What 1,237 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 Kia Sorento Plug-in Hybrid

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption, and 3 quarts of oil were added every 1,000 miles. The Check Engine and Low Oil Pressure warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with excessive oil consumption. The mechanic determined that the valves in the engine or the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer and the manufacturer were notified of the failure and informed the contact that there was no recall or warranty coverage on the vehicle. The contact was provided an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The failure mileage was approximately 98,000.

NHTSA ODI 11745718

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, while driving to the residence, the coolant temperature gauge went from COLD to HOT. The contact inspected the vehicle and became aware that smoke was coming from the engine compartment. The contact waited for the engine to cool down before driving to the residence. The coolant reservoir was extremely low, and coolant was added; however, the engine continued to smoke, and the coolant reservoir was empty after an hour. The vehicle was taken to a certified mechanic who diagnosed and determined that coolant was leaking from the coolant reservoir. The coolant reservoir was replaced; however, the failure returned within 5 minutes of restarting the vehicle. The mechanic then diagnosed the vehicle with complete engine failure. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the contact requested information on a Limited Extended Warranty Extension and a recall; however, there was no coverage for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and opened a case. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11715851

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling at a red traffic light, the temperature gauge went from the normal engine temperature to HOT. The contact turned off the vehicle and allowed the engine to cool down, and the gauge returned to normal. The contact continued to drive. The following morning the contact inspected the vehicle while parked at the residence and while checking the radiator cap, there were no noticeable issues found with the cooling fluid. The dealer was contacted and informed that the thermostat had fluctuated; however, there were issues found regarding the fluid. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who informed the contact that Stop Leak might have been used in the radiator to prevent a leak. The dealer diagnosed the vehicle with head gasket and radiator failure and stated that both parts needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that there was copper in the engine and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 74,000.

NHTSA ODI 11711093

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the vehicle shuddered and made an abnormal sound. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle vibrated while being turned off. The vehicle was taken to AutoZone, where unknown diagnostic codes were retrieved. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving 40 MPH and depressing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The check engine warning light was flashing continuously. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the fuel injectors had failed, and the cylinder #6 spark plugs were replaced. The contact stated that the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with oil intrusion into the engine and the cylinders. Additionally, the contact was informed that the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption. The dealer determined that the cylinder block assembly and the engine needed to be replaced; however, an unknown spark plug was replaced. The vehicle was taken back to the independent mechanic, where a scope with a camera was used to inspect the cylinders, and no oil was found; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and advised the contact that the vehicle needed to undergo an oil consumption test. The contact was advised to drive the vehicle for 1,000 miles. The contact had parked and had stopped driving the vehicle due to safety concerns.  The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.

NHTSA ODI 11666610

See attached document for complaint.

NHTSA ODI 11654937

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at a low rate of speed, the oil warning light flashed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the contact was informed that the engine was consuming oil at an excessive rate. The contact was informed that an oil consumption test would have to be performed to determine the extent of the failure which may result in the need for an engine replacement. The contact stated that the engine was replaced before under an unknown recall and was instructed to contact the dealer who performed the repair. The dealer was notified and referred the contact to the manufacturer. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ODI 11619396

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 60-65 MPH, the temperature gauge was fluctuating from Normal(N) to Hot(H) very quickly. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and allowed the engine to cool down. The contact had received a notification regarding an Extended Warranty coverage for the engine overheating and oil consumption. The dealer was notified of the failure and provided a fee for diagnostic testing. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the repair could not be covered due to the mileage on the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 181,000.

NHTSA ODI 11618101

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 60-70 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormal loud cracking sound and stalled. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact was able to pull to the side of the freeway. The vehicle failed to restart and was towed to a safe location. The vehicle was then towed to the residence. The contact stated that upon opening the hood to inspect the vehicle, the contact noticed that the coolant reservoir had exploded, causing coolant to splash underneath the hood and to leak out on the front passenger's side of the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the engine was taken apart. The dealer diagnosed that there was oil intrusion in the coolant, and that the engine had overheated excessively, causing the engine block to become distorted. The Extended Warranty field technician later informed the contact that the repair could not be covered. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 79,000.

NHTSA ODI 11612559

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who determined that the engine was almost completely devoid of oil and that the vehicle was consuming oil abnormally quickly. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to the Product Improvement Campaign: PI1802. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 132,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ODI 11590364

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle stalled while accelerating. The vehicle was able to be restarted after a short period of time but would not accelerate as needed. The contact heard an abnormal sound, and the vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle, and the contact was informed that the engine was low on oil. The contact took the vehicle to the dealer and the dealer diagnosed the vehicle with engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage is approximately 115,000.

NHTSA ODI 11583034

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while the vehicle was idling in a drive-thru line, the engine temperature gauge increased to the "high" position and the engine overheated causing engine coolant to leak from the engine compartment with white smoke coming from the exhaust system. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer who diagnosed that the head gasket was blown. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The contact was informed that the replacement engine was on backorder. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 99,820.

NHTSA ODI 11580720

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the engine was empty of engine oil a week after an oil change. After oil was added, the contact's husband observed that a quart of oil had been consumed in a few days. The vehicle was initially taken to an independent mechanic, and it was discovered that excessive oil sludge and hard carbon build-up was in the valve and stems. The contact was also informed that the piston rings were worn and that there was scoring on the cylinder walls. The contact also stated that while driving at 55 MPH, the engine oil warning light flashed on the instrument panel and the vehicle stalled. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed with piston failure and a misfire in cylinder #2. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 142,000.

