KIA Complaints

The contact owns a 2014 Kia Optima. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V331000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost automotive power, and smoke was coming from under the hood. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer; however, the contact was informed that the recall could not be repaired because other unknown repairs had not performed prior to the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 130,000.

The Kia was traveling approximately 45 - 50 mph and struck another vehicle that had pulled out from a stop sign. I had my hand on the horn and the airbags did not deploy on impact.

I am filing this complaint regarding a suspected safety defect involving the Theta II engine in my 2015 Kia Sorento. The vehicle developed progressive engine failure symptoms including: Engine knocking and abnormal mechanical noise Loss of power while driving Misfire conditions Excessive oil consumption Progressive deterioration of engine performance These symptoms began at approximately 150,000 miles and worsened over time. Given the documented history of Theta II engine failures involving rod bearing defects, sudden engine seizure, loss of power, and fire risk, I believe my vehicle is experiencing a progression of the same known defect. 2) Safety Risk to Driver and Public The engine condition created serious safety risks, including: Potential sudden engine failure while driving Loss of power in traffic or at highway speeds Increased risk of collision Potential fire hazard associated with Theta II engine failures Despite these risks, Kia and its authorized dealership advised me to continue operating the vehicle. I was explicitly told to “drive it until it fails.” This guidance was given despite Kia’s documented knowledge of Theta II engine defects and associated safety hazards. 3) Manufacturer Response and Denial I reported the engine failure to Kia and its authorized dealership. Kia denied coverage, stating: The vehicle had “too many miles,” and The failure was allegedly “not rod bearing related.” However, Kia and the dealership refused to provide: Complete diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) Technician notes or inspection reports Compression or leak-down test results Oil analysis or evidence proving bearing failure was ruled out Without this information, Kia’s conclusion that the failure is not related to the Theta II defect is unsupported and unverifiable. 4) Concern of Misdiagnosis and Defect Misclassification Based on the symptoms and known Theta II failure patterns, I believe Kia may be misclassifying a progressive bearing-related engine failure as a non-covered

My husband and I originally bought our White 2017 Kia Sedona LX on 9/12/18 from Hertz automotive sales. Since that time we had had no engine issues. We maintained our brakes, and standard upkeeps on the car. Eight years in and still our car had given us no issues. Our most recent oil change was on 9/13/25 and it was inspected during that oil change and no issues were noted. The car had since that time been driven as expected to school for kids and work for myself and activities on the weekend for family time. There was no weird smells, discolored smoke from the tail piper or anything. The car was running fine. At no time were any warning signals on, flashing or intermittently coming on and off. Then on Thursday, 1/22/26 evening I stopped by the gas station to get gas before turning into my neighborhood for home. Upon leaving the gas station, I noticed and felt the engine seemed off and vibrating with soft tremor like shaking and as I pressed on the gas for power it was soft power, and at that moment only did I see the check engine light on solid (not flashing). I called my husband and a few mins later we made it home, he came out to check the car, and saw now that the engine light was flashing over and over. We read up on what this meant and new we had a problem. We dropped the car off on Saturday to the mechanic and on Monday, 1/26/26 a diagnostic was made and was given the bad news that the engine had complete failure. $18,000 bill to fix all the issues. But here is a short synopsis: Multiple codes found in ECM Metal found in oil, oil is also 1 or more quarts low P0300 (Random misfire), P0302 (CYL #2 misfire), p0304, (CYL#4 misfire) p0306. (CYL#6 misfire) p0175, (bank 2 rich) p0018 (crank - cam correlation) Engine has internal failure, failing piston rings allowing oil in combustion chamber, causing misfire, rich condition and engine shaking This was a shock and we had to sell it for nothing to a salvage company.

on April 7, 2025, our 2024 Kia EV6 was towed away from our driveway after an ICCU failure the day before. The tow truck driver attempted to jumpstart it with a battery eliminator and he could not. He could not get it shifted into neutral and had to pull it up on the ramp with the back tires stationary, sliding up the ramp. They had it until we got it back just before April 22, and then on that day, it was towed away again because of a 12 V battery failure. If this first computer failure had happened while we were on the highway, we would have lost power in traffic. We were told that the replacement ICCU part which we received was a different model number than the first one, but I have heard on Facebook discussion groups that it is identical and just as likely to have a failure. Our Kia EV6 is a 2024 model, an extended battery version Wind AWD. Both the initial incident on April 6 and the second incident on April 21 happened just outside my garage after just backing the car out of the garage going maybe 5 mph. For some reason, the system will not let me upload a video of the first time it was towed up the ramp, only the second time when it was taken away for the 12 V battery failure, but it also would not drive in that condition. I include parts of texts with the Kia service center. It took them one week to be convinced that it was, indeed, the ICCU.

