2016 Kia Sorento · symptom sheet
Rolls away in Park or will not shift out of Park
- 27owner reports
- 60,000median miles
- 2involved a crash
Newest report Sep 8, 2026 · checked Sep 29, 2026
967 of the 1,250 complaints on this car are about the transmission and drivetrain. 27 of those describe rollaway.
Tick what matches of 27 reports
Rollaway on other Sorento years
No other Sorento model year has enough reports of rollaway for a sheet of its own. See every Sorento year.
What this problem usually is
This sheet covers cars that roll after the owner puts them in Park, and shifters that won't come out of Park. The first is the more dangerous. Owners describe stepping out to check the mail, or to move a trash can, and watching the vehicle roll into a garage door or another car.
What got replaced
Owners who name the part that was replaced mention the shifter assembly (8 reports) and the shift interlock solenoid (5 reports).
Recalls and investigations
One recall on the transmission and drivetrain covers the 2016 model year. A recall on the same system isn't always the same failure, so read the defect text.
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.
All 8 recalls on the 2016 Kia Sorento, with the owner complaints on each recalled system
NHTSA investigations into the transmission and drivetrain on the Sorento
Hyundai and kia abs module fires. Open.
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.
Non-crash vehicle fires. Closed dec 22, 2021, led to recall 20V-088.
Non-crash vehicle fires. Closed may 10, 2019, led to recall 18V-907.
Scope and timeliness. Closed dec 22, 2021, led to recall 17V-224.
Front axle shaft failure. Closed sep 20, 2013, led to recall 13V-355.
Transmission intermediate driveshaft. Closed may 10, 2011, led to recall 11V-258.
When it happens
The middle half of failures fell between 10,300 and 75,000 miles, from the 10 reports that gave a mileage.
What owners wrote
“Vehicle stuck in park. Able to use emergency procedure to drive. Repair of fault would have cost 1600.00 if not covered by my extended warranty. There is a similar recall for not requiring brake to be applied before the shifter can select a gear. This is caused by the BCM body control module. I believe that most of these units are failure prone and they control a number of functions that are related to safety.”
Filed Jul 1, 2025
“I am financing a 2016 Kia Sorrento from the Burns Ford of York by here pay here of South Carolina I had the car for less than two weeks and the car would not go in park and sometimes it would not come out of park . I am trying to find all recalls that have been fixed on the car before vin# [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)”
Filed Jan 16, 2025
“My grandchildren and I were on our way to the Dentist, I stopped at a store, put the vehicle in park while waiting on my grandson to come out of the store. Then I proceeded to try to put the gear shift in drive but it was stuck in park. I could not remove the gear shift out of park. I was scared and so was my grandchildren.”
Filed Jan 15, 2025
“The gear post has been stuck in park for at least 3 days. I have to keep using the screwdriver method jut to get it in reverse. Everytime I make a stop and get back in the car have to use the screwdriver. I've had the car since January 16th never had this problem”
Filed Apr 29, 2024
Should you keep driving it?
This page can't tell you that. 2 of 27 reports involved a crash. 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 Paid for this repair before a recall covered it? How recall reimbursement works
Other problems on this car
- Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing 356 reports
- Engine stalls or loses power while driving 216 reports
- Check engine light or misfire 162 reports
- Burns oil or oil level rises 124 reports
- Engine overheats or leaks coolant 120 reports
- Paint peels or body rusts 69 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