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, Feb 18, 2022
I was driving on the NJ Turnpike in about 70 miles per hour and then suddenly I hear a big noise coming from my engine (clack and clack). Then my car stopped and needed to call a towing truck to take it to the mechanic and according to the mechanic I will need to replace motor(engine) to drive your car again. My car is on the parking lot from my house.
Engine, Feb 16, 2022
The check oil light did not illuminate, a oil change was not due for another 1,200 miles. The engine shut down and needs a 100% replacement totaling over $6,000 in repairs. if something as simple as the oil light emitted the car would not have been drove on.
Engine, Feb 9, 2022
my car cut off out of nowhere
Engine and engine cooling, Feb 7, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving uphill at 30 MPH, the vehicle started making abnormal loud clunking sounds and stalled. The contact stated that as the vehicle started rolling backwards, he depressed the brake pedal, parked the vehicle, and engaged the parking brake. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic, where it was recommended to take the vehicle to the dealer. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where, it was diagnosed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the manufacturer denied covering the cost of the repair because the vehicle was out of warranty. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V224000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact followed up with the manufacturer but the manufacturer did not provide any assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 61,139.
Engine and engine cooling, Feb 3, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, his vehicle would overheat. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that he added water into the coolant reservoir and waited before restarting the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to be diagnosed by an independent mechanic and he was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The local dealer was contacted and informed him that the head gasket was blown and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.
Power train, Engine, Feb 2, 2022
Vehicle has always been serviced through KIA service center so upon taking the vehicle into service for a sudden severe oil leak repair and to service the water pump as fluid was not circulating through the radiator, and while all the services were done they found the vehicle still over heating so they did a compression/block test and found blown head gaskets. As stated on the invoice of the service done : Vehicle Needs Engine Replacement. I paid for Labor and Parts for Services done for a total of $1539.49 and had to tow the vehicle from the KIA service center back to my residence Inoperable. It should be noted after this event I have research that the KIA 3.3L v6 engine has had this same occurrence for many KIA owners with this engine. They also have filed complaints, with no recalls from KIA on this defective engine. In all this stated above, there were no indicator lights or engine light indicating any problems with any of these situations, only my own visual inspections that noticed the sudden severe oil leak and coolant/heating problem that I brought the vehicle in for service.
Engine, Jan 27, 2022
The purpose of this complaint is to ask for help to get my 2016 Kia Sorento engine problem fixed. The engine oil consumption issue is a known issue. My check engine light started flashing and the vehicle went into Limp Mode. I contacted the Kia headquarters (July 23,2021). My Sorento was towed to ALM Kia in Union City, GA where it sat for 10 weeks waiting for them to evaluate the vehicle. I moved my Sorento to Rick Case Kia for evaluation and repair on October 13. They change the spark plugs and topped of the oil. However, it was consuming oil at a rate of 3-1/2 quarts every 1000 miles. The Kia Dealership is reluctant to fix the engine of my 2016 Kia Sorento, and the service advisor at Rick Case Kia said make sure to keep oil in the engine. I did that faithfully. Since then I’ve had the EVAP system evaluated, replace the gas cap, the canister purge valve, and added 15 quarts of oil. After all that, my Sorento’s engine failed on December 16, 2021 on I75 in Atlanta GA. I had the vehicle towed to Nalley KIA in Stonecrest Georgia. They diagnosed the Head Cylinder as the problem and said it was not covered by KIA extended warranty. I also have “MY WARRANTY FOREVER” as a second protection product. The service manager at Stonecrest KIA contacted My Warranty Forever to open a case with them. One of the requirements from My Warranty Forever was for Stonecrest Kia to send them pictures of the parts that failed. They would cover the labor cost of breaking down the engine to obtain the pictures if the defects were covered under the warranty if not I would be responsible for the labor cost. The service manager at Stonecrest KIA said his tech was out but he had four certified technicians next door at his Hyundai dealership to do the work. I authorized obtaining the pictures however at this time nothing has not been done. The warranty company is still waiting for the pictures. In the meantime I have run out of money to rent cars to get to and from work.
