NHTSA Complaint #11560576 — 2016 KIA SORENTO

There is a common issue with these year model Sorentos that poses a dangerous safety hazard for those in the car as well as others on the road. This model has a manufacturers defect that causes the head bolts to strip from the block, causing overheating engine, power loss, and other symptoms. A car that overheats and has these symptoms while on the road could cause a fire, cause hot steam or coolant to burn skin, and risks lives if it happens while on a fast paced roadway. The issue is common and pretty much guaranteed to happen to these model Sorentos. There are thousands of people complaining and report the issue. KIA is aware and not concerned of the issue. The only solution offered is an engine replacement, which most people can’t afford so will more than likely keep driving the vehicle regardless of the risks. My Sorento has been at the dealership already. I’ve contacted KIA corporate as well as attorneys seeking litigation of the issue. My insurance completed a full investigation by U.S. Forensic and determined the cause to be two of my head bolts stripped the threads out of the block. I have the final report from the investigation. We had no early warnings of the issue. We first noticed something was wrong when the car started over heating. You could, then, smell coolant and there was white smoke from the exhaust. There was a loss of power and bubbling in the coolant reservoir. The car would drive without overheating as long as you kept the radiator full of coolant. In summary, this is a common issue that has been ignored by KIA. It is clearly a safety concern and could pose life threatening risks. KIA won’t care and will never do anything about this unless they are forced to.