10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
4 / 28
Injuries / Deaths:
5 / 0
Average Mileage:
25,743 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.

Get notified about new defects, investigations, recalls & lawsuits for the 2016 Kia Sorento:

Unsubscribe any time. We don't sell/share your email.

« Read the previous 20 complaints

problem #409

Jul 172023

Sorento

  • miles
My issues began when the vehicle was leaking oil, took it to dealer and was told I needed a valve cover gasket (?). After that repair the vehicle began to burn oil excessively. I noticed this after the check engine light came on previously. I took it to the dealer and was told I needed spark plugs. Plugs were replaced but the vehicle continued to burn oil. Check engine light came on. At approximately 7am as I traveled on a very busy highway so my Kia Sorento began to sputter before losing power.

- Ellenwood , GA, USA

problem #408

Jun 092023

Sorento

  • 122,000 miles
The contact owned a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at 70 MPH and accelerating uphill, the vehicle rapidly decelerated, and lost motive power before reaching the top of the hill. The contact was able to safely exit the freeway but was afterwards unable to reach RPM's above 2,000. The check engine warning light was illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a general engine failure. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer for a second opinion, which confirmed the engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 122,000.

- La Puente, CA, USA

problem #407

Jun 032023

Sorento

  • miles
was driving at 11mph and car would not Accelerate almost causing and accident issues with engine sparking flames fuel system problems, transmission issues when putting the vehicle into park. Engine problems check engine light keeps blinking on an off system says park vehicle do to diagnosed problems. suspension issues afraid to drive vehicle do to so many safety problems.

- Jacksonville, FL, USA

problem #406

Jun 182023

Sorento

  • 114,000 miles
On Fathers Day, my 2016 Sorento had a flashing check engine light. I pulled it over and had it towed to the dealer I purchased it from. While they thought it was a knock sensor, they could not ensure that would fix the problem. I then had it towed to another mechanic who diagnosed it as a bad connecting rod in the motor.. It was at this time that they told me there was a recall for this type of engine, which is the 2.4 TDI. After contacting 4 dealerships, Kia of Lanham agreed to look at it but I must show proof of the last 10 oil changes. Fortunately, while I just purchased the truck in December 2022, the Carfax report detailed that the SUV had been serviced by a Kia dealership in VA. I have incurred 3 towing charges, 2 diagnostic fees plus a 2 week car rental until I could purchase another vehicle. Finally, it is well known by many mechanics that Kia-??s customer service is often poor and st times, quite arrogant. If my 7 year old, 114k mile Sorento is not repaired, I will NEVER buy another Kia or Hyundai product again.

- Camp Springs, MD, USA

problem #405

Jun 152023

Sorento

  • miles
I was accelerating as normal and as soon as i got up to speed my car started to decelerate without me pushing the break. I could then not accelerate at all. I was able to pull off to the shoulder/ median of the road and was thankfully able to avoid a crash. Once I was stopped I could not accelerate anymore. I turned off the engine and was not able to restart it. There was no check engine light warning or any warning for that matter. I had to get the car towed to a local car shop. They did an evaluation and told me the engine seized and it would be an estimate of $11,000 to replace the engine. I went to research and found out there has been a recall on the exact year, model and engine of my car and there was never and notice of this or that there has been other safety problems with Kia sorentos.

- Evergreen Park , IL, USA

problem #404

Jun 202023

Sorento

  • miles
Shift lock does not come out of park. Started September 2022. Excessive oil burning 2 quarts a month( every 500 miles) Started June 2022 Low oil light does not turn on ever Electrical issues. Locks turn on and of every time I open door. Check engine light is always on. Since I bought the car. Kia tried fixing but it didn't help. Now have engine failure.

- Waynesville, MO, USA

problem #403

May 142023

Sorento

  • miles
The oil pressure switch failed in our 2006 Kia Sorento with 46,681 miles. We purchased this car new from same Kia dealer that services it. The oil leaking from the pressure switch got onto the exhaust manifold, and lots oil had traveled through wiring harnesses and got inside electrical connectors including half filling inside the computer unit ECM/ECU? main pin wiring connection. After searching online I found that many other people have reported the same oil leaking problem with the oil pressure switch in various Kia vehicles, though the Kia dealership told me there is no recall for it. This was surprising to me especially when I noticed smoke coming off of manifold when I took it to the Kia service center, and when their repair service man sent me a video from Kia showing the amount of oil that leaked up the wires inside of harness into the electrical pin connections going to the car computer system. I do have a copy of this video. This seems very concerning to me and makes me worried.

- Pflugerville, TX, USA

problem #402

Jun 272023

Sorento

  • miles
Yesterday while driving the engine began to shake and seize, it would not accelerate above 40 mph. I was seconds from entering the hwy but pulled into quick trip where it died and had to be towed at own expense. Oil pressure sensor had been flashing on periodically when breaks were applied between regular oil changes. Vehicle was consuming 3-4 qts of oil between oil changes, which is not normal. There were no signs of any oil leaks, oil light did not remain illuminated to suggest low oil levels, nor a check engine light warning. Vehicle has less than 100,000 miles. When contacting KIA was told I would need a warranty to fix. This is not a warranty issue, this is a KNOWN issue and class action lawsuit related to these symptoms. I was seconds from a possible fatal accident on the highway and I'm sure a buy back or vehicle exchange would be better than a lawsuit involving corporate negligence resulting in a death.

- Grain Valley, MO, USA

problem #401

Jun 042023

Sorento

  • miles
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
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
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
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

Read the next 20 complaints »