KIA Complaints

On [XXX] while traveling to NJ, the vehicle displayed "check electrical system" and would not accept a charge. With only 40 miles of range remaining, I drove the vehicle to Jack Daniels KIA. It is STILL at the dealership, and neither the dealer nor KIA Corp has provided a date that the car will be repaired. The dealer told me that it is covered under the 100kmi powertrain warranty, but that KIA corp must direct how and what to fix. They continue to supposedly try different things to fix the car, but either are not applying resources or are ignorant in how to fix the vehicle. KIA will also not compensate me $1308.99 to cover my current losses (car note, uber to get home when it died, and fuel costs) to date. The car has been out of my possession now for 44 consecutive days straight without any end in sight, compensation, or expected repair date. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Engine is malfunctioning, increase in oil consumption, MPG dropping, a ticking/knocking noise coming from the engine, and erratic engine behavior with random surges while driving to 6000+ RPM. Brought it into Kia 2x now for same issue and first time said nothing was wrong and second time I am now going through an oil consumption test. Vehicle is still unsafe to drive but they say this is the only option to do their test to move forward with my warranty with Kia. I am driving through mountain passes daily with this behavior and I worry if the engine blows I'll lose control of the vehicle and fall off the cliff. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? I am instructed to drive it still. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? The engine oil consumption test is happening now, I have driven 500 miles and the engine oil is low, pending to hear back from Kia on when they can get it in for next steps. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? No, just a Kia dealership (if that is the manufacturer then yes) Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No. And there is no warning lights for low engine oil. I have driven many times without oil and no warning that the oil was even low. The vehicle burns up oil fast.

The contact owns a . The contact stated that while parked when the brake was depressed, press start button, when put in reverse, it says gear is selected, the vehicle stayed in neutral. This happens intermittently. The stop button was pressed, all of the instrument panel warning indicators would not illuminate. When pressing p for parking to engage parking, it appeared as if it was in park; however the vehicle unexpectedly reversed. The vehicle was able to be stopped. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the issue could not be duplicated. The manufacturer was not notified of the issue. The approximate mileage was 2,200.

I rented a car from Avis on [XXX] (a Friday) for a 24-hour rental. I rented it in Manhattan, and the car (a Kia Telluride) had a New York license plate [XXX] ). I drove to Boston to pick up my daughter from college and then returned the car Saturday morning (XXX). The drive was fine. But when I returned the car, the attendant took the key and wrote on the window and windshield that the car had been recalled (I've uploaded photos). I complained to the rental staff that they rented me a car that had been recalled. The attendant said they apparently didn't know about the recall until I returned the car. I find that hard to believe. I checked NHTSA's website a day after I returned the car [XXX] ), and it said that the Kia Telluride I rented had been recalled on February 23, 2026. The reason for the recall was because "THE DRIVER AND PASSENGER SEAT BACK FRAME ASSEMBLIES MAY FAIL TO PROPERLY RESTRAIN OCCUPANTS IN A CRASH". That's a terrifying thought. According to Avis's recall policy [XXX] they're not supposed to rent the car and they are supposed to notify me about the recall. Avis did neither of these things. Luckily the trip was accident-free and my daughter and I are physically fine. But I think Avis should be held accountable for allowing me to drive a rental car that may have had a higher likelihood of killing us in a crash. At the very least they didn't notify me in any way. They weren't even going to mention anything about the recall, and I had to ask about it after I saw what they wrote on the windows. I also submitted a review afterward (Avis sent me a standard email asking about my experience), and I explained my frustration about them renting me a recalled car. Avis replied, but it was just a standard apology and they didn't say anything about the recall. All around a terrible experience. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I have a 2023 Kia Sportage I purchased and I was driving one day and my entire cars power shut off & so did the engine while I was driving on the highway going 70mph + and when I’m driving on the regular roads as well I’ve almost gotten into an accident over this issue already once when I went to go take it into Jeffery Kia in Roseville Michigan and asked for it to be looked at i was immediately dismissed and they would not look at my car at all so then I called summit place Kia in Clinton Township where I told them what was happening I then had to wait two weeks before I could even get my car in to be seen by them when it was seen by them they did ever test on it and said that everything came back good but they knew obviously something was wrong with it because it acted up for them as well they documented it then said they were going to call corporate and see what they should do next so today I got a call and a voicemail basically saying they still don’t have a diagnosis for my vehicle they’re just going to order some new parts and put them on there and hope that they work

This is supplemental evidence for NHTSA Safety Complaint #11739200 UNIFIED SUPPLEMENTAL EVIDENCE PACKET SEE UPLOADED FILE

The contact stated that while driving the vehicle began to unexpectedly slow and then stalled. The vehicle was unable to restart. No warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The approximate failure mileage 215,000.

I own a 2020 Kia Telluride currently with approximately 91409 miles. The vehicle has a repeatable transmission issue during acceleration, most noticeable around 40 mph when the transmission shifts. The vehicle shudders/hesitates/jerks and does not accelerate smoothly. This creates a safety concern because the hesitation occurs during normal acceleration and could affect merging, passing, or maintaining speed in traffic. I brought the vehicle to Vision Kia of East Rochester, 201 East Linden Ave, East Rochester, NY 14445 on 2/4/26 at approximately 88067 miles. The Kia service manager/technician duplicated the concern during inspection/road test and stated that the issue is related to the torque converter damper clutch. However, I was told the dealer would not repair the vehicle unless a warning light/check-engine light comes on. No warning light is currently illuminated. I am reporting this because the transmission defect has been observed by the dealer while the vehicle is still under warranty, but no repair has been authorized. I am concerned that the condition may worsen and could cause delayed acceleration or unsafe drivability.

The car shook and lights came on at a stop light and began violently knocking. Since it was at a stop light the safety was a risk had the hazard lights weren't engaged immediately. The dealer confirmed it was a catastrophic engine failure. An inspector for the warranty company was deployed two times. The lights only appeared at the time of engine failure.

Following a recent $9,000 engine replacement performed by an authorized Kia dealership, my vehicle suffered a catastrophic, simultaneous mechanical and electronic systems failure while in operation. Without warning, the vehicle triggered the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) and entered "Limp Home Mode," severely restricting vehicle power. Immediately following this, the vehicle experienced a total loss of essential safety and driving controls: Steering Failure: The power steering completely locked up, creating an imminent crash hazard. Dashboard & Gauge Failure: All dashboard warning lights illuminated simultaneously, and the speedometer completely stopped functioning, leaving me unable to monitor vehicle speed. Powertrain & Shifting Malfunction: When brought to a stop and placed into "Park," the vehicle's electronic systems failed to recognize the gear change, indicating on the dashboard that the vehicle was still in "Drive." This created a severe vehicle roll-away risk. Ignition Failure: The vehicle completely refused to shut off or power down when the ignition button was pressed. This event represents an extreme safety hazard involving sudden loss of vehicle control, steering immobilization, roll-away risk, and primary electronic communication failure immediately following a major manufacturer warranty/recall repair. The vehicle is currently un-driveable.