KIA Complaints
View complaints related to KIA. The complaints found here are submitted by actual consumers with first hand experience. You can submit your own complaint to the NHTSA or call the Hotline, Monday-Friday 8am to 8pm at (888) 327-4236, TTY: (800) 424-9153.
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2024 KIA TELLURIDE- Decatur, AL
The contact owns a 2024 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while attempting to enter the vehicle, it was discovered that the doors failed to open electronically while using the key fob. While attempting to use the key to manually unlock the doors, the contact was unable to unlock the doors. The contact indicated that the hatch back door also failed to open. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 25,000.
Source: HOTLINE VEHICLE OWNERS QUESTIONNAIRE -
2025 KIA SORENTO- Chelsea, MA
This is the 4th time car is unable to start after being parked for one day and it had to be jump starting. At first I thought it was some accessory, specifically a dashcam and aftermarket ambient lights, so I disconnected both and I even turned off the wireless charging pad and disable the function to turn the lights on when doors open and it didn't help, dead car again after 1 day parked. Car was purchased new in august of 2025 and this issue started this past january coincidentally after an OTA update in december. Today, I got the 12v battery tested at my local Advance Auto Parts and battery health came out good, battery level was low (as supposed after a jump start) and it only recommended a recharge. So the issue lies inside the electrical system of the car and to my surprise this parasitic draw is not new, in online forums a lot of owners talk and complaint about this specific issue, even here I found a similar complaint and I wonder why there's not at least a technical bulletin from KIA addressing this issue. Finding out the cause of the battery draining fast is imperative because if overlook this can evolve into something more serious because we don't know what it is that is "always on" drawing big amounts of power and can clearly be classified as a fire hazard. I remember having the same issue with my old car, a 2019 Kia Sorento EX, and it was solved with a simple computer update (NOT the map or infotainment update), it was a firmware only available at the dealership. I just hope this could be the case this time and KIA can respond in a timely manner to solve this issue.
Source: NHTSA WEB SITE -
2021 KIA K5- Fort Myers , FL
I purchased a 2021 car in April 2024, which was originally side-swiped in November 2024. I filed an insurance claim and had to wait for the other insurer’s statement. In January 2025, the insurance company sent the car to one of their approved shops for electrical repairs, but the shop refused to work on it after noticing a missing airbag and flagged the car as a liability. They also mentioned the car had multiple past accidents and should have been listed as salvage, not clean title. I informed the dealership, but they refused to service the car, claiming the 30-day window had passed, even though their website states a 6-month warranty. Over the past year, I’ve been repairing the car myself and taking it to Kia and Midas, where I was told the car is in terrible condition. The dealership found water damage from a slow leak and wiring issues that were present when I bought the car. Now I’ve been quoted over $5,000 for repairs including a new computer and electrical work. I’ve tried reaching out to the dealership with no success. This car is essential for commuting to work and for my kids. I’ve had to rent a car for the past month, costing me over $1,000. I’m seeking assistance with this situation as I believe I was sold a defective vehicle without proper disclosure. I put down $4,000 when I purchased the car and have continued making small payments because I need it to commute and can’t afford another vehicle right now. I have Personal Injury Protection (PIP) with Progressive and comprehensive and collision coverage through the dealership’s partnered company, Brio Management, as they operate from the same office. Given these circumstances, I’m asking for help with this situation because I was sold a car with undisclosed damage and defects, and I’ve been left with costly repairs and rental expenses while the dealership won’t assist me.
Source: NHTSA WEB SITE -
2021 KIA K5- Casselberry, FL
The contact owns a 2021 Kia K5. The contact stated that the check engine warning light remained illuminated with DTC: P0471 displayed. The vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V794000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) and was taken to the dealer for the recall repair where the dealer replaced the check valve. After receiving the recall repair, the check engine warning light remained illuminated with DTC: P0471 displayed. The vehicle was returned to the dealer, who diagnosed that the Exhaust Pressure Sensor was causing the Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) Sensor to fail and needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 52,000.
Source: HOTLINE VEHICLE OWNERS QUESTIONNAIRE -
2023 KIA EV6- Richmond, VA
While the vehicle was on the charger, the ICCU failed which then caused then fried my JuiceBox EV40 charger and flipped the dedicated circuit breaker. The car has since been repaired. I am concerned that this is a dangerous failure. If it happened on the road it potentially left me without propulsion. I'm also concerned that but for the circuit breaker functioning as designed it could have caused an electrical fire. My understanding is that this has been an ongoing problem with Kia and Hyundai EVs. I do not believe that Kia/Hyundai are taking responsibility for fixing the problem that have not plagued other manufacturers.
