2016 Kia Sorento Complaint Log

The 2016 Kia Sorrento we drove for 6 months, odometer reading under 82 000 mi had complete engine failure with no warning. It started to rattle when shifting to a new gear and completely broke down on the way to the dealership the next day. The Kia Dealer has confirmed the engine failed. We had no warning of engine issues.

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 70 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact pulled over and had the vehicle towed to her residence. The vehicle was then towed to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 134,000.

I have a 2016 LX Kia Sorento with only 123k miles on it. When I first purchased the vehicle it had on 27k miles on it. It has done great until I reached over 100k miles. Ever since, it is consuming massive amounts of oil weekly. No oil light comes on and there's no external oil leaking from the SUV. I have had frequent oil changes every 2500 miles to be exact all maintenance is up to par on my vehicle. Needing the dealership to try to assist with the matter as having to go weekly for top offs and monthly for oil changes has become beyond costly.

I just purchased my Kia Sorento in March of 2021. It doesn’t notify you when oil is LOW or OUT. Even with proper oil changes. Also the engine randomly started to overheat regardless that it’s barley got 107 miles on it. Of course there’s several recalls for this particular vehicle for the same issues but not for mine specifically. Insurance won’t cover wear and tear so now my cars in the shop for who knows how long with an extremely high bill expected.

I just bought my car in March of this year. It started overheating so I brought it to the mechanic where I was quoted $9,000 for a new motor. I still owe $17,000 on it. Was completely disrespected at the dealership by the service department. So now I’m stuck with a car that doesn’t drive and a huge loan I have to pay out. I was told that the oil level in my car was extremely low. I just recently had it changed and wasn’t due for over a month for another. No light sensor or anything went off.

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the contact was notified about a knocking in the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 103,000.

My vehicle without any warning whatsoever, completely shut down while driving in interstate traffic. This was a very dangerous thing to happen while driving on a busy interstate. I was able to get to the side of the road but the vehicle would not start. I had my vehicle towed to my mechanics shop where he determined that the motor had failed due to cylinder/piston damage. I was denied coverage by KIA so my only choice was to pay my mechanic to replace the motor with a remanufactured motor at a cost of $9000.

Car failed while driving and now has a rod know and low oil

Unknown. The blind spots warning sometimes works and sometimes it doesn’t. The same goes for the backing warning. The car will not lock itself with the key control or manually. This problem has happened a few times already. One of the lights at the driver side isn’t working. (Inside light)

Engine failed while driving. No warning lights. Have to purchase a new used engine. Fan blower resister: only blows at high or not at all. Has been fixed once and is now an issue again.

The steering wheel sticking while you turn left or right. In hwy it's hard to drive because you don't know how much pressure you have to put to adjust your vehicle on the road. If feel like you are losing your control of the vehicle.

On October 28, 2021 the hood paint suddenly started to peel in large chunks. This occurred without warning as previously there was no peeling paint. These pieces stuck to the windshield and were a driving safety hazard as they obstructed clear view. This is evidence of a clear failure of the factory paint to properly stay adherred to the body of the car. This vehicle is available for inspection and photo evidence is also available. This problem has been confirmed by a local Kia dealership. There is also abundant evidence of this being an ongoing issue online in Kia Consumer forums. When reaching out to Kia Corporation directly we were given no assistance in rectifying this issue.

in August of 2021 I received a mailer notifying me of a recall & software update to prevent my engine from blowing up. I immediately scheduled the software update for the begining of September and that was completed. In October of 2021 I was driving the vehicle when it began to make an odd noise. No dashboard lights were triggered -so I tried to get to my next stop to evaluate, on the way the vehicle remained on but the ability to use the gas and actually increase speed ceased. It was sputtering when I was able to pull off into a parking lot and the check engine light finally appeared. We evaluated the oil and it was dry. No oil lights ever appeared. Had this occurred on a highway or busy roadway this could have had a tragic ending. The vehicle was regularly serviced per service schedule. The vehicle had a recent oil change before the software update and a multipoint inspection with the software update. The vehicle had to be towed and evaluated at the dealership which determined it was covered under the new warranty due to class action lawsuit on the faulty engines. Repairs took almost a month and the warranty coverage was denied and argued repeatedly.

