2016 Kia Sportage engine problems
62 of the 131 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2016 Kia Sportage name the engine (NHTSA’s “Engine” heading — the engine and its cooling system). Filed under the same heading: 70 manufacturer bulletins, 1 NHTSA investigation. 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 engine
Source: NHTSA complaint database0 of the 62 reports a crash · 3 a fire · 1 injury. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2018: 2 · 2019: 6 · 2020: 1 · 2021: 4 · 2022: 21 · 2023: 9 · 2024: 8 · 2025: 6 · 2026: 5
Half of the 26 owners who gave an odometer reading reported the engine problem between 61,000 and 119,000 miles. A median of reports, not the life of a part.
131 complaints in all about the 2016 Kia Sportage, 5 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 Sportage engine problems, every year on file →
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled 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 12/2/21 I was driving down 52 towards Lexington in the fast lane going about 66 MPH with my child in the back seat in her car seat when I noticed my 2016 Kia Sportage would not accelerate and suddenly went down to around 20 MPH resulting in more than one almost collisions to try to get off the highway.
I own a 2016 Kia Sportage which is still new. I've owned it for 2-3 years had about 32k miles on the vehicle when I purchased it in 2018. I currently have 50k miles now, I follow-up with dealership on my Oil Changes without having any issues.
Car began making a rattling noise in the engine then immediately stopped running while I was driving. Luckily I was on a county road and coasted in to a driveway. I had the car towed to my house where it still resides and fearing it is a rod bearing failure in the motor
While driving the oil light kept flashing. A loud noise under my hood and car was pulling. Car was up to date and serviced 1/21
Car just shutdown on me doing 75 in a 70. Mileage was not high and maintenance wasn't need according to the dashboard. Car was great then just out of nowhere shutdown due to faulty engine they keep saying
What is on file about the engine
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communicationsNHTSA investigation
- DP22003 Loss of Motive Poweropened Sep 12, 2022 · closed Dec 12, 2023
- The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated July 13, 2022, petitioning the Agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain Hyundai Motor America, Inc. and Kia America, Inc. vehicles spanning Model Years (MY) 2005-2021. The Petitioners cited examples of complaints i…
70 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading
- SC340_TSB_R1 Service bulletinNov 7, 2025
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN: THETA II 2.4L GDI EMISSIONS ECM LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (SC340) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New / revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information to upgrade the Electronic Control Module ‘ECM’ system software for certain 2016-2022MY vehicle
- TSB_ENG222_R8 Service bulletinApr 3, 2025
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION NU/GAMMA/THETA/KAPPA ENGINES - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information on diagnosing and/or repairing some 2011-2024MY vehicles (refer to the table on pages 9 and 10 for applicable models and engine
- TSB_ENG222_R7 Service bulletinFeb 28, 2025
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION NU/GAMMA/THETA/KAPPA ENGINES - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information on diagnosing and/or repairing some 2011-2024MY vehicles (refer to the tables on pages 8-9 for applicable models and engine), w
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 P0171 P0420 P0014 P0442 P0455 P0456 P0457
Codes a bulletin or an owner’s complaint about the 2016 Kia Sportage names on this model year; a code with a record of its own links it.
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre engine problems common on the 2016 Kia Sportage?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 62 owner complaints naming the engine on this model year (47% of everything owners filed about it), and 70 manufacturer bulletins, 1 NHTSA investigation 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 Sportage?
No recall campaign is filed under this heading for this model year (there are 2 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 Sportage?
Owners who gave an odometer reading reported it at a median of 86,000 miles; half of them between 61,000 and 119,000. 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.