NHTSA ODI 11574267

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the vehicle was overheating. The contact veered to the side of the road. Upon inspecting the vehicle, the contact noticed that there was sufficient coolant in the coolant reservoir, but there was no coolant in the radiator. The contact stated that the failure recurred. The contact inspected the vehicle and noticed that coolant was leaking out of the coolant reservoir due to pressure. The contact received notification of TSB Number: WTY035, which was related to the failure. The dealer was contacted and advised the contact to take the vehicle to their location for repair; however, the dealer informed the contact that the repair could take 3-4 months. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

NHTSA ODI 11572309

Engine stalled while driving on highway. Took it to a Kia dealer and had it diagnosed as an engine block/head gasket failure. I have documentation of service. Service document reads “owner states vehicle runs rough when first started and a/c doesnt cool properly, started vehicle, a/c is currently working normally, upon inspection, found coolant about 3/4 gallon low and has bubbles coming up in reservoir tank, topped coolant, performed engine block test, photo of yellow fluid in tester indicates combustion gases are getting into cooling system and not going out exhaust as it is supposed to, took video of bubbles coming up into tank, advise more than likely due to overheating of engine either has crack in block or warped heads or a combination of the 2, advised recommended long block replacement as tear down is not cost effective , gave estimate, owner declined repairs at this time”. I have been made aware of other customers and people experiencing exact same issue with their Kia sorento models. We have only had this car for over a year from a reputable dealer.

NHTSA ODI 11563827

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated after pulling into the driveway, he noticed an abnormal burning oil odor. The contact stated that he inspected the engine compartment and underneath the vehicle, but no oil leak was found. The contact stated the failure recurred several times while at a complete stop. There was no warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that he noticed that a significant amount of oil had leaked on the undercarriage of the vehicle and onto the ground. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the turbo oil intake lines were damaged. The mechanic informed the contact that the failure could cause oil to leak onto the manifold, which could cause a fire. The contact stated that he replaced the turbo oil intake lines himself. The vehicle was repaired. The dealer and the manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 143,000.

NHTSA ODI 11559779

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 50 MPH, the vehicle started overheating and then inadvertently lost motive power. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a general engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 90,000.

NHTSA ODI 11547163

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento LX. The contact stated that after the dealer completed remedies for Kia recalls SC234, SC249B, and CS2304, he was notified by the dealer that the vehicle's engine oil was 2 quartz low. The contact informed the dealer that he had just completed a scheduled oil change two weeks prior. No warning lights were illuminated on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, who advised the contact that the vehicle may be burning engine oil abnormally fast and began a 1,000-mile performance test to determine the oil burn rate of the engine; the test is still underway. The vehicle has not been repaired. The manufacturer was notified, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 91,023. The dealer contacted the warranty company but was denied coverage for the vehicle.

NHTSA ODI 11525636

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and overheated. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the head bolts had a gap between the head gasket and the engine block. The mechanic recommended an engine replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under recall or warranty. The failure mileage was approximately 80,000.

NHTSA ODI 11518331

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while driving 40 MPH, the vehicle overheated. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer and was informed that there was no failure with the engine. The contact stated that the failure was ongoing. The contact drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic who diagnosed and determined that the thermostat needed to be replaced. The water pump and engine were pressure tested. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the failure had reoccurred. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V224000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The failure mileage was approximately 57,000.

NHTSA ODI 11516399

We bought our vehicle in April of 2020. In July 2020 our car broke down and Kia replaced the engine due to a recall that caused the engine to fail. We continued to get our oil changed per the recommended miles. In August of 2022, our turbo failed. We brought it into the dealership and were advised that the engine was bone dry of oil. There has been no oil leaks, nor was our oil light on. After some research we discovered despite this being a common issue with this motor that there is not a recall. Our turbo was replaced and now our entire engine of only two years old needs to be replaced again.

NHTSA ODI 11497080

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated while receiving a routine oil change, the mechanic noticed that the vehicle had no oil in the engine. The mechanic added oil but then noticed that the oil return line was leaking. The dealer was contacted and stated that they are aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 162,000. The VIN was not available.

NHTSA ODI 11496443

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at 65 mph, the vehicle stalled. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine seized and was not covered under the warranty. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 138,000.

NHTSA ODI 11479839

The contact owned a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving approximately 20 mph the vehicle suddenly lost automotive power and the check engine light had illuminated. After stopping the vehicle smoke and flames were present coming from under the hood. The fire and police departments were called to the scene and the flames were extinguished. During the incident, the vehicle was destroyed. A police report was taken at the scene and the vehicle was towed away. The cause of the failure was not determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not yet notified. The failure mileage was 73,000.

NHTSA ODI 11469711

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving uphill at 30 MPH, the vehicle started making abnormal loud clunking sounds and stalled. The contact stated that as the vehicle started rolling backwards, he depressed the brake pedal, parked the vehicle, and engaged the parking brake. The vehicle was towed to the contact's residence. The vehicle was then towed to an independent mechanic, where it was recommended to take the vehicle to the dealer. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where, it was diagnosed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer informed the contact that the manufacturer denied covering the cost of the repair because the vehicle was out of warranty. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V224000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact followed up with the manufacturer but the manufacturer did not provide any assistance. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 61,139.

NHTSA ODI 11450796

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, his vehicle would overheat. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that he added water into the coolant reservoir and waited before restarting the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to be diagnosed by an independent mechanic and he was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The local dealer was contacted and informed him that the head gasket was blown and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.

NHTSA ODI 11450272