2016 Kia Sorento Complaint Log

The car engine was using excessive amounts of oil at 80,000 miles. The dealer in an attempt to save the engine did a major flush. Several components failed within 10,000 miles of that service. Spark plugs, fuel pump and catalytic converter. The car would lurch forward. It stalled at 65 mph! We were scared it would start on fire or stall again. The first time it happened there were no warning lights. After the spark plugs and fuel pump were replaced there was an engine warning light on. The dealer did check it out and the latest test revealed a hole in the catalytic converter. They could not guarantee that that was the only issue. We chose not to have any additional repairs and sold the car at a loss because we were scared to have our grandkids in the car.

-I was driving my vehicle in a parking lot, stopped at the stop sign to let a car pass and hit the gas pedal and the car did not move. - My concern is what could have happened if the transmission died while I was driving. -The problem has been confirmed by the dealer that the transmission needs to be replaced. The car has less than 31,000 miles on it. I am a 2nd owner, and I only put 7,000 miles on it in 3 years but it was out of warranty. KIA even denied a Good Will replacement. - There were not any warning signs, message or symptoms. Unfortunately I have to pay 3200.00 to have it replaced and I spoke to KIA and they said that there was nothing they could do. It seems strange that a vehicle with less than 31,000 miles would have a transmission just die without any warnings.

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

Vehicle cranked but didn't start after sitting for a few hours. Vehicle was towed to kia dealership. Dealer advised piston ring failed and engine lost compression. New engine was needed but was not covered by dealership nor the lifetime engine warranty. The repair cost almost 6000 dollars.

My kia started making knocking noise. NO warning light came on while driving car home check engine light came on and car just quit. Engine is seized up for no reason .checked recalls but says none. But there was a major recall on these engines but I just bought this car from dealer 3 years ago . And, when I give it gas it don't always accelerate..I can have gas pedal to floor and go nowhere then all the sudden it will finally lunge forward. I have almost been hit a few times in my car. There has to be something wrong

Engine failure without warning at 88,000 miles. Car has been driving fine got an oil change 4 days ago. Today was driving to work and started hearing a knocking noise and ended up having to have car towed.

Engine making a knocking sound. Had to have my car towed.

Sorento had been driving fine and then out of nowhere had engine failure. KIA is refusing to take responsibility and rectify the situation due to them saying they sent something out in July of 2018 in which I didn't even own the vehicle then. The dealership where I purchased my Sorento from never advised of there being an issue or any improvement

This car repeatedly has had issues with using oil on a weekly basis and many times it has stalled in heavy traffic, one of which almost caused a collision. I have taken this in for numerous repairs. My most recent incident I was informed by my garage that my engine was now junk.

My oil light was flickering on for a second when taking a sharp curve or turn, checked it to be safe because I am so for a oil change and it was BONE DRY, there was absolutely no oil in it at all but the light never came on. I had to add 4 qts of oil just so I had some until my service appointment in two days. Why isn’t the oil light coming on to indicate low or no oil in the vehicle?

Vehicle has excessive oil consumption. Not leaking, but burning oil at a rate of 1 quart every 500 miles. After 65K miles it has been consistant. Now at 115K the engine is clicking like there is a bent valve or something. This needs to be addressed by Kia,

During a mpi, valve cover gasket was brought to my attention as needed. I was told that I had a very small leak. During scheduled service maintenance, service advisor requested spark plugs and fuel assembly part to be done to since getting gasket cover replaced. I was told that I could wait due to it being a minor leak and it wouldn't cause any problems yet after discussing concern of oil leak and an upcoming road trip that I'd rather be safe than sorry. Previously had knock sensor replaced(recall item). Since having the gasket cover, plugs, fuel assembly, and topping off oil, I have noticed a white smoke today( near oil dip stick and oil cap), oil consuption still burning fast (very light travel since repair) and louder idling noise. There has never been a low oil light coming on or any other lights since I've had the knock sensor(check engine light near the end of last year) recall part fixed. I don't want to be stranded nor lose an engine with only 123k plus miles. I'm afraid that this issue may be related to all the other kia engine complaints and cause more unseen damage. I do have pics on my phone and videos. My vehicle is still being paid on via a very high interest rate and is my only source of transportation. I also have my receipts for oil changes not documented under carfax....car fax is not correct with the vehicle maintenance information. The shop that did the repairs isn't the same shop that pointed out the valve gasket cover but the are part of the same car shop..different locations

The paint on my 2016 Kia Sorento it's peeling off. I went to the dealer where I purchased it and still owe $10,000 they do not want to help me.

