What 1,236 owners told NHTSA about the 2016 Kia Sorento

WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY WE WERE ALERTED BY OTHER DRIVERS THAT THERE WAS FIRE AND SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. WE PULLED OVER IMMEDIATELY AND WITHIN MINUTES THE ENTIRE VEHICLE BURST IN FIRE. WE CONTACTED KIA MOTORS REGARDING THIS AND THEY SIMPLY DENIED RESPONSIBLY FOR THIS, DEEMING THE CAUSE OF FIRE TO BE UNRELATED TO FAULTY ENGINE COMPONENTS.

NHTSA ODI 11322056

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT WHILE DRIVING AT AN UNDISCLOSED SPEED, THE VEHICLE OVERHEATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE BOLTS THAT SECURED THE ENGINE HEAD TO THE BLOCK WERE STRIPPED WHICH CAUSED THE ENGINE TO BE DESTROYED. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE ENGINE NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS CONTACTED AND INFORMED OF THE FAILURE AND A CASE WAS FILED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 74,999. THE VIN WAS INVALID.

NHTSA ODI 11301533

TL* THE CONTACT'S FAMILY MEMBER OWNED A 2016 KIA SORENTO. AFTER DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 15 MILES AND PARKING THE VEHICLE, IT SUDDENLY CAUGHT FIRE UNDER THE HOOD. THE DRIVER QUICKLY EXITED THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ATTEMPTED TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED AND DEEMED DESTROYED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. A FIRE REPORT WAS FILED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ODI 11282304

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2016 KIA SORENTO. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A LOUD POPPING NOISE OCCURRED, THE VEHICLE STARTED TO SMOKE, AND THE TEMPERATURE GAUGE OVERHEATED. ALSO, THE CHECK ENGINE WARNING INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. WHILE COASTING THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD, IT DECELERATED AND FLAMES APPEARED UNDER THE VEHICLE. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES AND FILED A REPORT. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A TOW YARD. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ODI 11278395

I DROVE MY KIA SORRENTO FROM ROCHESTER NY TO OSWEGO NY WITHOUT INCIDENT. I HAD NO CAR TROUBLE NOR HAVE I IN THE DISTANT PAST. I PARKED IN A LOT AND TURNED OFF THE CAR. SMOKE BEGAN TO EMIT FROM UNDER BOTH SIDES OF THE HOOD. AS I GATHERED MY PURSE AND COAT, THE SMOKE BECOME MORE VOLUMNIOS AND DARK. AS LEFT THE VEHICLE, I INSPECTED MY DASHBOARD FOR SIGNS OF OVERHEATING OR A LIT INDICATOR LIGHT. NOTHING WAS LIGHT OR OVERHEATED PER THE DASH. AS I EXITED THE CAR, THE CAR WAS ON FIRE. A MAN IN A CAR PARKED NEAR ME, APPROACHED THE CAR WITH HIS FIRE EXTINGUISHER, AIMED UNDER THE CLOSED HOOD AND SPRAYED. IT DID NO GOOD. AS HE DID THIS, I CALLED 911 TO REQUEST A FIRE CREW. BY THE TIME THEY ARRIVED, THE CAR WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE CAR IS A TOTAL LOSS, JUST METAL CHARRED REMAINS.

NHTSA ODI 11268360

THE CAR WAS STATIONARY WITH THE ENGINE RUNNING, WAITING FOR ABOUT 2 MINUTES WHEN I SMELLED A STRONG EXHAUST SMELL. I BEGAN TO DRIVE, AND WITHIN 30 SECONDS SMOKE STARTED COMING FROM UNDER THE HOOD. I PULLED OVER AND STOPPED THE ENGINE JUST AS FLAMES CAME OUT FROM THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE HOOD. IN LESS THAN 5 MINUTES THE ENGINE WAS ENGULFED IN FLAMES. THE FIRE FIGHTERS ARRIVED A MINUTE LATER AND TOOK QUITE SOME TIME TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE. THE ENTIRE ENGINE AND FRONT OF THE CAR WAS BURNED COMPLETELY. THE CAR IS TOTALED. WE HAVE FILED A CLAIM WITH OUR INSURANCE AND REPORTED IT TO KIA.

