2016 Kia Sorento Complaint Log

Ignition switch/steering column lock/anti-theft device. It is widely known key start KIA-Hyundai vehicles are easy to steal due to lack of sufficient steering column/ignition switch/anti theft device which makes these high risk vehicles for theft which also puts owners and bystanders at unreasonable risk of violence. These same vehicles sold in Canada and elsewhere are equipped with different parts making them much more theft resistant. KIA-Hyundai therefore made a decision to NOT install on US market vehicles, deliberately indifferent to safety of owners, occupants, and others of violence and of increased vehicle theft.

There is a continuous buildup of carbon in the intake manifold system in the 2.0 engine causing stalling whenever accelerating from a stop, such as turning either way or accelerating across a road when using the power steering which uses up power while accelerating. This carbon buildup is very expensive and difficult to clean out and is very dangerous as it causes you to stall completely for a few seconds when entering traffic lanes, if it does not restart quickly, you will crash...

I purchased my 2016 KIA Sorento in October of 2018. Oil changes and everything has always been up to date along with regular maintenance. I never had any issues with it then in April 2022 I was driving to work and had complete engine failure with only 88k miles on it. The first obstacle was reaching KIA corporate. Would call several times a day just to be on hold for 30 plus minutes and sometimes over an hour. After speaking to several different people, they advised there was nothing to they could do, and I would have to pay for it out of pocket due to them saying they sent a piece of paper to the fist owner in June/July 2018 and then another one to me the end of 2019 or 2020. They were unsure of when it was sent to me and there was no proof that I received it. With my hands being tied since still owed money on it I went ahead and paid the $5700 to have my engine replaced. Fast forward I finally got my car back the end of July and two days later realized my heat no longer worked (worked before car went in to have engine replaced). Here it is over two weeks later, and I still do not have my car back. I have to call the dealership for an update and when I do call them, they have no clue who I am or why I am calling. Even though throughout this whole process with engine have only spoken to 1 service rep. KIA’s customer service across the board is very poor. I called the dealership today and they said they finally heard back from corporate again to try and run more tests and they will follow up with me by EOB I am not holding my breathe.

Car recall repair for Knock Sensor failure has been done three times car now will not accelerate properly, is using excessive oil and, makes horrible engine noises. Dealer refused to inspect the vehicle after the last recall repair was done 10 days ago.

Warning engine light keeps activating saying major fuel leak. Supposed recall sc 172 but according to kia, not associated with my vin and needed to be reported

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 ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

The oil pressure switch is leaking and has leaked oil into the engine harness. The engine harness and PCM need to be replaced. I was told it’s not safe to drive. This issue has been flagged as a warranty issue 3.3L engine, but is yet to be approved for the 2.4L engine. My car only has 46,875 miles on it and this issue should be approved to be covered under new vehicle limited warranty coverage.

Vehicle lost power on highway going 70mph. Driver was able to safely exit to roadside. Popped hood and oil covering the engine bay. Lots of smoke. Upon further inspection, it appears as though a wrist pin dislodged from connecting arm and went through the front of the engine block. Oil was everywhere and is a fire risk! Also, vehicle only has 107,xxx miles on it. Kia refuses to tow vehicle at their expense to shop even though in speaking with dealership, engine should be covered under Theta II class action suit.

I was on the interstate going 65 mph and my engine stopped shifting it suddenly decreased in speed and I made it off the interstate barely any power to get safely off the interstate.

Driving vehicle and check engine light came on, pulled over to an advance auto to have codes pulled. When lifting the hood to double check everything while waiting on codes to be pulled, I could smell a burning smell. After codes pulled, I sat in parking lot and researched codes P001100 and P208800. With codes and smell of burning, I had vehicle towed to Ferber's Tire & Auto Service, Inc. at 10383 Leadbetter Rd. Ashland, VA. 23005. They pulled codes and found that a recall was issued by KIA for this issue with CVVT Assembly. I called KIA and I was told that my VIN was not covered for this recall but that if the recall was expanded and covered my VIN that they would notify me. At this point I had no choice but to repair vehicle on my own even though KIA knew of this issue with their product. This repair is not cheap! Because of the location and what you have to do to get to part that needs to be replaced. My bill was $2,492.23 just to fix a car that KIA is aware. So aware that a recall was issued, just didn't go far enough for all the VIN. If my vehicle had caught fire or engine locked up because of the metal and plastic now sucked into the engine, I would have no car and all because KIA not doing right by the customer. I still have parts the old parts that were replaced.

