RecallRepo

2016 Kia Sorento Recalls

Recalls on record Updated July 2026

The 2016 Kia Sorento has 8 NHTSA recall campaigns affecting an estimated 205,074 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 1,613 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine. Last updated July 5, 2026.

Recall campaigns

TRAILER HITCHES 22V703000 2022-09-19 70,887 affected
Defect

Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Sorento, 2021-2022 Sorento Hybrid (HEV), 2022-2023 Sorento Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV), and 2017-2022 Sportage vehicles equipped with a tow hitch harness installed as original equipment, or purchased as an accessory through a Kia dealership. Debris and moisture…

Consequence

A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.

Remedy

Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will inspect the vehicle, and, as necessary, replace the fuse and/or tow hitch harness module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 11, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at…

POWER TRAIN 22V612000 2022-08-10 28,065 affected
Defect

Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2016 Sedona and Sorento vehicles. 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.

Consequence

A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of a crash and injury.

Remedy

Dealers will inspect and replace the automatic transmission shift lever assembly components, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 7, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC246.

ENGINE 18V907000 2018-12-19 71,653 affected
Defect

Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2011-2017 Optima, 2012-2017 Sorento and 2011-2018 Sportage vehicles that previously received an engine replacement under recall number 17V-224, warranty, or the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) Product Improvement Campaign. The high pressure fuel pipe that connects…

Consequence

A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.

Remedy

Kia has notified owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the fuel pipe, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 17, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC172.

TRAILER HITCHES 16V862000 2016-11-30 10,212 affected
Defect

Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Sorento vehicles manufactured October 27, 2014, to August 25, 2016, and 2017 Sportage vehicles manufactured December 10, 2015, to August 26, 2016. The affected vehicles are equipped with an accessory trailer hitch wiring harness that, due to a…

Consequence

If the trailer brake lights stay illuminated while being used, other drivers may be confused, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the trailer tow hitch harness, free of charge. The recall began January 18, 2017. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC142.

SEATS 16V770000 2016-10-24 1,408 affected
Defect

Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2016 Kia Sorento vehicles manufactured March 3, 2016 to March 21, 2016. The driver's seatback frame may have been produced with inadequate weld joints and, as a result, the seatback may not function as designed in the event of a rear-end collision.

Consequence

In the event of a crash, the driver seatback frame could break and fail to restrain a seat occupant, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy

Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the welds and replace the driver seatback frame, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 9, 2016. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC140.

SUSPENSION 16V480000 2016-06-29 7,901 affected
Defect

Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2016 Sorento vehicles. A component of the rear suspension may not be properly welded.

Consequence

The improper weld may break, affecting the rear suspension alignment, thereby increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the welds at the rear suspension cross-member, replacing the rear cross-member assembly, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began July 27, 2016. Owners may contact Kia Customer Service Department at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC137.

SEAT BELTS 15V446000 2015-07-14 2,587 affected
Defect

Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2016 Kia Sorento vehicles manufactured October 23, 2014, to December 10, 2014. The affected vehicles have a front passenger seat belt whose buckle latch assembly may prevent the front passenger from fastening the seat belt.

Consequence

If the front passenger seat belt cannot be latched, an occupant sitting in the front passenger seat has an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.

Remedy

Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger seat belt buckle cover, free of charge. The recall began on August 18, 2015. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC123.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 15V089000 2015-02-13 12,361 affected
Defect

Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2016 Sorento vehicles manufactured October 27, 2014, to January 29, 2015. Due to an improperly soldered component in the accelerator pedal assembly, the driver may not be able to accelerate the vehicle.

Consequence

If the vehicle is unable to be accelerated, there is an increased risk of a crash.

Remedy

Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the accelerator assembly, free of charge. The recall began on February 19, 2015. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC115.

Complaints by component

ENGINE
685
4crashes32fires5injuries
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
164
2crashes10fires1injuries
POWER TRAIN
116
5crashes4fires4injuries
STRUCTURE:BODY
103
2crashes4fires2injuries
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
102
2crashes8fires1injuries
STEERING
80
2crashes1fires
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
61
1crashes
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
56
5crashes2fires3injuries
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
51
8fires3injuries
SERVICE BRAKES
23
1crashes1fires
Total complaints1,613

What owners report

Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.