We purchased the vehicle used in June 2021. The dealership did an oil change. We took it to NTB for an oil change 6 months later, within the recommended mileage range and the mechanic said it was bone dry. He put 5 quarts of oil in and said to return in 1,000 miles. No sign that there was an issue. Once we returned to have the vehicle inspected, the mechanic did an oil change and sent us on our way. Here we are around 3,000 miles after the oil change and the vehicle is bone dry again. The vehicle shut off while driving (turning a corner, was able.to safely steer car into a field). The vehicle started right up and the check engine light came.on and the oil light flashed briefly. We filled the vehicle with the proper oil. Turned the car on to cycle through. Drove it around the block and it qas sluggish around 25mph and an awful noise was coming from the engine. Vehicle is parked in the driveway, unable to be driven.

After 30 minutes parking in driveway rear underneath rear hatch erupted in flames. Flames engulfed entire rear of vehicle. Only outside no damage from fire inside vehicle. Started in trailer hitch rear area. Hitch was installed by Kia dealership when we purchased vehicle. Hitch was never used.

My 2016 Sorento LX is consuming 3quarts of oil in 1000 miles, I have asked the dealership and mentioned this to them and now after warranty is over they finally did oil consumption test and my car needs a new engine, I was told it could blow up at anytime, I have all maintenance papers and was told I would have to pay $7,000 to replace engine

I was driving my 2016 Kia Sorento up a steep hill when all of the sudden my vehicle lost the ability to climb up. This street has many fast drivers on it, even though it was residential. I turned down the hill and when i got to the bottom my car was making a crazy loud sound from the engine.

Vehicle began making a knocking sound every time we accelerated. Took it to a mechanic to diagnose the problem and was told it was the engine. There weren't any outstanding recalls when we searched. While searching we kept coming across a claim settlement for the same issue, so we decided to call the 1-800-333-4542. They told us Kia wouldn't replace the engine because it was already leading towards failure. We then decided to call a local Kia dealership and they set an appointment for April 25th. The problem has worsened and we can't drive it anymore. A new engine will cost over 6k and we still owe 8k. It only has 76,600k miles. What a waste and it is upsetting Kia will probably not replace the engine for free.

Car burns oil excessively at a rate of 1 quart each 300 miles. No low oil light has come on to warn driver.

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving approximately 65 MPH, an abnormal booming sound was heard which startled the driver. After stopping to inspect the vehicle, it was discovered that the glass sunroof had shattered. The contact indicated that during the incident no object had struck the vehicle to cause the failure. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not yet notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 85,000.

my vehicle is exhibiting symptoms of a defective gas pedal as described in kia recall SC115 for the 2016 kia sorento. however my vehicle is not part of the recall group. i took my car to the dealer to request this recall (SC115) be done on my vehicle but they would not make an exception. my vehicle is unsafe to drive because the accelerator pedal will randomly stop working causing the vehicle to go into "forced idle" mode for several minutes while driving on the road. this is dangerous because the car just idles and will not accelerate. kia dealer has inspected the vehicle but will not assist me with this recall issue.

.The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an intersection, the vehicle stalled with the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated he was able to pull over in a parking lot and had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,673.

Problems with parking lock, no release. Possible body control module.

The rear suspension cross member on my Kia has cracked in two places. This item has been recalled on other Kia Sorento's. The NHTSA campaign ID is 16V480000. This is a factory defect but Kia says it only applies to a cetain number of VIN numbers. Kia needs to apply this recall to more VIN numbers, especially the parts that have cracked. As Kia says in its recall, this could cause a serious accident if the suspension gives out.

