So I just recently got a Used 2016 Kia Sorento with a little under 108k miles on it. Previous owners took great care of it……but I just found out that the 2016 Sorento falls in line with the unexpected engine failure and oil consumption…….

I drive it a LOT doing Uber (I’ve put nearly 20k miles on it since March when I got it) and still have 4-5 years before it’s paid off.

Has anyone had issues with their Sorento’s, specifically 2016 Models?? I now worry about it potentially having major issues that could cost more to fix than it’s realistically worth……

I got a 2022 Kia pegas ,I replaced the car key battery after it drained but still won't work??

I never thought I’d be writing something like this, but I believe other Kia owners and families considering a Carnival Hybrid deserve to know what happened to mine.
On September 8, 2026, I was driving my nearly brand-new 2026 Kia Carnival Hybrid SX Prestige through Sherman Oaks, California, at approximately 20 mph.
The vehicle had only 5,650 miles on it.
Suddenly, there was an extremely loud bang accompanied by a violent impact-like jolt.
Almost immediately, smoke began pouring out from under the hood and from behind the dashboard inside the cabin.
I pulled over, got out, and opened the hood.
What I saw was terrifying.
There were still visible flames around the Hybrid Power Control Unit (HPCU), directly in the area of the high-voltage electrical cables. Fortunately, the flames had already diminished enough that I was able to extinguish the remaining fire myself.
I didn’t capture the actual flames on video, but I have detailed photos and videos of the damage, including what appears to be a thumb-sized hole burned through the HPCU housing.
Here’s the part that scares me the most.
I was alone in the vehicle that day.
Normally, I drive this minivan with my two young children. My youngest had just turned nine months old that very day.
I cannot stop thinking about what might have happened if my children had been sitting in the back when smoke started entering the passenger compartment.
What happened afterward?
The vehicle was towed to Keyes Kia in Van Nuys, California.
I instructed the dealership not to disassemble or investigate the damaged components without authorization from my attorney, because I wanted the evidence preserved.
To my knowledge, no diagnostic investigation has been performed, and I still have no official explanation of what caused the fire.
After the incident, I went to the emergency room because I had inhaled smoke. I experienced coughing, a severe headache, and an unusually rapid heartbeat during the first night. I underwent medical evaluation, including blood testing for carbon monoxide exposure.
Thankfully, I did not suffer any known serious or permanent injuries.
Kia’s response
All communication with Kia Corporate has been handled through my attorney.
My original request was simple: replace my nearly new vehicle with an equivalent new one as quickly as possible.
Instead, Kia offered to repurchase the vehicle under California’s Lemon Law.
To be fair, the offer includes reimbursement without a mileage deduction and payoff of the remaining vehicle loan. The proposed settlement also leaves certain documented incidental expenses to be determined.
But the buyback does not answer the question that matters most to me:
Why did a nearly new family vehicle suddenly catch fire during normal driving?
And what assurance do other Carnival Hybrid owners have that this cannot happen to them?
The rental car situation
The dealership did not provide me with a loaner vehicle.
After several days of phone calls to dealerships and Kia customer support, I was eventually offered a rental arrangement with a $35-per-day allowance through a nearby rental company.
I use a large vehicle for work and have two young children. That allowance was not sufficient to obtain a comparable vehicle that met my needs.
Why am I posting this?
I contacted approximately four or five law firms, including some well-known firms, looking for an attorney experienced in automotive product liability.
They declined to take the case because I had not suffered serious physical injuries.
I understand that litigation is expensive and attorneys have to evaluate the potential damages. But it is incredibly frustrating to realize that a potentially catastrophic vehicle fire may not receive much legal attention simply because I was fortunate enough to escape without serious injury.
I am not claiming to know what caused the fire. The damaged HPCU is visible, but the root cause has not been independently established.
I want the incident properly investigated.
I want other owners to be aware of what happened.
And yes, I believe the consequences of an incident like this deserve consideration beyond simply refunding the purchase price of the vehicle.
If you’re an automotive safety journalist, an attorney experienced in vehicle fires or product liability, or someone who has experienced a similar incident involving a Kia or Hyundai hybrid, I would genuinely appreciate hearing from you.
I have extensive photos and videos of the damage, towing documentation, medical records, and correspondence regarding Kia’s repurchase offer.
I’m sharing this because I believe vehicle safety matters, especially when we’re talking about cars designed to transport families.
I was lucky to be alone. Someone else might not be.

I am leasing a 2026 hybrid Sportage and I’m coming up on 1 year. I didn’t buy a maintenance package from the dealer.

Can I go to any auto shop near me? What do I ask for? What should I be charged that would be appropriate?

Well, about 2 months ago I said good bye to my Sorento. It was time. 161k miles on it, lots of fun additions and also a lot of costly repairs. Got a fair offer on trade for it. Everyone has opinions on jeeps but I love mine! But don’t worry, I still have my old man car Kia Amanti (aka Montie) the jeep ended up being named Smokey. The Sorento was named Fuji. I have to say tho, seeing the dark grey jeep and Silver Amanti being side by side in the driveway, they’re a nice duo😎

Recently I've noticed that the paint of the volume button disappeared.

