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, 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.
Power train, Jan 6, 2022
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the gear shifter would not shift out of PARK. The contact had to use a screwdriver to override the gear shifter. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the diagnosis was unknown. The vehicle was not repaired and remained at the dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000. The VIN was unavailable.
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.
Engine, Dec 24, 2021, fire
We drive, a lot. Across state. On highways. Our car engine caught fire and everything shut off. Prior to that. I kept hearing a knocking noise, it was hard to accelerate. Jerky to brake. I was advised by Kia we were in that awful theta 2 claim, but now they won’t reimburse us for this mess. Don’t they have a responsibility after putting my entire family in danger?
Engine, Dec 19, 2021
On December 18, 2021, my 2016 Kia Sorento with approximately 20,100 miles, 2.4L Gasoline Direct Injection ("GDI") engine suddenly lost power on an eight lane Washington, DC area highway. The Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) began to blink continuously. The first opportunity for an exit navigating through the construction zone, with the vehicle rapidly failing, was taken and the dealer, Ourisman Chantilly of Virginia, was contacted immediately. This confirms that the Kia Motors America, Inc. Product Improvement Campaign for the Electronic Control Unit (ECU) Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) was installed on January 12, 2019, with a mileage reading of 13,726 in the Commonwealth of Virginia at Ourisman Chantilly of Virginia. The NHTSA Recall ID: 18V907000 for the high-pressure fuel pump leakage, Kia recall number SC172, includes 2012-2017 Sorentos. This could be a major fire hazard and pose a serious threat for injury or death. This vehicle has no safety recalls with the NHTSA; the list of affected Sorento 2016 VINS excludes my vehicle. This dangerous defect of engine failure in a well-maintained, low mileage vehicle sold to me as a five-star safety rated "Pre-Delivery Inspection" (PDI) certified with no mechanical issues and examined as safe, may have had the apparent defects from the purchase date with the mileage delivery of nine (9).
Engine, Dec 19, 2021
I own a 2016 Kia Sorento with the 2.4L that is supposed to have a lifetime warranty on the engine due to the class action law suit apparently Kia which refuses to honor. I was driving on the interstate one day when my car started to go into limp mode and started to knock really bad my car eventually shut off completely and wouldn’t crank again after that I had it towed to Kia and they informed me that I needed a new engine and that Kia will not cover it for the fact that the car never received a knock sensor update( which I never record a notice in the mail for either by the way ) so now I have a car that isn’t drivable and I have to keep making payments on Kia should be required to honor the lawsuit and recall these vehicles due to this being a safety issue because the car gives you no warning what so ever and seems like more and more of these vehicles are having the same issue this is just ridiculous and I will never buy another Kia again after this
Power train, Electrical system, Engine, Dec 16, 2021
I was driving my vehicle up a hill. I accelerator a little. The car picked up speed then my oil light flickered and then stayed steady, along with the battery indicator. At this point my engine shut down and the car began to slow down. I came up on a side street that I turned into, because at this point the car was slowing down and loosing power and the breaks were not functioning, I would have either stalled and rolled backwards, or myself and my child would have been rear-ended. All the lights still work and everything come on, so I know its not the battery. My oil light flickered a little when I went around a turn a few times prior to this day, but never steady. No other indicator lights came on. The car is at my mechanics, who advises me the engine has seized and the vehicle has no oil. My last oil change was 3.5 months ago and according to the counter I'm only 99 miles over, which should not have caused this. Even though I was told I had up to 4,000 miles before I needed an oil change again. All of my fluids were checked at this appointment and this is the first major issue with my vehicle.
Electrical system, Engine, Dec 16, 2021
There are two major issues with my 2016 Kia Sorento LX (that I’ve just bought less than a year ago). 1- There seems to be some sort of electrical problem going on as my radio and headlights randomly go off when driving. While driving at 70 mph on the interstate AT NIGHT, my headlights when off and I couldn’t see anything! Thankfully I was able to get them back on because I had my children in the car with me. This could have caused us to drive right off the road or worse, hit/be hit by another vehicle. Unfortunately, I have not had a chance to get this looked at due to a bigger issue at hand. Which brings me to… 2- The most expensive and frustrating issue. The engine has seized up, which has been confirmed by a local service center. I have kept up the maintenance on my vehicle since I got it at the beginning of this year. Regular oil changes with full synthetic oil. While driving, again on the interstate, RPM jumped over 4 then down to 0, oil and battery lights came on, and vehicle was disabled. Waited 3 weeks to have it looked at to find that I’m just out of luck. Vehicle is not covered under warranty and there seem to be no open recalls, which I don’t understand given this is a painfully common issue with these models. So I either get to foot the $7,000+ bill for a new engine (which I can’t afford) or continue paying for a vehicle that I can’t even drive. To say that I am dissatisfied with my KIA would be a GREAT understatement.
Engine and engine cooling, Engine, Dec 15, 2021
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while reversing out of the garage, she noticed there was a puddle of oil on the ground. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and diagnosed with an engine oil pressure switch leak. The oil pressure switch needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The manufacturer informed the contact that they would contact her back in 3 - 5 days. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Action Number: DP21002 (Engine, Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 78,000.
