2016 Kia Cadenza problems
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Common 2016 Kia Cadenza problems
The Kia Cadenza, a full-size, executive sedan introduced in 2010, has been a popular choice for drivers seeking a luxury car at a lower price point. However, like any vehicle, the Kia Cadenza has had its share of issues. Here are some of the most common problems reported by owners, based on search results.
- Knocking when the engine starts up: This issue has been reported primarily in the 2014 Kia Cadenza, with 3 complaints.
- Rodents chewing on soy-derived wire coatings: This is not unique to the Kia Cadenza, as other automakers have faced similar issues. Rodents are attracted to the soy-derived wire coatings used in Kia vehicles, causing damage that can cost hundreds or even thousands of dollars in repairs.
- Sunroof switch replacement: Some owners have reported issues with the sunroof switch, requiring replacement.
- Driver side fog light replacement: Condensation in the driver side fog light has been reported, necessitating replacement.
- Driver side mirror loud motor sound when unfolding: This issue has been reported, with the dealer providing a poor paint job during the fix, which the owner is working to get redone.
- Rear parking assist failure: This issue has been reported, requiring the involvement of a higher-level engineer to address.
- Drive side wiper blade shaking: This issue has been reported, but the cause is not specified in the search results.
- Popping sound from the wheel well: This issue has been reported during slow, sharp turns.
- Excessive play in the steering wheel: This issue has been reported, with concerns about the car not holding the road properly.
- Advertised cooled driver's seat not present: Some owners have reported that the advertised cooled driver's seat is not available in their vehicle.
- No daytime running lights: This issue has been reported, but the cause is not specified in the search results.
- Compressor failure: This issue has been reported, but the cause is not specified in the search results.
These issues, while not exhaustive, provide a snapshot of common problems reported by Kia Cadenza owners. It is essential for potential buyers to be aware of these issues and consider them when making a purchasing decision.
How reliable is a Kia Cadenza?
The probability of a repair being a severe or major issue is 12% for the Kia Cadenza, compared to an average of 13% for fullsize cars and 12% for all vehicle models.
What are the best years for a Kia Cadenza?
The Kia Cadenza scores well in reliability and is a quality choice for a full-size sedan. We recommend the 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, or 2021 selections for the best results. These will keep money and time on your side.
Are Kia Cadenza expensive to maintain?
A KIA Cadenza will cost about $6,189 for maintenance and repairs during its first 10 years of service. This beats the industry average for popular sedan models by $907.
How many miles will a Kia Cadenza last?
Typically, you can expect a Kia Cadenza to last around 200,000 miles. Items like age, rust, corrosion, and driving habits will all influence the survival of your car, so it's critical to be a responsible driver if you're interested in getting as many years out of the Cadenza as possible.
2016 Kia Cadenza car problems categorized by type of issue
After analyzing all complaints sent to the NHTSA and researching popular Kia Cadenza problems, we found that the most common problems with these 2023 model year vehicles are:
- Visibility problems
- Service brakes problems
- Hydraulic problems
- Engine problems
- Suspension problems
The graph below shows statistics for all 2016 Kia Cadenza vehicle components and the number of complaints received.
2016 Kia Cadenza complaints
The NHTSA has received 10 complaints about various vehicle components related to the 2016 Kia Cadenza.
VISIBILITY PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2023-06-27
- VIN: KNALN4D76G5
- Components: VISIBILITY
- Summary: The contact owns a 2016 Kia Cadenza. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from the front windshield, after which she observed that the windshield had begun to crack and was leaking. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the windshield bonding. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V158000 (Visibility) the VIN was included, and the vehicle had been repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was unknown.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2024-04-29
- VIN: KNALN4D73G5
- Components: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
- Summary: The contact owns a 2016 Kia Cadenza. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2023-09-25
- VIN: KNALN4D72G5
- Components: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
- Summary: The contact owns a 2016 Kia Cadenza. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
VISIBILITY PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2022-11-01
- VIN: KNALN4D71G5
- Components: VISIBILITY
- Summary: The contact owns a 2016 Kia Cadenza. The contact stated that there was water leaking into the vehicle from the top of the front windshield. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact called the local dealer, who stated there was no recall. The manufacturer was contacted and referred the contact to the dealer. The vehicle was taken back to the local dealer to be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V158000 (Visibility). The dealer diagnosed the vehicle and informed the contact that the front windshield was cracked and declined to perform the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted again and informed the contact that the cracked windshield nullified the recall repair. The failure mileage was approximately 140,000.
