10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
4 / 28
Injuries / Deaths:
5 / 0
Average Mileage:
26,223 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2016 Kia Sorento engine problems

engine problem

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2016 Kia Sorento Owner Comments (Page 11 of 31)

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #401

Jun 042023

Sorento

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

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

- Jacksonville , FL, USA

problem #400

Jul 202022

Sorento

  • miles
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

- Greensboro , NC, USA

problem #399

Aug 122022

Sorento

  • miles
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.

- San Tan Valley, AZ, USA

problem #398

Jun 052023

Sorento

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

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.

- Jacksonville, FL, USA

problem #397

May 062023

Sorento

  • miles
Im driving my car then my engine totally shut down.

- Seattle, WA, USA

problem #396

Jun 172023

Sorento

  • miles
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.

- Royse City, TX, USA

problem #395

Jun 022023

Sorento

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

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.

- Chapel Hill, TN, USA

problem #394

Apr 282023

Sorento

  • miles
Motor siezed while driving in the freeway

- Rancho Cucamonga , CA, USA

problem #393

Apr 182023

Sorento

  • miles
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.

- Springfield, MO, USA

problem #392

Apr 232023

Sorento

  • miles
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?

- Jamaica, NY, USA

problem #391

Apr 132023

Sorento

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

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.

- Asbury, NJ, USA

problem #390

Apr 222023

Sorento 6-cyl

  • 143,928 miles
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.

- Granite Falls, WA, USA

problem #389

May 052023

Sorento

  • 143,000 miles
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.

- Lowell, MA, USA

problem #388

May 292023

Sorento

  • miles
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.

- Fort Wayne, IN, USA

problem #387

May 272023

Sorento

  • miles
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.

- Berryville, VA, USA

problem #386

Mar 012023

Sorento

  • miles
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.

- Fairfield , OH, USA

problem #385

Mar 242023

Sorento

  • miles
The car lost power while driving and the engine caught fire.

- Saint Paul , MN, USA

problem #384

Jan 042022

Sorento

  • miles
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

- Bangor, ME, USA

problem #383

Apr 232023

Sorento

  • miles
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 the highway tow truck to get me off he 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. Not having a vehicle is causing undue hardship for me and my children. Getting to work and my doctors appointment for chemo treatments is financially difficulty. It is a shame that KIA is allowed to duped consumers and put our lives at risk for profit without any consequences. I would never purchase another KIA vehicle and I warned my friends and family to stay away from KIA brands. Shame on you KIA. Shame on you KIA.

- Jamaica, NY, USA

problem #382

Dec 252022

Sorento

  • miles
Engine failed with less than 92000 miles on it. Apparently had been running hot but no warnings lights came to indicate rise in engine temperature.

- Euclid, OH, USA

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