There has been an ongoing issue nationwide with the Kia Sorento’s engines. I have been dealing with a burning oil issue and engine issue for months. I spent over 800.00 a few months ago on the oil issue that is still no better today. The engine, Kia is fully aware that there is an issue with the engine however will not state is is a recall as then they will be accountable to replace it. I have been told this by both my local dealership and the warranty company. Two weeks ago my Sorento broke down out of state. It had to be towed back to MA. I was told by the dealership that there are about 12 cars with the same issue in front of mine. It will be several weeks before I can expect any type of resolution. I am without a car and Kia will not pay for a rental until the adjuster comes out. This is very disheartening as I am a single mother on a very fixed income. I cannot afford to rent a car and I absolutely need transportation asap. They say it is an issue with the piston in the engine. I really need my car prioritized or need a rental paid for by KIA. I should also be reimbursed for the issue of which I was charged $800+. I was just told Saturday the 6th of August they would look at my car today the 11th, by the manager, it still has not been looked at, we were also told that if we were to pursue legal action they would not work on it at all. I even purchased the warranty and still nothing. Kia of Burlington MA Pleas help!

Paint started peeling. I thought it might have been a rock chip but it got worse in about 2 weeks.

The rear back up camera screen just went black when in reverse and hasn’t worked since.

El mes de 01\22\2022 compre un beiculo y el primer problema que tube fue como alas dos semanas de tenerlo con migo y fue con los frenos y lo lo llebe a que lo areglaran pero el gran problema bino con el motor que se quemo cuando iba de camino a mi trabago y apenas tenia dos meses con el beiculo y en el lote cue la compre ni mis aseguransas que le puse al beiculo quieren alludarme

7/3/22, 71,500 miles accrued on vehicle. While operating the vehicle, on an uphill grade after 5.7 miles of driving, sudden and abrupt knocking noise occurred. Knocking was intensified during acceleration. At this time, dramatic loss of power occurred. Attempted to "coast" downhill for the remainder of the trip. After another 2.2 miles, a very loud "bang" noise occurred, the driver in fear part felle from the vehicle. Knocking noise intensified, and the vehicle then stopped responding. Displayed oil pressure, check engine and check battery lights. Violent shaking and vibrating occurred. Driver was able to coast the vehicle off the roadway to the right shoulder for safety so as to not become a traffic hazard. Smoke was visible and heat was felt from the engine bay of the vehicle. Driver of the vehicle was in fear of fire occurring imminently. Vehicle was shut off for safety. After smoke dissipated and engine cooled, a restart was attempted but failed. Vehicle would not respond. Nothing was visible from the top of the engine bay. Vehicle was moved to a local repair shop adjacent to the location where it was stopped. On inspection, the engine block cracked adjacent to the connecting rod producing knocking noise and releasing all oil from the engine block. The local automotive shop confirmed the engine/powertrain failure similar to the previous recall: RQ17-003 NHTSA Recall No. 17V-224 on "GDI" engines. Kia corporate was contacted. Kia has not inspected the vehicle but was informed. Kia replied they would NOT replace or reimburse due to recall only being applied for 2.0 and 2.4 liter engines. This vehicle was fitted with a 3.3 liter "GDI" engine produced in the same facility as reported in RQ17-003 NHTSA Recall No. 17V-224. Local mechanics report the engine may be replaced by the dealer with enough complaining, however, the dealer states "no recalls for this vehicle" and will not take action.

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at an independent mechanic for an oil change, the mechanic informed her that the engine was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The engine was consuming one quart of oil every 700 miles. The contact was concerned that the vehicle might catch on fire due to the failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the warranty had expired and they were unable to assist until the engine seized. The failure mileage was approximately 108,000.

Car started to overheat and no warning light came on. Found out there was no oil - oil light had not come on either. My car didn’t notify me that it was overheating and could have blown my engine.

Engine failure at 85,500 miles an hour into a road trip. Just had an oil change on it a few days prior. No warning lights came on before the engine started to rattle at 3000 rpms. Engine still rattles while car is idling.

My car began knocking and then it slowed down. It stalled as I pulled off the road and won't start. I had it towed and the mechanic said there was "glitter in the oil". He called our local Kia dealership, gave them the VIN number and was told there was a recall on my engine. I researched your website and it does not show a recall. I found two other individuals who wrote owner reviews in May and June 2022 who had the same problem.