VISIBILITY PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2023-05-24
- VIN: KNALN4D70G5
- Components: VISIBILITY
- Summary: The contact owns a 2016 Kia Cadenza. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V158000 (Visibility) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.
ENGINE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2022-07-08
- VIN: knaln4d78g5
- Components: ENGINE
- Summary: Per the Kia dealer head bolts have loosened up which have resulted in engine failure.
SUSPENSION PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2022-03-07
- VIN: KNALN4D75G5
- Components: SUSPENSION
- Summary: While driving, I heard a loud pop followed by a loud grinding noise. I wqs able to pull over and noticed the passenger front side of the car was lower than the rest of the car. At around 75k the passenger side strut went out. Fast forward 2 months later, driving my car the same thing happened but to the drivers side. Both struts needing replaced by 80k. Definitely should be a recall on these struts as this seems very premature and alot of other people with this car have had this problem.
VISIBILITY PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2020-03-01
- VIN: KNALN4D74G5
- Components: VISIBILITY
- Summary: The Windshield is a defect on the cadenzas, as the seals break on them. It lifts up while driving or even shutting my doors, which I see as a safety hazard. It causes water to leak into the car by where my feet are and from the top of the windshield as well. I believe this is causing my car and other cadenzas to also have electric issues since i’ve had, 7 speakers blew, back up camera glitched and stopped working, sunroof stopped working and i’ve had signals / sounds stop working as well a shot throttle all before 24,000 miles.. Kia has been giving me a run a round with trying to fix my windshield and still has yet to do so. I see this as a huge safety issue. What happens if I hit a bump and it falls off when I’m driving? It could cause a huge accident and or killing myself and others. At first, I thought this was my fault.. but then Kia said it looked like there was no influence I had done anything to it (despite still not replacing it for me). I decided to do some research. I ended up finding valuable information as I found an online forum where cadenza owners state their problems with the vehicle. Mostly all the issues were a loose windshield causing water to leak into the car / and electrical issues similar to mine as a result. I then found a Kia Cadenza forum page on facebook where people were saying the same things. Facebook page is called Kia Cadenza K7 Owners. I have pictures of my cars issues on the windshield and complaints of others going through the same issue.
ENGINE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2021-05-15
- VIN: KNALN4D79G5
- Components: ENGINE
- Summary: THE CONTACT OWNS A 2016 KIA CADENZA. THE CONTACT STATED UPON STARTING THE VEHICLE, A LOUD RATTLING SOUND WAS COMING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE CONTACT STATED NO WARNING LIGHT WAS ILLUMINATED. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE LOCAL DEALER AND DIAGNOSED HOWEVER, THE MECHANIC STATED THERE WAS NOTHING TO REPAIR OR REPLACE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT YET REPAIRED. THE CONTACT RELATED THE FAILURE TO AN UNKNOWN RECALL. THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT BEEN INFORMED OF THE FAILURE. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 42,674.
VISIBILITY,STRUCTURE PROBLEM
- Date Of Incident: 2016-12-06
- Components: VISIBILITY,STRUCTURE
- Summary: ON DECEMBER 6, 2016 MY SUNROOF EXPLODED WHILE DRIVING DOWN THE FREEWAY. THE EXPLOSION WAS SO LOUD AND VIOLENT I THOUGHT I WAS SHOT. SHARDS OF GLASS RAINED DOWN ON MY HEAD. I WAS ABLE TO AVOID A VEHICLE COLLISION, BUT WAS VERY SHAKEN UP ABOUT THE ORDEAL. MY RIGHT EAR FELT DEAF AND I NOTICEABLE HAVE LESS HEARING AS A RESULT OF THE EXPLOSION. *TR
2016 Kia Cadenza recalls
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has issued 2 recalls for different components of the 2016 Kia Cadenza.
- Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
- Park Out Side: 1
- Park Out Side: 1
- Components: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE
- Summary: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2010-2019 Borrego, 2014-2016 Cadenza, 2010-2013 Forte, Forte Koup, Sportage, 2015-2018 K900, 2011-2015 Optima, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, Soul, 2012-2017 Rio, 2011-2014 Sorento, and 2010-2011 Rondo vehicles. The Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) may experience an electrical short, which can result in an engine compartment fire while parked or driving.
