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
Vehicle speed control, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jul 10, 2023
was driving at 11mph and car would not Accelerate almost causing and accident issues with engine sparking flames fuel system problems, transmission issues when putting the vehicle into park. Engine problems check engine light keeps blinking on an off system says park vehicle do to diagnosed problems. suspension issues afraid to drive vehicle do to so many safety problems.
Engine, Jul 8, 2023
On Fathers Day, my 2016 Sorento had a flashing check engine light. I pulled it over and had it towed to the dealer I purchased it from. While they thought it was a knock sensor, they could not ensure that would fix the problem. I then had it towed to another mechanic who diagnosed it as a bad connecting rod in the motor. . It was at this time that they told me there was a recall for this type of engine, which is the 2.4 TDI. After contacting 4 dealerships, Kia of Lanham agreed to look at it but I must show proof of the last 10 oil changes. Fortunately, while I just purchased the truck in December 2022, the Carfax report detailed that the SUV had been serviced by a Kia dealership in VA. I have incurred 3 towing charges, 2 diagnostic fees plus a 2 week car rental until I could purchase another vehicle. Finally, it is well known by many mechanics that Kia’s customer service is often poor and st times, quite arrogant. If my 7 year old, 114k mile Sorento is not repaired, I will NEVER buy another Kia or Hyundai product again.
Engine, Jul 2, 2023
I was accelerating as normal and as soon as i got up to speed my car started to decelerate without me pushing the break. I could then not accelerate at all. I was able to pull off to the shoulder/ median of the road and was thankfully able to avoid a crash. Once I was stopped I could not accelerate anymore. I turned off the engine and was not able to restart it. There was no check engine light warning or any warning for that matter. I had to get the car towed to a local car shop. They did an evaluation and told me the engine seized and it would be an estimate of $11,000 to replace the engine. I went to research and found out there has been a recall on the exact year, model and engine of my car and there was never and notice of this or that there has been other safety problems with Kia sorentos.
Power train, Electrical system, Engine, Jun 29, 2023
Shift lock does not come out of park. Started September 2022. Excessive oil burning 2 quarts a month( every 500 miles) Started June 2022 Low oil light does not turn on ever Electrical issues. Locks turn on and of every time I open door. Check engine light is always on. Since I bought the car. Kia tried fixing but it didn't help. Now have engine failure.
Electrical system, Engine, Jun 28, 2023
The oil pressure switch failed in our 2006 Kia Sorento with 46,681 miles. We purchased this car new from same Kia dealer that services it. The oil leaking from the pressure switch got onto the exhaust manifold, and lots oil had traveled through wiring harnesses and got inside electrical connectors including half filling inside the computer unit ECM/ECU? main pin wiring connection. After searching online I found that many other people have reported the same oil leaking problem with the oil pressure switch in various Kia vehicles, though the Kia dealership told me there is no recall for it. This was surprising to me especially when I noticed smoke coming off of manifold when I took it to the Kia service center, and when their repair service man sent me a video from Kia showing the amount of oil that leaked up the wires inside of harness into the electrical pin connections going to the car computer system. I do have a copy of this video. This seems very concerning to me and makes me worried.
Power train, Other or unspecified, Engine, Jun 28, 2023
Yesterday while driving the engine began to shake and seize, it would not accelerate above 40 mph. I was seconds from entering the hwy but pulled into quick trip where it died and had to be towed at own expense. Oil pressure sensor had been flashing on periodically when breaks were applied between regular oil changes. Vehicle was consuming 3-4 qts of oil between oil changes, which is not normal. There were no signs of any oil leaks, oil light did not remain illuminated to suggest low oil levels, nor a check engine light warning. Vehicle has less than 100,000 miles. When contacting KIA was told I would need a warranty to fix. This is not a warranty issue, this is a KNOWN issue and class action lawsuit related to these symptoms. I was seconds from a possible fatal accident on the highway and I'm sure a buy back or vehicle exchange would be better than a lawsuit involving corporate negligence resulting in a death.
Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jun 27, 2023, fire
automatic transmission shift lever assembly components, fuel pipe exhaust causing fumes to come through the vent area causing fire and smoke. accelerator assembly issues when driving
Electrical system, Engine, Lane departure, Jun 27, 2023
I have been calling Kia corporate for a year now. They will put me on hold or transfer me until they think I give so they disconnect me! I finally got a supervisor on the phone to help me and he was very rude. I told him that “I knew Kia did not want to have a situation where one of their vehicles caught on fire with children in it” and his answer was “ma’am that happens all the time”. They have not fixed the seven recalls that are on my 2016 Kia Sorrento. Not one out of seven. I asked for whatever was fair, I buy back, I trade, whatever was fair for both parties, and asked to speak to that gentleman’s [XXX] Supervisor so she could listen to that call. When I got a callback, she did apologize or say anything about the car and then she had [XXX] call me back again so that he can tell me that in the state of North Carolina, there was nothing they could do for me because he cannot do a buyback, and he cannot do a trade-in. I know that is incorrect. I have friends and family that work at Car Dealerships and one place is Chrysler Dodge. We got this car because we had a two year old and I had done research for six months and wanted it so bad and they only had it for two days. They never even had time to check it out but they still sold it to us. I still got some of the man [XXX] information that was the previous owner. If they looked it over so well, why did I have to drive back there twice to get head rests? Why when I brought all this information up to them? Did they throw me straight to Kia corporate. We bought this vehicle at Bob King Kia in Winston, Salem North Carolina. I don’t expect a telluride from 2023 to pull up with a bow on it. I do expect to be treated like a fair consumer, so I have something to say to drive my child in. It got to the point where my best friend let us buy her minivan. Literally having to get out to check if there’s fumes smoke my door handle broke there was a recall, there’s a recall on the hatchback it doesn’t open anymore etc INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Power train, Exterior lighting, Engine, Jun 24, 2023
Vehicle is consuming an excessive amount of oil, I see this is a common issue with this make and model , even a TSB regarding this issue. Yet, dealership states it is normal. I’m sorry but I have never owned a vehicle where it is normal to have to add 4 qts of oil between oil changes. This is a serious concern for engine wear and tear. I would like to escalate this issue to seek resolution. Another issue I see is both rear window regulators failed at same time. This I believe is due to poor design and low quality parts being used. Plastic pieces are used to hold metal wire in place to raise and lower windows. This plastic easily breaks over time causing windows to fall down suddenly and potentially shatter sending glass and debris in rear passengers. Headlight switch is defective causing headlights to turn off randomly while driving and then not being able to turn back on immediately. Huge safety concern at night.
Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Jun 21, 2023, fire
Recently, while driving on a busy multi-lane highway my 2016 Kia Sorento suddenly lost power, started shaking and slowed down causing traffic safety hazard. The engine stalled after slowing down. The car needed to be towed at my expense.my check engine light came on for my KSDS, the engine went limp mode and unable to accelerate over 50 miles and hour on the highway. My engine is blown. gasoline smell fumes came through vent causing me to have an attack car started to catch fire.
Engine, Jun 20, 2023
Im driving my car then my engine totally shut down.
Engine, Jun 18, 2023
When accelerating at 70 miles an hour, the RPM went up to 5 and then all acceleration was lost. I was able to steer my vehicle to the side of the highway and at that point turned off the vehicle. When I tried to restart the vehicle, it would not start. The check engine light and battery light came on at that time. After having a mechanic look at the vehicle and the battery was replaced, it was discovered that the oil level was excessively low, even though an oil change had been performed less than 4000 miles ago. The oil light was never on alerting me that oil was a problem and there were no oil spots indicating a leak. As of now the vehicle engine is completely locked up and will not start. It needs a new engine.
Electrical system, Service brakes, Engine, Jun 12, 2023, fire
I was traveling on the interstate, I heard a slight tapping noise, after about 5 miles, there was no warning light indicators, the car just died, I lost all power, there were no brakes, I was able to get pulled off the highway to the warning track that helped slow the vehicle down, smoke was coming from under the hood & into the cabin, then I saw flames, at about 20mph I knew I had to get out so I put it in park & it finally stopped. I had just enough time to grab my purse & suitcase out of the back & it was in engulfed in flames immediately. I had just had the car serviced 1 month prior for oil change & Anti theft recall but was advised that recall wasn't being done at this time. The engine light had came on the day before I took it in for the oil change, they reset it stating it was a CO2 sensor & if it came back on to let them know. It did not. It has been reported to my insurance& deemed total loss, I filed a claim with Kia & have not heard back, the Kia service dept. where it was taken said there was nothing they can do, that it will have to be investigated by insurance.
