2016 Kia Sorento
Problems, recalls and owner-reported issues
Engine is the leading concern among 1,251 owner complaints filed for this model year. This is the 2nd highest complaint count among 23 Sorento model years with reports.
Of the 2016 reports, 29 involved a crash and 49 involved a fire. 19 people were injured.
What owners report most often
Recalls and investigations
Trailer hitchesPark outsideSep 19, 2022
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.
A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
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.
Campaign 22V703000 on NHTSA.gov
Power train, automatic transmission, lever and linkage, column shiftAug 10, 2022
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2016 Sedona and Sorento vehicles. The vehicles may have been manufactured with faulty automatic transmission shift lever assembly components, preventing the shift lever from locking, which can allow the vehicle to rollaway.
A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of a crash and injury.
Dealers will inspect and replace the automatic transmission shift lever assembly components, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 7, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC246.
Campaign 22V612000 on NHTSA.gov
Fuel system, gasoline, delivery, hoses, lines/piping, and fittingsDec 19, 2018
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2011-2017 Optima, 2012-2017 Sorento and 2011-2018 Sportage vehicles that previously received an engine replacement under recall number 17V-224, warranty, or the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) Product Improvement Campaign. The high pressure fuel pipe that connects to the fuel pump outlet may have been damaged, misaligned or improperly torqued during the engine replacement procedure, possibly causing a fuel leak.
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
Kia has notified owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the fuel pipe, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 17, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC172.
Campaign 18V907000 on NHTSA.gov
Trailer hitchesNov 30, 2016
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Sorento vehicles manufactured October 27, 2014, to August 25, 2016, and 2017 Sportage vehicles manufactured December 10, 2015, to August 26, 2016. The affected vehicles are equipped with an accessory trailer hitch wiring harness that, due to a malfunction of the tow hitch module, may result in the trailer brake lights being constantly illuminated. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, " Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
If the trailer brake lights stay illuminated while being used, other drivers may be confused, increasing the risk of a crash.
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the trailer tow hitch harness, free of charge. The recall began January 18, 2017. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC142.
Campaign 16V862000 on NHTSA.gov
SeatsOct 24, 2016
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2016 Kia Sorento vehicles manufactured March 3, 2016 to March 21, 2016. The driver's seatback frame may have been produced with inadequate weld joints and, as a result, the seatback may not function as designed in the event of a rear-end collision.
In the event of a crash, the driver seatback frame could break and fail to restrain a seat occupant, increasing the risk of injury.
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the welds and replace the driver seatback frame, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 9, 2016. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC140.
Campaign 16V770000 on NHTSA.gov
Suspension, rearJun 29, 2016
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2016 Sorento vehicles. A component of the rear suspension may not be properly welded.
The improper weld may break, affecting the rear suspension alignment, thereby increasing the risk of a crash.
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the welds at the rear suspension cross-member, replacing the rear cross-member assembly, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began July 27, 2016. Owners may contact Kia Customer Service Department at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC137.
Campaign 16V480000 on NHTSA.gov
Seat belts, front, buckle assemblyJul 14, 2015
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2016 Kia Sorento vehicles manufactured October 23, 2014, to December 10, 2014. The affected vehicles have a front passenger seat belt whose buckle latch assembly may prevent the front passenger from fastening the seat belt.
If the front passenger seat belt cannot be latched, an occupant sitting in the front passenger seat has an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger seat belt buckle cover, free of charge. The recall began on August 18, 2015. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC123.
Campaign 15V446000 on NHTSA.gov
Vehicle speed control, accelerator pedalFeb 13, 2015
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2016 Sorento vehicles manufactured October 27, 2014, to January 29, 2015. Due to an improperly soldered component in the accelerator pedal assembly, the driver may not be able to accelerate the vehicle.
If the vehicle is unable to be accelerated, there is an increased risk of a crash.
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the accelerator assembly, free of charge. The recall began on February 19, 2015. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC115.
Campaign 15V089000 on NHTSA.gov
Representative owner complaints: engine
718 reports, newest first. Show all
Engine, Nov 16, 2023
The engine has not worked properly in over a year and has problems accelerating and skipping. Engine light remains on at all times.
Engine, Nov 16, 2023
Engine began regularly overheating. Problem began in May 2023. No warning lights, other than the temperature gauge going up. Thermostat was replaced, radiator was cleaned and checked, without defects found. No leaking hoses. Problem continued to get worse, requiring coolant be added every time the car was driven. Mechanic decided the head gasket was failing. Due to the nature of the head bolts, the recommendation was to replace the engine. This has not been done and the car is unusable and unsellable due to the failure.
Power train, Engine, Nov 15, 2023
17-year-old daughter driving 65 mph down the highway when engine just gave out. Loss drive power but was able to make it to the side of highway, once stopped coolant find blowing out. There was no overheating warning or light luminated on dash. Once towed to shop and inspected told head gasket blown out dur to loose head bolts & possible head crack due to lost coolant.
Engine, Nov 15, 2023
2016 Sorento 3.3L with approximately 136,000 miles on it. Did not have heat. Diagnosed with low coolant and possible head gasket leak due to loose head bolts. No warning lights. Seems to be a common manufacturing issue with these engines.