While driving in the evening with an estimated 180 miles range remaining a "pop" noise was heard. About a minute later a vague warning message the car had not displayed before appeared. We tried to make it home but concerning (and still vague) messages kept appearing quite rapidly. The car slowed down and came to a halt and died in an intersection. This all happened within five minutes of hearing the "pop" noise. Once the vehicle died the head and taillights went off and the car would not allow the emergency flasher lights to be turned on. It would not allow it to be put into neutral to allow it to be moved out of the intersection. It also would not allow any of its doors to be locked (manually or otherwise) except for the driver's door until the vehicle was repaired one week later. We found out following that the 12 volt battery had not charged due to a DC/DC converter input voltage sensor fault related to ICCU failure. The popping noise had been a fuse. As the applicable ICCU parts were replaced by the dealership I doubt they will be available for inspection. The safety of my family was put at risk by: - the car's warnings not clearly explaining what the issue was. - the car not giving clear indication of how quickly it would die. - the car dying in a busy intersection. - the car being unable to be shifted to neutral. - the car's warning flashers not being operational when it died in the middle of the intersection at night. - us being left without warmth in outside temperatures around 6 degrees Fahrenheit. The ICCU problem was confirmed by the dealership we purchased the vehicle from. The vehicle was only inspected by the dealership acting on behalf of Kia.

Navigation screen began blinking (glitching) and suddenly went black and would not come back on. Called the dealership and they said it was not a recall and that it was no longer covered under warranty. This problem has persisted intermittently and I am noticing a pattern. When the temperature is cold outside the screen works fine, however if it is 60+° outside this happens. I’ve read online that this is a known issue however I’m being told there is no recall.

To Whom It May Concern, I am the owner of a 2017 Kia Sorento and have recently experienced excessive oil consumption with the vehicle. The engine is losing approximately 4 quarts of oil per 1000 miles, with no visible external leaks or exhaust smoke. I am aware that many Kia vehicles equipped with the 2.4L GDI engine have been affected by issues related to piston ring defects, which can cause abnormal oil consumption and, in some cases, premature engine failure. I also understand that Kia has issued recalls, service campaigns, and extended warranties on similar models and engines. I am requesting the following: 1.) Confirmation of whether my vehicle is included in any recalls, service campaigns, or warranty extensions related to this issue. 2.) A dealer inspection and oil consumption test to formally document the problem. 3.) Information on any coverage, goodwill repairs, or warranty extensions available if my vehicle is determined to have this defect. I respectfully request your assistance to resolve this issue promptly. Please provide me with any relevant documentation or service campaign numbers in writing for my records. Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to your timely response. Sincerely, [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Incident took place 1/31/26. I was pulling into my driveway at approximately 5 mph. Normally, as I approach the wooden driveway gate, sensors would begin to beep and I would be prompted to stop.The car normally would stop itself if a collision was imminent. This did not take place. Instead, the car picked up speed, smashed through the gate proceeded up the driveway, smashed through the garage door and the rear wall of the garage. I was alone and uninjured, but the structure was yellow tagged and there was severe damage to the contents. Airbags were not deployed. The car was towed to Caliber body shop in Santa Monica for repairs to the body. When this has been completed it will be taken to Kia of Santa Monica for analysis of the black box and braking system.

I have and am the original owner of a Kia Cadenza 2017 with the 3.3L Lambda engine (same engine as the Sorento lawsuit). The vehicle is currently at the dealership getting repaired due to carbon buildup causing the fuel injectors to malfunction( despite of consistently being on top of maintenance and oil changes).I have read online of lots of users with failed engines due to carbon buildup in these engines. The warning lights I got were p0171,p0174, and p0191, and am worried that after the repair the engine will eventually fail due to the buildup as the main issue isn’t properly being addressed. The issue occurred about 300 miles ago where the dealership erased it. Then told the vehicle did not have any issues. Brought it back to the Kia dealership where they finally gave a proper diagnosis after being told nothing was wrong with car. I am concerned as there are lots of owners online experiencing the same issues with their Kia cadenzas and nothing done about it. Took the vehicle in after it stalled in traffic, but, as seen, the repair cost is high and a temporary band aid.