Engine, Dec 12, 2021
The engine is burning oil per the dealership. This is a known problem with the vehicle, but the dealership claims it is not covered by warranty, nor has a recall been issued. I have to constantly add oil every 500-1000 miles. Other Kia engines have been recalled for this exact issue.
Electrical system, Vehicle speed control, Engine, Dec 7, 2021
While my Kia Sorento had a chattering noise. When leaving home for an appointment l took the interstate and the chatter sound got louder about 10 minutes into driving. As I increased acceleration, the check engine light began to flash quickly and immediately The SUV started losing power and the engine stalled coasting long enough for me to pull to side of road. I tried to re-start the engine but it would not turn over to start. Twice in the past my husband took the SUV to Kia of Dayton Because car was losing oil with no warning light indicating it was low on oil. The mechanic explained there was a problem, he said that it had to be proven after a couple of oil changes and same problem occurred, which it has repeated twice. They said then they had to contact Kia for further instructions on how to proceed. The danger that affected my 91 year old Dad and myself is that we were stranded on a busy highway with no heat on a cold winter day. I had to find transportation to get my Dad home, because he takes blood thinner which causes him to get cold very easily.
Engine, Dec 3, 2021
have a 2016 kia Sorento, 4 cylinder, 2.4 L engine with 74.5k miles. The ecu upgrade was performed in 2019. This month while driving, the engine lost power and the car would shudder. The oil dipstick showed no oil and the oil light and check engine lights were illuminated. The car was towed to the local dealership. The dealership mechanic found that cylinder #2 had only 30psi of pressure and 90% leakage and a possible burnt exhaust valve. Error code P030200 was also present. Their recommendation was to replace the engine. HOWEVER, they say these repairs are NOT covered by my extended warranty OR the lifetime warranty coverage resulting from the Kia Theta II class action lawsuit. I feel this engine failure is covered by the Kia engine class action lawsuit and the dealership and warranty company are not honoring the class action settlement.
Engine, Dec 3, 2021
Oil burns fast into catalytic converter. Dealer and corporation know of problem bit won't recall. Many people are complaining about the same thing. It's a safety fire Hazzard
Engine, Dec 2, 2021
My wife was driving to work when the engine lost power and started making a rattling noise. I took the vehicle to my trusted mechanic who informed me that the engine needs to be replaced due to excessive oil consumption. Not once did I receive any type of oil warning light on my dash informing me of an oil issue. My vehicle has almost 1,000 miles left before the next scheduled oil change. My engine is destroyed and it is going to cost 4,500 dollars to replace with a [XXX] engine from a SALVAGE YARD. But I have no other option because I cannot afford anything more. In December, three weeks before Christmas. This is unreal that this vehicle consumes that much oil. My car has 57,000 miles on it. It's basically new. Now I have to depreciate its value and probably reliability with an engine from a totaled car. Despicable. There NEEDS to be a recall on this and reimbursement to those who had to buy a new engine. Safety concerns: My wife drives my children to school every day in that car. Luckily it failed when they weren't inside. My wife had to drive the car miles home at an unsafe slow speed causing a road hazard. Components have not been inspected by the manufacturer yet but will be sent to Kia by my mechanic. NO WARNING LAMPS UNTIL MY ENGINE WAS TAKING ITS LAST BREATH ON THE WAY TO THE MECHANIC. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).
Engine, Dec 1, 2021
The 2016 Kia Sorrento we drove for 6 months, odometer reading under 82 000 mi had complete engine failure with no warning. It started to rattle when shifting to a new gear and completely broke down on the way to the dealership the next day. The Kia Dealer has confirmed the engine failed. We had no warning of engine issues.
Vehicle speed control, Engine, Nov 26, 2021
My children and I were on the freeway, and when I pushed the accelerator, nothing happened. No rpm increase, no engine change…nothing. I have had my car looked at and diagnosed, and nothing alerts to being wrong. The screen said Engine Control System, the engine light came on, and I had to pull all the way over across 4 lanes of traffic on the freeway, without being able to accelerate. I pulled over, put the car in park, and waited about 10 minutes. I turned the car back on and everything was fine. I do not understand. This is a safety hazard!
Engine, Nov 26, 2021
My vehicle without any warning whatsoever, completely shut down while driving in interstate traffic. This was a very dangerous thing to happen while driving on a busy interstate. I was able to get to the side of the road but the vehicle would not start. I had my vehicle towed to my mechanics shop where he determined that the motor had failed due to cylinder/piston damage. I was denied coverage by KIA so my only choice was to pay my mechanic to replace the motor with a remanufactured motor at a cost of $9000.
Steering, Nov 19, 2021
Steering sticking, second time. Now they changed the rack and pinion. Thank God I had extended service warranty. $4000.00
Engine, Nov 17, 2021
I just bought my car in March of this year. It started overheating so I brought it to the mechanic where I was quoted $9,000 for a new motor. I still owe $17,000 on it. Was completely disrespected at the dealership by the service department. So now I’m stuck with a car that doesn’t drive and a huge loan I have to pay out. I was told that the oil level in my car was extremely low. I just recently had it changed and wasn’t due for over a month for another. No light sensor or anything went off.