Reliable Auto DB

2016 Kia Sorento reliability

Is it reliable?

The 2016 Kia Sorento has 1,250 complaints with NHTSA after 11 years, or 43 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Sorento years here — over the median of the other years, which is 26. NHTSA has 8 recalls on file, including Trailer hitch, Column shifter, and Hoses and fittings.

2012 Kia Sorento
Photo by Elise240SX, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

1,250

Per year

43

Recalls

8

Years on the road

11

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (694 of 1,250), then Powertrain (125) and Structure (110). Those filings include 29 that report a crash, 49 that report a fire, and 17 that report an injury.

Next to 2015 and 2017

The 2015 Sorento has 750 complaints, 21 per year, and the 2017 has 804 complaints, 40 per year. The 2016 has more complaints per year than the 2015. The 2016 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2017.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2016 Kia Sorento. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (8)

Recall trailer hitch 2022-09-19 · NHTSA campaign 22V703000
Summary 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 accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (PCB) may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire.
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 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC249.
Recall powertrain, automatic transmission, lever and linkage, column shifter 2022-08-10 · NHTSA campaign 22V612000
Summary 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.
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.
Recall gasoline fuel system, delivery, hoses and fittings 2018-12-19 · NHTSA campaign 18V907000
Summary 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 to the fuel pump outlet may have been damaged, misaligned or improperly torqued during the engine replacement procedure, possibly causing a fuel leak.
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.
Recall trailer hitch 2016-11-30 · NHTSA campaign 16V862000
Summary 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 malfunction of the tow hitch module, may result in the trailer brake lights being constantly illuminated. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, " Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
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.
Recall Seats 2016-10-24 · NHTSA campaign 16V770000
Summary 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.
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.
Recall suspension, rear 2016-06-29 · NHTSA campaign 16V480000
Summary Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2016 Sorento vehicles. A component of the rear suspension may not be properly welded.
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.
Recall seat belts, front, buckle 2015-07-14 · NHTSA campaign 15V446000
Summary 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.
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.
Recall speed control, accelerator pedal 2015-02-13 · NHTSA campaign 15V089000
Summary 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.
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 (1250 total)

Engine
694
Powertrain
125
Structure
110
Electrical system
107
Steering
80
Exterior lighting
67
Speed control
62
Fuel and propulsion system
53
Engine and engine cooling
30
Service brakes
23
Air bags
16
Visibility and wipers
16
Suspension
12
Trailer hitch
11
Seat belts
10
Electronic stability control (ESC)
9
Lane departure
7
Visibility
7
Seats
6
Wheels
6
Forward collision avoidance
5
Back-over prevention
4
Fuel system, gasoline
3
Latches, locks, and linkages
3
Fire-related
1
Parking brake
1
Show 18 more Show less
Crash-flagged

29

Fire-flagged

49

Injury reports

17

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

17201520201638201753201871201990202013220212202022250202318320241132025632026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "Hard shifting and kia said I need a new transmission, 99,500 miles"
    Powertrain · filed 2026-09-24
  • "Upon a catastrophic engine failure Tasca Kia replaced engine under Theta II settlement. I picked up my kia on 9/12. Engine is not running properly. It’s jerking and there is loud mechanical knocking. I don’t feel safe…"
    Powertrain, Engine · filed 2026-09-20
  • "I am filing this complaint regarding a 2016 Kia Sorento, VIN [XXX]. The vehicle suddenly broke down while my [XXX] daughter was driving in [XXX] and was taken to Sooner Kia in [XXX]. The dealership diagnosed the engine…"
    Engine · filed 2026-09-08
  • "I am filing a safety complaint regarding a severe, sudden electronic and mechanical failure of the shift interlock system and the Body Control Module (BCM) that compromises vehicle control and leaves the vehicle…"
    Powertrain, Electrical system · filed 2026-09-08
  • "On or about XXX, my KIA Sorento LX FWD Auto 2.4-liter engine with an approximate mileage of 36,000, began having drivability problems, none of which occurred before that date. On XXX the vehicle was serviced at Ourisman…"
    Engine · filed 2026-08-31