Engine, Jun 7, 2023
Motor siezed while driving in the freeway
Engine, Jun 6, 2023
Vehicle was purchased used on 02-23-2023 from a dealership. One and a half months later, the temp gauge goes into the red. This was the only indication that there was an issue. The dealer found that the head gasket was blown, however upon further inspection it was discovered that the bolts were stripped inside and this was what started the problem. With no other warning other than the temp gauge, the vehicle could have seized up while driving down the highway causing a catastrophic failure and a safety hazard.
Engine and engine cooling, Jun 6, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento LX. The contact stated that after the dealer completed remedies for Kia recalls SC234, SC249B, and CS2304, he was notified by the dealer that the vehicle's engine oil was 2 quartz low. The contact informed the dealer that he had just completed a scheduled oil change two weeks prior. No warning lights were illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, who advised the contact that the vehicle may be burning engine oil abnormally fast and began a 1,000-mile performance test to determine the oil burn rate of the engine; the test is still underway. The vehicle has not been repaired. The manufacturer was notified, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 91,023. The dealer contacted the warranty company but was denied coverage for the vehicle.
Engine, Jun 5, 2023
On my way home from work I heard a knocking sound coming from the engine while on the highway the vehicle slowed down at 40 miles per hour then the from end dipped then return in an upright position. The vehicle suddenly lost power the engine would not turn over. There were no warning engine lights or anything before hand to indicate there was a problem before the engine power loss. I had to pay All County Auto Body $135.78 to two vehicle off the highway and then my insurance tow transported my vehicle to Queens. Galaxy Auto completed diagnostic test and informed me the engine is no good, basically the engine seized. I reached out to KIA headquarters via email no response to the situation at hand. On 05/12/2023 received notice from KIA recall for tow hinge on vehicle. KIA did not address the engine failure on the 2016 KIA Sorentia GDI which I just finish paying off. My vehicle is parked up no monetary funds to purchase an engine or to pay for labor cost. On 5/26/2023 vehicle towed KIA dealership service area for diagnostic test and I was informed by a representative that the vehicle has life time warranty on the engine. After the diagnostic test I was informed on June 1,2023 "that I can eliminate the $2000 core charge on there however there is a $2500 installation cost on top of the parts. The power-train warranty had expired May 8th of 2020." Also, there was an engine recall on this model no one can give me a date or year of the recall. Basically, KIA is not going to honor their mistake and failed to make necessary repairs on the engine. The entire situation is terrible and KIA is not being held responsible for their negligence . Upon close review of the engine failure posted on NHTSA. gov website there are over 300 plus vehicles reported on this site with the same engine failure. what is being done to help us the consumer from being duped by manufactures who preyed on hardworking consumers who purchased vehicles that are defective?
Engine, Jun 5, 2023
Vehicle had a slow engine oil leak which began just after 100,000 miles and mirrored symptoms of the "oil pressure switch" defect, which was replaced under warranty pursuant to a warranty extension campaign from Kia. Following the replacement of the oil pressure switch, the vehicle continued to slowly leak oil. Kia service manager took the engine apart and stated that the threads for the head bolts were stripped from the engine block, causing an oil leak from the head gasket. During a later in-person conversation, which was lawfully recorded, the service manager stated that it was a well known and established defect which Kia is refusing to officially acknowledge, and said that he has personally replaced over fifty (50) 2016 model year 3.3L V6 engines with stripped head bolts. The only solution was to replace the engine, and Kia refused to cover any repair or replacement costs. The vehicle is available for inspection (at the dealership), and although my vehicle did not have any symptoms other than the oil leak, in other instances it commonly causes engine overheating.
