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 #309

Nov 172022

Sorento

  • miles
My vehicle began blowing cold air instead of heated air. Then the engine began over-heating and it cracked the radiator. After radiator was replaced my 2016 Sorento continued to blow cold air and continued to overheat. KIA dealership says I don't qualify for recall repairs. My mechanic says I do. My mechanic says my vehicle is not safe to drive. I want KIA to FIX MY 2016 Engine problem. On December 2, 2022 my vehicle overheated and began spewing antifreeze. I am glad there wasn't a fire.

- Colorado Springs, CO, USA

problem #308

Dec 062022

Sorento

  • miles
Engine failed. Car received all maintenance and was burning oil and no leaks detected. It has the Theta II engine that is known to fail.

- Ellenwood, GA, USA

problem #307

Nov 302022

Sorento

  • miles
while i was driving on the road, the car installed. i pulled over on the shoulder and i started the car and the engine started knocking. I change the oil on the car regularly and on time. I didnt see any engine warning lights or anything. I am going to tow the car to a kia dealership and see what they say

- Columbus, OH, USA

problem #306

Nov 232022

Sorento

  • miles
My 2016 Sorento started using oil in between oil changes beginning November 2022 after recall repairs and other repairs completed by the KIA dealership. We-??re now adding oil every other day, checking the oil almost daily. There is no sign of oil leak where vehicle is parked, does not smoke and no warning lights of low oil pressure. 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!

- Monroe, NC, USA

problem #305

Nov 052022

Sorento

  • 84,000 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled without warning. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage as approximately 84,000.

- Perris, CA, USA

problem #304

Nov 252022

Sorento

  • miles
While driving down the road at highway speeds, the engine died. Losing power brakes and steering. I was able to move over to the shoulder. The engine is seized. Oil changes done every 3,500 miles and with full synthetic and a kia branded filter every time. I believe the 2016 2.4L engine has an internal oil problem. There are 617 complaints on the 2016 Sorento, and every one of them that states Engine, is a seized engine. That's only the people that thought to complain. I have found hundreds of comments on youtube videos and several friends that own similar (2015 2.4L Sorento) that have all had to replace their engines from loss of power at highway speeds. I was passing a car when the Sorento engine died and had to navigate back to the left lane and onto the should with no power steering or brake assist, all while being surprised and confused as to why the engine wouldn't restart. Not taken to the dealer yet for inspection, but a local mechanic said the engine appears seized. No warning lights on the dash until the engine died. No oil pressure light, no battery light, no check engine light, until the engine died.

- Sheridan, AR, USA

problem #303

Nov 132022

Sorento

  • miles
Excessive consumption of oil. At my last oil change, I was told that my motor was completely dry. Engine knocks and shuts off. Need to monitor and top off motor oil every week.

- Riverside, CA, USA

problem #302

Oct 082022

Sorento

  • miles
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!

- Shubuta, MS, USA

problem #301

Nov 202022

Sorento

  • 110,000 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while the brake pedal was depressed, she placed the vehicle in park; however, the RPM-??s increased rapidly and the engine revved. No warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that her husband turned off the vehicle and disconnected and reconnected the battery cables however, he restarted the vehicle and the failure recurred. The contact stated that she notified multiple dealers of the failure and was informed that no appointments were available until February of 2023. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V089000 (Vehicle Speed Control). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the VIN was not included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximate 110,000.

- Bay Minette, AL, USA

problem #300

Nov 202022

Sorento

  • miles
Vehicle uses excessive amount of engine oil. It burns appx a quart of oil every 750 miles. There is no evidence of a leak in the driveway or on the undercarriage of the car. Informed dealer and was told it may be a bad oil drain plug. This is not evidenced by any visible oil loss. Loss of oil in this amount could cause engine failure where traffic conditions would put driver and other vehicles at risk.

- Booneville, KY, USA

problem #299

Mar 152022

Sorento 4-cyl

  • 113,000 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken in for a routine oil change. After the vehicle was retrieved, while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who stated that the oil was low but found no evident leaks. The vehicle was then towed to another independent mechanic who confirmed that the oil level was low. The mechanic determined that the vehicle was losing pressure and the spark plugs were changed, and another oil change was performed. The contact was informed there was no compression in cylinder #2. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer for further diagnostic testing and repair. The manufacturer was contacted and advised the contact to take the vehicle to a Kia dealer since the VIN was under recall. The dealer confirmed that cylinder #2 was faulty, and the repairs would be the Customer's responsibility because he had not gotten the recall repair completed. The approximate failure mileage was 113,000. The contact has requested to close this claim due to the manufacturer resolving all of the issues.

- Columbia, SC, USA

problem #298

Mar 182022

Sorento 4-cyl

  • miles
We purchased a 2016 KIA Sorrento from JTs Chrysler Jeep Dodge located at 5215 Sunset Blvd, Lexington, SC 29072 on September 27, 2021. In February of 2022, we had the oil changed and it the vehicle seemed to be burning oil but no oil leaks. We took the car to the Galeana Kia dealership on Greyston Blvd and they were backed up for months. The car has sat dormant for the past 5 to 6 months as we were searching for who could work on the vehicle. We took the vehicle back to Galeana Kia and they informed us that the #2 cylinder had no compression. They further proceeded to share with us that a recall was issued several years ago for an ECU upgrade and KSVS(not sure what that is) and this would have given them a code for KIA to authorize replacing the engine. Their claim from KIA is that since this was not done according to the lawsuit against KIA they could not replace the engine. The website that the dealership used to verify if there were recalls was https://vinrcl.safercar.gov/vin/vinLookup and i have attached a copy for review. i am now saddled with a vehicle needing an engine replacement due to improper recall reporting by the sites and lack of due diligence by the JT's dealership. What do i do now?

