2016 Kia Sorento cruise control problems
63 of the 1,252 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2016 Kia Sorento name the cruise control (NHTSA’s “Vehicle Speed Control” heading — cruise control, adaptive cruise and unintended-acceleration reports). Filed under the same heading: 1 recall. 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.
What owners filed about the cruise control
Source: NHTSA complaint database5 of the 63 reports a crash · 2 a fire · 3 injuries. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2015: 1 · 2016: 3 · 2017: 8 · 2018: 5 · 2019: 9 · 2020: 7 · 2021: 6 · 2022: 8 · 2023: 11 · 2024: 4 · 2025: 1
Half of the 42 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the cruise control problem between 27,000 and 89,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
1,252 complaints in all about the 2016 Kia Sorento, 1 filed in 2025. 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 “Vehicle Speed Control” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.
Across model years: Kia Sorento cruise control problems, every year on file →
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the cruise control. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
Tl-contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento ---- vehicle crashed into store front--- contact was pulling into parking lot parking space and engine revved up and crashed into store front --- engine was really loud -- footage on camera in vehicle shows first part of accident --- then backed out of store and backed into emergency vehicle --- contact…
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. While driving various speeds, the accelerator pedal was depressed, but failed to accelerate the vehicle without warning. The contact stated that the vehicle would independently accelerate randomly. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer (redding Kia 418 e.
The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. While driving highway speeds with the cruise control activated, the system would not deactivate when pressing the cancel button. The contact indicated that the brake pedal needed to be depressed to deactivate the cruise control.
On 6 separate occasions I had my cruise control on on the highway. After either touching my brake or touching the cancel button the control cancelled itself. However 5 times going up the hill by my house and once on a side street the cruise control engaged itself and started to speed up I assume to highway speed.
My car has been in motion multiple times recently on the highway. Once I was getting ready to merge and was slowing down when my vehicle started accelerating on its own and making a revving sound. This has also happened on city streets. It does not happen all the time
What is on file about the cruise control
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communicationsRecall filed under this heading
- 15V089000 HighFeb 13, 2015 · 12,361 vehicles
- 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.
Other systems with a record on the 2016 Kia Sorento
Source: the same files- engine problems 726 complaints
- transmission and drivetrain problems 126 complaints
- electrical problems 107 complaints
- steering problems 80 complaints
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre cruise control problems common on the 2016 Kia Sorento?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 63 owner complaints naming the cruise control on this model year (5% of everything owners filed about it), and 1 recall is 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 cruise control on the 2016 Kia Sorento?
Yes — one campaign is filed under this heading: 15V089000. A recall is matched by VIN; check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
When do cruise control problems show up on the 2016 Kia Sorento?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 60,244 miles; half of them between 27,000 and 89,000. That is when reports cluster, not the life of a part.
What does NHTSA's "Vehicle Speed Control" heading cover?
Cruise control, adaptive cruise and unintended-acceleration reports. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.