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2016 Kia Sorento SUV AWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 4 stars
2016 Kia Sorento SUV FWD 5 stars 5 stars 5 stars 4 stars

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Sorento all-wheel drive 2.4L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) All-wheel drive 21 25 22 MPG $2950
Sorento all-wheel drive 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) All-wheel drive 19 25 21 MPG $3100
Sorento all-wheel drive 3.3L, 6-cyl Automatic (6-speed) All-wheel drive 17 23 19 MPG $3400
Sorento FE all-wheel drive 3.3L, 6-cyl Automatic (6-speed) All-wheel drive 18 25 21 MPG $3100
Sorento front-wheel drive 2L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 20 27 23 MPG $2800
Sorento front-wheel drive 2.4L, 4-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 21 28 24 MPG $2700
Sorento front-wheel drive 3.3L, 6-cyl Automatic (6-speed) Front-wheel drive 18 25 20 MPG $3250

Specs and fitment

3rd generation (UM), 2012–2020
Body styles SUV
Oil 5W-20 or 0W-20 (2.4L and 3.3L V6 per manual) , 5 qt capacity
Tire size 235/65R17 to 235/55R19 (trim dependent)
Towing capacity 5,000 lbs

Known issues for this generation

Safety recall 17V-224 covers certain 2012-2014 Sorentos (among Optima and Sportage): machining errors during engine manufacturing may cause premature bearing wear that can seize the engine; dealers inspect and replace the engine as needed. That campaign does not list 2015-2020 model years. For later GDI/T-GDI years, Kia ran a Knock Sensor Detection System product-improvement campaign (not a safety recall) on certain 2015-2018 Sorentos with 2.4L GDI and 2016-2018 with 2.0L turbo GDI to add ECU software that detects early connecting-rod bearing wear. Safety recall 18V-907 covers certain 2012-2017 Sorentos that previously received an engine replacement under 17V-224, warranty, or the KSDS campaign: the high-pressure fuel pipe may have been damaged or mis-torqued during that replacement and can leak; dealers inspect and replace the pipe. Safety recall 16V-480 covers certain 2016 Sorentos whose rear-suspension cross-member welds may be improper; dealers inspect and replace the cross-member as needed.

Compare

Previous year 2015 Kia Sorento Next year 2017 Kia Sorento See every Kia Sorento model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2016 Kia Sorento reliable?

The 2016 Kia Sorento has 1,250 complaints with NHTSA after 11 years, or 43 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Sorento years here — over the median of the other years, which is 26. NHTSA has 8 recalls on file, including Trailer hitch, Column shifter, and Hoses and fittings.

What are common problems with a 2016 Kia Sorento?

The complaints owners file most often name Engine (694 of 1,250), then Powertrain (125) and Structure (110). Those filings include 29 that report a crash, 49 that report a fire, and 17 that report an injury.

Is the 2016 Kia Sorento more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2015 Sorento has 750 complaints, 21 per year, and the 2017 has 804 complaints, 40 per year. The 2016 has more complaints per year than the 2015. The 2016 has about the same number of complaints per year as the 2017.

Has the 2016 Kia Sorento been recalled?

The 2016 Kia Sorento has 8 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2016 Kia Sorento?

Owners have filed 1250 complaints about the 2016 Kia Sorento with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2016 Kia Sorento get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2016 Kia Sorento is 21.4 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a Kia Sorento take?

UM (2012-2020): 5W-20 or 0W-20 for 2.4L and 3.3L V6. MQ4 (2021+): 0W-20 for 2.5L and turbo/hybrid where equipped (about 5 qt with filter).

Does safety recall 22V-202 cover a 2022 Kia Sorento?

Yes for certain 2022 Sorentos: the turbocharger oil supply pipe may crack and leak oil near hot components; dealers replace that pipe.

What generation is a 2020 Kia Sorento?

UM generation (2012-2020). The MQ4 redesign starts in 2021.