My engine needed to be replaced after they said it overheated and was beyond repair.

Took vehicle in 2 day after I received recall notice.Dealership availability was 2 weeks away they told me I needed a starter and few sensors and my bill would $1700. After borrowing the funds called to pick vehicle up and was told by manager he let his master technician take a look at it trying to figure out why I needed a starter. Master technician turned the engine and it locked. They say I’ll have to replace the engine at the cost of $8000. Reason waited to late to bring recall in. Which is insane, I still owe $10,000 on the vehicle that’s not running. Your facilitation in this matter is both wanted and appreciated. Respectfully

I was driving 85 MPH on the interstate and my engine lights started flashing (no engine light or oil light prior to this) and started slowing down. I got to the shoulder of the interstate and my car was making a terrible knocking noise. I have owned this car for 3 months. There is a little over 87K on my car. I had the car towed to the nearest Kia dealership where I was told my engine was totaled. After paying 140.00 for a diagnostics report and being without a car for a whole month (keep in mind this is just for the report). I was quoted a total of 6,800 for them to fix my car. After further research I have found other people with the same issues with the engine. My engine is a 3.3L V6. In the previous lawsuit for Kia it only covers 2.4L engines where my engine is having the SAME issues. I should not have to pay for a new engine when this is a big issue with other consumers with the same car and engine type. Now im stuck paying on a car I CANT DRIVE until the 6800 is paid. I owe to much on my car for me to pay it off in full. This put me as well as everyone else on the interstate at risk and would have also put my children at risk if they were in the car. I am beyond irritated. As well as a given a whistleblower just coming out to state that these engines are not safe and kia and hyundai's neglect in keep their consumers safe. SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE!

Car does not want to go when push gas pedal. It jumps around and the engine light is on

My car had no warning light on the vehicle. However while my husband was driving 80 MPH on the engine started making a loud noise and stalled on the interstate. After research and taking it in for a diagnosis test its came back that the engine is rapidly burning oil and did not notify us when we were low on oil. Since then I have researched and found a TON of other 2016 kia Sorento having the SAME EXACT ISSUE! However there is no recall for this! This is not only EXTREMTLY unsafe but also extremely expensive to fix for something that is not our fault but rather the manufacture. My husband knows how to react in situations like that but if it was me it would have not only put me in danger but also my children and any other drivers that were near me. This needs to be recalled especially due to the abundant amount of people with the same year and make of vehicle having the same exact problem. Do something to protect us as this is absolutely ridiculous that this big of an issue is not under recall. I am now coming out of pocket to fix this issue which is alot of money.

Rear hatch locked and would not open from outside of vehicle. Released hatch with emergency release from inside of car per manual page 4-27. Hatch could then be manually opened and traveled up and down full range on automated open from exterior switch, key and driver's switch. However the hatch will not latch and opens when the vehicle is in motion.

Paint peeling from hood and roof of car.

Sunroof motor failed

The Head Bolt was stripped, because it was entered backwards causing the Head Gasket to blow, the right-side cylinder head to be replaced, along with the oil filter housing, because it was cracked. The Vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Engine could've locked while driving, killing us, and others. The problem was inspected by the manufacturer, warranty representatives, and Kia mechanics. After a BG Cooling system Service was completed the smell of antifreeze/coolant stayed with the vehicle. A recheck by the Kia mechanic found the flush was blocked, and they re-flushed the cooling system. After that the temperature gage was moving from hot to cold, the fan continued to stay on after the vehicle was shut off.

