KIA Complaints

I hear rattling/loud squeaking coming from liftgate rear door internally when driving. It has been noticed since purchasing the vehicle new.

I went to open my sunroof and I see a piece sticking up. My sunroof then wouldnt close. I get home and find out its the wind deflector. I tried to close the sunroof and now my sunroof if stuck open. One of the tracks is now misaligned and I can't close my sunroof.

My kids and I were driving when my engine started making a loud noise. I pulled over and turned it off for a few minutes then I turned it back on. It worked for another mile or so then started making the noise again and died while I was driving at about 55-60 miles an hr. I was able to pull over, put it in park and turned the key off....it wouldn't turn back on and the check engine light came on. When I had someone check it out for me it was about 4 quarts low on oil (it never gave me a warning about the oil and the oil light never came on) and the check engine code was P0024. Oil was added and the camshaft position sensor has been replaced. It starts now but it won't stay on and when it is on it makes a loud screeching sound that isn't coming from the serpentine belt and a loud knocking sound.

The factory-installed driver/passenger side LED headlight assembly suffered a sudden, total internal electrical failure while driving at night, causing an immediate loss of forward visibility and creating a severe crash hazard. This is a known, systemic manufacturing defect affecting premium trims (SX/SX-Prestige) of the 2020 Kia Telluride. The housing seals degrade prematurely, allowing condensation to become trapped inside the unit. This moisture corrodes the internal circuit boards and shorts out the electrical modules, completely disabling the high beams, low beams, and running lights. Because these LED units are entirely sealed, they cannot be serviced or repaired by changing a bulb; the entire expensive structural component must be replaced. Kia is fully aware of 2020 Telluride headlight failures and issued Safety Recall SC299 (NHTSA Campaign 24V148000) to address them. However, Kia arbitrarily limited that safety recall to lower trims utilizing halogen assemblies. Premium trims utilizing LED assemblies are experiencing the exact same catastrophic loss of nighttime illumination due to internal electrical failures, yet owners are being forced to pay out-of-pocket to fix an inherent safety defect. The NHTSA needs to mandate that Kia expand Campaign SC299 to include all 2020 Telluride trim levels equipped with LED headlight assemblies before this widespread visibility failure causes a fatal nighttime collision.

2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid. Drop in power/acceleration! Upsetting, stressful & unsafe. Purchased brand new, Nov 2023. When this occurred approx. 35695 miles. I left work, got on the freeway, (only maybe 1-2 miles away) and was trying to accelerate to merge with traffic flow and could only go approx. 52-54 MPH. I tried to "floor" the pedal, but with no further acceleration. No check engine light turned on, only display message noting depleted battery/drained warning. Since power was limited, and unsure of safety of driving further or if the car would literally stop, I pulled to the shoulder of the freeway. It is a miracle that I was in the slow lane already! Unsettling! It was towed to a Kia Dealership. They had it for 2 days. The technician said there were two error codes (P017100 - System Too Lean, and P019100 Fuel Rail Pressure Sensor Circuit Range/Performance). They were unsure how/why this incident occurred. They said some kind of glitch in the system. I asked if they have had other cars with this similar issue brought in, and the technician said he did not know of any. The issue was not replicated upon initial diagnostics. Technician cleared codes, reset the engine adaptive values and road tested, and deemed the vehicle "safe to drive". But said if it occurs again, try turning off the engine, wait a bit and try driving! WHAT?! Also if it occurs again to bring it back and a technical ticket should be opened to investigate further. I have read online forums of this SAME issue, and it is a KNOWN ISSUE "especially early-production 2023-2024 models, and hard for dealers to reproduce issue after a reset". It is also noted that "many cases resolve with the free BMS software update or related module/control unit work under warranty. Some report reoccurrence even after updates". I found this information AFTER the fact, otherwise I would have pushed for the software update or related work to be done. I plan to seek that out next!

On August 3, 2026, while operating my 2024 Kia Telluride, I experienced a catastrophic and total failure of the service braking system. Without warning, the brake pedal went straight to the floorboard with zero hydraulic pressure or stopping power, resulting in a crash into trees. ?The vehicle was towed to Gerber Collision for accident repairs. While the exterior body damage was repaired, the body shop is not equipped for internal hydraulic or component failure analysis. Furthermore, Kia America has been notified of this critical safety defect but is refusing to cover the diagnostic/inspection fees to investigate the underlying root cause under warranty, attempting to pass the cost onto the consumer. ?This is a severe, life-threatening safety defect involving a total loss of brakes on a nearly new vehicle. I request that NHTSA log this complaint and investigate potential systemic hydraulic or master cylinder defects in the 2024 Kia Telluride platform.

While driving at highway speeds on the freeway in San Diego, the engine of my 2016 Kia Optima catastrophically seized without warning. I instantly lost all power steering, brake assist, and electrical power, creating an immediate life-threatening emergency. The vehicle was towed to a Kia dealer. Corporate Techline and the dealership are refusing to perform the mandated settlement rod bearing test and are falsifying paperwork to deny the safety remedy.

The contact owns a 2024 Kia EV9. The contact stated that while attempting to release the rear seat belt to install a child safety seat, a significant amount of effort was required. The contact stated that after struggling with the seat belts over several months of use, the seat belt became fully jammed and no longer was able to be extended. The dealer was notified of the failure on several occasions. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 25,600.

Engine burning oil Failed oil consumption test done by dealership - had to get engine replaced Still noticing stuttering and fluctuating power at times. Failure of Snow White Pearl paint delamination issue causing the top-coat to lift off of underlying primer. Rust has started in some of the spots

My 2016 Kia Soul with the 1.6L GDI engine lost power. On 08/21/2026 at 107,547 miles I took it to Grand Kia, 1950 West 104th Avenue, Thornton, Colorado, repair order 137483, service advisor Patricia Palmas. The dealer performed a cylinder compression test and a leak-down test and documented on the repair order that the engine has scored cylinder walls, with cylinder number 3 identified as the affected cylinder. They also performed a rod bearing clearance test, which passed. They pulled down the exhaust to inspect the downstream catalytic converter and recorded that inspection as okay. They noted new spark plugs with no signs of fouling. Despite recording scored cylinder walls on their own repair order, the dealer told me the vehicle was fine and took no further action. No diagnostic trouble code was present. I was not given a written reason for the refusal, no technical assistance or Techline case was opened that I am aware of, and no engine inspection under any campaign was offered. I was charged nothing and sent away with a vehicle that has documented internal engine damage. This vehicle is within the population covered by Kia safety recall SC176 (NHTSA campaign 19V120), which covers all 2012-2016 model year Souls with the 1.6L GDI engine. That recall describes a failure mode in which the catalytic converter is damaged by overheating, substrate particles enter the engine combustion chamber, and continuous abnormal combustion results in damage to one or more of the engine's pistons, which can cause connecting rod breakage and puncture the engine block, allowing oil to contact hot exhaust surfaces. The stated remedy includes upgrading the ECU logic, replacing the catalytic converter if damaged, and replacing the engine depending on the extent of damage. Scored cylinder walls on a single cylinder is consistent with the damage mechanism that recall describes. The recall states there are no restrictions on owner eligibility. Nevertheless, no evaluation under SC176