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
1,251 reports, newest first.
Engine, Apr 5, 2022
I was driving and suddenly the car started to hesitate. I pressed the gas down more but the car continued to lose power. The car did continue to drive, but only at about 35 mph. I was luckily very close to a rest station on the New Jersey Turnpike. And as I was coming up to a toll, the rest of the traffic was slowing down. If this had happened a few miles later, I certainly could have been in an accident as I slowed down and the rest of the cars would have continued to speed by. The car was towed to my Kia dealer as the check engine light was flashing and I did not want to drive it there due to the distance I was from the dealership. Their analysis found that cylinder #1 fuel injector was stuck in an open position. This caused the spark plug to become fowled. Both the cylindar and the plug had to be replaced. To date, it appears that the fix was successful. The dealer said there was a possibility that the catalytic converter may have to be replaced if I drove too long with the fuel injector not operating correctly. I drove approximately 2 miles. There were not warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms before the problem. No police or insurance company representatives involved.
Other or unspecified, Apr 5, 2022
I was driving on Route 78 (an interstate highway) when I heard a loud "POP" and suddenly my sunroof's glass was raining down on me. The front window of my sunroof totally shattered leaving a huge hole in the roof. Luckily, I did not lose control of the vehicle as I tried to figure out what happened to the sunroof. I recently had to have the car towed and I did not want to wait for another tow truck so I drove home with the huge hole in the roof. Upon my arrival home, my husband met me with the shop vac and he cleaned up the glass. His notes about the situation - there were no scratches or dents on any part of the car, there was no foreign object in the car that may have fallen through the roof, and he thought that the amount of glass he vacuumed out was not all of the glass missing from the roof. He believed that a lot of the glass must have burst out of the window and onto the highway. The next day when I drove home (in another car as mine was unable to be used for several days), I looked to see if I could see an unusual object on the side of the road that could have perfectly missed my windshield but hit my sunroof. There was nothing out of the ordinary on the road. FYI - The day's weather was fair, in the high 50-s to low 60-s. It was a cloudy but dry day. I posted my harrowing experience on Facebook, and a friend told me about the NHTSA.gov website. Upon searching, I found that several other 2016 Kia Sorentos had exploding sunroof issues. I reported the issue to my insurance company as I wanted to know how much my deductible was. Unfortunately, the cost is coming out of my pocket. I have since had the window fixed. I did not file a police report as I honestly believed that somehow something got kicked up off the road and onto my roof. I do not believe that to be the case anymore. I did call my local Kia dealer and he was shocked to hear what happened. He did not say he had any experiences like this.
Other or unspecified, Apr 4, 2022
my vehicle is exhibiting symptoms of a defective gas pedal as described in kia recall SC115 for the 2016 kia sorento. however my vehicle is not part of the recall group. i took my car to the dealer to request this recall (SC115) be done on my vehicle but they would not make an exception. my vehicle is unsafe to drive because the accelerator pedal will randomly stop working causing the vehicle to go into "forced idle" mode for several minutes while driving on the road. this is dangerous because the car just idles and will not accelerate. kia dealer has inspected the vehicle but will not assist me with this recall issue.
Engine, Apr 4, 2022
.The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an intersection, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated he was able to pull over in a parking lot and had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,673.
Engine, Apr 3, 2022
Kia stated this “the heads are blown and not repairable after the threads were pulled through the block.A replacement engine is quite expensive, $13,433.85+tax.” The coolant leaked and kia repair was not sure whether the heated engine caused the fluid to leak or whether the fluid leaked causing engine to over heat. Still owed $5k on this car at time of loss. Kia refused to consider repair under Goodwill.
Engine, Mar 31, 2022
Oil burning fast, oil light never came on to notify me of low oil levels. Car stalled and is now making knocking sounds. I have to have my car towed to the dealership to see what is wrong with it.
Engine, Mar 29, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 111,101.
