2016 Kia Sportage electrical system problems
17 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the electrical system on the 2016 Kia Sportage — 13% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“Was driving all of a sudden, the car started knocking making noise, the oil light came on, the engine light came on and white smoke was coming from my tail pipe. I had an oil change, but that didn't do the trick, the engine light still comes on, my car drives very slow now. I'm afraid to take it…”
filed Nov 19, 2025
“When coming to a stop and brake applied car starts to vibrate. Local mechanic who looked at the vehicle believes it's the torque converter. The miles are high but it's under a the recall new engine, which technically has only approximately 60k.”
filed Dec 22, 2023
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related service bulletins
Sc340_stkr: voluntary emissions service campaign completion label/sticker
SC340_STKR · Emissions · issued Oct 23, 2025
Electrical System problems in other Sportage years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Sportage | 5 | 20% |
| 2025 Sportage | 15 | 31% |
| 2024 Sportage | 12 | 18% |
| 2023 Sportage | 44 | 24% |
| 2022 Sportage | 8 | 18% |
| 2021 Sportage | 6 | 13% |
| 2020 Sportage | 19 | 12% |
| 2019 Sportage | 10 | 14% |
| 2018 Sportage | 28 | 18% |
| 2017 Sportage | 62 | 16% |
| 2015 Sportage | 18 | 12% |
| 2014 Sportage | 8 | 7% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2016 Kia Sportage
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.