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle had experienced unintended acceleration causing the RPMs to increase and the vehicle to suddenly drive forward and almost crash. The contact indicated that the failure had occurred on several occasions. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who was unable to duplicate the failure and no problem was found. The manufacturer was not yet notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 31,000.

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH the vehicle experienced an unknown electrical failure and was taken to an unknown dealer; however, the mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and stated that no issues were found. On another occasion while driving 35 MPH and depressing the brake pedal while she was approaching a STOP sign, the vehicle jerked abruptly, stalled, and lost electrical power. The contact stuck her arm out of the window to notify the vehicle behind her. The contact depressed the brake pedal to stop the vehicle but it felt rigid and failed to respond. The vehicle continued to roll until coming to a complete stop. The contact stated that the vehicle restarted independently. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact then continued to drive the vehicle; however, the vehicle was jerking while driving. The contact pulled into a local Pep Boys for an oil change and continued to drive. The dealer was notified of the failure and an appointment was scheduled for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.

The engine is burning oil per the dealership. This is a known problem with the vehicle, but the dealership claims it is not covered by warranty, nor has a recall been issued. I have to constantly add oil every 500-1000 miles. Other Kia engines have been recalled for this exact issue.

Basically my car stalled on me while driving on the feeder of the freeway. I had all three of my children inside the car so luckily nothing bad happened when my car died. I had to tow my car to a mechanic who later informed me that my engine had pieces of metal inside it. He then explained that the dealership should replace our engine since there has been recalls for this same issue on Kia Sorento. At this point, I called the dealership and they refused to replace our engine and stated that I should of done a previous recall (an upgrade). I advised them that I never received any information in regards to a previous recall and I actually had went online a few months ago and checked for any recalls. My Mom had ran across a website and we all checked all of our vehicles for recalls. My Kia Sorento had no recalls. What is my next step to get the Kia Dealership to fix my vehicle? Ive already called the main number to Kia and they were no help either. Thank you for your help!!!

I traveled from my home and back approximately a 50-mile round trip. When I returned home, I noticed an excessive amount of oil leaking from my vehicle. First, I checked the oil level and the dip-stick was bone dry and discolored from the heat of the engine. I then jacked the vehicle up placed it on jack stands removed the engine splash shield to better access the underside of the engine. After careful inspection I was not able to ascertain where the oil may have been coming from. I went to YOUTUBE and found numerous video's detailing the issue with the Sorrento models from 2010-to-2016. Turns out it is the 'OIL PRESSURE SENSOR” about $14.00 in replacement parts; mechanic verified. The issue which has been stated in the YOUTUBE videos and on the NHTSA website and numerous other websites; the vehicle engine will fail from excessive oil loss and the "WARNING LAMP" will not ILLUMINATE to alert you of the low oil level prior to the vehicle losing power and the engine failing. This can be a safety hazard if this occurs on the highway, which I have read other complaints and it has happened luckily no one was injured or killed. It should not cost you $400 in repair cost to replace a part that cost $14.00. If you don’t catch this issue in time and the engine fails that same $14.00 part will cost you $6100 for an engine replacement. This is an issue that KIA has been aware of for over 7 years that has not been addressed. This should be #1 on the NHTSA RECALL list.

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and an independent mechanic on separate occasions. The dealer and an independent mechanic diagnosed the vehicle with engine failure. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 128,459.

Paint chipping in large areas occurring rapidly over the course of 6-7 months with no external damage or accidents to cause this.

Twice, the electronic power steering has stopped working at speed. Almost impossible to steer the vehicle. Kia has two service bulletins on this issue but dealer claims it cannot find the problem and will not attempt to fix it.