Paint Peeling, Chipping, and Delamination from faulty paint job using Pearl white paint. Car in danger of body rusting and continued severe peeling. My car has low mileage and I live in Northern Virginia. I generally drive kids to and from school.

The engine was going through over 5 quarts of oil about once a month. There were no visible leaks. For months, there was no check engine light illuminated so the dealership couldn't help determine and fix the problem without charging over $10,000 to open the engine, which I couldn't afford. A Service Advisor, in their words, told me to, "Run it until it dies," so that they can start using the warranty. This to me was very unsafe, especially for my infant who was there when she said this. Months later, the car started shaking intensely and the check engine light finally came on. The car stopped working in the middle of the freeway but I was able to exit and take it to the nearest dealership. They were able to run a diagnosis and said it was an engine misfire and they replaced it (I was able to use my warranty for some of the repairs but still had to pay about $4000). It didn't take long for the car to stop working again. They then said there was a problem with the fuel pump so I had them replace it. I had barely just left the dealership when the car stopped working again. They replaced the catalytic converter, which was a part of a voluntary recall. For months after, they've been trying to figure out the issue with no success. It has been sitting at their service center since November 2022 with no solution.

The Snow White Pearl paint on my Sorento has started chipping and peeling away on the hood, front quarter panels and roof. This is leading to rust which is quite concerning. It is understandable that environmental factors such as road debris might cause chipping but this is an issue that appears to have affected a large number of people with the same paint color and the rapid deterioration of the paint covering the vehicle is not indicative of normal wear and tear.

Oil burning fast, oil light never came on to notify me of low oil levels. Car stalled and is now making knocking sounds. I have to have my car towed to the dealership to see what is wrong with it.

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 2,000.00. 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

I was driving on Route 78 (an interstate highway) when I heard a loud "POP" and suddenly my sunroof's glass was raining down on me. The front window of my sunroof totally shattered leaving a huge hole in the roof. Luckily, I did not lose control of the vehicle as I tried to figure out what happened to the sunroof. I recently had to have the car towed and I did not want to wait for another tow truck so I drove home with the huge hole in the roof. Upon my arrival home, my husband met me with the shop vac and he cleaned up the glass. His notes about the situation - there were no scratches or dents on any part of the car, there was no foreign object in the car that may have fallen through the roof, and he thought that the amount of glass he vacuumed out was not all of the glass missing from the roof. He believed that a lot of the glass must have burst out of the window and onto the highway. The next day when I drove home (in another car as mine was unable to be used for several days), I looked to see if I could see an unusual object on the side of the road that could have perfectly missed my windshield but hit my sunroof. There was nothing out of the ordinary on the road. FYI - The day's weather was fair, in the high 50-s to low 60-s. It was a cloudy but dry day. I posted my harrowing experience on Facebook, and a friend told me about the NHTSA.gov website. Upon searching, I found that several other 2016 Kia Sorentos had exploding sunroof issues. I reported the issue to my insurance company as I wanted to know how much my deductible was. Unfortunately, the cost is coming out of my pocket. I have since had the window fixed. I did not file a police report as I honestly believed that somehow something got kicked up off the road and onto my roof. I do not believe that to be the case anymore. I did call my local Kia dealer and he was shocked to hear what happened. He did not say he had any experiences like this.

Car oil engine concern. The engine oil continues to be low and without any warning car engine oil is low. This is a high risk of burning up the engine, risk of starting a fire, and stall the engine. The car was taken to the shop where the mechanic had brought to my attention engine oil is low and had asked me when was my last oil change. The mechanic then did another inspection where the mechanic didn’t see any leak but want me to constantly monitor my car engine oil. The mechanic also added 2qts in. As I monitored my car, oil seem to be leaking on parking, while no warning switch is on.

The Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS) has failed on our 2016 KIA Sorento on three separate occasions, with the most recent on March 25th, 2022. Each time we have taken the vehicle to our local Kia Dealership, the 1st time they confirmed the issue and provided us an estimate of near $5,000.00. We differed the repair, which appeared to be wise as we received a letter from Kia extending the Vehicle Warranty for this exact issue to 5 yrs/150,000 miles. HOWEVER after a 2nd incident of steering failure the dealer said "could not validate the issue" and to "bring it back if it happens again. Well it happened again, This time we recorded a video which we will retain if there is another denial of service from our local Kia Dealer. However they denied the repair again. At this point we are extremely frustrated and do not feel confident to return to the local Kia dealer we have contacted KIA America, Inc. although they are not standing behind their product. It is our desire and expectation that we can obtain remedy of this documented and dangerous warranty failure.

