This automotive maintenance tutorial was specifically written to assist owners of the third generation (2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020) Kia Sorento SUV in changing the motor oil and replacing the cartridge style oil filter on the Lambda II GDI 3.3 liter V6 engine. (The procedure may be similar for the Theta II 2.4L I4 engine and the Theta II Turbocharged 2.0L I4 engine.)

Owners of other Kia, Hyundai and Genesis vehicles such as the Soul, Seltos, Sportage, Niro, Telluride, Forte, Rio, Optima, Stinger, Cadenza, K900, Sedona, Kona, Venue, Santa Fe, Elantra, Sonata, Accent, Veloster, Ioniq, Nexo, G70, G80 and G90 may also find these instructions to be helpful.

A few compatible replacement cartridge style oil filters for the 2016, 2017 and 2018 model years with the Lambda II GDI 3.3L V6 engine are as follows: Wix WL10164, Fram CH10855 and Purolator PL26127.

A few compatible replacement cartridge style oil filters for the revised 2019 and 2020 model years with the Lambda II GDI 3.3L V6 engine with their part numbers are as follows: Wix WL10033, Fram CH11934 and Purolator L18179.

(Note - Amazon may show that the oil filters listed above for the 2019 and 2020 model years do not fit. I triple checked the part numbers at the manufacturers' websites and several auto parts stores. They are correct.)

The tools and other items needed to complete this procedure include a floor jack with two jack stands (or automotive service ramps), a 10mm socket with a 1/4" drive ratchet, a 17mm socket with a 3/8" drive ratchet, a 27mm socket with a 1/2" drive ratchet, a used oil catch container and an automotive funnel.

Attention - Please check the "Recommended Lubricants and Capacities" section of your owner's manual for the oil capacity specification for your vehicle for an oil change with a filter replacement.

For this 2019 Kia Sorento with the 3.3L V6, the owner's manual lists the oil capacity for a drain and refill with a new oil filter as being 6.87 U.S. quarts (or 6.5 liters).

The owner's manual for a 2017 Sorento lists 6.02 U.S. quarts as the capacity for a drain and refill with a filter replacement.

This 2019 Sorento 3.3L V6 requires that you buy 7 quarts of new SAE 5W-30 oil to complete an oil change.

If you have an older 3rd generation model, you could just buy 6 quarts since the capacity is 6.02 U.S. quarts.

The first steps are to warm up the engine for a few minutes, drive the SUV on to a level surface and turn off the ignition.

Warming up the engine will help suspend any contaminants or debris within the old oil and also allow it to drain out more quickly.

Shift the transmission into park and engage the emergency / parking brake to help prevent the vehicle from moving.

I'd also recommend placing wheel chocks on both sides of the rear tires to further reduce the risk of the vehicle moving unexpectedly.

Spin off the oil filler cap and set it aside in a safe place.

Removing the oil filler cap and partially lifting the dipstick will help prevent a vacuum from forming which will allow the old oil to drain out more quickly.

You might be able to squeeze under the SUV to access the drain bolt and oil filter. I found it necessary to raise the SUV.

Carefully raise the front of the SUV with the floor jack and securely support it with at least two jack stands.

You could also instead use automotive service ramps.

Please do not solely rely on the floor jack to support the vehicle!

Set the bolts aside in a safe place.

Pull off the under engine cover and slide it back towards the rear of the vehicle.

Update - Another Kia Sorento owner emailed me to let me know that some mechanics choose to cut an opening in the fabric under engine cover or "skid plate" to make future oil changes much easier. Also, the earlier model years such as the 2017 Sorento may have the oil filter housing situated at the top of the engine bay depending on your vehicle's engine variant.

Slide the used oil catch basin to just below the oil drain bolt.

Loosen the oil drain bolt in the counterclockwise direction with the 17mm socket and a 3/8" drive ratchet.

Carefully spin out the drain plug the rest of the way by hand.

Allow the old oil to drain out for at least a few minutes or until the flow slows down to just an occasional drip.

Inspect the metal washer or "gasket" on the oil drain bolt and replace it if necessary.

The OEM part number for the oil drain bolt washer is Kia # 21513-23001 (also known as 2151323001).

Make sure that the old drain bolt washer is not still attached to the oil pan.

Slide the new washer over the drain bolt. Clean the area around the oil drain hole with a paper towel or a shop rag.

Spin in the oil drain bolt a few turns by hand in the clockwise direction to prevent it from becoming cross threaded.

