KIA Complaints

The driver (my wife) was operating the Kia EV6 (with approximately 10,000 miles) when the vehicle suddenly experienced a severe loss of motive power. While driving, a warning message appeared on the dashboard indicating an issue with the power supply. Immediately after, the vehicle forced itself into "turtle mode," severely restricting the maximum speed to 20 mph and refusing to accelerate further. This sudden, unexpected deceleration on an active roadway put the driver at a significant risk of a rear-end collision. The driver managed to slowly navigate the vehicle back to our residence at a maximum speed of 20 mph, which was extremely hazardous. Shortly after safely parking at the residence, the vehicle experienced a complete electrical failure. It would no longer start, could not be shifted into neutral, and ultimately had to be dragged onto a flatbed tow truck by roadside assistance because the wheels were locked. The vehicle was towed to an authorized Kia dealership, where it is currently undergoing diagnosis and inspection for what is heavily suspected to be a total failure of the Integrated Charging Control Unit (ICCU) and 12-volt battery system. The vehicle and the failed components are currently at the dealership and are available for inspection upon request. Note: This catastrophic power loss occurred just weeks after the vehicle was in the shop for nearly a month to have its entire high-voltage battery pack replaced due to severe range degradation, marking the second major electrical system failure on this vehicle.

The stock OE Pirelli PZero 235/45 R18 tire had a sidewall bubble identified after 7200 miles. The tire was originally the front passenger tire, moved to the rear passenger after tire rotation.

Engine oil light doesn’t work. Oil light flashed a couple of times in separate instances. Checking oil dip stick which smells like burning oil and dip stick hardly showed any oil left.

The car has completely shutdown on 3 separate occasions. It wouldn't start and all the electrical did not work. It started the next day. All this in a span of 5 out of the 8 months we purchased it. The last time, we found the fuse box was burnt when the tow truck showed up to take it to the dealership. The dealership is trying to blame us because we changed the battery after the second time and not honoring the warranty. They are trying to charge us $18,000. The car had already shut down two times before we even changed the battery. We contacted Kia corporate and nothing has been done, but just phone call saying they will call us back after they talk to the dealership. I got so scared for my wife because she was the one driving the car. This is such a dangerous problem with the fuse box. I researched car problems with Kia Sorentos and sure enough other Sorentos have been recalled, but not ours.

The contact owns a 2023 Kia Seltos. The contact stated that while driving at 10 MPH, there was an abnormal fuel odor coming from the vehicle. The vehicle was stopped, and the contact became aware of smoke coming from the engine compartment. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed, and it was determined that the catalytic converter, turbo, and engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 62,000.

The contact owns a 2021 Kia K5. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle jolted forward three times and then lost power. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 60 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The contact steered the vehicle into an independent mechanic and the vehicle was inspected, and there was oil all over the engine compartment. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that an unknown sensor was inoperable and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred the same day the vehicle was retrieved. The vehicle was taken to the same dealer where it was diagnosed, and determined that the valve cover needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure reoccurred nine times, and the valve cover was replaced each time. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.

The contact owns a 2015 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated and remained illuminated. There was a knocking sound coming from the engine. The vehicle was towed the local dealer and was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. No further information was available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 128,405.

Engine has a Pcv valve issue that causes oil to leak from seals and burnt through the pistons causing loss of oil, engine damage and possible engine failure while driving. This could cause vehicle to lock up and possible cause an accident especially at freeway speeds. There is no low oil indicator or check engine light that comes on to let driver know that the oil is low

The contact owns a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, there was a knocking sound coming from the engine, and the vehicle failed to properly accelerate. While the contact’s wife was driving approximately 60 MPH, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer, who discovered metal shavings inside the engine oil and informed the contact that the engine was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The contact was informed that the VIN was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V224000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING). The contact stated that the vehicle had experienced the failure listed in the recall. The failure mileage was 211,000.

Dash board showed limited power couldnt accelerate above 10-12 mph pulled into residental area dash then showed warning sign 12v battery then car died in middle of street. Could not put car in neutral called dealership said car cannot be put in neutral without special tools. I had taken it in for recall in 2023 or 2024 cant remember. Luckily i was not on highway as i could not even turn on hazard lights and car shut off abruptly.