My family and I own a 2016 Kia Sorrento VIN [XXX] that we purchased from a dealer in August 2017. It was reliable transportation; we were very pleased with it; it was serviced with regular oil changes, maintenance, etc., and had no mechanical issues until early September 2021. The vehicle’s temperature gauge began to register hot, i.e., way over to the “H” during operation. Our regular mechanic at an AAA-registered auto care center replaced the thermostat, but the car was still overheating. After an expensive but thorough diagnosis from early November through early December 2021, the mechanics – including a Kia specialist – confirmed that the head bolts were pulling away from the engine block or the source of our problem. After searching the internet, I understand that this is not a frequent occurrence but not uncommon among the same model and year Kia Sorento's with similar mileage. Replacement engines are not available due to supply issues; there was no guarantee of success from our mechanics or the machine shop who could attempt to mill the head/engine block and drill-tap for new bolts; and the entire process was cost prohibitive. Therefore, we elected not to have it repaired. Our Sorrento that is past its engine-drivetrain warranty with 124K miles on the odometer sits in the driveway with a year’s worth of car payments remaining. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6).

The car was purchased new in 2016. Paint began peeling above the passenger door August 27, 2021 at the dealer service center carwash after a routine oil change. Its been peeling more since then. We have read of other owners having very serious paint peeling on there Sorentos. Estimates to repaint the panel are up to $1000. The car has 71,000 miles on it.

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The oil warning light was illuminated. The vehicle had been taken monthly to the dealer since August 2021 for an oil consumption test. The contact was informed that the vehicle consumed a quart and a half of oil every 800 miles, and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 81,630.

While driving down the road both headlights just turn off. I can turn the light switch off and on and they come back on.

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving approximately 55 MPH, the vehicle lost power and decelerated to 25 MPH. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact pulled off to the side of the road and turned off the vehicle and was unable to restart the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic. The independent mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the oil level had dropped to a very low level and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 81,000.

I was driving on the highway when my vehicle started sputtering, acceleration response declined, and the check engine light started flashing. This was a huge concern as I was in the area of the highway where there are multiple logging trucks and could not accelerate if I needed to get out of the way. I pulled off the highway into an Autozone and my vehicle shut off, I attempted to start it and it would not stay running. I pulled the spark plugs and noticed the cylinder four plug was coated in oil. I had previously told a Kia dealership I was experiencing high oil consumption and was told Kia was aware of this issue and was doing nothing about it at this time. I was told, "run the car till the engine dies and Kia will replace it." Once at the dealership Kia performed a connecting rod bearing test but stated it was unable to be completed due to cylinder two failing. They pulled the head and found the exhaust valve to cylinder two had a piece missing. This was sent to Kia elevated claims through consumer affairs who advised me it would not be covered. They stated the exhaust valve likely broke due to carbon build-up. I explained the carbon build-up was due to burning oil which was likely caused by a worn connecting rod bearing. I was told burning oil would not cause carbon build-up and they would not do a good faith repair on my vehicle. I contacted the service manager of the dealer and explained this. He stated the consumer affairs person was not correct and these items were linked. I contacted Kia consumer affairs supervisor and explained my situation again, stating the service manager at the dealership would like to speak with him. He denied my claim again and stated he would "absolutely not speak with the service manager." He told me to refer him to a district manager and still denied any issues with Kia relating to oil consumption causing this engine failure.

After accelerating from a stop, the engine started making a loud clunking noise and was losing power. The vehicle was towed to a certified Kia dealership where it was determined to be a rod bearing failure in the engine. The engine needs to be replaced and is not covered under any warranties due to a sensor not being updated. I was never notified of any recalls which the sensor update was. I have owned this vehicle for two years and was never notified of any recalls.

I was driving back home when the engine cut out on Hwy 85 south outside Greensboro doing 65 mph. I took it to a shop that told me the engine was seized. I didn’t get any oil notification or any check engine lights till the car shut off. While driving.