Rear door larch fell off. This is a documented problem with this vehicle. Kia dealerships have been unhelpful to resolve this issue. I feel this is a safety item with a recall on the 2015 models. Latch is made with cheap plastic, and many kia’s have this issue. Thanks, Steve Ritchie

Steering column resistance measure at 5.3 NM indication an internal issue of the column which needed to be replaced. Power Steering sticking and stiff while driving causing clear and present danger to driver passengers and possibly other property. Kia Dealer was apologetic that this was not covered by warranty or recall. However there were other reports of this issue in the KIA System.

Wife and I where driving on the highway when we she pointed out a tapping noise. About twenty minutes later our vehicle lost all power. Dumbfounded because no safety function signaled there was any possibility of over heating or oil pressure I pull off and inspect under the hood. When I pulled the dipstick there was absolutely no oil in it and the oil on the dipstick was burnt. I only have 74,000 miles on the thing and the engines blown. And Kia won't help with anything even knowing this is a major issue.

I am trying to understand how my car was running fine no issues and then it stops on the highway while I am driving in 4P rush hour traffic. The dealership gets to my car 3 1/2 weeks later I get to shortage to tell me my engine is gone when there were no warning!! Continue on my car engine going out to be told because I didn't getting a senor upgrade in 2019 when to inform me of the engine going not to fix the engine but to tell me the engine is gone I must pay close to $9000. This is unacceptable and not the fault of the consumer. There was no letter no email no call nothing to inform me. I am a single mom who lives here in Indy where public transportation is not the best and when I take care of car and service car this not fair especially when this is a known issue with this 2016 Kia Sorento. I am a single mom where transportation is not the best and this issue was not a neglect of me. I do not have an extra $9000 to fix a problem that is known with your cars. To tell a consumer that since they did not get this sensor upgrade that they must eat the cost not right at all.

Oil gets low without the warning light coming on and has contributed to a burnt valve or broke ring. This has caused irreversible engine damage.

There is a common issue with these year model Sorentos that poses a dangerous safety hazard for those in the car as well as others on the road. This model has a manufacturers defect that causes the head bolts to strip from the block, causing overheating engine, power loss, and other symptoms. A car that overheats and has these symptoms while on the road could cause a fire, cause hot steam or coolant to burn skin, and risks lives if it happens while on a fast paced roadway. The issue is common and pretty much guaranteed to happen to these model Sorentos. There are thousands of people complaining and report the issue. KIA is aware and not concerned of the issue. The only solution offered is an engine replacement, which most people can’t afford so will more than likely keep driving the vehicle regardless of the risks. My Sorento has been at the dealership already. I’ve contacted KIA corporate as well as attorneys seeking litigation of the issue. My insurance completed a full investigation by U.S. Forensic and determined the cause to be two of my head bolts stripped the threads out of the block. I have the final report from the investigation. We had no early warnings of the issue. We first noticed something was wrong when the car started over heating. You could, then, smell coolant and there was white smoke from the exhaust. There was a loss of power and bubbling in the coolant reservoir. The car would drive without overheating as long as you kept the radiator full of coolant. In summary, this is a common issue that has been ignored by KIA. It is clearly a safety concern and could pose life threatening risks. KIA won’t care and will never do anything about this unless they are forced to.

The paint color - white pearl- is peeling off the hood of the car.

The contact owned a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 mph the vehicle suddenly lost automotive power and the check engine light had illuminated. After stopping the vehicle smoke and flames were present coming from under the hood. The fire and police departments were called to the scene and the flames were extinguished. During the incident, the vehicle was destroyed. A police report was taken at the scene and the vehicle was towed away. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not yet notified. The failure mileage was 73,000.

My 2016 KIA SORRENTO caught fire. I was driving off of the highway, with no issues, when i heard a tapping noise. I stopped at the light, turned right, and as I started turning it suddenly sputtered and stopped. I tried to accelerate to get the car out of the lane of traffic, when smoke started coming out from under the hood. People next to me started yelling that my car was on fire and that I should get out. At this point I got out of the car, and within minutes the entire undercarriage and front part of car was engulfed in flames. The fire dept put the fire out, and the fire marshal and my insurance is investigating.

My headlights go completely out, pitch black, going over 50mph, several times now. I have turned them off the automatic setting as this has happened more than 5 times over the past year. Everything out front goes black including fog lamps, meeting cars, not meeting cars, lights, no lights on the roadway, no rhyme or reason. No warning lights, no sensors covered. My children have been in the car everytime but once. Nobody knows what's going on with it as it happens intermittently and no codes appear.