Tighten the oil drain bolt with the 17mm socket and a 3/8" drive ratchet until it is snug.

If you have a torque wrench, the service manual specifies that the oil drain bolt torque specification is 25.3 to 32.5 lb-ft (34.3 to 44.1 Nm).

Attach the 27mm socket to a 1/2" drive ratchet.

Loosen the oil filter cap by turning it in the counterclockwise direction with the 27mm socket and the 1/2" drive ratchet.

Allow the old oil to drain out from the loosened filter cap for a minute or two before you fully remove it.

The next few steps were messy and I did not take pictures.

Pull the old cartridge oil filter element out of the filter cap and discard it.

Pry the old rubber o-ring off the oil filter cap with a flat head screwdriver and discard it.

Apply a small amount of new oil to the new rubber o-ring that was included with the new oil filter.

Push the new o-ring down over the threads back into position on the filter cap. Make sure the o-ring is properly seated.

Lubricating the rubber o-ring or "gasket" will help the filter cap form a better seal, prevent oil leaks and also making it easier to remove the cap during the next oil change.

Push the new filter element into the cap until it "clicks" securely into place.

Insert the filter into the housing and spin in the cap a few turns by hand in the clockwise direction until it is snug or about 1/4 to 1/2 turn past finger tight.

If you have a torque wrench, tighten the oil filter cap to 25.8 lb-ft of torque (35 Nm).

Raise the under engine cover back into place.

Spin in the bolts a few turns by hand in the clockwise direction to help prevent them from becoming cross threaded.

If you raised the vehicle, carefully lower it from the jack stands by using the floor jack.

Insert the automotive funnel into the oil filler hole.

Attention - Please check the "Recommended Lubricants and Capacities" section of your owner's manual for the oil capacity specification for your vehicle for an oil change with a filter replacement.

For this 2019 Kia Sorento with the 3.3L V6, the owner's manual lists the oil capacity for a drain and refill with a new oil filter as being 6.87 U.S. quarts (or 6.5 liters).

The owner's manual for an earlier 2017 Sorento lists 6.02 U.S. quarts as the capacity for a drain and refill with a filter replacement.

Please double check your owner's manual before filling the engine with oil!

Running an engine that has been over filled with oil may cause sluggish performance and possibly damage seals, gaskets or other components.

I recommend at first only pouring in about 80% to 90% of the engine's oil capacity for an oil change with a filter replacement.

So for this 2019 Sorento with a "drain and refill" capacity of 6.87 U.S. quarts, I started by only pouring in about 6 U.S. quarts of new SAE 5W-30 oil.

Then temporarily replace the oil filler cap by twisting it on in the clockwise direction and push down the dipstick handle back into place.

Start the engine and allow it to warm up to near operating temperature for a few minutes.

Then turn off the ignition and allow the new oil to drain back down to the oil pan for at least 15 minutes.

If necessary, slowly pour in more new oil and repeatedly check the level on the dipstick until it reaches at or just below the dot next to the "F" which indicates the "Full" or "Maximum" line.

Once the oil level is correct, replace the dipstick and twist on the oil filler cap in the clockwise direction until it is snug.

If your vehicle is equipped with the service indicator system, you can reset the oil life by following these steps: 1. Turn the ignition switch to the "ON" position but do not start the engine. 2. When you hear the chime and see the "Wrench" service icon, press and hold the "OK" button to reset the oil change service interval.

If you haven't previously setup the oil life function, you may see "Service Interval Off" on the instrument cluster's LCD screen.

If your Sorento has the small LCD display screen in the speedometer, follow these steps: 1. Turn the ignition switch to "ON" but do not start the engine. For the push button "Start" just don't put your foot on the brake pedal. 2. Navigate to "User Settings" in the menu. 3. Choose "Service Interval". 4. Choose "Reset". 4. When you see "Reset time and distance?" - choose "Yes".

You can also adjust the "service interval" (miles / KM / months) in the settings menu.

I recommend checking your parking spot, garage or driveway for drops of fresh oil over the next few days to make sure there isn't a leak from the drain bolt or filter cap.

It would also be a good idea to check the oil level after a few days (when the engine is cold) and at least once a month in the future.

Be sure to record the oil change in your SUV's service records.

The service interval specification in the owner's manual for this 2019 Sorento is to change the oil and filter every 7,500 miles (12,000 KM) or every 12 months.

Please take a look at all of my 2016-2020 Kia Sorento DIY Repair & Maintenance Guides.