- Consequence: An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
- Remedy: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the HECU fuse, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed November 14, 2023. Owner notification letters were mailed March 29, 2024 through June 18, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC284.
- Manufacturer: Kia Motors America
- Components: VISIBILITY:WINDSHIELD
- Summary: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling all 2014-2016 Cadenza vehicles. During manufacturing, the front windshield may not have been properly bonded to the vehicle, allowing it to detach.
- Consequence: A front windshield that detaches from a vehicle can increase the risk of a crash or injury.
- Remedy: Dealers will inspect the front windshield glass. If necessary, the windshield will be removed and reinstalled. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 13, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC232.
Negative 2016 Kia Cadenza car reviews
Positive 2016 Kia Cadenza car reviews
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As the owner of both a 6 year old Kia Amanti and a new Kia Cadenza with the optional Luxury Package, I have extensive experience with Kia's vehicles. While I have always enjoyed driving my Amanti long distances due to its quiet and pleasurable ride, I was disappointed to find that the Cadenza, Kia's new luxury car, did not meet my expectations. Despite being marketed as a luxury car, the Cadenza had significant road noise that detracted from the overall driving experience. When I contacted Kia Customer Service (Kelly) to express my concerns, I was met with a dismissive response that did not address my concerns. As a knowledgeable and experienced Kia owner, I believe that a luxury car should prioritize a quiet ride above all else, and I hope that Kia will take this feedback into consideration for future models.
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I've had the car for a year and a half now, and much of what I posted previously still holds true. However, I did encounter a few major issues that I want to comment on. Within a one-month period, both front strut assemblies snapped on the car. One while I was driving and the other while I was at a stop. It sounded like someone shot the car it was so loud. Thankfully, I was still under warranty, and everything was covered, or it would have been $625 per side. Kia took care of the issue without hesitation, but I was without my car for over a month because of a national backorder on the parts. Please be aware that, according to the service manager, this is a known issue with Kia. So, if you are buying one, make sure the front suspension has been changed. Mine went between 35k and 38k miles. Update September 2021: I got rid of the car after radiator fluid started leaking into my engine and car. After having the car looked at, I found out that I had a bad head gasket, which went at 63k miles. Of course, this was not covered under warranty because I bought the car as a lease turn-in with 12k miles. According to the Kia service manager, this is a known issue with this particular car/engine.
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I'm so glad to hear that you and your daughter are safe after such a scary accident! It sounds like your car really held up and protected you both. It's great to hear that you're planning to replace it with another car that has great safety features. Thank you for sharing your positive experience with us!
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I hope you're doing well! I wanted to share that I recently purchased a Limited SXL Cadenza and I'm absolutely loving it. It's definitely a step up from my previous Hyundai Azera. The car is loaded with features and drives incredibly comfortably. I appreciate how unique it is on the road, as you don't see too many Cadenzas out there. Thanks for letting me share!
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I was in the market for a luxury car and had never considered a Kia before. As a loyal Toyota fan, I have owned multiple Avalons, but the current design of the Toyota models did not appeal to me. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that this car had all the same features as other luxury models for less than half the price. I purchased this car used with only 12K miles, and it was as good as new. I got a great bang for my buck, even though I paid extra for a long extended warranty. I have owned the car for almost 9 months now, and I have no real complaints. The only issue I have had is with the ventilated driver's seat, which did not really cool on very hot days. Overall, I am glad that I made this purchase. I have now owned the car for about 27 months, and other than some minor problems (which were fixed under warranty), I have had no issues with the car. It has been reliable and runs very well. I am still glad I made this purchase. It's now been 33 months since I got this car, and I still love it. I just got back from a 900-mile trip, and the car was a pleasure to drive. Knock on wood, I have not had to use my extended warranty for anything major yet. I would totally recommend this car. Forget the nameplate and buy it. I specifically wanted the Limited trim since it has all the bells and whistles. The newer ones have a few more added features. I still have this car, and it is still running great. No complaints after about 3.5 years. Unfortunately, due to COVID, I have not been driving it much, but it still runs GREAT. Two weeks ago, I went on a long road trip of about 800 miles and loved the drive. More than 4 years since I got the car (used), and it still runs well. It's a shame that Kia decided to discontinue the Cadenza. I am up to 73,000 miles, and it drives like the day I bought it at 12,400 miles.Nothing new to add, but I'm glad to hear that you're happy with your purchase.
