KIA Complaints

I was driving everithing was normal but suddenly the light of the Engine was on and the car lost power and the engine shut off everything happened in like one second, dont let me time or opportunity to think something safe, it was a lot of traffict on the street and the car behind almost crash on me. it was like a nigthmare.

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the engine seized. The contact stated that nearby drivers assisted with pushing the vehicle to the shoulder of the roadway. The failure had occurred while driving on a busy highway. While attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle started; however, it was unsafe to drive the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Prior to the engine seizing, the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact stated that 3 to 4 quarts of oil needed to be added between oil changes. In addition, the contact stated that in 2021, the vehicle was repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V259000 (Engine). The contact stated that after the recall repair was performed, the excessive oil consumption started. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 88,200.

The contact owned a 2013 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving the vehicle, the contact became aware of black smoke coming from the floorboard with a burning plastic odor, and the battery warning light illuminated. The contact called her husband and was informed to exit the vehicle. The contact exited the vehicle and seconds later the vehicle exploded. The front of the vehicle blew up onto the windshield and the steering wheel detached and struck the driver’s side seat. The fire was extinguished by the Fulton County Fire Department. A Fire Report and Police Report were filed; however, the reports were not yet provided to the vehicle owner. The contact experienced severe emotional distress. The contact stated due to the emotional distress of the fire, she suffered a miscarriage from the stress and had scratches from having to jump out of the window. There was no medical assistance sought. Several personal items inside the vehicle were also lost due to the fire and additionally, the contact lost employment due to the fire. The VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC); however, the vehicle had not been repaired prior to the fire. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard then to a Kia dealer. The vehicle was destroyed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 193,876.

I am reporting a potential safety defect involving the panoramic sunroof of my 2026 Kia Sportage, purchased new in August 2025. On February 19, 2026, at approximately 4:45 PM, while driving around 65 mph, the panoramic sunroof suddenly shattered without warning. The failure was preceded by a loud, explosive sound, after which the tempered glass fractured and collapsed inward into the passenger compartment above the driver’s seat. There was no observable external impact. I did not see any debris or object strike the vehicle, and the glass had no prior damage. Weather conditions were mild (approximately 75°F), and the vehicle was operating under normal highway conditions. Glass fragments fell into the cabin, including onto the driver’s seat and interior surfaces. The sudden noise and glass intrusion created a safety hazard, including risk of injury and driver distraction while traveling at highway speed. The vehicle was taken to a Kia dealership the same day. I was later informed by the dealership in San Angelo, Texas, that the damage would not be covered under warranty and that I would be responsible for the repair. Given the lack of observable impact and the inward failure of the glass, I am submitting this report for evaluation as a potential safety-related defect. The incident raises concerns due to the sudden failure at highway speed, inward breakage into the occupant compartment, and occurrence in a vehicle less than one year old. I can provide photos or documentation upon request. Submitted by: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2025 Kia K5. The contact stated that while driving at speeds over 55 MPH, the hood vibrated abnormally. The contact stated that while being overtaken by a box truck or semi-truck, the vibration of the hood was more pronounced. The driver's side of the hood had a quarter-inch to a half-inch gap. After arriving to the destination, the hood was closed; however, the hood failed to latch securely. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer and the dealer suggested that the two rubber stoppers needed to be tightened. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 7,000.

The contact owned a 2008 Kia Sedona. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked at a friend’s residence, the contact exited the vehicle and took the baby she was caring for inside the residence of the friend. Upon returning outside, the contact became aware that the vehicle was on fire and the vehicle was engulfed in flames. The Fire Department arrived on the scene and extinguished the fire. The Fire Marshall informed the contact that the fire had started in the engine compartment. Additionally, a Fire Report was filed; however, the information was unavailable. The fire caused damage to the friend residence. The contact stated that the fire melted the aluminum siding on the house. No injuries were sustained. The vehicle was covered under a liability insurance policy. The vehicle was a total loss. The homeowners insurance Fire Inspector tagged the vehicle and requested that the vehicle remain on the premises. The vehicle was still located at the residence, as per the Fire Inspector. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 315,465.

The engine stalled while driving on the expressway. Myself and my daughter and her friend were in the car. The vehicle started right back up, and I was able to drive the car home (less than 2 miles away). The following day, my wife got an oil change, and went on the expressway, and the engine stalled again causing her to have to navigate the car, with no engine power, to the side of the highway and wait for myself and a tow truck. Both times were very dangerous. We had the vehicle towed to a mechanic, who said the crank shaft & rods and bearings for the engine look like they failed and seized up, causing the engine to complete lock up and stall, requiring a full engine replacement. Kia is refusing replacement saying we are not covered by the previous complaints and concerns, stating our vehicle is not covered specifically, stating that the 3.3L engines were not covered under the previous recall/extended warranty offered on engines in the same yr/make/model as our vehicle. The check engine light came on, and there was a slight knocking sound as the car was idling just before the engine stall, and as the engine stalled, the oil lamp and the battery light came on. This happened both times. The symptoms appeared just before complete engine failure. We get the vehicle serviced at Kia, and had the oil changed by Strickland Brothers the day of. We were concerned that the engine light came on due to potential of the oil needing to be changed. We do not have any electronic files or reports for this issue yet.

The sunroof spontaneously shattered while I was driving in the highway. No one was injured but glass did fly off of the vehicle and luckily the cover inside was closed so no glass got in the vehicle. There was no warning just an explosion sound. The sunroof glass was blowing outward once I was able to pull over and inspect it. The dealership did replace the sunroof and said it was covered under my warranty. I did try to contact Kia directly first and they were taking weeks to reply and eventually said they would do a good faith one time repair but I never messaged them back since my dealership took control and told me it was covered under my warranty and proceeded to order and fix it. They also had to replace the sunroof cover because they said it was also damaged from the pressure of it spontaneously shattering.

The driver side passenger door will open by itself when the key fob is near. Today it injured me while pumping gas and almost knocked the gas tank door off and gas pump out. I locked my vehicle to go inside to pay for gas. When I came back to my car to open the gas tank door and inserted the gas pump, the sliding door opened and smashed my wrist in between it and the gas tank cover door. It almost knocked the tank door off but I was able to keep fighting it and pushing it back and it closed. I have deep indents in my wrist and it scuffed the gas tank cover. The sliding doors do not stop when someone is going in or out. It is a safety hazard and should function like a garage door. Stop when it senses something there. I almost lost my wrist today!!!

The engine is burning oil despite all maintenance being up to date and having fewer than 80k miles. Kia of Duluth Service Center checked the oil and said levels were good on 12/31/25. Fewer than 30 miles were driven and it was brought back to the dealership service center on 1/2/26 and diagnosed with total engine loss due to oil starvation. The extended warranty company (JM&A) are denying coverage because the engine failure is due to lack of oil. They have inspected the vehicle. No warning lights ever came on and this is the second time that this issue has been addressed by Kia of Duluth. The engine could have easily overheated and caught on fire or lost power on the road.