KIA Complaints

the engine. I was at a stop sign when the car stop responding to me pressing the accelerator and would not go. Upon further inspection it was noted that my car had no oil in it. I am diligent in getting my oil changed every 3 months or 3,000 miles. My engine had "seized" and i am being advised to purchase a new engine or purchase a new car. While trying to get my car to acclerate i was almost hit 4 times in a matter of 10 mins.

The first incident occurred on November 2, 2025. I was driving down a state road. I missed my turn so I pulled into a parking lot to turn around. Once I was able to pull out, I put my foot on the accelerator and felt no resistance. The car rolled out of the parking lot onto the road. I kept pressing the accelerator hoping the gas would return but my car rolled along without picking up speed. I was able to turn into a gas station to get my car off the road. I turned the engine off. When I turned it back on, all of the lights on the dashboard came on, before the only one that remained lit was the check engine light. I had the car towed to my local mechanic who after diagnosing, told me my car over consumed oil which resulted in the engine shut down. I was due for a change in a 400 miles. He said it was a known problem with Kia Souls and advised me to take it to a Kia dealership for inspection, which I did. I've taken it to Kia Danvers. Since 11/2/25, the issue has persisted. On 3/27/26, my car shut down 4 times while driving. Each time I would hear a loud noise coming from the engine, and I could feel the power draining from the steering wheel and pedals before the engine would shut off. After a minute or two, the car would restart. The problems continued on 3/29/26 where it happened 8 times. I was able to get it to Kia Danvers on 4/1/26 for a diagnostic exam and an oil change. They suggested an oil consumption test which I did on 5/4/26. They said my oil reduction was normal. On 5/7/26, while driving, my car began violently shaking with the shaking occurring in the engine. The check engine light came on. I pulled over and immediately called the dealership to explain what happened. The said to come in but I wasn't able to get it towed. When I took it in for scheduled service on 5/27/26, they noted the car consumed a lot of oil and suggested another oil change, and a combustion chamber cleaning.

The contact owns a 2024 Kia Forte. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light was illuminated and the "all cylinders misfiring" message was displayed on the instrument panel. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that there was bad fuel in the tank that needed to be drained. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that there was diesel in the tank. The vehicle was repaired however, the failure persisted; the contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed the vehicle loss automotive power while the accelerator pedal was depressed. A dealer was contacted however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 39,000.

The contact owns a 2019 Kia Forte. The contact stated that after driving to the local store and turning off the vehicle, after returning to the vehicle, the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer to be diagnosed. The vehicle was diagnosed with a timing chain failure caused by low engine oil. The contact stated that prior to the failure, the vehicle had experienced excessive oil consumption and engine oil was constantly added to the vehicle. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 124,000.

On June 3, 2026, my 2025 Kia Telluride was struck by a minor piece of road debris. Rather than cracking, spiderwebbing, or chipping as federally regulated safety glass is engineered to do under FMVSS No. 205, the laminated windshield suffered a catastrophic structural and material failure. The minor piece of road debris fully pierced and put a hole entirely through the laminated safety glass, penetrating directly into the passenger cabin. This failure put my safety and the safety of my passengers at immediate, life-threatening risk. Had the projectile been slightly larger, it could have struck the driver or front-seat passenger at highway speeds, causing severe injury or death due to the safety glass failing to prevent cabin penetration. The vehicle is currently grounded and undrivable. The component has been inspected and confirmed by an authorized Kia dealership service department, where the Service Manager formally inspected the damage and stated he had "never seen anything like this before where something went through the glass." The vehicle is currently available for inspection upon request. There were no warning lamps, symptoms, or messages prior to the catastrophic failure of the glass.

While driving on the interstate at highway speed with cruise control engaged, the engine suffered sudden catastrophic failure with absolutely no prior warning, warning lights, knocking, stalling, or other symptoms. The vehicle became inoperable immediately. The repair estimate is $6,500 for engine replacement. The vehicle is a 2017 Kia Sportage equipped with a Theta II 2.4L GDI engine, confirmed by service campaign SC340 on file with NHTSA. Two safety recalls remain incomplete on this vehicle: 21V137 and 22V703. The Knock Sensor Detection System software update campaign SC340 was never completed prior to my purchase of the vehicle in February 2024 from a used car dealer, despite being issued in July 2018. Kia Consumer Affairs indicated the claim would likely be denied due to the incomplete KSDS update, despite that update predating my ownership entirely. A dealer appointment had been scheduled for June 26, 2024 to address outstanding recalls prior to this failure occurring.

My vehicle was purchased XXX - VIN #[XXX] - on 6 or more occasions, the while driving on the highway with cruise control on at 70 mph, the cruise control feature suddenly applied the brakes bringing the vehicle sometimes down to 48 mph for a few seconds and then re-engages the cruise control to 70 mph. This happens with no obsticals, vehicles, or other interference in front, however, there have been vehicles behind and this is a huge safety issue as it could cause a rear-end collision. My vehicle had been returned to the dealer, the first time for a week, they could not duplicate the issue, the vehicle was returned to me. On XXX I brought my vehicle again to the dealership for the same reason as the cruise control continues to disengages for no reason. The dealership has finally been able to duplicate the issue. The dealership still has my vehicle, not for 34 consecutive days. Kia tech line has been involved and now reports that it is not Kia's issue and they have denied fixing the vehicle and indicate that it a 3rd party issue referring to satellite and internet issues. The dealership has now disabled the satellite connection feature and wants me to try the car out to see if the issue continues. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Unexplainable issues with brake pedal. Makes noise inside cabin that sounds like a squeaky door. Happens when depressing brake pedal at 20mph or less and does not in reverse. Pedal feels odd, somewhat pulsating and when turning, I believe, the front passenger wheel pulls. Steering wheel is noticeably affected also, noting a jerking sensation. Several mechanics are unable to identify the issue. There are no dash lights on.

The dash screen has gone out at random times. Currently there is not TSB or any acknowledgement from Kia about this safety issue. Their dealers service department doesn't know what to do and aren't admitting there is a problem. The only fix from customers online was that Kia replaced the entire gauge cluster which is a massive expense to Kia. The consumers are suffering because of this and Kia is not taking responsibility. They need to start a recall campaign or at minimum introduce a TSB so that Kia service departments know what is needed to fix this issue.

I took my 2021 Kia Soul to the dealership for a piston ring recall; they ran their standard test and said it passed, but my car is still showing a misfire fault. I replaced the ignition coil, spark plug, and fuel injector, yet the problem persists. I’ve taken it back to the Kia dealership twice, but they refuse to inspect it because it already passed their test.