2016 Kia SORENTO: complaints, problems and recalls

SEAT BELT DID NOT UNLATCH AFTER CRASH. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 10 miles reported. Look up ODI 10702705 at NHTSA ↗

TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEED, THE WINDSHIELD SEEMED TO HAVE SUFFERED A STRESS CRACK STARTING IN THE LOWER CORNER OF THE PASSENGER SIDE (ABOUT 1- 2" FROM THE SIDE), AND SPREAD TO THE MIDDLE OF THE WINDSHIELD (ABOUT HALF WAY UP). THE WINDSHIELD WAS NOT IMPACTED BY ANYTHING, NOR DID THE VEHICLE HIT ANY LARGE AND/OR SUDDEN BUMPS IN THE ROAD. *TR

Owner-reported narrative. 900 miles reported. Look up ODI 10713088 at NHTSA ↗

WHILE TRAVELING AT HIGHWAY SPEEDS, THE SORENTO CONSTANTLY SWAYS BACK AND FORTH. IT IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT TO KEEP THE VEHICLE TRAVELING IN A STRAIGHT LINE. I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN FOR THIS CONCERN AND THEY SAID THE TIRE AIR PRESSURE WAS TOO HIGH, SO THEY RELEASED SOME OF THE NITROGEN FROM ALL 4 TIRES. I TOOK THE VEHICLE OUT AGAIN A WEEK LATER ON A TRIP AND THERE WAS NO CHANGE. I ASKED THE DEALER AND THEY ADMITTED THAT SOME OF THEIR OTHER KIA MODELS HAVE THIS SAME COMPLAINT BY THEIR OWNERS AND THERE IS NOTHING KIA CAN DO. THIS IS A SERIOUS …

Owner-reported narrative. 2,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10715078 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 KIA SORENTO. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 50 MPH, THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL FAILED TO OPERATE WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A DEALER. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED AFTER THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED UNDER NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 15V089000 (VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 4,500.

Owner-reported narrative. 4,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 10721462 at NHTSA ↗

2016 KIA SORRENTO PURCHASED ON JUNE 30, 2015. TIME LINE 6/30/2015- PURCHASED VEHICLE AT FREDY KIA IN HOUSTON, TEXAS. 7/3/15- STARTED HAVING ISSUES WITH INDICATOR LIGHTS/BROUGHT IN CAR TO DEALERSHIP 7/11/15- VEHICLE WOULD NOT SHIFT GEARS AND WAS UNMOVABLE. I HAD TO GET IT TOWED TO DEALERSHIP. NUMEROUS INDICATOR LIGHTS WERE ON. 7/11/15-7/14/15- VEHICLE WAS IN THE SHOP AT FREDY KIA IN HOUSTON TEXAS. I HAD TO RENT A CAR. 7/14/15- PICKED VEHICLE UP AND ONE INDICATOR LIGHT STILL CAME ON (SHOWED THE CUSTOMER SERVICE MANAGER) 7/16/15- ALL …

Owner-reported narrative. 1,083 miles reported. Look up ODI 10734793 at NHTSA ↗

WHEN A CUSHION (SMALL PILLOW) IS USED (I AM A SHORT PERSON) ON THE FRONT PASSENGER'S SEAT, THE AIR BAG DETETECOR TURNS OFF THE PASSENGER AIR BAG LEAVING THE PASSENGER UNPROTECTED. I HAVE CONTACTED THE DEALER'S SERVICE DEPT. AND WAS TOLD THERE WAS NO WORK-AROUND FOR THIS PROBLEM. I ALSO CONTACTED KIA MOTORS AND WAS TOLD THE SAME THING..NOT FIXABLE. SITTING IN THE FRONT PASSENGER SEAT IS UNCOMFORTABLE FOR ME (ARM REST HEIGHT, WINDSHIELD VISIBILITY, ETC.) WITHOUT THE SMALL PILLOW. I CANNOT BELIEVE THERE IS NO WAY TO DISCONNECT THE SENSOR (WHIC…

Owner-reported narrative. 256 miles reported. Look up ODI 10744244 at NHTSA ↗

2016 KIA SORENTO. CONSUMER WRITES IN REGARDS TO VEHICLE "FORWARD COLLISION WARNING" SYSTEM ISSUES. *SMD THE CONSUMER STATED THE FORWARD COLLISION WARNING SYSTEM DOES NOT APPLY THE BRAKES AUTOMATICALLY IN A NEAR CRASH SITUATION AND THE SYSTEM MAY NOT PROVIDE A WARNING WITH ENOUGH TIME TO HELP AVOID A CRASH. THE CONSUMER STATED THE WARNING SYSTEM WAS NOT DESIGNED LIKE ITS COMPETITORS AND HE BELIEVED KIA OVERSTATED THE FUNCTIONALITY OF THE PRODUCT. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10748410 at NHTSA ↗

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 KIA SORENTO. WHILE DRIVING 65 MPH WITH THE HIGH BEAMS ACTIVATED, THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO SWITCH TO THE LOW BEAMS AND THE HEADLIGHTS FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 2,604.

Owner-reported narrative. 2,604 miles reported. Look up ODI 10758978 at NHTSA ↗

Reported: 2015-02-13 (February 13, 2015)

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.

Reported: 2015-07-14 (July 14, 2015)

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.

Reported: 2016-06-29 (June 29, 2016)

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.

Reported: 2016-10-24 (October 24, 2016)

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.

Reported: 2016-11-30 (November 30, 2016)

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."

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.

Reported: 2018-12-19 (December 19, 2018)

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.

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.

Reported: 2022-08-10 (August 10, 2022)

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.

Reported: 2022-09-19 (September 19, 2022)

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.

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 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC249.