NHTSA ODI 11193491

OCTOBER 10, 2018 DROVE CAR INTO DRIVEWAY, SHUT CAR OFF, PARKED, WENT INTO HOUSE FOR ABOUT 2 MINS, CAME BACK TO CAR, IT WAS SMOKING FROM UNDER HOOD. I TURNED ON FAUCET IN GARAGE, AND SPRAYED WATER ON CAR. CALLED 911. WITHIN 2 MINS, I SAW FIRST SPARK, LEFT AREA, RAN OVER TO MY SISTERS HOUSE, NEXT DOOR, ON PHONE WITH 911 AND WITHIN 4 MINS OF CAR SMOKE, BURST INTO FLAMES, 2 EXPLOSIONS. FIRE DEPT ARRIVED WITH IN 10 MINS OF SMOKE DETECTION. FLAMES HIGHER THAN THE HOUSE. CAR TOTALED, AND HOUSE SIDING MELTED AWAY FROM HOUSE.

NHTSA ODI 11150346

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2016 KIA SORENTO. WHILE DRIVING 75 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD AN ABNORMAL NOISE AND NOTICED BLACK SMOKE COMING FROM THE REAR OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER AND TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE. APPROXIMATELY FIVE MINUTES LATER, THE FRONT OF THE ENGINE CAUGHT ON FIRE. THE FIRE WAS EXTINGUISHED BY THE FIRE DEPARTMENT. A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE INSURANCE COMPANY DECLARED THE VEHICLE TO BE A TOTAL LOSS. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER TO BE DIAGNOSED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A LOCATION DETERMINED BY THE INSURANCE COMPANY. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND REFERRED THE CONTACT TO NHTSA. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 59,000. *DT *JB

NHTSA ODI 11139706

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2016 KIA SORENTO. WHILE OPERATING THE VEHICLE, THE CHECK ENGINE INDICATOR ILLUMINATED. THE DRIVER WAS ALERTED BY ANOTHER MOTORIST THAT SMOKE WAS COMING FROM THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT PULLED OVER, EXITED THE VEHICLE, AND NOTICED FLAMES AND SMOKE COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS IMMEDIATELY CALLED TO THE SCENE AND EXTINGUISHED THE FLAMES. FIRE AND POLICE REPORTS WERE FILED. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND TOWED. THE LOCAL DEALER (GARY LANG AUTO/KIA, 1107 IL-37, MC HENRY, IL) WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE, BUT THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

NHTSA ODI 11132836

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2016 KIA SORENTO. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 65 MPH, THE CONTACT HEARD A KNOCKING NOISE UNDER THE HOOD OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT COASTED THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD; HOWEVER, NO FAILURE WAS NOTICED AND THE CONTACT RESUMED DRIVING. APPROXIMATELY ONE MILE DOWN THE ROAD, THE CONTACT STOPPED AT A STOP SIGN. WHILE ATTEMPTING TO ACCELERATE, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE. THE CONTACT WAITED A FEW SECONDS AND DEPRESSED THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL AGAIN. THE VEHICLE ACCELERATED AND AN EXPLOSION SOUND WAS HEARD UNDER THE HOOD. THE CONTACT COASTED THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND WAS ALERTED BY ANOTHER DRIVER THAT THE VEHICLE WAS ON FIRE. THE VEHICLE STARTED TO OMIT BLACK SMOKE THROUGH THE VENTS. THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO EXIT THE VEHICLE WITHOUT INJURIES. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A TOW LOT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED. THE MANUFACTURER INFORMED THE CONTACT THAT THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF WARRANTY AND DID NOT OFFER FURTHER ASSISTANCE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 163,000.

NHTSA ODI 11101127

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 KIA SORENTO. WHILE STATIONARY, THE VEHICLE CAUGHT FIRE WITHOUT WARNING. THE CONTACT STATED THAT SMOKE ENTERED THE VEHICLE THROUGH THE AIR CONDITIONING VENTS AND THAT FLAMES EMERGED FROM THE FLOORBOARD AREA NEAR THE DRIVER'S SEAT. IMMEDIATELY, THE CONTACT PULLED THE VEHICLE OVER TO THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE ROAD AND EXITED THE VEHICLE AS THE FRONT END BURST INTO FLAMES. THE CONTACT WAS UNSURE IF A POLICE REPORT WAS FILED. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 50,000.

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