Engine, Jun 5, 2023
I became the proud owner of a 2016 Kia Sorento, which I got from Jerry Smith KIA in Burlington, Washington, in February 2020. This car has received prompt service for every maintenance item at the dealership where I bought it. Other than the expected wear and tear, I have never experienced any unneeded problems with the car. It's driven 143,928 miles. I had no warning what so ever that there was an issue with the motor. I had the car inspected and had the regular oil changed on April 20th, 2023, and everything was fine. On April 22, 2023, I drove the Kia while out to dinner with my daughter and her friends. On the way home, however, after dropping the girls off, the car cut out and died, but I was still able to make it to the side of the road. The engine knocked like a rod and wouldn't stay turned over for more than ten seconds when I tried to start the car again. All the dash lights lit up and engine sounded like a rattle can. I had the car towed the following morning to the dealership where I have it serviced. After a week, they were able to identify the problem. It appears that the engine's bearings failed. They estimated that a replacement engine would cost $18,000. The vehicle has a negative equity of $13,000, which is too high for me to trade in. Spending that much money on it is not worthwhile. It is currently yard art in my driveway. Despite my attempts to rectify the situation, I am still left with a sense of dissatisfaction and regret over this purchase. It's a lesson learned, but one that comes at a steep cost. After doing some extensive research I have found numerous owners of the same type of vehicle have similar issues.
Engine, Jun 5, 2023
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle overheated. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 143,000.
Power train, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, May 31, 2023
This is the second very similar incident with the engine of this vehicle. On Monday, May 29, 2023, the engine failed at a stop light in Fort Wayne Indiana. A few miles before it failed, it suddenly got very noisy and wouldn’t go over about 15 mph. It wouldn’t really react to the accelerator pedal. At the stop light it just quit at a major intersection leaving me stranded in the middle of the road. It has been towed to the Kia dealer in Fort Wayne. They have not diagnosed the problem yet but I have read many reports on line and my experience was similar: vehicular just quit, engine lost oil, accelerator pedal not responsive, and loud ticking sound. I’m afraid the repair will be thousands of dollars and I’m a senior citizen on Social Security. This is a second incident. On October 20, 2022, my daughter in law drove my car to IU Health Hospital in Indianapolis to visit me in the hospital (major surgery). In an hour and a half she used a full tank of gas and 3 quarts of oil — the car slowed to 40 mph, accelerator pedal didn’t work and she was on Route 69 a 4 lane major highway and was very scared. She pulled off at the next exit. The car had to be towed from Indianapolis to Fort Wayne. My mechanic worked on it, got it running ok but it had a major oil leak. I was recovering from my surgery so drove it little. I now find out that the engine in my car has major problems just like what I have experienced and that Kia is refusing to fix them unless people pay in excess of $6000. This is a safety issue!!!! Having the car fail and just quit while on local or interstate roads leads to accidents and injuries. This engine needs to be recalled. Kia knows it and has settled claims out of court so they don’t have to admit responsibility. This is a serious safety hazard. The recent date of May 29, 2023 is provided but the previous date this happened is October 20, 2022. So there were two incidents.
Engine, May 30, 2023
It has 120,000 miles on it. No warning lights. No “low oil” light or anything. My ex-husband hooked up a code reader to it and no codes were being given. It’s currently sitting at dealership, I still owe $3500 on the car and I can’t drive it. Will cost more to put an engine in then to pay off of my car. The dealership can’t look at it for another week. I have no means of another car. And Kia says they can’t do anything.
Other or unspecified, Engine, May 30, 2023
My vehicle is still leaking oil bad after paying over $700 to get the oil pressure switch and gasket replaced on March 1, 2023. I was promised a reimbursement of my funds spent to fix the issue and have not heard back for over a month nor have they addressed the issue with the vehicle still leaking badly. As others are having the same issue it is not fair to us costumers we are left with a defective vehicle. I have small children and this is my only vehicle which is not safe to operate. I need help just like the others who are being ignored. I have included the estimate of the other issue as well.
Engine, May 24, 2023, fire
The car lost power while driving and the engine caught fire.
Engine, May 18, 2023
MY 2016 KIE SORENTO USE OIL I CAN ONLY GO 2000 MILES AND HAVETO ADD OIL TOO IT DEALER DOES OILS CHAGES AND SAY IM GOOD FOR 600O MILES IS THERE A SOLITION TOO THIS ISSUE