All About 2016 Kia Sorento Door Handle Recalls

While Kia has a strong track record of shipping fewer recalls than the typical automaker, recalls happen and the 2016 Kia Sorento is no exception. In total, the 2016 model year has six recalls registered with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Does the 2016 Kia Sorento have open-door handle recalls?

No, but there are some related to the following:

• Fuel hose may be leaking
• Trailer brake lights may not turn off
• The seat back frame may not be properly welded
• The vehicle may not be able to accelerate
• The crossbar weld may be fractured
• The seat belt may not lock for the front passenger

While none of these have anything to do with the door handles, the model has 250 NHTSA complaints and one of them relates directly to the door handle.

The driver’s door may not unlock

NHTSA Complaint ID: 11251963

An owner from Oxford, Ohio filed a complaint about an incident dated August 24, 2019, noting that the driver’s door was impossible to unlock from the outside. It simply remained closed and had to be opened from the inside. The trunk also remained closed.

Worst case scenario for this defect: If the door cannot be opened from the outside after an accident, first responders would have difficulty dealing with an injured driver.

However, for the most part, this issue is more of an inconvenience than a major security risk.

NHTSA does not have any complete or active investigations on file for the 2016 Sorento. It is unlikely that they will issue one for this issue, given that there is only one complaint on file.

How do I know if my 2016 Kia Sorento has a recall?

It’s quick and easy to check if you have a pending recall for your car: pull your VIN number from the dashboard and enter it into the NHTSA VIN Lookup tool. If you have pending recalls, call Kia at 1-800-333-4542 and they will tell you what to do next.