KIA Complaints

I am reporting a transmission failure in my 2020 Kia Forte with approximately 54,000 miles. The vehicle experienced a sudden and complete transmission failure on March 19, 2026, on the highway from Cleveland to Cincinnati. after being owned for less than seven months. The vehicle is now at a dealership 2.5 hours away, requiring a full transmission replacement. This appears to be a premature failure and not consistent with normal wear and tear for a vehicle with this mileage. I am aware of a Technical Service Bulletin issued by Kia regarding IVT transmission issues in 2019–2021 Kia Forte models, which may be related to this failure. As well as legal investigations and lawsuits regarding said transmission models. Given the safety implications and potential for loss of power while driving, I am submitting this complaint for review.

The sunroof wind deflector mechanism on my 2021 Kia Telluride failed due to what appears to be a known defect. The passenger side wind deflector arm broke off and upon trying to close the sunroof it made grinding noises. This caused the sunroof to malfunction and created a situation where the sunroof could not operate properly and is now stuck open. Kia has acknowledged issues with this component in a Technical Service Bulletin, indicating prior knowledge of defects in the wind deflector arms. However, no recall or owner notification was issued. Because of this lack of notification, I was not aware of the need to inspect or repair this part when the issue was minor. Instead, the failure progressed and now requires a significantly more expensive repair involving major sunroof components. The sunroof being stuck open is a distraction when driving and during rain has allowed water to leak into the car. Fortunately, I was parked when the wind deflector arm failed. Had this occurred while driving, the abrupt malfunction could have created a dangerous distraction and compromised safe vehicle operation.

My car has only 68,800 miles and the dealer is telling me I need a new engine assembly i reached out to the kia corporate because I am the 2nd owner and I have had this car for 8 years and I have taken it for all the oil changes and maintenence to the dealer and have read on the website this year of car is known for it engine problems I had submitted a request for a goodwill repair for kis to replace my engine since this Cleary has to be a defect of some king with the low mileage I have on this car and I have been turned down for assistance

The contact owns a 2025 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle unexpectedly stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact stated that the braking system became inoperable and failed to function properly. Additionally, while the vehicle was parked, it failed to start and lost motive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the electrical system had failed and needed to be repaired. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was then taken to another dealer, where it was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 22,000.

My check engine light came on and I got it checked out and had a c1053 code show up. The repair shop told me I had a recall but my car is 2010 so it’s not falling within the recall year range.

2019 Kia Rio Hatchback trunk latch failure buzzing actuator but won't open emergency release does not work dealer says not covered under recall #21V622000 which covers the trunk for 4 door 2019 Kia Rio and this appears to be the same or similar issue with the trunk emergency release not opening creating a safety risk

While driving Friday 4/17/26, I heard a pop and the car displayed a message to "Check electric vehicle system." The car seemed to still drive so I drive it home. That evening the car would not charge. I called Jim Shorkey Kia on 4/18/26, where I bought the car, to schedule the car to be looked at. They told me to bring it in on Monday and they will try to squeeze me in so they can diagnose the issue. Later that morning, I took that car out and made it about a block away before the car displayed a new message to "Stop vehicle and check power supply." At this point, the car went into a limp mode, barely moving. I was able to turn around and drive it home. Had I been on the highway, I might have been put in a dangerous situation. Now that the car has been diagnosed, the service department called and told me that the failed component was the ICCU. From what I've read, Kia claims that 1% of cars suffer from this issue. However, this percentage seems unlikely due to the number of online complaints. I wanted my experience to be an official documented case of this since I've heard that Kia has issued limited recalls in other countries and on older model Kia EV6's in the US.

This concerns an unresolved airbag safety issue that went undetected due to a negligent recall inspection at a Kia dealership. On March 16, 2026, I brought my vehicle to Ed Voyles Kia of Chamblee, GA for a recall inspection to determine whether damaged wiring under the passenger seat was causing my airbag warning light to remain on. I dealt with the service advisor throughout the process. After the appointment, I was told the inspection was complete and no wiring damage was found. Upon leaving the dealership, I immediately noticed that my exterior and interior lights, radio, seatbelt indicators, and numerous other systems had stopped working, none of which were issues before my appointment. I contacted the dealership the same day and returned on March 17, 2026. The service advisor relayed the technician's position that these failures were pre-existing and unrelated to the service. After I pushed back, the manager became involved and pointed to a separate BCM recall to explain the replacement, rather than acknowledging that the BCM had failed immediately after their service. My BCM had been functioning normally before the appointment. The service advisor and manager continued to deny any wiring damage. On April 20, 2026, I personally inspected the area under the passenger seat while cleaning my vehicle I immediately found visibly damaged wires, the exact area the technician had examined during the recall. I found this damage within minutes. The damaged wiring under the passenger seat is the very issue this recall was designed to identify. The technician failed to find it, leaving a known safety hazard unresolved. My airbag warning light has been on since before the appointment and remains on today. I have been driving my family in this vehicle with a compromised airbag system. I have photo evidence of the damaged wires and request that NHTSA log this as a formal safety complaint and investigate if this reflects a broader pattern of incomplete recall inspections

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving 70 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. An independent mechanic was contacted. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was made aware of a misfire coming from the engine. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The approximate failure mileage was 160,000.

While driving about 35 MPH, the vehicle began to alarm and stated "the engine is off; pull over, put in park or neutral, and restart the car". I pulled over and found that the engine had indeed turned itself off in the middle of driving. When the engine turns off, both the braking vacuum system and the power steering go off, making it harder to brake and steer to safety. If I were going highway speeds, this would be a serious safety situation. I don't know exactly what caused the engine shut off, but it seems like a malfunction of the auto stop/start feature, which I had switched off during the incident (so the car should never turn off). The Kia website gives instructions on what to do in this situation [XXX] ), which would imply it is a known issue. There are forums of people reporting the same issue with 2025 Tellurides. My vehicle has not been inspected since the incident, but because it is electrical and there is no engine code, there is likely no evidence a mechanic could find. There were no warnings prior to or after the event. The vehicle has only 1650 miles on it. I expect it to happen again, and I will attempt to produce a video to document. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)