The driver side rear door handle does not open the door. The door is able to be opened from the door handle on the inside, and it can be locked and unlocked. This could create an unsafe situation in which a parent is unable to reach a child in the second row who needs assistance. Having two methods of entry and egress (i.e. a driver side and passenger side rear door) in the second row contributes to the safety of the car, and having one entry/egress while another entry is impaired could present a safety issue. The car has not yet been brought to a service center for evaluation, and the car has not yet been inspected for the issue. There were no warning lamps or messages indicated by the vehicle. Leading up to the driver side rear door handle malfunction, the door handle was noted to have a weaker tactile "click" feeling that is typically sensed when the door's latch actuates to open it.

I noticed a little spot on the hood of my car. It has since continued to peel. It was not hit by anything.

The paint on my vehicle began peeling about a year ago, 2022, right above the top of the windshield. Drivers side. About 6 months ago, approx Jan 2023, I noticed a few paint chips on the hood missing. One of them is extremely large and has paint peeling off around the edges. I am afraid to wash it as hoping more does not peel. You see bare metal underneath my paint. My vehicle only has about 74k miles on it. It is white in color but appears to also have sparkles within the paint.

Last weekend we were driving our 2016 Kia Sorento with 111,000 miles on the highway. It started to lose acceleration and I had to pull of on the side of the highway. The vehicle started smoking and antifreeze leaked out all over the right side of the vehicle. This put our family at risk because there were no warning lights and it occurred on an extremely busy highway where are drive anywhere from 70-90 miles per hour. The vehicle was towed and inspected, we were told the head gasket was leaking. No other symptoms were present prior to this occurring and this is the only problem we have really had with the vehicle. All of the mechanics I have talked to about repairs refuse because these motors are known to be very risky to repair. Our local Kia dealer where we purchased the vehicle even stated that it's not worth fixing. New engine replacement are unavailable and buying a used engine is roughly $6,700 before any labor because so many of these engine issues have occurred.

A month after an oil change, I learned that the engine was extremely low on oil. I had to put 4 quarts in it. Check engine light barely came on. I’m at 79,000 miles and next oil change should be at 82,000 miles

After only six months, my 2016 Kia Sorento suddenly lost power while I was driving on the freeway, after my trusted, local mechanic ran a diagnostic, he told me that my car was done for but Kia would stand behind their product, they have a 100,000 mile or ten year warranty for their vehicles. It was a frightening and frustrating experience but at least I was comforted when he told me Kia would take care of it. Kia is not honorable, they are not standing behind their products. Two days ago, I was told that Kia is denying my claim. How disappointing. I will pursue this matter to the end. Kia knows that their engines are prone to catastrophic failures. I was told by a Kia employee that I didn't maintain my vehicle adequately, I have records to the contrary. This is wrong.

Paint chipping/peeling severely from hood and top of car

I was driving my 2016 Sorento when I noticed a knocking coming from the engine. I took it to get serviced the next day and the check engine light came on as I was driving to get the oil changed. Mechanic at the oil change establishment checked the code and told me that it said the cam shaft was out of alignment. Their shop refused to work on it because of the difficulty in working with Kia's and their computers. I called my local Kia dealer and they had no idea what the warning was but that it would be 20-25 days before they could look at it. My daughter was driving the car than night and the car stopped in an intersection and starting making a horrible clanking sound. I had it towed to Kia and when they got to it they told me that the engine was blown and it would be $8,000 to $11,000 to repair it. There is an extended warranty on the oil pressure switch, but they assured me that it was not the cause of the malfunction. They told me that it was most likely lack of maintenance on my part or the wrong oil being used. I have owned the car for about a year and a half and had it maintained regularly by a reputable mechanic. I have talked to multiple people and been told that Kia has a real problem with engines blowing up on them.

I was driving on the highway going 70 mph when my 2016 Kia Sorento 3.3L lost power and could not accelerate. I had to navigate to the side of the highway carefully and got my car towed to the closest Kia Dealership. Upon their investigation, it was a blown head gasket that required the whole engine to be replaced. I am the 2nd owner of the car and bought the car in late 2019 with 45, XXX miles on it and it currently only has 66, XXX miles. I was not covered under warranty as it expires once you pass 60,000k miles. Estimation from Kia would cost close to $10K with a new engine/labor. Contacted Kia Consumer to see if they can help and was denied. Now stuck with a dead car trying to figure out what I can do.

My car started making a knocking and squeaking sound and was shaking really hard and the check engine light started flashing and it just shut off and when I cranked it back up if wouldn’t stay cranked

PAINT CHIPPING IN MULTIPLE SPOTS

I was driving entering a highway accelerating and my car just died; the engine and oil light came on and there was no power. There were NO warning lights or indication that there was any problem. I managed to get over and off the busy highway by coasting and was in fear for my safety. Took the car to Kia dealership and was told after waiting for two weeks for the required diagnostic service. They told me there was internal engine damage due to a bearing failure. This is not covered by warranty unless I had the software upgrade that was available since 4/18. I never received that notification; I have received several other notifications, but not the one about the software upgrade. Now they state it's outside the warranty with zero coverage.

