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: other or unspecified
165 reports, newest first. Show all
Other or unspecified, Engine, Mar 29, 2023
My engine stalled while Driving, There was no warning it just cut off. The car would not turn over to start only a click. I held the key in the start position it started, the engine shook and it cut off immediately. What is wrong with my car ???? The oil is good, the coolant is good etc.
Structure, Other or unspecified, Mar 16, 2023
My 2016 Kia Sorento has large places on the body (hood, roof, door rails) where the paint has peeled off extensively. We noticed the paint peeling on the hood in August 2022 and the roof and door rails were noticed this month, March 2023.
Other or unspecified, Mar 10, 2023
Car will not shift out of Park
Other or unspecified, Firerelated, Mar 9, 2023, fire
While driving on a major high my vehicle suddenly caught fire. There were no warning lights and my vehicle was not in a collision. The road was clear and I was in a steady flow of traffic.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Feb 21, 2023
1. Local neighborhood mechanic (s) after many checks determined head gasket blown and unable to repair. Requires complete NEW engine. Car has 120k. Good condition no other major mechanical issues. Shop estimate is $10,000 to repair. 2. Gear shift won’t budge - must use a flat head screw driver to shift gears 3. Passenger front door sticks and has trouble opening door. Was shown this video about issues and thought I was only one having but I have several of the issues listed here.never even tried to fix #2 & 3 bc with kids and all didn’t have extra money. Bought car brand new. Only owner. I am looking for guidance on how to proceed cause this is like a punch in face 10k to fix! https://youtu.be/Suv945jAcfo
Other or unspecified, Structure, Jan 30, 2023
2016 KIA SORENTO. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARD TO PAINT PEELING ON VEHICLE.
Other or unspecified, Jan 5, 2023
My vehicle broke down on 12/23/2022, it seemed engine failure. It happened while I was arriving to my job in the evening. I parked my car on parking lot and did not move it. Due to Christmas holiday, I was unable to tow the vehicle to my closest KIA Dealership (Owings Mills, MD) until 12/27/2022. Once my vehicle was towed, the KIA Dealership informed me that my vehicle had a total of four (4) Recalls, but one of the recalls expired. I informed the KIA Dealership that I never received Recall Notifications from any KIA department regarding my vehicle. Kia Dealership referred me to contact KIA Corporation at 1-800-333-4542, because they were not able to assist me with any vehicle repairs and it seemed this was an engine issue related to a recall. On 12/27/2022, with the help of a family member I contacted KIA Corp. and confirmed they did not have my personal information on their records in relation to my vehicle. I was advised they only had information about my vehicle's prior owner. I provided all my information: name, address, phone number, email address. I inquired about the recall notification issue and they stated it was my responsibility to look for recalls on my vehicle. However, KIA Corp. acknowledged they sent notices to prior owner on 12/7/2018 and 6/12/2019. I have escalated this matter to KIA Corp and received no help. They failed to send me recall notices, and as I understand is their responsibility to confirm ownership information through MVA and to send recalls to the current owner of the car. Please understand, I financed this vehicle through a KIA Dealership and still owe money for this vehicle. KIA even offered extended warranty, which I added when I financed this vehicle, but they refused to fix my car due to recall issue. I need your help to get this situation resolve, because the dealership now says it will cost me over $7000 to get this fix and this is not my fault. KIA Corp and Dealership have failed me. Thanks.
Other or unspecified, Dec 30, 2022
I have a 2016 Kia Sorento with Pearl White Paint. My paint started chipping/pilling off. I would really call it pilling because it comes off while going down the road. It’s start with a small spot on the driver side with part that goes up the windshield. At first we thought it was from a rock but later that day more paint was missing. I just noticed that now a huge section on my roof right above the windshield is now doing the same thing. The spots are growing rapidly and more of them are happening.
Other or unspecified, Dec 17, 2022
What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? A tow hatch could catch on fire when driving which is terribly dangerous and saying it could cause fire while being parked as well. How do you expect people to keep driving and be stressed about being burned? How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Me and my family and I have been put at risk by letting us know that when driving our vehicle a fire can start anytime and we have to park away from all other cars outside. We live in a community where kids are playing outside all the time so if a fire does start not only are we putting ourselves in danger when driving the car but other people live if the car goes into flames. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? I have contacted a Kia dealer where I live and nobody has reached back out to me about the situation and that was the first that I received the letter. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? It hasn't been inspected by a dealer if the dealer will not respond back and they are not taking appointments online from the Kia Dealer. If I am not hearing anything back I will have to take this further because, someone can get hurt if it's a recall on my car. I need a new car or something. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? I didn't have any warnings because I always take my car to Valvoline for an oil change and they give me a paper if something is needed done to the car and this never came up until I received the message from GEiCO and the letter in the mail about the recall.
Other or unspecified, Dec 13, 2022
The car is burning through a lot of oil and I see smoke from the engine bay (back of engine) though i don't see leaks under the car. It smells like burning oil.
Other or unspecified, Dec 3, 2022
Gear shift unable to put into drive, and unable to reset. I have to use a screwdriver to maneuver gear shift
Other or unspecified, Dec 2, 2022
The oil pressure switch is leaking and has leaked oil into the engine harness. The engine harness and PCM need to be replaced. I was told it’s not safe to drive. This issue has been flagged as a warranty issue 3.3L engine, but is yet to be approved for the 2.4L engine. My car only has 46,875 miles on it and this issue should be approved to be covered under new vehicle limited warranty coverage.
Other or unspecified, Nov 30, 2022
There is an URGENT FIRE RISK that they aren't fixing! How can there just NOT be a remedy? Please make Kia fix it?