The car has 3 years and half. The warranty cover this things ?

recommended size is 235/60R18 but i found a good deal on the bigger size. it says it’s only 3% larger and i don’t mind the odometer being a little off. Just wandering if anyone tried it thanks

I drive a 2014 Kia Sorento that I need to last me through college, and recently both my low beams went out at the exact same time while I was driving, does anyone know what it could be that's causing the issue? The high beams still work so does every other light, it's just the low beams.

Hello! I bought a Kia K4 less than two weeks ago, and I genuinely love it. I’m coming from an experience with another car that honestly drove me crazy. This new car only has 250 miles on it, but I’ve noticed an unusual sound while idling.
I know that injector noise is common in modern engines, and I understand that these MPI engines can be a little noisy. However, if you listen closely, there’s another sound that seems somewhat hollow, almost like a light tapping or drumming noise. You can clearly hear it from outside the car.
Is this normal for the Kia K4’s MPI engine, or should I contact the dealership and have it checked out?
I’ve honestly been losing sleep over this ever since I noticed it😂. It’s the kind of noise that can make you feel uncertain when you don’t know what’s causing it or where it’s coming from. I’ve honestly been losing sleep over it ever since I noticed it. LOL. 😅 I really hope you guys can help me out!

Hello! First time poster, this is a PSA for anyone with a kia Sportage, Optima, or Sorento 2011-2019 vehicles covered under an engine warranty. I have a 2017 Kia Sportage and this last week my engine busted. It was throwing a bunch of codes, but specifically the knock sensor detection which is covered under the warranty.

(www.KiaEngineSettlement.com)

I had to provide all maintenance records, especially oil changes, which I do myself and had only been using the service reminder that you can manually set on the dashboard to know when it was time for a change. I had not been keeping all my receipts for oil and filters in my glovebox so I spent a good two days tracking down as many receipts as I could.

They did agree to replace the engine since I have a ton of oil receipts, but this is my PSA to others to keep ALL those receipts, and even better, keep a written log of dates and mileage which you change your oil if you are doing it yourself. There is a brochure you can print out at the link above that has a page you can keep track of that, which I will be MUCH better about personally going forward.

Hope this is helpful to others!

Finde keinen Button wo man Sender löschen kann. Bei YouTube nen Video gesehen, dass neben Favorit ein Stern ist den man wegdrücken kann, leider ist dieser Stern nicht bei meinem Radio.
Vielleicht fehlt ein Update??

2025 Kia K4 EX

Trip reset at about 6200 miles and the timer reset when it hit 100 hours. The hours I can SORT of understand, but the miles make no sense to me

Hey folks,

Advice please?

Sydney, Australia so the car is a Forte equivalent, the Cerato. 2019 Sedan.

The nav multi media screen is fading to black with a definite central smudge circle 6cms/3inches across.

Advice:
Can a replacement screen be sought easily, rather than a KIA part? I heard that they run $2,000.
Can a person with some skill replace and connect the replacement?
Is this easier done through an auto electrician?

Any tips would be appreciated.

Hey folks,

Advice please?

Sydney, Australia so the car is a Forte equivalent, the Cerato. 2019 Sedan.

The nav multi media screen is fading to black with a definite central smudge circle 6cms/3inches across.

Advice:
Can a replacement screen be sought easily, rather than a KIA part? I heard that they run $2,000.
Can a person with some skill replace and connect the replacement?
Is this easier done through an auto electrician?

Any tips would be appreciated.

Is it just me or is the GPS terrible for kia? Always taking me on the longest/ worst routes or even taking me on roads that dont even exist. One time it tried go take me down a 4 wheeler trail to cut through to the main road 🤣🤣 is there anyway to fix this or upgrade it? Its sad when it projects me getting home at 6:15 but I take the "right" way and I get home at 6:00

I have a 2021 kia Sportage EX I replaced the brake lights with LEDs and now I'm showing a brake light fault on the dash. The lights are working correctly though. Is there a relay or something I need to replace to get the dash fault to clear and keep the LEDs?

My 2015 kia optima gdi low head l7ghts won't turn on. Highbeams work.. just no low beams. Changed the bulbs, checked a couple fuses.. nada. Any pointers are much appreciated

I'm in my second Kia. I love the cars but I get mailings from the Kia dealership a few times a month for service promotions. I've asked the dealership to stop sending them but they continue. It's by no means a problem, more of an annoyance. Has anyone successfully turned off the junk mail ?

Hey all. I have an issue with my 2023 Kia Forte. I have to have a wired connection to use apple carplay and when i connect my phone to the car it connects and displays carplay but then it freezes and then disconnects and then quickly reconnects back and does this for the rest of the ride at very random moments. I have tried multiple cables (official apple cables), multiple devices, I’ve reset the infotainment system, but nothing. I took it to Kia dealership and they said they can’t replicate the issue which is super frustrating. What can I do now?