Engine, Mar 29, 2022
In January 2022, as I was driving approximately 45 mph, I happened to check my dashboard to see my temperature gauge was on “H” without any warning lights and light smoke coming from beneath the hood. I was approximately two miles from my home so I turned on the heat at full blast to draw some of the heat from the engine to the vehicle's cabin. After checking under the hood, I noticed the coolant level was below normal and based upon that observation, drove it to a nearby auto repair and service location for further review. Two days later, ! was informed that a gasket on the coolant side of the engine had failed and an engine replacement was necessary. They further suggested I contact my dealer to determine whether the engine replacement would be covered under warranty or was part of a recall. After contacting my local Kia dealer (the largest Kia dealer in Virginia), I arranged to have it towed to them to have a full diagnostic run to determine whether the engine needed to be replace. Although our vehicle was not one of the 2016 models under the engine recall, we were told that if certain conditions were met, Kia America would replace the engine at no cost as it would be covered. After having our vehicle for four (4) weeks, our dealer confirmed the engine gasket failure (on the coolant system side), that it was a manufacturer defect and requested Kia America replace at no cost to us. Our dealer confirmed that all service (including oil changes and schedule maintenance) was performed by them from the time of purchase (showroom floor new; bought car with 5 miles on it) while the car was under warranty (up to 100K miles) and the service was up to date. With that information, Kia America denied the request for the engine replacement.
Other or unspecified, Mar 27, 2022
Paint chipping in large areas occurring rapidly over the course of 6-7 months with no external damage or accidents to cause this.
Engine, Mar 26, 2022
My 2016 Kia Sorento stopped as I pulled in my driveway. Engine was seized up and I had no oil light indication, or any light of any kind before this happened. Took it to dealer and they said I had to replace motor. They wanted $10,000 to replace it. It only had 70,220 miles on the motor. I’ve driven a couple dozen cars over my life time and have never had an engine fail. This was is January 2022.
Engine, Mar 25, 2022
Took vehicle in 2 day after I received recall notice.Dealership availability was 2 weeks away they told me I needed a starter and few sensors and my bill would $1700. After borrowing the funds called to pick vehicle up and was told by manager he let his master technician take a look at it trying to figure out why I needed a starter. Master technician turned the engine and it locked. They say I’ll have to replace the engine at the cost of $8000. Reason waited to late to bring recall in. Which is insane, I still owe $10,000 on the vehicle that’s not running. Your facilitation in this matter is both wanted and appreciated. Respectfully
Engine, Mar 24, 2022
Bought this vehicle used, at 98k miles, regularly serviced for oil changes, wasn’t due for an oil change for about 1k more miles and while driving down an interstate- the vehicle would not go above 65 mph. Pulled over and the oil was low, got it home and had the oil changed, still had issues so had it taken to a full service shop at 106k miles where I was told it was just a misfire so they replaced spark plugs and coil packs, drove it for a total of 30 minutes after picking up and the check engine light began flashing so I took it back to the shop where they told me there was knocking in the engine and it would need to be replaced.
Structure, Mar 23, 2022
The car was purchased new in 2016. Paint began peeling above the passenger door August 27, 2021 at the dealer service center carwash after a routine oil change. Its been peeling more since then. We have read of other owners having very serious paint peeling on there Sorentos. Estimates to repaint the panel are up to $1000. The car has 71,000 miles on it.
Engine, Mar 22, 2022
While on the highway and driving 75 miles per hour, the car engine seized with no warning at all. There were no warnings on the dash and the engine completely died. The mechanic said he has already had 3 of the exact same instances happen this week alone. The mechanic himself had the same exact issue happen. He explained there was oil in it, and this is a nationwide problem with Kia Sorento's. My dealer said they can't even diagnose the car for two months! Once it's approved to fix, it will be another 2-3 months! The car only had 94,500 miles on it. I asked the dealer what folks are doing and she said they're buying "beater" cars in the meantime. Well we are all left with no trade in value for our car, we have no transportation for 6 months, and vehicles are at an all time high right now. What are consumers supposed to do?!? Kia needs to make right with this. Most folks can't afford to be without a vehicle for 6 months.
Engine, Mar 21, 2022
While I was driving on the highway my car jumped then the engine light came on and the car just died. They was this really weird smell that was coming from the car as I was pulling over. I then opened the hood of the car and the engine was smoking. I looked under the car and oil was coming out from the bottom engine block. I grabbed my stuff and walked as far away as I could because I was scared the car was going to catch fire.
Vehicle speed control, Mar 21, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would hesitate or fail to accelerate upon depression of the accelerator pedal; the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact initially took the vehicle to an independent mechanic where a diagnostic code showed that the throttle position sensor was defective. Upon further investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V089000 (Vehicle Speed Control) which he linked to the failure. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer and he was informed that his vehicle was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided information about an extended warranty that the vehicle qualified for; however, upon calling the dealer, the contact was informed that his vehicle did not qualify for the warranty. The vehicle was not repaired and remained in the possession of the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 69,500.
