10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 7
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
10,170 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 #115

Nov 012023

Sorento

  • miles
Paint for this car has been delaminating and peeling off from regular use of the car. No accidents or scratches caused the paint to begin peeling, it just started on it's own. I am reporting this because I found it was a common issue for Kia owners with a pear white paint.

- Seminole, FL, USA

problem #114

Sep 282023

Sorento

  • miles
Car got caught on fire while driving with my 5kids

- Chattanooga , TN, USA

problem #113

Jul 112023

Sorento

  • 149,286 miles
UNKNOWN Possible head gasket, radiator or water pump damage. Light smoke from engine. Constantly have to fill car up with antifreeze & water every few miles. Car is never driven over 45 mph.Car easily overheats & leaves us stranded as we live in a rural location. Have to purchase antifreeze every 3 days that we cannot afford. Have VERY LIMITED funds to assist with mechanical work, but we can contribute a little. No income whatsoever coming in due to job loss. Can't rely on car to get to work, but can work from home. Currently seeking employment, but competition has been tough. This is our only car for our family of 4. 2 kids in school age 8 & 4. No bus or friends/relatives who can help.Was referred to this program by a friend as they informed me that it offers financial assistance for some repairs. This affects the safety of the vehicle as we have small children, and the car constantly overheats leaving us stranded in areas without sufficient cellular coverage to make calls. Located in Sevierville, TN.

- Sevierville, TN, USA

problem #112

Sep 012023

Sorento

  • miles
White Pearl paint peeling significantly

- Cardiff, CA, USA

problem #111

Jul 112023

Sorento

  • miles
UNKNOWN Possible radiator or water pump damage. Constantly have to fill car up with antifreeze & water every few miles. Car is never driven over 45 mph. Car easily overheats & leaves us stranded as we live in a rural location. Have to purchase antifreeze every 3 days that we cannot afford. Have VERY LIMITED funds to assist with mechanical work, but we can contribute a little. No income whatsoever coming in due to job loss. Can't rely on car to get to work, but can work from home. Currently seeking employment, but competition has been tough. This is our only car for our family of 4. 2 kids in school [XXXXXX]. No bus or friends/relatives who can help. Was referred to this program by a friend as they informed me that it offers financial assistance for some repairs. This affects the safety of the vehicle as we have small children, and the car constantly overheats leaving us stranded in areas without sufficient cellular coverage to make calls. Located in Sevierville, TN. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Sevierville, TN, USA

problem #110

Aug 102023

Sorento

  • 84,000 miles
My engine failed with no warning, my car shut down on the hwy. It was a safety issue because the car shut down while driving on the hwy and could have resulted in a traffic accident. This problen is all over the internet. There were no warning lights. Car ran fine up until it stalled and lost power and shut down. When towed to the repair shop, I was told it was completely out of oil, metal shavings were in the oil filter. The shop replaced oil and the car ran for a bit with knocking noise. On the way to the kia dealership, after learning this was an issue with my type of vehicle, the car shut down again and had to be towed to the dealership. My request for engine replacement was denied even though it is well within 100.000 miles and or 10yrs. It has 84,000 miles. I feel this is KIA's responsibilty to replace my engine. At this time, they are charging me $10,600 to replace my engine.

- Montgomery, TX, USA

problem #109

Sep 082023

Sorento

  • miles
The roller for the headliner falls when I open the sunroof and this causes me not to be able to see out of my mirrors when driving. There has not been an accident or anything to the vehicle and the vehicle has been taken care of the entire time.

- Bradenton, FL, USA

problem #108

Sep 082023

Sorento

  • miles
The headliner in the truck does not roll back properly and just out the blue falls down when I open the sun roof.