I own a 2016 Kia Sorento with the 2.4L that is supposed to have a lifetime warranty on the engine due to the class action law suit apparently Kia which refuses to honor. I was driving on the interstate one day when my car started to go into limp mode and started to knock really bad my car eventually shut off completely and wouldn’t crank again after that I had it towed to Kia and they informed me that I needed a new engine and that Kia will not cover it for the fact that the car never received a knock sensor update( which I never record a notice in the mail for either by the way ) so now I have a car that isn’t drivable and I have to keep making payments on Kia should be required to honor the lawsuit and recall these vehicles due to this being a safety issue because the car gives you no warning what so ever and seems like more and more of these vehicles are having the same issue this is just ridiculous and I will never buy another Kia again after this

I have always had my car serviced regularly for oil changes. starting in July 2021 my mechanic told me that I was EXTREMELY “dangerously” low in oil, without low oil warning ever turning on. Researched and saw this is a common problem leading to engine failure/ needing replacement. Called local Kia dealership about the issue was told to come in for an oil consumption test, left today and was told oil consumption is not covered in the extended coverage for my engine. I was basically told in order for the repairs to be covered my engine would have to blow up while driving. So every day I’m putting my self and others at risk while driving for my engine to fail at any given time. After seeing other complaints on this site of very similar problems, why has there not been a recall on this engine? It is obviously a very well known problem!! Why am I like a sitting duck every time I drive praying my engine doesn’t blow? Kia dealership told me they have a $500 fix that “might” work but with no guarantee and no refund will be given if it doesn’t work.

I'm not sure I've had my vehicle serviced but nobody seems to know the problem. Every since my headlight was replaced my electrical system has been wacky. All of my doors keep locking and unlocking on its own. When I try to accelerate my vehicle seems to be more stagnant as if it's no longer increasing speed and the steering wheel does not appear to be in alignment with my tires when turning. My son has never been able to open the door while in motion but since the locks have started clicking there's been some close calls.

My Kia recently stopped and cut off on me and my engine started shaking and making a knocking noise I’m up to date with all my oil changes and I had just got one when I checked the oil it was barely any and I didn’t have any check engine light on I had my car towed to the Kia dealership to see what’s wrong I only had the car since 2019 February and it’s never gave me any problems til now the dealership claims they can’t help because the recall was from 2018 I didn’t have the car yet and I didn’t receive anything in the mail my engine is basically not good

In July on Highway my 2026 Kia Sorento blue up in blue smoke and stalked on busy multiple lanes of s highway… had to be towed to dealership…. Deakership let it sit fir 10-13 days after multiple text messsges…. Finally attempted to diagnose problem but not addressing blue smoke from tailpipe!!!! This has been occurring since 16,000 miles and excessive oil consumption at 52,887 miles… Aldo jerking, hard starting, stalling on highways…. No codes to diagnose…. All under water ty but did nit repair…. So the problems continued on until it abruptly stopped in the middle of busy Highway in heavy traffic… thankfully we were hit and struck by many cars and seriously injured!!!!!’ The dealership is not sure of their diagnosis and we feel the engine had been a problem since we purchased it new off showroom…. We use premium Mobil gasoline and have never had an issue such as this at 77,000 miles and the car is still in showroom with a spotless service record….. Please advise quickly as we now incurred a rental cost of over $1400.00 and the car remains on their lot for 6 weeks! It’s under warranty because they refused to repair it years ago!!!! Thank you for your prompt action regarding this matter…. Regards, M…….

Shifter cannot be moved out of PARK without pushing down on the SHIFT LOCK RELEASE. I must do this every time I want to go forward or backward. A reliable service center informed me this is a frequent problem with the 2016 Kia Sorento and he suggested a recall may be forthcoming. Owners manual states that when using the RELEASE, depress the brake pedal so vehicles does not lurch forward or back. The additional step to move the car may be hazardous when attempting to get out of the way. Service center isolated the problem to Body Control Module which is expensive and OEM only. This happened without warning when I parked briefly in the road adjacent to a friend's driveway. I blocked the road until I discovered how to use the RELEASE button.

