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Car · Kia problems

2016 Kia Sorento problems

1,261 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2016 Kia Sorento. The most reported area is engine and engine cooling (57% of them). NHTSA also lists 151 service bulletins and 8 recall campaigns.

1,261owner complaints
29say a crash was involved
50say a fire was involved
19injuries and deaths reported

Counts are what owners told NHTSA, as filed. NHTSA does not confirm each report, and a complaint is not proof of a cause. Injuries: 19. Deaths: 0.

Complaints by area

Each bar is the share of this model year's 1,261 complaints that name that area. A complaint can name more than one area, so the shares add up to more than 100%.

16 smaller areas not shown (197 complaints in total).

Do not compare models by these numbers. NHTSA has no sales count for each model, so a model with more complaints may just have sold more cars. Use them to see which areas owners write about, not to rank cars.

Service bulletins

NHTSA's database lists 151 repair bulletins from Kia for the 2016 Kia Sorento. A bulletin is a repair instruction sent to dealers. It is not a recall and does not mean your car is covered. The 8 newest:

  1. WTY031_TSB_R2Received June 18, 2026

    Visibility and wipers

    New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area.

  2. SC340Received December 2, 2025

    Voluntary emissions service campaign: theta II 2.4L GDI EMISSIONS ECM LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (SC340) - This bulletin provides information to upgrade the Electronic Control Module 'ECM' system software...

  3. SC340_POCReceived October 24, 2025

    Electrical system

    Voluntary emissions service campaign: SC340_poc: proof of correction card.

  4. SC340_QAReceived October 24, 2025

    Electrical system

    Voluntary emissions service campaign: question and answer (SC340) - This document is the Question and Answer Guide containing the most frequently asked questions regarding the Voluntary Emissions...

  5. SC340_STKRReceived October 24, 2025

    Electrical system

    SC340_stkr: voluntary emissions service campaign completion label/sticker.

  6. WTY035_TSB_R3Received October 9, 2025

    Engine and engine cooling

    New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the left or right margin areas.

  7. SC330Received February 1, 2025

    Voluntary service campaign: multi-function switch repair (SC330) - This bulletin provides information to repair the multi-function switch knob on certain 2016-2018MY Sorento (UMa) vehicles...

  8. SC330_QAReceived January 30, 2025

    Electrical system

    Voluntary service campaign: question and answer (SC330) - This document is the Question and Answer Guide containing the most frequently asked questions regarding the Voluntary Service Campaign SC330.

Recalls

NHTSA lists 8 recall campaigns for the 2016 Kia Sorento. Recall repairs are free at a Kia dealer. The 3 to look at first:

  1. 22V612000August 10, 2022

    Power train

    The vehicles may have been manufactured with faulty automatic transmission shift lever assembly components, preventing the shift lever from locking, which can allow the vehicle to rollaway.

  2. 22V703000September 19, 2022Do not drive notice

    Trailer hitches

    Debris and moisture accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (PCB) may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire.

  3. 18V907000December 19, 2018

    Fuel system, gasoline

    The high pressure fuel pipe that connects to the fuel pump outlet may have been damaged, misaligned or improperly torqued during the engine replacement procedure, possibly causing a fuel leak.

See all 8 recalls for the 2016 Kia Sorento, or check your VIN below to see which are open on your car.

Common repairs in this area (not a diagnosis)

These are repair jobs that sit in the areas owners report most. A complaint may need a diagnosis first: the same symptom can come from many causes, and a serious one such as engine failure is not fixed by a cheap part. They are not a forecast of what your Sorento will need. Ranges are US estimates for all makes.

Start with a diagnosis

Engine and engine cooling 721 complaints · 57%

No repair price here: this area usually needs a diagnosis first. A diagnostic scan (check engine light) runs $55 to $250.

Power train (transmission and drive) 126 complaints · 10%

Body and structure 111 complaints · 9%

No repair price here: this area usually needs a diagnosis first. A diagnostic scan (check engine light) runs $55 to $250.

Electrical system 107 complaints · 8%

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Check your VIN

Complaints and bulletins cover a whole model year. Only the VIN shows what is open on your car.

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Recall and complaint data comes from NHTSA, the US government's vehicle safety agency, and is cached for up to a day. Recall repairs at a dealer are free. A recall that is not listed may not apply to your car or may not be filed yet. Check nhtsa.gov/recalls too.

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2016 Kia Sorento: questions

What are the most common problems on the 2016 Kia Sorento?

Of the 1,261 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2016 Kia Sorento, 721 (57%) name engine and engine cooling, and 126 (10%) name power train (transmission and drive). A complaint can list more than one area, so the shares add up to more than 100%. These are owner reports, not proven causes.

Is the 2016 Kia Sorento reliable?

These numbers cannot say. NHTSA complaints have no sales count to compare against, so a high number on one model does not mean it fails more than another. Use them to see which areas owners write about, then check your own VIN for open recalls.

Do these complaints include crashes or fires?

Owners marked 29 of the 1,261 complaints as involving a crash and 50 as involving a fire. They also reported 19 injuries and 0 deaths. NHTSA records these as the owner reports them and does not confirm each one.

How many recalls does the 2016 Kia Sorento have?

NHTSA lists 8 recall campaigns for the 2016 Kia Sorento. Recall repairs are free at a Kia dealer. Enter your VIN to see which ones are open on your car.

What is a service bulletin?

A service bulletin is a repair instruction a maker sends to its dealers. It is not a recall, and it does not mean your car is covered. NHTSA lists 151 repair bulletins for the 2016 Kia Sorento.

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Sources

Complaint, bulletin and recall counts come from NHTSA as filed. Repair prices are estimates from our own ranges. Not a repair shop, estimates only.