I took my vehicle to AAMCO and was told my engine has went out. The estimate to fix it is $10,000. I am currently paying on it still I called Evergreen Kia whom I got the car from and was told they have over 18+ vehicles with the same problem. I was told to call other Kia dealerships to see if i can get it repaired elsewhere. All other Kia dealerships said they were backed up as well with the same engine problems. I tried to trade it in no one wants to because the cost of repairs and the $13K I owe doesn't equal out.

My paint is peeling. KIA SORENTO SNOW WHITE PAINT PEELING CHIPPING AND DELAMINATION

Sometime Mid May 2022 I was driving back from Tri City Washington. As I was passing a semi truck I noticed my car was losing some power. I ten was able to to get in front of the semi when I seen a place to pull off. During this time I noticed my dash lights were coming on. Engine light. I was lucky enough to pull off where on a side road in Warden, Washington. My car then ceased and would not start. I had to have it towed in my home town of Moses Lake, Washington to a auto mechanic by my resident. The name is Customs Auto on Broadway. They said it needed to go to a Kia Specialist/Mechanic for repairs. So I then had it towed to Over Turf Kia Dealership in Tri City, WA. where my car has been sitting since the end of May 2022. Nathan from Over Turf said I needed to replace my engine and quoted me at $6300.00 which is what I owe my bank loan with Wells Fargo. I only had 135,000 miles on it and not sure why all of a sudden my engine ceased. Now I have filed a complaint with NTSB they gave me a complaint #11466956 on Kia and their recalls. I had a recall repair on it September 2017 and had contacted Kia out of Wenatchee, WA where the recall was done. But they are closed down because of the covid. I am lost to what to do at this point. I was given an email address to send an email of pictures or important documents pertaining this problem. I am asking for any direction as to what to do or who to contact. If you need to call me please fill free at [XXX]. Thank You! Sincerely, [XXX] INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

Driving 60mph, car seemed to be stalling under acceleration. Car was making a knocking sound from the engine. I was in a construction zone, with no shoulder/no pulloff. I managed to crawl to the end of construction and pull off to the side. How I didn't die that day only God knows...Was traveling to see my mom Mother's Day weekend, had my 170lb Great Dane and 60 lb Labradoodle with me. No tow company could help with transporting my dogs; only the car and me. I ended up stranded waiting for a ride for hours. Car was towed to dealer; dealer confirms the engine and all components were a total loss (Theta II engine, 2.4 liter, GDI). Repair estimate at $8,360.00!!! That is more than half of what the car is worth!! Multiple attempts to have KIA acknowledge the problem, only to be told by them that it's my fault I didn't have the recall repairs made in 2018. That's funny (in an awful way), because I never received ANYTHING about a recall. EVER. Had oil change the week prior; oil lamp never came on, I was just going by the Valvoline sticker as to time to change. They told me it was bone-dry, not a drop of oil. I wish someone could help me. This will ruin me financially.

Body paint has started peeling. Local Kia dealership acknowledged frequency of defect however corporate denied claim due to being outside of original warranty. Advised to pay for new paint with possibility of reimbursement.

There was no indication or codes that informed us of the engine burning oil and without knowing it caused complete engine failure.

I was driving on freeway and all of a sudden my car stopped. The engine blew, I had no oil in car; the oil light didn’t come on. I had recently changed the oil. We kept oil changes up to date every 3000 miles. Called Kia, they said they couldn’t help us. What can we do?

The check oil light keeps turning on then turning off. For the last 2 oil changes which are done every 3000 miles with high mileage oil the oil has been non existent. When you pull out the oil it is dry! No leaking of oil is found anywhere even though the exhaust smells of burning oil. When I took it to the dealership I was told "this was a known problem" and all I need to do is start changing my oil every 3000 miles using synthetic high mileage oil. That's not working. The light keeps coming on and off and I've only driven 1000 miles since my last oil change in July! I took it to the dealership when I threw a code that I was told was just because I ran out of oil and my car stalled. My car should not be running out of oil!

While driving on I-35, going 75 miles an hour the engine locked. No warning lights came on, just completely shut down. Unable to pull to the side of the highway. Very dangerous Towed to dealership, yes it’s available to be inspected as warranty says it is not covered under a recall. Again very dangerous