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Home›Kia›2016 Kia Sorento› engine problems
Owner complaints · Engine

2016 Kia Sorento engine problems

726 of the 1,252 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2016 Kia Sorento name the engine (NHTSA’s “Engine” heading — the engine and its cooling system). Filed under the same heading: 104 manufacturer bulletins, 3 NHTSA investigations. Every figure below is a document in a federal file, linked; none is a failure rate, and none is a verdict on any one car.

726 complaints 58% of this model year’s 4 reports a crash 33 a fire typically at 85k miles

What owners filed about the engine

Source: NHTSA complaint database
726complaints name the engine

4 of the 726 reports a crash · 33 a fire · 5 injuries. Self-reported, unverified.

Filed per year: 2015: 3 · 2017: 7 · 2018: 20 · 2019: 25 · 2020: 33 · 2021: 86 · 2022: 148 · 2023: 172 · 2024: 126 · 2025: 67 · 2026: 39

85kmiles, typically

Half of the 202 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the engine problem between 63,000 and 115,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.

58%of this model year’s complaints

1,252 complaints in all about the 2016 Kia Sorento, 39 filed in 2026. The whole picture, every system →

Counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many of these were sold; nothing here is a rate. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so “Engine” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.

Across model years: Kia Sorento engine problems, every year on file →

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In owners’ own words

Source: NHTSA complaint database

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the engine. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.

On my drive home from the city, vehicle started making a ticking sound. 10 minutes after it started my car was shaking and trugging along barely. Barely made it safely into a parking lot. And only pulled over because I immediately called the dealership to find out what to do.
Engine at 36,000 miles May 2, 2018 NHTSA owner report
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. While driving approximately 69 MPH, a clicking noise was heard from the engine and the vehicle stopped. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road. The vehicle was taken to the same dealer and the technician diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced.
Engine at 40,000 miles Mar 23, 2018 NHTSA owner report
I was driving on rt 18 (hwy)in nj, going approximately 71 MPH when the engine siezed. I was able to put my hazards on and coast to the shoulder but had I just stopped, there would have been a horrific accident.
Engine at 39,000 miles Jan 19, 2018 NHTSA owner report
I was driving my vehicle up a hill with my 2 young children and the car just turned off. I was unable to push the brake. No engine light or oil light or anything came on! Drifted into a parking lot. It was 2 degrees out. One of the coldest days of the year. Towed the car to Kia. Gave them 3 or 4 receipt as for oil changes.
Engine at 30,000 miles Jan 11, 2018 NHTSA owner report
While driving my vehicle turned offno indication of any kind on dash board just automatically turned off
Engine at 51,630 miles Jan 3, 2018 NHTSA owner report

What is on file about the engine

Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications

NHTSA investigations

104 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading

The 3 newest are listed; every one is on the model year’s page. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.

Trouble codes named on this system

P1326 P0014 P0300 P0303 P0010 P0018 P0087 P0172

Codes a bulletin or an owner’s complaint about the 2016 Kia Sorento names on this model year; a code with a record of its own links it.

Other systems with a record on the 2016 Kia Sorento

Source: the same files
From here
Every 2027 model on file, by price Compare two vehicles, trim vs trim See what a VIN was priced at See what owners reported

Common questions

Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communications

Are engine problems common on the 2016 Kia Sorento?

They are documented: NHTSA holds 726 owner complaints naming the engine on this model year (58% of everything owners filed about it), and 104 manufacturer bulletins, 3 NHTSA investigations are filed under the same heading. Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count, and a count says nothing about how many were sold.

Is there a recall for the engine on the 2016 Kia Sorento?

No recall campaign is filed under this heading for this model year (there are 8 filed under other headings). A bulletin is not a recall: it carries no federal duty to repair for free.

When do engine problems show up on the 2016 Kia Sorento?

Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 84,994 miles; half of them between 63,000 and 115,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.

What does NHTSA's "Engine" heading cover?

The engine and its cooling system. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.