Other or unspecified, Nov 28, 2022
My car is facing a huge amount of oil consumption in a short time period of a month after change the oil. I have an appointment this morning and see what they can do.
Structure, Other or unspecified, Nov 27, 2022
The hood of the car has large amounts of paint peeling. The paint peeling has progressively worsened. The paint on the roof of the car also has a similar problem with the paint.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Nov 23, 2022
My 2016 Sorento started using oil in between oil changes last summer. Per Kia dealership's instructions, I performed an "oil consumption test" which resulted in being told that it was using oil, but not enough to qualify for any type of repairs or assistance from Kia. I continued getting the oil changed on schedule and adding additional oil in between changes, checking the oil almost daily. Now, my engine has completely locked up and have been told I need a new engine, at my own expense of course. Kia should be made to fix these cars! I took good care of my car with regular oil changes and overall maintenance. This is obviously a case of a bad product on Kia's part, and they should be made to stand by their work!
Other or unspecified, Engine, Nov 15, 2022
October 30th 2022 I was driving with my 3&4 yr old son's after dropping my fiance off to fish. I had run to the store and on the way back to pick him up the car completely died without ANY waring at a Stop sign. Everything just shut down Completely! I called a tow truck and he was unable to jump me so the car was towed. The mechanic said my engine was seized and sounded like it had bolts rattling around the engine, he also mentioned he has seen this in 5 engines this past couple weeks!!! I was recommended to bring it to a Kia dealership to further inspect. I found paperwork for an extended warranty on Oil Pressure Switch Leaking, the dealership only looked at this part and said it was ok and the warranty doesn't cover the engine only that part. The dealer and mechanic said there was oil in the car and they could tell we put new filters recently ( which we did on our last oil change ).I was then recommended to contact Kia consumer affairs to enter a claim. I have done so and been denied. I will call today to file again. A new engine was quoted to cost $13,000. I was told to have the engine examined would be $1,500. And I would be responsible and still have to pay for the new engine. My car has 90,366 miles and is our only vehicle. After researching how many other poor people this is affecting and had almost exact same thing happen to them is CRAZY!!! Something needs to be done. Reading Kia is known for engine failure and leaking head gaskets being a manufacturer error but something they won't help you with is criminal. How is anyone supposed to be able to afford this problem? I'm hoping with enough reports something will happen so this gets resolved. I know we were lucky to be unharmed but I know some have not been so lucky. We need to feel safe in our car, especially with our boys.
Other or unspecified, Oct 30, 2022
Sunscreen spontaneously exploded. Open highway, no surrounding debris, no trees, etc.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Oct 13, 2022
Desconocido
Other or unspecified, Engine, Fuel/propulsion system, Oct 6, 2022
I was driving the car at approximately 40 mph. The engine light flashed on briefly. I immediately lost power and had no acceleration. The light went off but the car stopped. The incident put myself and others at risk as I lost power and was in an area where I shouldn't have stopped and it became a traffic hazard. The car is currently at the KIA dealership. There were not prior lights, messages or symptoms prior to the failure. I am the first and only owner with approx 55 k miles. Never had an issue before. Dealership conducted all oil changes and maintenance.
Seat belts, Other or unspecified, Oct 6, 2022
This morning while driving on the highway I was unable to accelerate. It triggered an engine light & then went off. I have taken my car in for paid services a few months back just to be told to wait until my car knocks in order for them to replace the engine. This is unsafe and an terrifying option on the highway with my Children.
Other or unspecified, Aug 21, 2022
I noticed a little spot on the hood of my car. It has since continued to peel. It was not hit by anything.
Other or unspecified, Aug 18, 2022
Paint Peeling, Chipping, and Delamination from faulty paint job using Pearl white paint. Car in danger of body rusting and continued severe peeling. My car has low mileage and I live in Northern Virginia. I generally drive kids to and from school.
Other or unspecified, Engine, Aug 15, 2022
I purchased my 2016 KIA Sorento in October of 2018. Oil changes and everything has always been up to date along with regular maintenance. I never had any issues with it then in April 2022 I was driving to work and had complete engine failure with only 88k miles on it. The first obstacle was reaching KIA corporate. Would call several times a day just to be on hold for 30 plus minutes and sometimes over an hour. After speaking to several different people, they advised there was nothing to they could do, and I would have to pay for it out of pocket due to them saying they sent a piece of paper to the fist owner in June/July 2018 and then another one to me the end of 2019 or 2020. They were unsure of when it was sent to me and there was no proof that I received it. With my hands being tied since still owed money on it I went ahead and paid the $5700 to have my engine replaced. Fast forward I finally got my car back the end of July and two days later realized my heat no longer worked (worked before car went in to have engine replaced). Here it is over two weeks later, and I still do not have my car back. I have to call the dealership for an update and when I do call them, they have no clue who I am or why I am calling. Even though throughout this whole process with engine have only spoken to 1 service rep. KIA’s customer service across the board is very poor. I called the dealership today and they said they finally heard back from corporate again to try and run more tests and they will follow up with me by EOB I am not holding my breathe.
Steering, Electrical system, Other or unspecified, Jul 31, 2022
Ignition switch/steering column lock/anti-theft device. It is widely known key start KIA-Hyundai vehicles are easy to steal due to lack of sufficient steering column/ignition switch/anti theft device which makes these high risk vehicles for theft which also puts owners and bystanders at unreasonable risk of violence. These same vehicles sold in Canada and elsewhere are equipped with different parts making them much more theft resistant. KIA-Hyundai therefore made a decision to NOT install on US market vehicles, deliberately indifferent to safety of owners, occupants, and others of violence and of increased vehicle theft.