2016 KIA Sportage: common problems

Owners of the 2016 KIA Sportage filed 134 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and service brakes. The maker issued 102 service bulletins for this year. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 134
involving a crash: 8
Technical service bulletins (TSB): 102

KIA Sportage 2016: 3D model with the “Engine” area highlighted — the most complained-about component — Yellow marks the “Engine” area, the component owners complain about most for this year. Illustrative only. 3D model: xnova360, CC Attribution.

What fails most often

1 Engine 46% of all complaints
2 Service brakes 28% of all complaints
3 Electrical system 13% of all complaints
4 Fuel/propulsion system 7% of all complaints
5 Powertrain 6% of all complaints
6 Vehicle speed control 5% of all complaints
7 Air bags 4% of all complaints
8 Steering 3% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Engine: 62 complaints (46% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 10.
Service brakes: 38 complaints (28% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 1.
Electrical system: 17 complaints (13% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 36.
Fuel/propulsion system: 9 complaints (7% of all).
Powertrain: 8 complaints (6% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 7.

Engines and transmissions

US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.

2 L · petrol · turbo · 4 cyl
2.4 L · petrol · 4 cylnamed in 1 complaints
automatic, 6-speed

Drive: FWD, AWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 134 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

warning lights, check engine25 · 19%
knocking, grinding or other noise23 · 17%
smoke, burning smell, fire23 · 17%
engine failure or replacement13 · 10%
loss of power / limp mode11 · 8%
windows, sunroof10 · 7%
stalls while driving9 · 7%
oil leak or consumption6 · 4%
A/C or heater5 · 4%
hesitation when accelerating5 · 4%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash	Technical service bulletins (TSB)
Engine	62	0	10
Service brakes	38	1	1
Electrical system	17	0	36
Fuel/propulsion system	9	0	0
Powertrain	8	0	7
Vehicle speed control	7	2	0
Air bags	5	5	0
Steering	4	2	6
Structure	4	0	6
Visibility	4	0	1
Engine and cooling	3	0	42
Exterior lighting	3	0	2
Seat belts	2	2	0
Suspension	1	0	1

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

The car accelerated of its own accord, I had been driving 30-35 miles an hour when it accelerated suddenly and caused me to wreck.
Vehicle speed control · crash · 2024-09-25 · NHTSA complaint #11616318
I was involved in a head-on collision that results in my car being pushed across the streets and hitting the curb on the other side of the street causing my vehicle to be completely totaled none of my airbags deployed which caused me to hit everything on the inside of my vehicle I was injured I had a cervical sprain a…
Air bags · crash · 2019-04-17 · NHTSA complaint #11196924
The steering seized, which caused the vehicle to crash into a tree and burst into flames. It was unknown if the air bags deployed. The contact's son suffered a concussion and sought medical attention. A police report was filed. The fire department extinguished the fire.
Steering · crash · 2019-02-14 · NHTSA complaint #11180068
My daughter, was involved in an accident on 1/29/19 at 7:45am. She was stopped and a truck hit her from behind and she hit the vehicle in front of her. The air bags did not go off and she hit her head on wheel, and windshield. Her son who was in back in his car seat, also hit his head.
Air bags · crash · 2019-01-30 · NHTSA complaint #11173110
Air bag came out but did not inflate in head on collision seat belt did not restrain 40 mph head on in motion
Air bags · crash · 2019-01-11 · NHTSA complaint #11166418
My 2016 Kia Sportage LX experienced a catastrophic engine seizure on September 9, 2026, at 91,249 miles. My son was returning home on I-95 South in Florida. After exiting at Sample Road and traveling west near Seabra Foods at approximately 40 mph, he first noticed unusual engine noises at an estimated 91,245 miles.
Engine · 2026-10-13 · NHTSA complaint #11770932
The Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) and electrical system malfunctioned, causing a severe short circuit, total power collapse, and an engine compartment thermal event (heavy smoke).
Engine · 2026-10-08 · NHTSA complaint #11769944
I always change my oil on time and now I’m having engine failure with under 71k miles??!! I’ve only done local driving and [dealer] there’s nothing they could do for me because my warranty just expired. This is my Kia and last time buying a Kia!
Engine · 2026-10-02 · NHTSA complaint #11768427

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

20162
20177
20184
201916
20204
20217
202256
202311
202410
20258
20269

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 470 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (top 22% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Sportage has 113 complaints (12 years in the data). This year has 134, above average.

What to check before buying

Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Fuel/propulsion system. Fuel smell, leaks, rough running, fuel-system codes.

Manufacturer service bulletins

Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.

received by NHTSA in 2025–2026 · № 11034003 (+1 with the same text) · Structure TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: THEFT DETERRENT IGNITION CYLINDER PROTECTOR AND DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2312) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated…
received by NHTSA in 2025–2026 · № 11026980 · Structure CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN
OWNER NOTIFICATION (CS2312) - This document is the owner notification advising that Kia is conducting Customer Satisfaction Campaign. A software upgrade that addresses the social media theft method has been made…
received by NHTSA in 2025–2026 · № 11026825 · Structure TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: THEFT DETERRENT IGNITION CYLINDER PROTECTOR AND DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2312) - This bulletin provides information to install a Theft Deterrent Ignition Cylinder Protector on certain 2010-2022MY…
received by NHTSA in 2025–2026 · № 11026698 · Backover prevention PITSTOP
TECHNICAL OPERATIONS: EXTERNAL DAMAGE TO ULTRASONIC SENSOR: This Pitstop provides information related to Parking Distance Warning (PDW) alerts and repairs involving ultrasonic sensors. The PDW system alerts the driver…
received by NHTSA in 2025–2026 · № 11025889 · Engine TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN: THETA II 2.4L GDI EMISSIONS ECM LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (SC340) - This bulletin provides information to upgrade the Electronic Control Module ‘ECM’ system software for certain…
received by NHTSA in 2025–2026 · № 11025859 · Engine 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…
received by NHTSA in 2025–2026 · № 11024469 · Engine SC340_STKR
VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN COMPLETION LABEL/STICKER
received by NHTSA in 2025–2026 · № 11024467 · Engine VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN
SC340_POC: PROOF OF CORRECTION CARD
received by NHTSA in 2025–2026 · № 11017172 · Powertrain TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
TRANSMISSION FLUID APPLICATION GUIDE - 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…
received by NHTSA in 2025–2026 · № 11017109 (+5 with the same text) · Engine 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…
received by NHTSA in 2020–2024 · № 11001593 · Electrical system TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: ANTI-THEFT S/W LOGIC UPGREADE $ DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2302) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar…
received by NHTSA in 2020–2024 · № 11000787 · Powertrain This bulletin provides information relating to the correct transmission fluid type and fill quantity…
This bulletin provides information relating to the correct transmission fluid type and fill quantity requirement for each Kia model. A flush is required ONLY when a transmission is replaced.

NHTSA lists 102 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.

Other years of this model

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2016 KIA Sportage?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine, service brakes, electrical system. Total complaints: 134. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (19%), knocking, grinding or other noise (17%), smoke, burning smell, fire (17%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2016 KIA Sportage?

NHTSA lists 102 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 2016 KIA Sportage from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 2016 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-04.