Additional sources
More sources of information about 2016 Kia Cadenza problems:
2016 Kia Cadenza Problems | Kelley Blue Book
How reliable is the 2016 Kia Cadenza? See the most common repairs performed and learn if your vehicle is at risk for major repairs in the next 12 months.
The Kia Cadenza Years To Avoid - CoPilot
Jul 27, 2023 ... Common Issues with the Kia Cadenza · Trouble with the sunroof · Knocking when the engine starts up · Poor acceleration · No daytime running lights.
Transmission and Engine issues | Kia Cadenza Forum
Feb 21, 2018 ... I would appreciate it very much if any of you can suggest a solution to my issues listed below. I own a 2014 Cadenza Limited , and have a few ...
2016 Kia Cadenza: Common Problems & Throttle Replacement ...
Sep 6, 2019 ... Yes it could be bad gas. It could also be many other different issues such as faulty sensor, wiring problem, timing issue, module fault, engine ...
Transmission problems?!?!? | Kia Cadenza Forum
Aug 10, 2013 ... Has anyone here experienced or heard of transmission issues with the Cadenza? I read a thread on the Optima Forums that one of the members ...
Other years of Kia Cadenza
Are you having problems with your 2016 Kia Cadenza?
Morton Schiller 2025-03-27
I recently purchased a car that has 125k miles on it. While it was a great value, I have had some issues with it. Despite this, I still find the sight lines of the car to be attractive, and the engine and transmission perform very well (I have zero complaints on either). Additionally, it has all the bells and whistles you could ask for at a value price. However, I have experienced some problems with the suspension, which was never satisfactory and caused the sunroof to rattle. The ambient noise while driving in the cabin is also excessive. At 83k miles, a front suspension spring snapped while parked and took out a tire and strut (thankfully not while driving). Unfortunately, KIA said it was out of warranty, so the fix was on my dime. I was disappointed because I thought it may have had something to do with the poor suspension performance all along, but I lived with it. Fast forward to 95k miles, and I was driving on the Garden State Parkway at speed when I hit a dip in the road, and the roof
Isidro Turcotte 2025-03-24
I have had to lower my rating due to persistent fuel injector problems that have required multiple visits to the dealership for service. Despite having one of the injectors replaced and spending $300 on a fuel system cleaning, the problem has persisted. While I take care to use high-quality gas and additives, I still lack confidence that the issue will not recur. Additionally, I have had to spend nearly $200 on repairs to the front bumper undercarriage, which is too low and prone to damage from parking lot barriers and steep driveway gutter interfaces. Despite these issues, I still enjoy using the car's USB port to play my extensive music collection. However, I would appreciate more driver headroom and a less tight suspension. I have also noticed a creaking noise in the front quarter-panel on rough roads and rainwater leaking into the trunk from the trunk lip.My previous car, the 2001 Acura TL, had a feature where the wipers would automatically wipe once when I removed my foot from the brake pedal after a stop. I believe this feature could be useful in the current car as well.
Vance Hyatt 2025-01-10
I am sorry to hear about your negative experience with KIA. It sounds like you have had a very frustrating time with your car and the service you received. It must be difficult to be left with a car that you cannot drive and still owe a lot of money on. I hope that you are able to find a reliable vehicle that meets your needs for your daily commute. Thank you for sharing your experience, it is important for others to hear about both positive and negative experiences with car manufacturers and dealerships.
Lindsey Brown 2024-07-08
The voice recognition system is limited in its current state. However, with further development, it has the potential to become more accurate and efficient. Additionally, there is room for improvement in the voice commands for music, particularly in the area of playing specific artists or songs.
Trenton Lemke 2024-05-14
The car itself is really good mechanically. However, I have to agree with a previous reviewer who noted that the navigation system is horrible. The acceleration is consistent with other cars in the category, and the handling is just okay, certainly not up to Audi A4 standards. On the other hand, the interior is great, and the roof is great too. I've had some problems with Kia Finance as well and would recommend avoiding them if possible.