KIA Complaints

In November 2025, with approximately 6,900 miles on the vehicle, I reported brake issues to the dealership. After inspection, the dealership resurfaced (turned) the brake rotors at no charge. At that time, I was led to believe that the issue had been corrected. However, in June 2026, with only 14,300 miles on the vehicle, I returned to the dealership because the same symptoms had reappeared. I was informed that the rotors again require resurfacing and that the brake pads now need replacement as well. why has the same issue returned so quickly? Is there a defect in the rotors, brake pads, calipers, brake system design, or another component that has not been identified and corrected? I do not believe that my driving habits are the cause of this problem. Prior to purchasing this Sportage, I owned two vehicles from other manufacturers. Neither vehicle required brake rotor resurfacing until well over 50,000 miles, despite being driven under similar conditions. The fact that this vehicle has required rotor service twice before reaching 15,000 miles strongly suggests that an underlying issue exists. I believe that that premature rotor wear puts me and others at risk of collision. The Sportage is available for inspection.

Idle stop and go system randomly auto disabled on start, unable to enable. Causes vehicle to be unable to accelerate faster than 25mph.

Over the past 11 weeks, my 2023 Kia Sportage has experienced sudden, complete loss of acceleration on at least three separate occasions while driving at highway speeds. Each incident is accompanied by the battery gauge dropping to zero. I was forced to stop on the highway to restart my vehicle in order to drive it again. No error codes are stored because the fault clears on restart. I have taken the vehicle for inspection to a mechanic and Kia Dealership Marin, neither were able to diagnose or repair the issue.

My 2020 Kia Telluride with the 3.8L V6 engine is experiencing excessive oil consumption between scheduled oil changes. The vehicle consumes a significant amount of engine oil without any visible external leaks. The oil level drops substantially between oil change intervals, requiring frequent monitoring and oil additions to prevent the engine from running low on oil. This condition creates a safety risk because the vehicle can operate with dangerously low oil levels without providing sufficient warning to the driver, increasing the risk of engine damage, engine failure, loss of power while driving, or a vehicle breakdown in traffic. A sudden loss of engine power could increase the risk of a crash. The condition has been observed repeatedly and is ongoing. No external oil leaks have been identified. The vehicle has been maintained according to manufacturer recommendations. The excessive oil consumption appears to be internal to the engine. The issue has been reported to and discussed with a Kia dealer. The problem is consistent and reproducible between oil changes. Prior to discovering the oil loss, there were no obvious symptoms other than the oil level decreasing significantly between service intervals. The issue was identified through routine oil level checks. I am concerned that this condition may affect a large number of vehicles equipped with the same engine and could result in engine failure or loss of power while driving.

My husband and I got the oil changed at Walmart, one week later we took a trip to Cincinnati zoo with my children. On the way home we were driving on the interstate, car jolted and caught fire. something went through the oil pan and the oil dumped on the exhaust and caught flame. The car had to be towed to my parents and has been sitting since. We are paying on a car just for it to sit. No one will give us answers.

REAR PASSENGER SEAT BELTS ON BOTH DRIVERS AND PASSENGER SIDE: The seat belt would not fully pull out/extend, and allow the passenger OR the child safety seat to be properly secured. It would lock up, and once the belt was pulled out, it would lock up on the retraction and not allow any extension. I took to the KIA dealership - which took a total of 3 visits- DEMONSTRATED and recreated the issue- which confirmed there was a problem. This did not happen on each use, but once I realized the child safety seat could not be installed properly (fully extended seat belt, retraction/ratcheting of belt to secure seat) I returned, and asked the service manager also observe along with at least one of the service techs. They were skeptical and not even fully aware of how a child seat should be installed, and the full extension of the seat belt, and the SOUND of the ratcheting/locking of the belt once fully extended. A repair/replacement was eventually done- parts had to be ordered and I could not find this “defect” on any KIA or other websites. It took a number of days for the replacement/repair. There were no warning lights that there were any problems with the safety belts. I (retired) police officer with NHTSA safety seat instructor certification (not current) and have knowledge of this, and it wasn’t until I explained and demonstrated the system to these dealership employees the proper function did they “believe” me. I just read of the a KIA recall on their Telluride models, and it sounds like a similar problem. Until it was fixed, I had a couple of occasions where the passenger was unable to secure their belt, which was before I realized that there was a manufactured problem with this system.

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, abnormal engine oil consumption was noticed. No warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed with engine oil consumption, but repairs could not be made until a knocking sound was heard. The contact stated that the vehicle was no longer experiencing the failure but was repaired under an unknown recall. The contact stated that occasionally, while driving at various speeds, the Check Engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the same local dealer, where it was diagnosed with a catalytic converter failure. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 74,000.

I am reporting a recurring safety hazard involving my 2019 Kia Optima following a repair for diagnostic code P064A (Fuel Pump Control Module). Despite the dealership attempting to repair the fuel system, the vehicle remains in a 'limp mode' state. While driving, the vehicle began shaking violently and lost significant power, refusing to accelerate above 50 mph. This creates an immediate safety risk, as the vehicle cannot maintain highway speeds or safely merge, increasing the danger of a rear-end collision. The P064A code and subsequent 'limp mode' symptoms persist even after professional service. I am concerned that the existing Kia warranty extensions (such as WTY028 for the low-pressure fuel pump) or current repair procedures are insufficient to resolve this underlying mechanical/electronic failure, leaving the vehicle unpredictable and hazardous to operate in traffic.

Vehicle experienced catastrophic engine failure while traveling approximately 70 mph on a highway. I heard a loud popping noise and immediately lost power. The vehicle would no longer accelerate normally and I was forced to pull over. White smoke was visible from the engine compartment, and a large amount of engine oil leaked from the vehicle. This failure created a safety risk because it occurred at highway speed, resulting in sudden loss of power while traveling with surrounding traffic. The vehicle required towing and could not be driven from the scene. Prior to the failure, the vehicle had exhibited symptoms beginning around May 11, 2026. A check engine light illuminated and an independent mechanic diagnosed a cylinder 3 misfire and replaced the ignition coil. Following that repair, the check engine light returned. Additional symptoms included stalling at idle, knocking noises from the engine, and intermittent oil pressure warning lights. The vehicle was subsequently inspected by an independent mechanic who diagnosed a thrown connecting rod with damage to the engine block, including a hole in the engine near the transmission area. The mechanic advised that the engine requires replacement. The damaged engine is currently available for inspection. The vehicle has not been inspected by the manufacturer. No injuries or crash occurred, but the sudden engine failure and loss of power at highway speed created a significant safety concern.

Sunroof won't fully close which becomes a big issue when driving or parking the vehicle in the rain. Kia dealership diagnosed that the full sunroof assembly needs to be replaced at a total expense of $6,441.56 since the vehicle is out of the 5-year warranty period. No warning messages were displayed on the vehicle prior to this issue.