- Columbia, SC, USA

problem #297

Oct 302022

Sorento 6-cyl

  • miles
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.

- Saco, ME, USA

problem #296

Nov 132022

Sorento

  • miles
Car stalled on the major freeway at highway speed at 65 mph. With no advanced warning lights on dash. Lost power and stalled. Was able to steer without power steering over to the side of the road. Towed to the shop. Mechanic found #4 cylinder has no compression. Engine is making noise. I have problems with Engine using oil. Been to the dealership many to address the engine concerns. No help. Now the engine is inoperable.

- Cumby , TX, USA

problem #295

Nov 102022

Sorento

  • 70,000 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made abnormal sounds with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, and the dealer informed the contact that the vehicle was out of warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

- Wilmette, IL, USA

problem #294

Nov 042022

Sorento

  • 96,000 miles
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 35 MPH, the engine made abnormal knocking sounds before the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was unable to veer to the side of the road. The vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine rod bearing had failed. The dealer and the manufacturer informed the contact that they could not assist as the original owner failed to complete an unknown software update on the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.

- Dayton, OH, USA

problem #293

Sep 232022

Sorento

  • miles
I own a 2016 Kia Sorento. When the incident happened I was far away from home on a way to a weekend conference. I was driving in the left lane on a very busy 3-lane highway at high speed while the engine suddenly lost power, slowed down and started shaking. There were no warning lights beforehand until after the failure. The check engine turned on at the time when the failure occurred. The oil pressure light did not came on. Oil was checked prior to the trip because the car had been using excessive oil for the past several months. I had to refill the oil every week. I had the Knock Sensor Detection Software installed a few months before and I had the engine oil pressure switch/sensor replaced as well but it didn-??t fix the oil consumption issue. The incident on the highway put myself and others at risk as I had to cross three lanes to the right shoulder (there was no left shoulder) while others (including large tractor trailers) were passing me at a very high speed; I was moving slowly at 30/35 MPH because the car lost power and didn-??t accelerate. It became a traffic hazard. It was a very frightening experience as I could have caused an accident and get myself and others injured. The car eventually stalled. It was a Friday evening -?" I contacted a local Kia dealership but they said that they were closing for the day and couldn-??t help me. They said that they were backed up and weren-??t sure if they could look into the car the next day either, even if I left it there. I had the car towed to a mechanic and then to another KIA dealer closer to my home. I waited for nearly two weeks to get an appointment at the dealership to have the car diagnosed. I have been told that the car needs an engine replacement at my cost (approximately $10,000). This was my only "reliable" vehicle used for a daily commute and longer travel until the engine failure incident. The car has been at a dealership for weeks waiting to be repaired.

- Wallington, NJ, USA

problem #292

Mar 312022

Sorento

  • miles
While driving out of state, my 2016 Sorento, the steering wheel totally stopped working.Terrifying experience! When we returned from trip I took it to a mechanic who told me the electric steering column was bad and had to be replaced. That was over $2,000. Then thought I had oil leak but was told this GDI engine burns oil fast & I have to add a quart every wk so it won-??t run out. Kia needs to recall! Not fair to put our lives in jeopardy

- Taylorsville , NC, USA

problem #291

Apr 262022

Sorento

  • miles
While driving my 2016 Kia Sorrento northbound on I25, I was accelerating up a small incline on the highway, going 76 miles an hour, and all the sudden my car lost power and was not gaining speed. I was in the left lane, with cars behind me and on the right of me and my engine seemed to die out. I lost power and was unable to proceed, putting me in a seriously dangerous and potentially fatal position. No engine lights came on, no warning of anything wrong with the engine, the oil, nothing. I made my way to the shoulder of the highway and called for assistance. I turned off the car as it seemed to be overheating. Two days before my trip I had just changed my oil and had an all points inspection on the car. I restarted the car after a few minutes but was unable to gain any power. After several hours, I was able to get a tow to the nearest town. The mechanic shop, Leesbergs in Socorro, New Mexico, had my car for two weeks. They recreated my situation and also did not get any warning notifications in the car. In short, I was told I needed a new engine and that there was nothing they could do to repair the car. Now I am told that a new engine, for a six-year-old car, is going to cost me almost $6,000, while I still over $10,000 on this car. I maintain my automobiles religiously, and repair anything that needs to be repaired. I am at a huge loss on this lemon! I am financially unable to take this car to anyone else to work on and cannot afford a new engine. I am at a loss and still have to pay my monthly payments. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. The car is available for inspection at any time. It is in Santa Fe, NM. I may be reached at 505-670-3505. Thank you. Valerie Anaya-CdeBaca

- Las Cruces, NM, USA

problem #290

Oct 292022

Sorento

  • miles
One afternoon when I started my Sorento (with Lambda Engine around 85,000 miles) I heard a loud tapping sound in the engine and saw the check engine light on. I took it in for an oil change and to get an opinion on the tapping sound at Jiffy lube. They told me I had no oil in the vehicle. They also noted no oil leaks and sludge in the engine. I took it in to the kia dealership the next day and they told me my timing chain was damaged and that I would need a new engine. I thought I was covered under the "special" 20 year warranty I had on the vehicle. My warranty claim was DENIED due to "improper maintenance"; not having sufficient oil change records and sludge being found under the valve cover. During my previous oil change 6 months & 8700 miles ago there were no issues with the engine. I also use premium synthetic oil. No oil lights had ever gone off, only the check engine light prior to taking it to a mechanic. I have also had safety issues over the last 5 months where my vehicle failed to accelerate while on the highway. The car would function as normal after stopping and cutting the car off and back on.

- Philadelphia, PA, USA

Read the next 20 complaints »