KIA Complaints

Engine oil light is on and there is a burning smell when I drive. Fear of a fire breaking out in the engine when driving or parked. Had it looked at by a technician and they expressed those concerns to me and that brings me great worry. The service technician believed it was just the oil cap being loose but there was no evidence of that.

My vehicle has been in the possession of Koons Kia of Owings Mills since March 15, 2026, for diagnosis and repair of this issue, with service beginning March 16, 2026. During this time, the dealership has replaced the 12-volt battery and performed a software update; however, the defect has not been corrected. On April 10, 2026, I was notified that the vehicle was ready for pickup. When I arrived on April 11, I found that the battery was completely discharged and the issue had not been resolved. Because the vehicle was not operational at the time of attempted pickup, it was not returned to me and remained in the dealership’s possession. I was contacted again on April 13, 2026, and informed that the vehicle had been repaired. When I returned to the dealership on April 14 to retrieve the vehicle, I again found that the battery was discharged and the defect persisted. As a result, the vehicle was not returned to me and has remained continuously in the dealership’s possession since March 15, 2026. As of today, the vehicle has been out of service for more than 30 consecutive days due to this defect, and multiple repair efforts have failed to resolve the issue. This ongoing condition substantially impairs the use, value, and reliability of the vehicle.

Sunroof wouldn’t fully close when a rainstorm hit, causing driver panic attack. This appears to be a known issue under TSB BOD-319.

4/6/2026 vehicle stalled in traffic multiple times, entered "Limp Mode", unable to accelerate after stopping or after deceleration. I had to press the gas to the floor to get the vehicle to move. While driving, if I had to brake or lay off the gas at all, the vehicle would not accelerate back to the original speed quickly. This put myself and my four children at risk of being rear-ended. I drove with the hazard lights on to Kia of Wesley Chapel Service center. The Battery Management System Warning displayed at the time of the stalling. The Kia Access App displayed the BMS Warning and code P0AA600 (High Voltage Isolation Fault). Initially, Kia of Wesley Chapel Service Advisor stated No warnings displayed and No historical or active codes found. I provided a screenshot of the Kia Access App showing the active BMS Warning and active P0AA600 code at 2:48PM on 4/8/2026. The Service Advisor maintained that they could not find any active or history codes. At 3:00PM the same day, the Kia Access App suddenly showed "No Issues Found". The code was obviously manually cleared. I filed a complaint with Kia Customer Care the same day (4/8/2026) and requested a Kia Technical Specialist be assigned to the case. On 4/12/2026, the original Kia Service Advisor stated "the history code has finally appeared which was the one presented in the screenshot but we cannot replace parts based off of a code that is no longer active unfortunately". He stated they would "keep driving and testing" to try and duplicate the issue. The Kia Access App shows the last trip was 4/7/2026 (the day after I dropped off the vehicle). Interestingly, the vehicle was not moved from the drive up lane at the Service Center until 10:40AM that day, after being dropped off at approximately 6PM the evening prior. I believe they could not get the car to move the evening of 4/6/2026. The vehicle remains at Kia of Wesley Chapel. I am sending the Motor Vehicle Defect Notification to Kia Corporate today.

I was backing out of my driveway and backed into a vehicle parked directly behind me. The collision avoidance and emergency braking system should have stopped my car before impact but it did not. No sounds other than the normal backing up beeping. Proximity alert did not ping. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The safety feature of collision avoidance and emergency breaking did not work. No, the problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. No, the vehicle component has not been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representative or other. The police were called to the scene, they just looked at the damage on both vehicles. No warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure. They only appeared once on the day of the accident. I can confirm the backup collision avoidance worked after the incident since the emergency breaking stopped my car in a parking lot after the incident of the failure.

ICCU failed after 49,059 miles. Levels 1&2 charging do not work. I must use DCFC to charge the car.

A fuel system-related safety recall (SC356) remains incomplete on the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an authorized Kia dealership in Jersey City, NJ, where I was informed that the recall repair had been completed. I paid for towing to the dealership for this repair. However, after picking up the vehicle, it immediately began exhibiting worsening symptoms, including engine shaking, rough operation while driving and idling, and prior stalling incidents. A check engine light also appeared after the visit. Upon further verification, the recall still shows as incomplete. This indicates that the recall repair was either not performed or not completed correctly. The issue appears to involve the fuel system, as the symptoms worsened after refueling and include unstable engine performance consistent with improper fuel delivery or air entering the system. This condition creates a safety risk due to potential engine stalling while driving, as well as the known recall risk involving fuel tank deformation and possible fire hazard. The problem has not been properly resolved by the dealership, and the vehicle is currently unsafe for normal use. The failed recall repair is available for inspection.

The vehicle’s ICCU unit stopped working out of the blue. This happened on a busy intersection and the car came to a sudden and violent halt. Luckily we were not involved in an accident. It’s a very well known issue with these vehicles and it’s really criminal that Kia has done nothing to fix it. They just change the ICCU unit and then it happens again.

I am reporting a documented and unresolved brake system safety issue on my 2024 Kia K5 involving repeated premature brake pad wear and rotor damage. The vehicle has required three full brake pad and rotor replacements by approximately 40,000 miles, with each set lasting less than 15,000 miles. Service records consistently document uneven wear on the front brakes, particularly the outer pads, with up to a 4 mm difference between sides. This has resulted in one side reaching metal-to-metal contact while the opposing side retained usable material. This pattern has repeated across multiple brake replacements. This condition creates a braking imbalance that affects vehicle control. The vehicle exhibits pulling under braking and changes in steering alignment, indicating uneven braking force across the front axle. Braking performance can degrade rapidly, transitioning from normal operation to reduced stopping effectiveness without sufficient warning. Despite these documented conditions, the dealership and manufacturer, including escalation through Kia customer care and technical support, have been unable to identify a root cause. The condition has been classified as “within normal range,” and warranty coverage has been denied. The vehicle has been returned to service multiple times without corrective action. It has been acknowledged that the wear pattern is not typical, yet no defect has been identified. This creates a contradiction and uncertainty regarding the vehicle’s ability to safely perform under normal operating conditions. Due to rapid wear progression and lack of warning before significant degradation, there is limited opportunity to service the vehicle before braking performance is affected. This results in continued operation with a recurring braking imbalance. I request this be reviewed as a safety defect due to repeated loss of braking consistency, impact on vehicle control, and increased risk of reduced stopping performance or crash.

Not sure if this is electrical or engine related.... The vehicle has experienced multiple instances (6 times) of unexpected engine shutdown while driving, including a recent event while turning off a major roadway. During these incidents, the vehicle loses power and displays the message: “Engine Off – Shift to P or N then start engine” This creates an immediate and dangerous situation, particularly when navigating traffic with passengers in the vehicle, including my grandchildren. Loss of engine power also impacts steering and braking assist, significantly increasing the risk of an accident. This condition is: Intermittent and difficult to reproduce I am aware that many other owners have reported similar issues, which raises additional concern about a broader defect.