Engine, Mar 19, 2022
The engine is knocking. You can hear it when the car is stopped. The engine has gradually been burning oil. The oil comes on 3500 miles after a synthetic oil change consistently. This is has occurred since 80k miles. The car is currently at 94k miles.
Electrical system, Engine, Mar 16, 2022
in August of 2021 I received a mailer notifying me of a recall & software update to prevent my engine from blowing up. I immediately scheduled the software update for the begining of September and that was completed. In October of 2021 I was driving the vehicle when it began to make an odd noise. No dashboard lights were triggered -so I tried to get to my next stop to evaluate, on the way the vehicle remained on but the ability to use the gas and actually increase speed ceased. It was sputtering when I was able to pull off into a parking lot and the check engine light finally appeared. We evaluated the oil and it was dry. No oil lights ever appeared. Had this occurred on a highway or busy roadway this could have had a tragic ending. The vehicle was regularly serviced per service schedule. The vehicle had a recent oil change before the software update and a multipoint inspection with the software update. The vehicle had to be towed and evaluated at the dealership which determined it was covered under the new warranty due to class action lawsuit on the faulty engines. Repairs took almost a month and the warranty coverage was denied and argued repeatedly.
Engine, Mar 15, 2022
The Head Bolt was stripped, because it was entered backwards causing the Head Gasket to blow, the right-side cylinder head to be replaced, along with the oil filter housing, because it was cracked. The Vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Engine could've locked while driving, killing us, and others. The problem was inspected by the manufacturer, warranty representatives, and Kia mechanics. After a BG Cooling system Service was completed the smell of antifreeze/coolant stayed with the vehicle. A recheck by the Kia mechanic found the flush was blocked, and they re-flushed the cooling system. After that the temperature gage was moving from hot to cold, the fan continued to stay on after the vehicle was shut off.
Electrical system, Engine, Mar 14, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH the vehicle experienced an unknown electrical failure and was taken to an unknown dealer; however, the mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and stated that no issues were found. On another occasion while driving 35 MPH and depressing the brake pedal while she was approaching a STOP sign, the vehicle jerked abruptly, stalled, and lost electrical power. The contact stuck her arm out of the window to notify the vehicle behind her. The contact depressed the brake pedal to stop the vehicle but it felt rigid and failed to respond. The vehicle continued to roll until coming to a complete stop. The contact stated that the vehicle restarted independently. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact then continued to drive the vehicle; however, the vehicle was jerking while driving. The contact pulled into a local Pep Boys for an oil change and continued to drive. The dealer was notified of the failure and an appointment was scheduled for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.
Vehicle speed control, Mar 12, 2022
The vehicle has failed to accelerate in various situations, i.e., after coming to a complete stop and turning onto a street with opposing and oncoming traffic. The issue has occurred intermittently for ~two months. Sometimes weeks without the issue resurfacing. Today, after running one errand early in the morning, the engine check appeared when we started the car and the vehicle went into limp mode. We barely got the car home, with little control of the acceleration. We could have been involved in an accident if this occurred while on the highway or turning onto a street from a heavily traveled intersection. This is a severe safety issue.
Engine, Other or unspecified, Mar 10, 2022
in September 2021 between regular oil changes, lost most of oil and check engine light on. After using many quarts of oil, service center replaced the valve cover gaskets needed. Misfiring of engine traced to cylinder damage due to loss of oil. Evaluation and diagnosis by local independent service center, recommended replacing engine.
Engine, Mar 9, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The oil warning light was illuminated. The vehicle had been taken monthly to the dealer since August 2021 for an oil consumption test. The contact was informed that the vehicle consumed a quart and a half of oil every 800 miles, and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 81,630.
Lane departure, Mar 8, 2022
Usually when raining I get a "Blind spot detection CANCELED " notice on the dash and BSD does not work
Engine, Mar 5, 2022
Driving on the highway, the check engine light came on and the car began running rough. I pulled over off the highway as soon as I could and had the car towed. I was told the car has no compression on cylinder 3 and has codes P0300, P0301, and P0303. Kia tells me I need a new engine at estimated cost of $8800. Prior to this event the vehicle has been burning excessive oil (no oil light on despite once needing to add 4 quarts). Dealership did 2 oil consumption tests on separate occasions and told me it was burning oil within normal limits and took no action.