While I was driving on the highway my car jumped then the engine light came on and the car just died. They was this really weird smell that was coming from the car as I was pulling over. I then opened the hood of the car and the engine was smoking. I looked under the car and oil was coming out from the bottom engine block. I grabbed my stuff and walked as far away as I could because I was scared the car was going to catch fire.

I was driving and suddenly the car started to hesitate. I pressed the gas down more but the car continued to lose power. The car did continue to drive, but only at about 35 mph. I was luckily very close to a rest station on the New Jersey Turnpike. And as I was coming up to a toll, the rest of the traffic was slowing down. If this had happened a few miles later, I certainly could have been in an accident as I slowed down and the rest of the cars would have continued to speed by. The car was towed to my Kia dealer as the check engine light was flashing and I did not want to drive it there due to the distance I was from the dealership. Their analysis found that cylinder #1 fuel injector was stuck in an open position. This caused the spark plug to become fowled. Both the cylindar and the plug had to be replaced. To date, it appears that the fix was successful. The dealer said there was a possibility that the catalytic converter may have to be replaced if I drove too long with the fuel injector not operating correctly. I drove approximately 2 miles. There were not warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms before the problem. No police or insurance company representatives involved.

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?

Paint is peeling while driving obstructing my view and potentially other drivers

WHITE PEARL PAINT FINISH IS FLAKING OFF ON HOOD AND ALONG ROOF LINE AT WINDSHIELD. NO IMPACT OR ABRASION CAUSED THIS. FROM READING OTHER COMPLAINTS THIS APPEARS TO BE FROM INCOMPATIBLE PRIMER USED AT FACTORY

The car was running hot. The repair shop was suppose replace the thermostat..We received the car back the same day and it was still doing the same thing.. The repair place told us to put water in it when it cools down and continue on our merry way!! The car ran hot, started smoking and now it won’t crank

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.

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 111,101.

While on the highway and driving 75 miles per hour, the car engine seized with no warning at all. There were no warnings on the dash and the engine completely died. The mechanic said he has already had 3 of the exact same instances happen this week alone. The mechanic himself had the same exact issue happen. He explained there was oil in it, and this is a nationwide problem with Kia Sorento's. My dealer said they can't even diagnose the car for two months! Once it's approved to fix, it will be another 2-3 months! The car only had 94,500 miles on it. I asked the dealer what folks are doing and she said they're buying "beater" cars in the meantime. Well we are all left with no trade in value for our car, we have no transportation for 6 months, and vehicles are at an all time high right now. What are consumers supposed to do?!? Kia needs to make right with this. Most folks can't afford to be without a vehicle for 6 months.

The vehicle has failed to accelerate in various situations, i.e., after coming to a complete stop and turning onto a street with opposing and oncoming traffic. The issue has occurred intermittently for ~two months. Sometimes weeks without the issue resurfacing. Today, after running one errand early in the morning, the engine check appeared when we started the car and the vehicle went into limp mode. We barely got the car home, with little control of the acceleration. We could have been involved in an accident if this occurred while on the highway or turning onto a street from a heavily traveled intersection. This is a severe safety issue.