Paint peeliing and car rust has stated as soon as warranty ran out.

On 28 July 2021 at 16:44, While traveling 65 mph on I70 west in Maryland the Kia Sorento started to smoke from the undercarriage and then under the hood. The Kia abruptly shut down and I was able to cost off the highway. The vehicle was towed to Dar Cars Kia of Frederick. After 10 + days on the dealer's lot, a technician said the engine had failed. Kia has refused to acknowledge any responsibility for the engine failure, stating because the car was not brought in to have a recalled engine component repaired. according to a search, there are no open recall statements for this vehicle. In addition, we never received any notification of any problem with the Kia Sorento

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while his wife was driving approximately 40 mph at dawn, the headlights, side marker lights, and turn signals became inoperable. The vehicle was examined by an independent mechanic who diagnosed that the front light module was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 94,000.

We had issues with the TPMS in 2020. Took it to Tempe Kia on 7/30/2020. The following was done on vehicle. 1. Installed 37110 H7A00U 2. Complete Transmission service W/BG Cleaner installed Um013, KBG3020-Cooling system kit, UM040 antifreeze/coolant, 58101 C6A00 Pad kit- Front disc b, Replaced air filter 28113 A9100 Total amount paid $1,019.96. At that time oil was checked off as green. 11/25/2020 four new tires from Costco were put on. TPMS issue came back in May of 2021 when vehicle was parked outside. We live in AZ so the temperatures get hot but when the TPMS light come on it shuts the car down where it could not go into gear until it cooled down. Moving forward to July the TPMS light stayed on and the check engine light came on and vehicle began to sputter. We took it to our mechanic and he diagnosed that we needed a new engine. There was sludge build up, knock sensor codes came up, miss fires on bank 1, and internal engine noise. We had the vehicle towed to our dealer Tempe Kia. They concurred that a new engine would be necessary. Many codes were found P0300, P0306; P0304; P0302; P0018. Had a conversation with Debby 10:00 a.m. for 55 minutes 7/20/21from Kia and was told that due to lack of maintenance on the vehicle that Kia would not cover this engine under warranty. We were told that our oil changes were out of the time frame that Kia specifies in the owners manual that the 2016 Kia Sorento should have an oil change every 7,500 miles. We had oil changes every year from purchase to failure. Some at 8,000 miles to 15,000 miles. There are MANY complaints and cases open for the 2016 Kia Sorento engine failure. We have a 2012 Kia Sorento that the engine failed but a recall was issued for finding metal shavings in the engine. We purchased a 2021 Telluride in June but, moving forward we will not be purchasing anymore Kia vehicles. We are truly disappointed that Kia found a way out of our case and will not warranty our engine.

1ST problem a year ago the rear latch to door wouldn't lock and I had to use bungee cords to keep it shut. 2nd problem, the engine was knocking after I returned from a recent road trip. I took it to local (trustworthy) mechanic and they noticed metal shards in the oil pan. They refused to open the engine because it would void the warranty. I had it towed to KIA of Smithtown and they said it was total engine failure. I said impossible, since I have kept up with all timely oil changes and maintenance and I have the records. There was no warning light of low oil or that the engine was running hot or smoke. Dealer refused to fix and so am in dialogue with an attorney. Kia has yet to send me a bill or approximate charge for engine replacement and has held the SUV for 13 days now.

the car is very bad for manufacture the gasket rocker is in bad conditions almost fired my car the oil is allot the liquid inside the my motor .is allo the noise , the dealer can responsibility for recall because kia close the recall is not fair my car is 2016 is dangerous for my family and for my kids almost pay for this car 25,000.00thousand dollars . am pay for the fixed yesterday 336.32, and the car is not work very well .am make the appointment in july 17 and the dealer give me the appointment very late september 23 , and later say is closed the decal ....am very sad now for my car.... and for the money for fixed this car....the car stop in the avenue almost dead for crash the other car with me and my kids.