- Bradenton, FL, USA

problem #107

Aug 132023

Sorento

  • miles
While driving through a rain storm on 8/13/23 the paint on my vehicle started to peel off. I have since discovered that this is an issue with KIA, especially the Pearl White color. My vehicle looks like it has been vandalized. Pictures are available. My safety was jeopardized when chunks of paint from the hood were hitting my windshield while driving on the Interstate. On 8/14/23 I took my vehicle to a body shop and they estimated $3,336 to repair or repaint the damage. The formal estimate is available, too. I have been unable to talk to a live person at Kia customer service, but will continue to call so the incident is on the record with them. My contact information is: [XXX] Cell [XXX] Email: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Springfield , IL, USA

problem #106

Aug 102023

Sorento

  • miles
I was driving, pulled over to the side of the street, put the car on park. When I was getting ready to leave, my car would not shift back from park to drive. Shift linkage was detached and was stuck in park.

- West Orange, NJ, USA

problem #105

Jun 272023

Sorento

  • miles
Primary Emission test Performed:OBD - Fail OBD SYSTEM - READYNESS STATUS Fuel System not ready My 2016 Kia Sorento repeatedly fails for above cause. Kia dealer proposed driving the car varying speed (Highway, City etc.) Their first recommendation was to drive car for 100 miles and problem will clear. Then they recommended 300 miles, then 600 miles and they continued to escalate the mileage. I have driven the car 1200 miles and the problem persists. I contacted Kia corporate and the customer rep said that she knew nothing about the problem and she said that I should just tell the dealer to fix the car. I told the rep that I already had several interactions with the dealer without any luck. I told her to contact the dealer, which she would not commit to doing. I am driving the car that has inspection sticker which is two months past due. This is the only car that I have and my wife and I require the car for necessities and doctor appointments and medical procedures. Please help!

- Marlboro, NJ, USA

problem #104

Jul 282023

Sorento

  • miles
My kia Sorento 2016 uses excessive amount of oil resulting in engine failure. At the moment my car need an engine replacement. I took my car to get a diagnostic at the auto shop, I was informed that my car engine was dying. I did some searching online, and I find out that Kia Sorento are known to have engine issues and unusual excessive consumption of oil.

- Frederick, MD, USA

problem #103

Jul 272023

Sorento

  • miles
My Kia Sorento 2016 use alot of oil, resulting in my car needing a new engine. The contact stated to cancel the complaint because the wrong vehicle was entered.

- Frederick, MD, USA

problem #102

Jul 222023

Sorento

  • miles
My shifting lever acts all wonky. Feels lose. It acts as if it does not want to go into the gears I put it in, especially park. I have to wiggle the lever before it will lock. When I put it in reverse it takes a minute before the R comes up and then my back up camera won-??t come on because I feel it-??s not telling it that-??s it-??s in reverse. Yesterday I was driving the SUV and going down the road and all of a sudden it was like my SUV was put into to neutral going down the road, nothing touched the shifting lever but it was as if the car had no idea what gear it was in. This worries me as if someone was behind me I could have been rear ended. This is a real safety concern to me and my family. The SUV only has 60,000 miles on it. Are there any issues with this make and model? I would really hate to get into an accident.

- Turin, NY, USA

problem #101

Jun 042023

Sorento 4-cyl

  • miles
Vehicle inspection catalytic converter fumes coming inside vents causing fire an frame issues

- Jacksonville, FL, USA

problem #100

Jul 122023

Sorento

  • miles
After I got the for my car. I took my carto a mechanic. He ran several test and concluded that my car has an electrical problem.

- Arlington, TX, USA

problem #99

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 #98

Jan 102023

Sorento

  • miles
Power Latch Assy. The rear hatch does not open Problem was reproduced at Tameron Kia, 10611 Boney Avenue, D'Iberville, MS. 39540 (228)679-5200 Problem was diagnosed as internal open/short making rear power tail gate inoperable. No warning lamp or signal advised of the failure. Problem was first noted in January 2023 assy.The rear Hatch latch does not open.

- Gulfport, MS, USA

problem #97

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 #96

May 152023

Sorento

  • miles
I called Kia to replace fuse per their safety recall information. They are really uninterested in fixing these recalls or allowing me to speak to a manager to fix the issue. What's the point?

- Liverpool , NY, USA

Read the next 20 complaints »