I'VE HAD MY ENGINE REPLACED A MONTH AFTER HAVING MY CAR WHEN I FIRST GOT IT ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO. I RECIEVED THE LETTER FOR THE CURRENT ENGINE RECALL ABOUT FEBURARY OF THIS YEAR. MY HUSBAND AND I WAS O THE HIGHWAY WHEN THE END OF MARCH 2022 WHEN MY ENGINE STARTED KNOCKING AND THE OIL LIGHT CAME ON. I HAD THE CAR TAKEN TO A KIA DEALSHIP THE NEXT DAY (WHICH WAS A SATURDAY) AND THE GOT BACK IN TOUCH WITH ME THAT FOLLOWING MONDAY STATING IT WAS MY ENGINE BUT I WOULD HAVE TO PAY OUT OF POCKET. I HAVE TO PAY FOR BECAUSE IT WAS AT THIS TIME I LEARNED I NO LONGER HAD A WARRANTY ON MY CAR. PRIOR TO MY HUSBAND AND I TAKING THIS TRIP I JUST HAD MY CAR AT THE DEALERSHIP FOR AN OIL CHANGE. AFTER THEY CHANGED MY OIL THE TECH STATED TO ME THAT MY CAR WAS LEAKING OIL AND THAT I HAD TO SETUP AN APPT TO HAVE IT FIXED. HE DIDNT OFFER ME THE CHANCE TO GET IT FIXED RIGHT THEN. ABOUT FIVE MINS AFTER I LEFT I CALLED THE DEALERSHIP AND ASKED THEM IF I MY WARRANTY WOULD COVER THE COST AND THAT TECH STATED THAT HE WOULD HAVE TO CONTACT THEM FIRST AND GET BACK IN TOUCH WITH ME. A WEEK LATER IS WHEN I LEFT TO GO OUT OF TOWN DUE TO A DEATH IN THE FAMILY. I'VE ALSO ASKED THEM FOR A LOANER CAR BUT THEY DIDNT HAVE ANY TO LEND ME AND SAID THAT MY WARRANTY WOULD REMIBURSE ME FOR A RENTAL. IM UPSET BECAUSE IM STILL PAYING ON A CAR THAT I CANT DRIVE AND IVE GOTTEN THIS CAR FROM A WELL KNOWN DEALERSHIP WHOM I THOUGHT WAS GENUINE TO THEIR CUSTOMERS.

Driving on the highway, the check engine light came on and the car began running rough. I pulled over off the highway as soon as I could and had the car towed. I was told the car has no compression on cylinder 3 and has codes P0300, P0301, and P0303. Kia tells me I need a new engine at estimated cost of $8800. Prior to this event the vehicle has been burning excessive oil (no oil light on despite once needing to add 4 quarts). Dealership did 2 oil consumption tests on separate occasions and told me it was burning oil within normal limits and took no action.

Timing chain broke with no warning and only 70114 miles one car.

I was driving on the NJ Turnpike in about 70 miles per hour and then suddenly I hear a big noise coming from my engine (clack and clack). Then my car stopped and needed to call a towing truck to take it to the mechanic and according to the mechanic I will need to replace motor(engine) to drive your car again. My car is on the parking lot from my house.

Usually when raining I get a "Blind spot detection CANCELED " notice on the dash and BSD does not work

The gear shift will not come out of park. I had to stick something in the manual brake release hole to shift out of park.

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle would hesitate or fail to accelerate upon depression of the accelerator pedal; the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact initially took the vehicle to an independent mechanic where a diagnostic code showed that the throttle position sensor was defective. Upon further investigation, the contact discovered NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V089000 (Vehicle Speed Control) which he linked to the failure. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer and he was informed that his vehicle was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided information about an extended warranty that the vehicle qualified for; however, upon calling the dealer, the contact was informed that his vehicle did not qualify for the warranty. The vehicle was not repaired and remained in the possession of the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 69,500.

A couple of months ago, we parked the Kia in the garage and the next morning, went to start the vehicle and attempted to put it in gear and the shifter button would move depress. We ended up replacing the brake switch but the problem remained. We took the vehicle to our local mechanic who ran a number of tests and determined the fault to be within the BCM module. Tests performed. They measured the voltage from the brake switch and validated the proper voltage was there. They went to the interlock solenoid at the shifter and verified the solenoid is functioning properly when provided ground. They went to the BCM (Body Control Module) connector and provided ground from the connector to the solenoid to validate there's no problems with the connectors or wire and this worked. Based on these tests, they have determined the BCM module to be at fault, either not detecting the brake is depressed or the BCM is detecting it, but it's not providing the ground needed to the solenoid. At the moment, we have resorted to pressing the shift lock release to operate the vehicle.