Engine, Nov 14, 2023
Engine stalled when merging in the freeway. Mechanic said that the engine stalled because there was not enough oil. I did an oil change a month prior, and no oil light indication came on until after the car broke down.
Engine, Nov 10, 2023
2016 Kia Sorento SX 3.3l engine failure at 87k miles. Head bolts backed out. Kia dealership verified the issue. The engine could have seized why driving which is a safety risk. No warning lights at all.
Engine, Nov 8, 2023
I was taking my mom to her knee appointment after her surgery, and my temperature gauge started to rise. No lights or warnings came on in the car what so ever. I pulled over before it reached the red, let it cool and checked fluids. From what I could see the oil, and coolant were fine. The heat in the car stopped working, and the car kept wanting to over heat in the lower gears. I got it to Lion Country Kia in St.College and diagnosed it as finding a cylinder head gasket. My car could no longer be driven, from St.College to my home in St.Mary’s. I had to have it towed, as well as checked here as well to find they were right with a cylinder head gasket issue. I was under the assumption I had the power train warranty as well because it’s under 10/100,000 but unknown to me I didn’t. I could’ve been in an awful accident if I wasn’t paying attention to my gauges and my car overheated and locked up while driving. If anything would’ve happened to my children and my mom in the car that day, all because of a fault in the car manufacturing, Id be knocking on doors! To see all the recalls on the years previous to this for the same issue, you would think it would’ve either been taken care of, or a recall put on this year as well. From what I’ve been reading it’s been happening all too often. Something needs done.
Engine, Nov 2, 2023
I noticed one day when filling up my wiper fluid that the engine was just slightly below the coolant low level. I topped off the coolant and tried to see if there was any leaks under the car. I couldn't see any. I started the vehicle and noticed there was bubbling in the coolant reservoir.I called my local mechanic and scheduled an appointment to bring the car in. The car wasn't driven until the day it was going in to be looked at. When driving the car in it started rough and slugish but then went back to normal. I drove it to my mechanics and on the way the car started running very rough engine shaking and the check engine light started flashing. I was only a few blocks away from the shop so I coasted in. They took the car in said it had a code for a cylinder misfire and started the car saying it was blowing white smoke out of the exhaust. They ran a test on the car and said they didn't want to take anything apart and to tow it to Kia. The car was towed to Kia in Wheat Ridge, CO. Car was inspected and the diagnosis was that the engine had overheated. The block is made of aluminum and so is the head. The headbolts that hold the two pieces together are a different type of metal. This manufacturing defect caused the threads in the aluminum block to strip or pull and loose tension on the head gasket. This allowed coolant to enter into one of the cylinders. Kia is recommending the engine be replaced for $11,910 and change. Car was regularly serviced and drove perfectly fine up until the day it went into the shop. Dealer service dept says this is very common on Kia and Hyundai 3.3L engines. Multiple cases around the same mileage.
Engine, Oct 29, 2023
The engine threw a rod while driving on a flat stretch of US HWY 285. The vehicle is available for further inspection if needed. The engine has 61,300 miles on it. We were forced to stop on a small 2-lane highway and wait for hours for a tow. This was inspected by the dealership and needs to be replaced for the vehicle to be safe to drive again. This is not covered under warranty as I am the second owner with a warranty up to 60,000 miles. No warning lights or messages occurred prior to the rod being thrown.
Engine, Oct 27, 2023
Vehicle is burning excessive amounts of oil. The check engine light nor low oil light has came on and vehicle was (4) quarts low (according to independent mechanic). Was told by KIA dealership that they would not repair unless the engine was completely blown up. I was told to add oil, get more frequent oil changes, trade vehicle, or come up with $8,500. The engine only has 61,000 miles on it and is a 2016 model. This is a widely known issue and KIA needs to admit the failures and fix the problem.
Engine, Oct 23, 2023
My car has been having high oil consumption. I have taken it to my Kia dealership. They informed me this is a problem with the make and model. They told me this is the beginning of an engine problem that will ultimately cause engine failure affecting connecting rods and bearings. My options are to drive the car until it fails then Kia will replace the engine. I a,so co tacted Kia corporate Customer service a d was told the same thing. I ask her to file a complaint and accelerate it. She said 5hat was. Ot he process. I am 77 year old widow. I'm active and drive my car day a night almost every day. I am usually alone. The solutions are not acceptable. There is a danger for me getting suddenly stranded alone at my age. I think the engine should be replaced now. Can you help me with this? Thank you
Engine, Oct 19, 2023, fire
In November last year, my car caught fire while I was driving on a highway at a rate of about 70 mph. Some good Samaritans flagged me down and I was able to pull off the road and escape injury. My car was a total loss as were the contents of it. The fire department tapped out the fire. Kia admitted responsibility saying it was a manufacturing defect (I have the email conversation saved) but only wanted to pay my insurance company back and refund me my deductible. Kia would not pay for my lost iPhone and belongings because they said they could only do so if I provided a receipts for those items. Who has a receipt for everything in their car? I didn't claim to loss a Rolex or anything crazy. I refused the offer and am out for the loss of my car, deductible and its contents (though insurance cut me a check for the blue book value of my car minus the deductible). Kia is the worst.