Engine, Jan 25, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over and had the vehicle towed to her residence. The vehicle was then towed to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 134,000.
Power train, Engine, Jan 24, 2022
I was sold a 2016 Kia Sorento, VIN# [XXX], by salesman [XXX] and [XXX] from " Ride 4U Level up auto sales located at 5599 34th street north, Saint Petersburg FL 33714. Upon Purchase, I took the car to get an oil change and have been consistent with top offs every other week at the local Jiffy Lube. On December 15, 2021, I Was on the interstate with my kids in the vehicle. Out of nowhere, no ignition warnings or alerts, Stopped. I noticed I was pushing the gas but the car wasn't accelerating. Scared beyond measure with my kids in the car ranging from ages 16 to 11 months old, I panicked but got us over to the median lane. Once the car came to a complete stop, I called a tow company. Once they arrived, they checked the car for any codes, which showed nothing. I called [XXX], and he apologized and told me to have it towed back to them and it would be looked at the next day. Kia manufacturers have serviced and said the engine blew due to the dealership not getting a recall serviced before selling me the car. I only had this vehicle up and running for three months due to Ride 4u/ Level up failure to get Manufacturer recall did before putting me in my innocent kids in a faulty vehicle that could have been demolished by a semi truck on the interstate on December 15 when it gave out on a busy highway during high traffic hours. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Engine, Jan 24, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact called the local dealer and was informed that they were totally booked up. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact called another local dealer Ed Voyles Kia of Smyrna – Atlanta (2145 Cobb Pkwy SE, Smyrna, GA 30080, (770) 952-2621) however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic by the insurance company. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under warranty. No further assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 67,000.
Engine, Jan 24, 2022
Car is currently being worked on. I was told I needed a new ENGINE. The car ran hot one day I immediately added Antifreeze and parked the car when I started it again it ran fine. The next week it ran hot again and now I'm being told I have to pay 9000 for a new engine. No check engine lights came on and no warning. I'm out of a car because I don't have the money for the new engine.
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Engine, Jan 24, 2022
Car uses oil frequently, even after I get an oil change. The oil light does not come on when oil is low. It is low before my oil changes. On 1/22/22 my check engine light is on and it says P303 with cylinder 3. Replaced the coil and the check engine light is still on. The engine is sputtering and it takes 2-3 times to start. This started all of a sudden. It is frustrating because I took it to a Kia dealership last year and told them the problem. They told me it was a recall but it was only for up to 100,000. So they only put oil in it and basically sent me my way. So there are two issues going on and It doesn't matter the mileage because several Kias are having identical issues.
Engine, Jan 20, 2022
There was no warning light to tell me that my engine was almost out of oil. I was checking my dipstick to see my oil level and was shocked to see that there was almost no oil on the stick. This engine definitely burns through oil faster than it should and you can see there are scorch marks on my dipstick.
Engine, Jan 19, 2022
I was accelerating to pass another vehicle, and when I got passed the other car, my engine shut off. I could not accelerate. All I could do was coast to the shoulder. My engine light was on at that point, as was my oilcan light. My car was dead on the side of the road. I turned it off and tried to turn it back on again, but the engine would not turn over. Only the electrical system was working. I had it towed to a shop, where I was told that this was a "known problem" with Kia engines, but I had never had any issues with the vehicle before. They replaced my engine, at a cost of $8000.
Engine, Jan 17, 2022
Vehicle has been burning a quart of oil every 1000 miles. Last week the engine light came on. I checked the oil and added 2 quarts. The engine light didn't go off. I checked the code using a engine code reader. It stated a P0303 code. My auto parts store said it was most likely an ignition coil on cylinder 3. I replaced ignition coils and the engine light was still on. The car lost power and made some knocking noises. The car was towed to Ft. Bend Kia. They advised that the engine was blown and zero compression on cylinder 3. I have read 100's of complaints on this particular model blowing engines and Kia not standing behind correcting them. I am hoping to find a class-action lawsuit for this issue.