Source: NHTSA WEB SITE -
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2016 KIA SORENTO- Fayetteville, GA
Dear Sir or Madam, I am submitting a formal safety complaint to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration regarding my Kia Sorento. Over the past six months, this vehicle has required replacement of the engine, transmission control module (TCM), and the entire transmission. Although the engine and transmission were replaced at no cost to me, the extent of these major repairs within such a short period raises serious concerns about the vehicle’s overall safety and reliability. In mid-January, shortly after picking up the vehicle from the dealership following the transmission replacement, the vehicle suddenly stalled while I was driving through an intersection. The engine lost power without warning, leaving me stopped in active traffic. To get the vehicle moving again, I had to shift into park, turn the engine completely off, and then restart it before it would drive again. This unexpected loss of power in the middle of an intersection created a dangerous situation with oncoming traffic approaching. Thankfully, my children were not in the vehicle at the time. After repeated major component failures and this stalling incident, I no longer feel safe driving this vehicle. A vehicle that loses power without warning poses a serious risk to the driver, passengers, and other motorists. I respectfully request a thorough investigation into this matter, including whether there are known defects, recalls, or related complaints involving this model. I am prepared to provide repair records and documentation upon request. Sincerely, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Source: NHTSA WEB SITE -
2024 KIA FORTE- Biloxi, MS
My car suddenly accelerated while I was pulling into my canopy carport causing me to crash into an old basketball goal and then the wall of my cottage. When this happened I was slowly pulling in to park when the car suddenly accelerated on its own and kept moving forward despite me pressing the brake. The RPM gauge continued to rev after the impact and the only way that I was able to make it stop was by putting the car into park and pushing the button to turn the car off. No warning lights illuminated on my dash. I have video of the incident from my security camera in my backyard.
Source: NHTSA WEB SITE -
2020 KIA NIRO- HOUSTON, TX
One night the tailgate latch began clicking, locking and unlocking itself and then not latching closed, causing the inside light to remain on and the tailgate open indicator to display on the display panel. Then it just went dead and would not open at all, even if using the specific tailgate open key on the key fob. Then a few weeks later while driving on an empty street very slowly as I was turning a corner, with no warning the back windshield suddenly made a loud noise and then spontaneously shattered. I got out and looked around and there was no one else around or any other cars driving by. I did not hear any impact and also had my driver window down and did not hear any shots, and was not able to recover anything from the inside the back of the vehicle or on the ground that could have hit it. Kia will not cover the cost of the back windshield even though I still have 5 years left on the manufacturer warranty, and purchased the dealership warranty. There is a class-action lawsuit against Kia that is for the Telluride model windshields but according to Google my affect some Niros (Sanchez Vs Kia).
Source: NHTSA WEB SITE -
2017 KIA SPORTAGE- Mansfield, LA
The Catalytic Converter in the Kia. We were driving to Texas to take my kids out for mini vacation and it’s cut off right in the middle of the highway. My car was running just fine everything was fix properly. Can you check in the Catalytic Converter and see if it safely issue.
Source: NHTSA WEB SITE -
2026 KIA CARNIVAL- Piscataway, NJ
This new 2026 Vehicle faced multiple issues within a few weeks of purchase as stated below. 1. The instrument display panel or the main display screen of the car stopped working. The screen was completely blank and would not turn on. (confirmed and reproduced by Kia dealer, service order attached) 2. An electric short caused the radio to fail (confirmed and reproduced by Kia dealer, service order attached) 3. The car battery died, rendering the car completely unresponsive. The car had to be towed to the Kia Dealer. (confirmed and reproduced by Kia dealer, service order attached) All of the above 3 issues happened one after the other. The first issue essentially disabled safety features of the vehicle as the display panel that displays rear view camera, camera monitoring system (CMS), etc was not able to display any information. An eventual electric short and a dead battery rendered the vehicle inoperable. The official Kia dealer attempted to diagnose and repair the vehicle. The vehicle was at the dealer service for 15 days. The dealer initially suggested that a part needs to be replaced and is in backorder till May 2026. However subsequently the dealer then claimed that the vehicle is now operating normally and should be taken by the customer. No root cause of the electric short and battery and screen failure was disclosed. Also contrary to what is stated in the service order, the service manager at the dealer verbally suggested that they did not replace the malfunctioning component.
Source: NHTSA WEB SITE