Engine, Oct 18, 2023
Car started making a knocking noise and before I could pull over the car shut off. Told now engine needs to be replaced. Kia could not look at it until November 1st and will not give us a car to use. We only have this car as a mode of transportation.
Engine, Oct 11, 2023
car has been burning oil, I'm filling it every other week and i barely drive it (less than 30 miles a week). Was driving to the dealer to have it looked at and it failed - I suddenly could not accelerate on a busy highway over 3mph! No warning lights came on at all and it is not throwing any codes. I was almost rear ended. One Kia dealership told me "just keep topping off the oil and drive it till it fails" That seems like an unsafe solution. Will Kia be responsible if I get into a collision if my car suddenly fails?
Engine, Oct 9, 2023
Excessive oil consumption, concerned about engine seizing while driving due to this.
Engine, Oct 8, 2023
Engine burned oil with no warning lights. Engine failed on highway with no warning lights. Regular maintenance and oil change done to vehicle, this was not negligible.
Engine, Oct 6, 2023
premature engine failure due to excessive oil consumption, without indication from warning light of low oil. Checked my oil and registered 0 on the dip stick. the engine knock became present pulling into my driveway
Engine, Oct 4, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact stated that the engine consumed 2 quarts of oil for every 1,000 miles driven. The dealer was made aware of the failure and performed an oil consumption test. The vehicle failed the oil consumption test twice. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 71,000.
Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Engine, Sep 30, 2023, fire
Car got caught on fire while driving with my 5kids
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Sep 28, 2023
Car ran fine until we stopped for gas, went to get back on the highway when the car wouldn't accelerate >25mphs,almost got hit from this. The car was then towed to the near by Kia dealership and they found that it was a compression issue with a known issue in the engine and now we need a new engine or scrap the car. Kia is not willing to fix their horrible product and has told us to just suffer.
Engine, Sep 28, 2023
Driving vehicle and check engine light came on, pulled over to an advance auto to have codes pulled. When lifting the hood to double check everything while waiting on codes to be pulled, I could smell a burning smell. After codes pulled, I sat in parking lot and researched codes P001100 and P208800. With codes and smell of burning, I had vehicle towed to Ferber's Tire & Auto Service, Inc. at 10383 Leadbetter Rd. Ashland, VA. 23005. They pulled codes and found that a recall was issued by KIA for this issue with CVVT Assembly. I called KIA and I was told that my VIN was not covered for this recall but that if the recall was expanded and covered my VIN that they would notify me. At this point I had no choice but to repair vehicle on my own even though KIA knew of this issue with their product. This repair is not cheap! Because of the location and what you have to do to get to part that needs to be replaced. My bill was $2,492.23 just to fix a car that KIA is aware. So aware that a recall was issued, just didn't go far enough for all the VIN. If my vehicle had caught fire or engine locked up because of the metal and plastic now sucked into the engine, I would have no car and all because KIA not doing right by the customer. I still have parts the old parts that were replaced.
Engine and engine cooling, Sep 28, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 50 MPH, the vehicle started overheating and then inadvertently lost motive power. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a general engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 90,000.
Engine, Sep 28, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to CarMax, where the mechanic retrieved DTC code: P017 (Crank Shaft). The contact stated that unknown repairs were made to the vehicle; however, the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who replaced the battery; however, the failure recurred. The dealer informed the contact that the engine had misfired, and that the engine had a crack in the manifold that had been glued together. Additionally, the dealer informed the contact that the transmission had previously been replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the top of the engine needed to be taken apart. The warranty company requested the records of all the oil changes. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 32,000.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Sep 27, 2023
UNKNOWN Possible head gasket, radiator or water pump damage. Light smoke from engine. Constantly have to fill car up with antifreeze & water every few miles. Car is never driven over 45 mph.Car easily overheats & leaves us stranded as we live in a rural location. Have to purchase antifreeze every 3 days that we cannot afford. Have VERY LIMITED funds to assist with mechanical work, but we can contribute a little. No income whatsoever coming in due to job loss. Can't rely on car to get to work, but can work from home. Currently seeking employment, but competition has been tough. This is our only car for our family of 4. 2 kids in school age 8 & 4. No bus or friends/relatives who can help.Was referred to this program by a friend as they informed me that it offers financial assistance for some repairs. This affects the safety of the vehicle as we have small children, and the car constantly overheats leaving us stranded in areas without sufficient cellular coverage to make calls. Located in Sevierville, TN.
Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Sep 26, 2023
this vehicle is a match box waiting to kill someone. I've been reporting these problems an nobody has follow up. on 08/20/2023 fuel pump had to be replaced after fumes coming into vents report one on 06/03/2023 issue happened again, 0n 09/04/2023 engine went out. after getting vehicle back catalytic converter and manifold was burnt out do to engine .had it inspected by a muffler shop. kia will not replace anything even if they are told it was caused on behalf of there produce