Engine, Jan 14, 2022
Sat Jan 8, I was on my way to Charlotte,NC from Cola, SC; vehicle started losing power and eventually stopped. I called my husband to come and get me. We left the car overnight and picked it up the next morning. It started and we were able to drive it home. The next day it started doing the same thing. Took it to a mechanic that checked it and said that one of the cylinders was not firing.
Engine, Jan 12, 2022
This car is consuming oil at an alarming rate. There is not an oil leak on the ground or black smoke from the tailpipe. I have taken it into the shop and was informed that the oil consumption is in the acceptable range for Kia. I have to add over four quarts of oil every 3,000 miles between oil changes. With that much oil sitting in the engine burning off at some time or another is a fire risk. Also the warning light for a low oil does not come on. In my experience with this vehicle it has only flashed one time and when I checked the oil there was nothing on the dipstick. I have turned this information into Kia and my extended warranty company and neither one want to take responsibility and properly fix this motor with the known issues. Apparently my vehicle is not the only vehicle with the same motor by Kia who has had this issue. I would prefer to be proactive and have my motor replaced properly or fixed before my car catches on fire as this issue has resulted in many Kia vehicle fires. As grandmother of three under the age of 7 it would be very difficult for me to remove all three of my grandchildren from an emergency situation that could be preventable.
Engine, Jan 11, 2022
This vehicle has 64,554 miles on it and is under six years old. The oil has been changed regularly per the manufacturer's instructions, The engine is using an excessive amount of oil, 3/4 of a quart in less than 500 miles. This has to be due to a manufacturer's design flaw or production flaw. The engine is under a manufacturer's warranty for 10 years/100,000 miles. From abundant information available in the public domain, the manufacturer will not address this problem. It is available for inspection upon request. If the engine oil usage while driving causes the oil level to drop too low it could cause a catastrophic failure of the engine and an immediate stoppage of the vehicle while in traffic, putting my safety or the safety of others put at risk. The problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. From abundant information available in the public domain, the manufacturer will not address this problem. The vehicle or engine has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others. From abundant information available in the public domain, the manufacturer will not address this problem. I check the oil dipstick level very often and have never let the oil level fall below the "add line." There has not been any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the excessive oil usage problem other than me checking the oil dipstick level. The excessive oil usage problem first stared to appear at the 50,210 odometer reading on 12-15-2020
Power train, Vehicle speed control, Engine, Jan 11, 2022
Oil leak brakes out stopped running makes knocking noise when pushing gas pedal
Power train, Engine, Jan 10, 2022
The car was well maintained and oil was full but the engine started knocking over a short period and then came to a stop when switched to reverse. It can be turned off and on but the sound would continue. The gear shift and the steering would lock.
Engine, Jan 1, 2022
Pulled up to stop sign car stalled. Would not turn over. After a while it started, but was knocking. Called my Grandpa and he said engine was low on oil and connecting rod was knocking, No warning light ever came on. The safety issue at the time was that I was in a rural area with my 2 year old daughter in about 45 degree weather. c
Engine, Dec 31, 2021
Driving on highway, vehicle lost power. Ultimate diagnosed as a seized engine. Car was towed to our mechanic. After contacting Kia, they had us tow it to a local Kia dealer. After they diagnosed the same seized engine, they said they would not pay for repair, despite their being a class action suit settled by them. Car was brought back to our mechanic and a used engine was put in.
Electrical system, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Dec 30, 2021
The engine is failing with the light on. It is not getting enough power and is a safety risk. I only have had the car for a year and a half and the dealership I have gotten it from won't do anything. It has had a air compression test, new spark plugs, and has been reviewed by multiply parties saying it is not deem road safety. I called the Kia dealership and it says all the recalls were done but it doesn't seem like it. They are saying i pretty much need a new engine, I have not even had the car that long.
Engine, Dec 27, 2021
Total engine failure. Piston rods tore through engine block. Thankfully the vehicle did not catch on fire.
Engine, Dec 25, 2021
The engine coolant system has failed due an inherent engine block issue resulting in the engine requiring replacement. This issue has been confirmed by dealer repair technician and manager. This appears to be a common issue with the 2016 Kia Sorento engines in particular.