filed per month4May 2018Apr 2019Oct 2019Mar 2021Mar 2022Apr 2023Nov 2023Nov 2025
42 complaints filed with NHTSA from May 2018 to Mar 2026; peak Jun 2019 (4).

Transmission & Powertrain recalls for the 2015 Kia Sorento

No safety recalls on record for this model year.

Transmission & Powertrain complaints by Sorento model year

Raw complaint counts per model year; newer years have had less time to accumulate complaints.

  1. 20100 (0%)
  2. 2011265 (17%)
  3. 201255 (6%)
  4. 201369 (7%)
  5. 201471 (7%)
  6. 201542 (6%)
  7. 2016125 (10%)
  8. 201737 (5%)
  9. 20189 (4%)
  10. 201951 (12%)
  11. 202018 (13%)
  12. 2021137 (55%)
  13. 202264 (34%)
  14. 202320 (17%)
  15. 20244 (10%)
  16. 202519 (26%)

Frequently asked questions

How many transmission complaints does the 2015 Kia Sorento have?
NHTSA lists 42 Transmission & Powertrain complaints for the 2015 Sorento, which is about 6% of the 750 total complaints filed for that model year.
Is there a transmission recall for the 2015 Kia Sorento?
No related recalls are listed for the Transmission & Powertrain area on the 2015 Kia Sorento in NHTSA data.
At what mileage do 2015 Kia Sorento transmission problems usually appear?
NHTSA complaint data shows a median mileage at failure of 74,000 miles for Transmission & Powertrain issues on this model year.
What do owners describe as the main transmission symptom?
Owners most often describe the vehicle failing to accelerate past a low speed or the RPMs spiking without a matching increase in speed, based on NHTSA complaint narratives.
Were any crashes or injuries linked to these complaints?
Across the 2015 Sorento's Transmission & Powertrain complaints, NHTSA data records 1 crash, 0 fires, and 3 injuries.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.