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2016 Kia Sorento

Verified August 31, 2026Sources: NHTSA · EPA · vPIC

Compare
Safety
5
of 5 stars
Recalls
8
on record
MPG
combined

Heavily recalled

8 safety recalls on record. Confirm with the seller that every campaign has been completed.

Vehicle Summary

2016 Kia Sorento

8 recalls
1240 complaints
5/5 safety rating

Before You Buy

Confirm all 8 recalls were repaired — a dealer checks by VIN, free
Read the 29 complaints reporting a crash
Review the 1,240 owner complaints on record
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Check vehicle history report
Verify title is clean

Safety record at a glance

Recall campaigns
8
Owner complaints
1,240
Complaints citing a crash
29

These are raw counts from NHTSA records. They are not normalized by how many of these vehicles are on the road, so a model that sold in large numbers will tend to show more of everything. We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.

8 Recalls on Record

1 of these is high-severity. Contact a dealer to verify these have been completed.

Enter your VIN to check if specific recalls apply to your vehicle.

Safety recalls

8 NHTSA campaigns affecting this model year.

  • 18V907000high

    Fuel system issue

    FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS

    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.

    Full campaign record
  • 15V446000high

    Safety restraint issue

    SEAT BELTS:FRONT:BUCKLE ASSEMBLY

    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.

    Full campaign record
  • 16V770000high

    Safety restraint issue

    SEATS

    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.

    Full campaign record
  • 16V862000high

    Trailer hitches

    TRAILER HITCHES

    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.

    Full campaign record
  • 16V480000high

    Suspension issue

    SUSPENSION:REAR

    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.

    Full campaign record
  • 15V089000high

    Vehicle speed control · accelerator pedal

    VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL:ACCELERATOR PEDAL

    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.

    Full campaign record
  • 22V612000high

    Drivetrain issue

    POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:LEVER AND LINKAGE:COLUMN SHIFT

    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.

    Full campaign record
  • 22V703000high

    Trailer hitches

    TRAILER HITCHES

    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.

    Full campaign record

NHTSA crash-test ratings

NCAP star ratings and the underlying test breakdown for the 2016 Kia Sorento.

  • Frontal crash

    Driver
    5 / 5
    Passenger
    5 / 5
  • Side crash

    Driver
    5 / 5
    Passenger
    5 / 5
    Side pole
    5 / 5
  • Rollover

    Rollover risk
    15%
    Dynamic tip
    No Tip

Driver-assistance technologies

Electronic stability control
Standard
Forward collision warning
Optional
Lane departure warning
Optional

What the ratings mean

NHTSA gives the 2016 Kia Sorento 5 out of 5 stars overall. NHTSA does not publish enough comparable results for this class and year to rank it against peers.

NHTSA published results for every NCAP test in this program, so the overall star rating rests on a complete set of crash and rollover results.

NHTSA's dynamic test put this vehicle's rollover probability at 15% in a single-vehicle crash — the figure behind the rollover star rating, published here because the star alone hides how wide each band is.

NHTSA crash tests

2016 Kia Sorento Frontal crash crash test
Frontal crash Video
2016 Kia Sorento Side crash crash test
Side crash Video
2016 Kia Sorento Side pole crash test
Side pole Video

Fuel economy & emissions

The EPA holds no fuel-economy record for this model year.

The EPA does not publish a record for every model year.

Consumer complaints

1,240 owner reports filed with NHTSA.

1,240
Total
29
Crashes
49
Fires
19
Injuries

Most reported components

  • ENGINE768
  • OTHER129
  • STRUCTURE94
  • STEERING73
  • ELECTRICAL44

Notable Issues

1240 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 19 reports involve injuries. 29 reports involve a crash.

Most reported problems

engine problems (stalling, power loss, warning lights)768
miscellaneous issues129
body/structure issues (rust, door problems, trim)94

Safety timeline

Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2016 Kia Sorento, newest first.

  1. Investigation closed

    NHTSA closed investigation PE23019

    Loss of Motive Power

  2. Investigation closed

    NHTSA closed investigation DP22003

    Loss of Motive Power

  3. Investigation opened

    NHTSA opened investigation PE23019

    Loss of Motive Power

  4. Investigation closed

    NHTSA closed investigation DP21002

    Engine Oil Pressure Switch Leak

  5. Recall

    Recall 22V703000

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

  6. Investigation opened

    NHTSA opened investigation DP22003

    Loss of Motive Power

  7. Recall

    Recall 22V612000

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

  8. Investigation opened

    NHTSA opened investigation DP21002

    Engine Oil Pressure Switch Leak

  9. Recall

    Recall 18V907000

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

  10. Recall

    Recall 16V862000

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

  11. Recall

    Recall 16V770000

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

  12. Recall

    Recall 16V480000

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

  13. Recall

    Recall 15V446000

    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.

  14. Recall

    Recall 15V089000

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

Dates are the NHTSA report-received date for recalls and the ODI open/close date for investigations. Crash-test ratings are not shown here because the source does not provide a reliable publication date for them.

Specifications & ratings

Specifications

Body class
Unknown
Drive type
Unknown
Engine
0L 0-cyl
Fuel type
Unknown
Transmission
Unknown
Seats
0

NHTSA crash ratings

Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover

Explore related

Safety timeline

Full timeline
  1. Investigation closed

    NHTSA closed investigation PE23019

    Loss of Motive Power

  2. Investigation closed

    NHTSA closed investigation DP22003

    Loss of Motive Power

  3. Investigation opened

    NHTSA opened investigation PE23019

    Loss of Motive Power

  4. Investigation closed

    NHTSA closed investigation DP21002

    Engine Oil Pressure Switch Leak

  5. Recall

    Recall 22V703000

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