2016 Kia Sorento · symptom sheet
Engine overheats or leaks coolant
- 121owner reports
- 99,820median miles
- $6,000median quote
- 0involved a crash
Newest report Sep 28, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
718 of the 1,252 complaints on this car are about the engine. 121 of those describe overheating.
Narrower sheets: Head gasket fails or coolant leaks into the engine (66 reports)
Tick what matches of 121 reports
Overheating on other Sorento years
Report counts are for each model year on its own, so a newer car has had less time to collect them. Model years with too few reports of it for a sheet: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025.
What this problem usually is
Most owners in this group notice the coolant before they notice the heat: a reservoir that keeps dropping, a sweet smell, or a bright puddle under the front of the car. Across the vehicles on this site, about four in five of these complaints mention coolant, a leak or a puddle, and roughly two in five mention the temperature gauge or overheating.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the head gasket (66 reports), the radiator (22 reports), the coolant hose or reservoir (16 reports) and the thermostat (13 reports).
Recalls and investigations
No recall on the engine covers the 2016 model year as of Oct 2, 2026.
NHTSA investigations into the engine on the Sorento
Loss of motive power. Closed jul 23, 2024.
Loss of motive power. Closed dec 12, 2023.
Engine fires. Closed feb 5, 2024, led to recall 23V-877.
Engine oil pressure switch leak. Closed jun 26, 2023.
Scope and timeliness. Closed dec 22, 2021, led to recall 17V-224.
What owners paid
23 of the 121 reports quote a price. Each dot is one quote. The middle half runs $1,030 to $10,000.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 74,000 and 120,957 miles, from the 57 reports that gave a mileage.
Is this a known problem?
The manufacturer has sent NHTSA 2 service bulletins or notices for the 2016 Kia Sorento that deal with this problem. Newest first.
Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.
ENGINE SUB ASSEMBLY INSPECTION/REPLACEMENT (WTY035) This bulletin provides information associated with the ‘Warranty Extension Program’ (WTY035) to diagnose a coolant leak from the cylinder head gasket area and, if necessary, replace the engine sub assembly on 2016-2017MY Sorento (UMa) vehicles equipped with ...
WARRANTY EXTENSION CAMPAIGN: ENGINE SUB ASSEMBLY INSPECTION/REPLACEMENT (WTY035) This bulletin provides information associated with the ‘Warranty Extension Program’ (WTY035) to diagnose a coolant leak from the cylinder head gasket area and, if necessary, replace the engine sub-assembly on 2016-2017MY Sorento (UMa) vehicles equipped with ...
What owners wrote
“Around 140k miles the engine started to randomly overheat. We changed the serpentine belt as well as all hoses. The engine then started to burn large quantities of oil. At 142k miles it failed all together and we are now looking at having to purchase a new engine or a new vehicle. After doing some research I read that this was a common issue with the 3.3L V6 Motors and felt the need to provide my case as well.”
Filed Nov 4, 2025 · 140,000 miles
“Was driving down the street no lights on the dashboard no overheating no warnings whatsoever and I heard a click and the engine just went out and the Dashboard lit up if this had happened on the expressway, it couldâve been very dangerous It appears the engine is seized, but it had oil . Apparently, this is become a common problem with this vehicle. Once they hit over 100,000 miles.”
Filed Jun 20, 2024 · 100,000 miles
“I am experiencing coolant leaks possibly due to head gasket or engine bolt malfunction. I have received and extended warranty letter from kia but the dealers are saying kia has not provided a solution. The extended warranty is for 15 year/180,000 miles. I am currently at 172,000 miles and am concerned by the time a solution is provided to the dealer i will be out of the warranty period.”
Filed Jan 23, 2024 · 180,000 miles
“There are many complaints about head gasket leaks. I have a head gasket leaks with 150,000 miles.”
Filed Jan 22, 2024 · 150,000 miles
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 0 of 121 reports involved a crash and 1 people were hurt. Owners who file are the ones who had a bad experience, and nobody checks their reports. If the problem affects steering, braking, power or a fire risk, treat it as a safety fault and have it inspected before a long or high-speed drive.
File your own report with NHTSA. Complaint counts are how a problem gets an investigation. How reports land on this sheet.
Guide Which lights mean pull over now? Warning lights by color and urgency
Other problems on this car
- Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing 357 reports
- Engine stalls or loses power while driving 216 reports
- Check engine light or misfire 163 reports
- Burns oil or oil level rises 124 reports
- Paint peels or body rusts 70 reports
- Engine rattles or ticks 55 reports
- Vehicle fire 45 reports
- Headlights too dim or fail 44 reports
- Steering sticks, feels notchy or jerks 39 reports
- Engine leaks oil 38 reports
- Rolls away in Park or will not shift out of Park 27 reports