NHTSA lists 8 safety recalls and 1,250 owner complaints for the 2016 Kia Sorento.
One recall for this model year tells owners not to drive or to park outside until repaired:Trailer hitch, park outside (22V-703). Check your VIN below to see whether yours is affected.
8Safety recalls
1,250Owner complaints
29Complaints citing a crash
49Complaints citing a fire
Data: NHTSA recall and complaint filesUpdated Sep 27, 2026
Recalled components: trailer hitch, powertrain, fuel system, seats, and 3 more. Most-reported area: engine (694 complaints, 56%; median mileage when it happened: 83,000). Includes the Sorento Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid.
8 safety recalls for the 2016 Kia Sorento
Do-not-drive and park-outside recalls first, then newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.
Debris and moisture accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (PCB) may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire.
Risk: A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will inspect the vehicle, and, as necessary, replace the fuse and/or tow hitch harness module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 11, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC249.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Sorento, 2021-2022 Sorento Hybrid (HEV), 2022-2023 Sorento Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV), and 2017-2022 Sportage vehicles equipped with a tow hitch harness installed as original equipment, or purchased as an accessory through a Kia dealership.
NHTSA listing: SORENTO. Kia campaign SC249.
Powertrain
Aug 10, 2022
automatic transmission · lever and linkage · column shift
The vehicles may have been manufactured with faulty automatic transmission shift lever assembly components, preventing the shift lever from locking, which can allow the vehicle to rollaway.
Risk: A vehicle rollaway increases the risk of a crash and injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the automatic transmission shift lever assembly components, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed October 7, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC246.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2016 Sedona and Sorento vehicles.
The high pressure fuel pipe that connects to the fuel pump outlet may have been damaged, misaligned or improperly torqued during the engine replacement procedure, possibly causing a fuel leak.
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Kia has notified owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the fuel pipe, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 17, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC172.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2011-2017 Optima, 2012-2017 Sorento and 2011-2018 Sportage vehicles that previously received an engine replacement under recall number 17V-224, warranty, or the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) Product Improvement Campaign.
NHTSA listing: SORENTO. Components: Engine; Fuel system: delivery, hoses, lines/piping, and fittings. Kia campaign SC172.
The affected vehicles are equipped with an accessory trailer hitch wiring harness that, due to a malfunction of the tow hitch module, may result in the trailer brake lights being constantly illuminated. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 108, " Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Risk: If the trailer brake lights stay illuminated while being used, other drivers may be confused, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the trailer tow hitch harness, free of charge. The recall began January 18, 2017. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC142.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Sorento vehicles manufactured October 27, 2014, to August 25, 2016, and 2017 Sportage vehicles manufactured December 10, 2015, to August 26, 2016.
The driver's seatback frame may have been produced with inadequate weld joints and, as a result, the seatback may not function as designed in the event of a rear-end collision.
Risk: In the event of a crash, the driver seatback frame could break and fail to restrain a seat occupant, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the welds and replace the driver seatback frame, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on December 9, 2016. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC140.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2016 Kia Sorento vehicles manufactured March 3, 2016 to March 21, 2016.
A component of the rear suspension may not be properly welded.
Risk: The improper weld may break, affecting the rear suspension alignment, thereby increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the welds at the rear suspension cross-member, replacing the rear cross-member assembly, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began July 27, 2016. Owners may contact Kia Customer Service Department at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC137.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2016 Sorento vehicles.
The affected vehicles have a front passenger seat belt whose buckle latch assembly may prevent the front passenger from fastening the seat belt.
Risk: If the front passenger seat belt cannot be latched, an occupant sitting in the front passenger seat has an increased risk of injury in the event of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the front passenger seat belt buckle cover, free of charge. The recall began on August 18, 2015. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC123.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2016 Kia Sorento vehicles manufactured October 23, 2014, to December 10, 2014.
Due to an improperly soldered component in the accelerator pedal assembly, the driver may not be able to accelerate the vehicle.
Risk: If the vehicle is unable to be accelerated, there is an increased risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the accelerator assembly, free of charge. The recall began on February 19, 2015. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC115.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2016 Sorento vehicles manufactured October 27, 2014, to January 29, 2015.
NHTSA listing: SORENTO. Kia campaign SC115.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What owners report
The areas named in the 1,250 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2016 Sorento. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Engine694 · 56%
Median 83,000 miles at failure (181 reports)
Powertrain125 · 10%
Median 71,000 miles at failure (41 reports)
Body structure110 · 9%
Most named: body (105) · Median 46,000 miles at failure (37 reports)
Electrical system107 · 9%
Median 51,700 miles at failure (34 reports)
Steering80 · 6%
Median 47,500 miles at failure (36 reports)
Exterior lighting67 · 5%
Median 43,600 miles at failure (42 reports)
Speed control62 · 5%
Most named: accelerator pedal (4) · Median 60,200 miles at failure (41 reports)
Unknown or other165 · 13%
Median 55,600 miles at failure (24 reports)
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.
Kia Sorento recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2016 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2021 Sorento drew the most (132) and the 2016 drew 128.
Owner complaints
2016: 1,250 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Kia Sorento
Model year
Complaints
2016
1,250
2017
804
2018
254
2019
426
2020
135
2021
268
2022
223
2023
157
2024
49
2025
127
2026
6
Safety recalls
2016: 8 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Kia Sorento
Model year
Recalls
2016
8
2017
4
2018
3
2019
2
2020
1
2021
5
2022
9
2023
4
2024
2
2025
4
2026
2
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
Tested version
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Kia Sorento SUV AWD
Rollover risk 15.0%
Kia Sorento SUV FWD
Rollover risk 15.8%
Questions
What are the most common 2016 Sorento problems?
The areas owners name most often in NHTSA complaints: engine (694), powertrain (125), body structure (110). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can name several areas.
Is the 2016 Kia Sorento safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2016 Kia Sorento earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
How do I check if my Sorento has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Kia dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Sep 27, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Sep 26, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: SORENTO.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.