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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2022 KIA K5- Saginaw , TX
The car was in an accident with the previous owner I bout the car and the carfax showed rear end collision I told the car worked perfectly. After purchase the car brakes have built up 2 times in 5 months the car stalled it has rpm issues lagging and hesitation as well as the safety front end collision has malfunctioned and it locked my brakes up I did all the steps to try to fix it and I ended up having to disconnect the battery. I sent it to the dealer and they said it was fine I now see the carfax as showing front end collision was reported and has been in the shop multiple times for the hesitation and stalling issue which now that my blue certificated warranty is out they found the issue (pcv valve etc) I’ve asked for a remedy with the dealer and they won’t budge this car is a safety liability.
Source: NHTSA WEB SITE -
2025 KIA TELLURIDE- Carthage, NC
Vehicle locked while key fob was inside, resulting in infant being locked inside the car. At no point was a lock command engaged. No warning alerts or safety override activated. Incident posed a serious child safety risk. Vehicle required external intervention to unlock. Dealership and manufacturer have been notified, waiting for response.
Source: NHTSA WEB SITE -
2021 KIA SOUL- Pensacola, FL
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the engine was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. While depressing the accelerator pedal, there was an abnormal sound coming from the engine. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. The contact was topping off the engine oil bi-weekly. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING) for which the VIN was included. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 150,000.
Source: HOTLINE VEHICLE OWNERS QUESTIONNAIRE -
2019 KIA FORTE- Winter Haven, FL
The contact owns a 2019 Kia Forte. The contact was notified by her son that the third brake light was burned and was melting. There were no warning lights illuminated. The local dealer was contacted and suggested that a diagnostic test be performed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the owner that there was no warranty coverage on the vehicle for the failure and referred the owner to the local dealer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 65,000.
Source: HOTLINE VEHICLE OWNERS QUESTIONNAIRE -
2015 KIA SORENTO- SARASOTA, FL
- I was driving down 55 mph. on dark, busy highway in Sarasota, Florida (Fruitville Rd.) at approximately 6:15 a.m. on Friday, January 23, 2025. - Suddenly, without warning, the sidewall of the rear passenger side tire completely blew out in a perfect circle around the entire outside of edge. - The tire is currently available for inspection. - The Goodyear dealer claims that the blowout was caused due to underinflation. However, the tread pattern of the tire shows no signs of underinflation. - Since this is my wife's car, I check the tire pressure every other Sunday evening knowing that she'll be driving it to work the next day. - Had there been heavier traffic, the blow out could have caused a major accident if someone was following closely behind me. - The car's TPMS sensors weren't illuminated to indicate there was any low tire pressure.
Source: NHTSA WEB SITE -
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2021 KIA SORENTO- Hazleton, PA
The engine pump went in my vehicle (21 Kia Sorrento) and is giving a code of P193B79. There was a recall that the dealership said they completed in 2023 to fix this. When I asked the dealership what they did to fix this in 2023, they said they checked for the code and it didn't have the code. Since they closed the recall, because it didn't currently have the code, they marked it complete and won't fix the issue with the transmission now. This was the information I got from the dealership. Then they proceded to tell me that SC250 is for code P1C2D03 and my car is giving code P193B79. I explained when I search online the two issues are very closely related and the kmsister company of Hyundai includes both coves in their recall. I have loss of power, as stated in the recall. I explained to the dealership that when I pulled out of my road, I tried to cross and I pressed the gas. The car would not got above 15 mph and the rpms went very high. The dealership called it a "limp motor" when I described it to them. After calling Kia customer service they told me that the dealership makes the call if it is under warranty. I called the dealership back and they told me again that because it was marked completed in 2023, it can't be under that recall. I easked because I didn't have the code in 2023, what was done to prevent this issue from happening on my car. They explained again they closed the ticket in 2023, so it can't be under that recall. I am having the loss of power, explained in SC250 and the dealership told me it is the engine pump fail. They explained it is the same part but a different code. I explained again how those 2 codes are very similar issues and their sister company agrees. I also explained an article I found online for Kia, where those 2 codes are very related. The article explained if the dealership did not cover it, call Kia. If still not resolved, file a complaint with NHTSA. That brings me here. Thank you!
Source: NHTSA WEB SITE -
2021 KIA SELTOS- Hamilton, NJ
When driving the car for a prolonged amount of time at a higher speed, the emissions from the motor back up into to the cabin once the car is stopped.
Source: NHTSA WEB SITE -
2020 KIA OPTIMA- Poway, CA
The contact owns a 2020 Kia Optima. The contact stated that the vehicle was sputtering and vibrating abnormally while starting. There were no warning lights illuminated. The failure was intermittent but became a recurring failure. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic out of fear of the vehicle stalling on the highway. Prior to the engine failure, the contact became aware that there were oil spots where the vehicle was parked. The vehicle was diagnosed, and the mechanic sealed two holes in the oil pan and replaced the spark plugs that were fouled by engine oil. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the same mechanic who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the spark plugs were covered in oil again. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to a dealer to check for engine failure. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and an oil consumption test was performed; however, the vehicle failed the oil consumption test. The dealer had not yet diagnosed the vehicle, but suggested that the engine needed to be disassembled to check for engine wear. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 91,185.
Source: HOTLINE VEHICLE OWNERS QUESTIONNAIRE -
2016 KIA SORENTO- Sikeston, MO
I was leaving my home and was pulling out of my driveway when my vehicle suddenly caught fire. I was able to exit the vehicle with no injuries and called the fire department to put out the fire. the vehicle was a total loss. There were no warning signs, the car just caught on fire in the engine and spread fast.
Source: NHTSA WEB SITE -
2022 KIA TELLURIDE- Rutland, VT
The contact owns a 2022 Kia Telluride. The contact stated that while operating the vehicle, the front driver's side seat belt buckle failed latch immediately, causing the seat belt warning to activate. The contact also stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the front driver’s side seat belt buckle unlatched unintendedly, causing the seat belt warning to activate. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who diagnosed that the seat belt buckle was inoperable and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 68,000.
Source: HOTLINE VEHICLE OWNERS QUESTIONNAIRE