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2016 Kia Sorento
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2016 Kia Sorento — Safety Summary
The 2016 Kia Sorento has 0 NHTSA safety recalls and 0 owner complaints on record. Transport Canada separately lists 8 Canadian recalls for this model. Based on this public data we rate its risk profile as low. Enter your VIN above to confirm which of these apply to your exact vehicle, then get the Smart Buyer Report for a buyer analysis of this model's reliability, common issues by mileage, and a pre-purchase inspection checklist.
Should you buy the 2016 Kia Sorento in Canada?
On the public data available, the 2016 Kia Sorento does not show major recall or complaint red flags. That makes it a reasonable used-car candidate for most buyers — but public data reflects model-level patterns, not the condition of one specific car.
The best next step is to run the exact VIN and, if the car still looks promising, get a Smart Buyer Report for a model-specific reliability read and an inspection checklist before you visit the seller.
Canadian ownership considerations
General things worth checking on a used Sorento in the Canadian climate — winter, road salt, and cold-weather wear.
- Check AWD or 4WD operation if equipped — driveline components are costly to repair.
- Road salt drives corrosion on underbody and subframe points; inspect the undercarriage on salt-belt vehicles.
- Verify heater, defroster, and rear demister all work ahead of winter.
- Battery and cold-start reliability are worth confirming for Canadian winters.
Pre-purchase inspection priorities
- Bring a qualified mechanic or book an independent pre-purchase inspection.
- Check the undercarriage for rust and corrosion, especially on salt-belt vehicles.
- Confirm all open recalls have been repaired using the VIN.
- Review maintenance records and look for gaps in servicing.
- Test all winter-critical systems: heater, defroster, battery, and (if equipped) AWD/4WD.
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Unlock the full buyer reportNHTSA Recalls
0 recall(s) for this year/model
Transport Canada Recalls
8 Canadian recall(s) from the official Transport Canada database
Structure
2016-07-05On certain vehicles, the rear crossmember assist arm bracket may not have been properly welded during the manufacturing process. This could cause the welds to break and affect the rear suspension alignment, which would result in poor vehicle handling, increasing the risk of a crash causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction : Dealers will inspect and replace the rear crossmember assembly as necessary.
Seats And Restraints
2016-11-01On certain vehicles, the driver’s seatback may have been incorrectly welded at time of assembly. This could cause the seatback to fail in a rear-end collision, increasing the risk of injury to vehicle occupants. Correction: Dealers will inspect the seat back frame and replace if necessary.
Fuel System
2019-02-27Issue: When the engine was replaced under warranty or under Kia's Product Improvement Campaign SC023, the high pressure fuel pipe may not have been properly installed on the fuel pump outlet. A fuel leak could occur if the pipe was damaged, misaligned or improperly torqued during the recall repair. Safety Risk: Leaking fuel in the presence of an ignition source could increase the risk of a fire. Corrective Actions: The company will notify owners by mail. Owners will be instructed to take their vehicle to a dealer for an inspection. If fuel leakage is detected, the fuel pipe will be replaced with a new one.
Engine
2019-03-18Issue: Kia Canada is conducting a Product Improvement Campaign that provides an update to the engine control module to detect potential problems before an engine fails. An engine failure may cause a sudden loss of power with an inability to restart. Safety Risk: A sudden loss of engine power could increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: The company will notify owners by mail. Owners will be instructed to take their vehicle to a dealer to update the software for the engine control module. Note: Vehicles repaired under Service Campaign SC023 already have this software update.
Electrical
2021-11-05Issue: Certain vehicles may be equipped with an accessory trailer wiring harness that could fail. Over time, water could leak into the control module and cause a short circuit. If this happens, there could be loss of the trailer lights. Note: This recall affects trailer wiring harness kits that may have been ordered at the time of a vehicle purchase, or purchased separately from a dealer as an aftermarket accessory. Safety Risk: A loss of trailer lights could make the trailer less visible. In addition, other drivers may not recognize that the vehicle ahead is braking or intends to turn. This could increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: Kia will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to inspect the trailer wiring harness. If the harness is from the lot (batch) affected by this problem, the dealer will replace it. Kia recommends that you should always check to ensure that trailer lights work properly before towing.
Powertrain
2022-08-10Issue: On certain vehicles, a problem with the transmission shifter assembly may allow you to shift out of the Park position (P) without pressing the brake pedal. If the transmission is shifted without applying the brakes and the parking brake isn't used, the vehicle could move suddenly or roll away. Safety Risk: A vehicle that moves suddenly or that rolls away could create the risk of an injury or a crash. Corrective Actions: Kia will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealership to inspect the shift lever assembly. The shift lock lever and holder will be replaced, if necessary. To reduce the safety risk, Kia recommends that you should always use the parking brake when you park.
Lights And Instruments
2023-08-11Issue: On certain vehicles, wear inside the multi-function switch could cause the headlights to turn off suddenly when the switch is in the AUTO mode. Safety Risk: A loss of headlights would reduce visibility and could increase the risk of a crash. Corrective Actions: Kia will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to replace certain parts in the multi-function switch. To reduce the safety risk, Kia recommends not to use the AUTO mode until the recall repairs have been completed.
Label
2024-08-15Issue: On certain vehicles, the compliance label may be missing information in French. The words listed on the label for "Tires", "Rims", "Front" and "Rear" appear in English only, when they should be listed as "Tires/Pneus", "Rims/Jantes", "Front/Avant" and "Rear/Arriere". Canadian regulations require this information to be listed on the label in both English and French. Safety Risk: These small errors do not affect vehicle safety. Corrective Actions: This is not a recall. Kia has corrected the compliance label for all new vehicles.
Contains information sourced from Transport Canada's Vehicle Recalls Database, licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada. Data is provided "as is" from Transport Canada's monthly release and may not reflect real-time updates. Transport Canada does not endorse this service. Always confirm open recalls with the manufacturer or Transport Canada before purchase.
Owner Complaints
0 complaint(s) filed with NHTSA
Want the full picture?
The free data above comes from public NHTSA records. The Smart Buyer Report adds buyer analysis for this exact model — reliability score, common problems by mileage, real maintenance costs in CAD, a pre-purchase inspection checklist, a market value estimate, and Canadian notes on rust, winter, and fuel.
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Data disclaimer:Vehicle history information on CarHistoryReport.ca is compiled from publicly available government sources, primarily the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Reports may not include all incidents, recalls, or issues related to a specific vehicle. Data is provided "as-is" without warranty of completeness or accuracy. Always obtain a professional pre-purchase inspection before buying any used vehicle. CarHistoryReport.ca is not liable for purchasing decisions made based on report contents.