“Took 2016 kia sorento april 22nd to kia services eastgate batavia oh 45103 to have all recalls fixed, few weeks later engine blew, kia services replaced engine then had to replace my battery because they had to for a month and my good battery was now a total loss, replaced my battery then my car…”

ENGINE · reported 2026-06-23

“Hello. I just started smelling gas fumes when my car has been running. I see no drips , etc. It happens everytime I drive it to the point where someone pointed it out to me. I had a new engine put in by kia for my old engine "going to sleep" about 4 years ago. I have been told that this is a on…”

ENGINE · reported 2026-06-22

“Hello. I just started smelling gas fumes when my car has been running. I see no drips , etc. It happens everytime I drive it to the point where someone pointed it out to me. I had a new engine put in by kia for my old engine "going to sleep" about 4 years ago. I have been told that this is a on…”

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM · reported 2026-06-22

“Hello. I just started smelling gas fumes when my car has been running. I see no drips , etc. It happens everytime I drive it to the point where someone pointed it out to me. I had a new engine put in by kia for my old engine "going to sleep" about 4 years ago. I have been told that this is a on…”

UNKNOWN OR OTHER · reported 2026-06-22

“The contact owns a 2016 kia sorento. The contact stated that after the vehicle was parked and turned off for approximately an hour, the vehicle was restarted and there was a knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact continued driving and the knocking sound increasing in volume…”

ENGINE · reported 2026-06-17

“The contact owns a 2016 kia sorento. The contact stated that after the vehicle was parked and turned off for approximately an hour, the vehicle was restarted and there was a knocking sound coming from the engine compartment. The contact continued driving and the knocking sound increasing in volume…”

TRAILER HITCHES · reported 2026-06-17

“My 2016 kia sorento rolls out of park; I apparently have a sorento that is "out of the date range" of the 2016 kia sorentos that had a recall. This is not acceptable!!!”

UNKNOWN OR OTHER · reported 2026-06-01

“Fire at the rear bumper of car”

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM · reported 2026-05-30

Defect investigations

Investigation DP21002 Opened 2021-11-12 · closed 2023-06-26

Engine Oil Pressure Switch Leak

In a letter dated September 30, 2021, Mr. Gerald James (the petitioner) requested that NHTSA conduct an investigation of the Model Year (MY) 2015-2017 Kia Sorento equipped with 3.3L V6 ?Lambda? engines for ?severe oil leaks? from the oil pressure switch (OPS) that could ?lead to engine failure? with little warning to…

Investigation DP21002 Opened 2021-11-12 · closed 2023-06-26

Engine Oil Pressure Switch Leak

In a letter dated September 30, 2021, Mr. Gerald James (the petitioner) requested that NHTSA conduct an investigation of the Model Year (MY) 2015-2017 Kia Sorento equipped with 3.3L V6 ?Lambda? engines for ?severe oil leaks? from the oil pressure switch (OPS) that could ?lead to engine failure? with little warning to…

Investigation DP22003 Opened 2022-09-12 · closed 2023-12-12

Loss of Motive Power

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated July 13, 2022, petitioning the Agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain Hyundai Motor America, Inc. and Kia America, Inc. vehicles…

Investigation PE23019 Opened 2023-11-13 · closed 2024-07-23

Loss of Motive Power

On November 13, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE23-019) to investigate allegations of loss of motive power relating to head gasket and/or head bolt failure in Model Year (MY) 2016-2017 Kia Sorento vehicles equipped with the 3.3 L Lambda II engine. When the…

Investigation PE23019 Opened 2023-11-13 · closed 2024-07-23

Loss of Motive Power

On November 13, 2023, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened a Preliminary Evaluation (PE23-019) to investigate allegations of loss of motive power relating to head gasket and/or head bolt failure in Model Year (MY) 2016-2017 Kia Sorento vehicles equipped with the 3.3 L Lambda II engine. When the…

Sources & methodology

Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2016 Kia Sorento as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.