KIA Complaints

After getting the vehicle back from the auto shop for repair in the fuel injector because my car wasn't starting after I purchase it from a third party. anyways after I got the vehicle back my temperature gauge was sky rocket getting high and higher and my temperature blinker with the red light on the dashboard with the boiling hot water icon temperature and I took it in the shop and it stated on the invoice

The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine seized, and the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was able to coast to the side of the road. The check engine warning light and several other warning lights were illuminated. The contact raised the hood, and there was a burning odor coming from the engine. The vehicle was towed to the place of employment. A mobile mechanic arrived at the place of employment and used a handheld code reader to diagnose the vehicle, but no DTC was retrieved, and no cause for the failure was determined. The starter was replaced; however, the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The contact stated that the vehicle was purchased six months prior to the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 96,000.

The contact owns a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH uphill with her daughter and her small dog inside the vehicle, the brake pedal was depressed, but the vehicle stalled and shut off unexpectedly. The contact stated that several minutes later, the vehicle started working as intended; however, a fuel smell remained inside the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. Neither an independent mechanic nor the dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not taken to the dealer or an independent mechanic to be diagnosed. There was a fuel odor while attempting to start the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V120000 (ENGINE, ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING); however, the VIN was not associated with the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the VIN was not associated with the recall. The failure mileage was 228,041.

The contact owns a 2019 Kia Sportage. The contact received notifications of NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 22V703000 (Trail Hitches) and 21V137000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the recall repair requests were denied by the manufacturer. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, it failed to start as intended. No warning light was illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that while her brother was driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from under the hood. After restarting the vehicle, there was a burning odor coming from under the hood. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer, where it remained, and the contact was advised that a recall warranty had expired. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to the costs. In addition, the contact stated that the recall was initiated prior to owning the vehicle. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 74,000.

10:00 am January 28th AFTER A DRIVE OF APPROXIMATELY 20 MILES TO THE GROCERY STORE, we parked the 2023 Kia EV6 Wind,in the parking area, then entered the store to shop. On returning, we placed the groceries in the trunk and proceeded to leave for home. The push button "START" provoked a notice on the dash that the 12 volt battery was "LOW". The drive circuits would not enable. Prior to going in the store the dash information reported the main battery was at 62%, all else is normal. We are now stuck 20 miles from home. We called KIA roadside assistance, via a cell phone. The Kia site told us it did not recognize the VIN number we had entered three separate times.. It would not proceed down the logic tree for us to be assisted by their service. We called :AAA"they sent a service truck with a jumper battery which allow us to get a small charge on the 12 volt system, enough to get us home. Immediately upon arriving I opened the hood, retrieved my "Fluke DVM" to measure battery voltage. 6.2 volts was the reading. The 12 volt battery was not charged by the voltage regulation system in our car. Fortunately, we were dressed well, being the temperature outdoors was 14*F at the time and we had access to the grocery store for safety. Yet still a major inconvenience due to breakdown. Later, I disconnected the negative battery terminal, then connected the 12 volt AGM battery charger I have purchased for home use. The battery was charged to full overnight to 13.2 volts. I removed the charger cables, then left the battery set for 12 hours disconnected from the vehicle. The voltage dropped to 12.6 volts dc, indicating a healthy battery. This morning January 29th, I called the Kia dealership to explain our problem, the scheduler has acknowledged a possible bad charge control unit, but told me if it was not a control unit problem, I would pay a fee of $135 dollars for the troubleshooting, even though the vehicle has approximately 33,000 miles. Schedule Feb 4th

The car turn off while driving it. This creates a serious safety concern. We took the car to a mechanic and he was not able to identify the problem, he suggested we take it to the dealership. We then took it to the kia dealer ( Covina) and they have had it for months and yet are not able to fix it. Yesterday we received a call telling us, the engine failure is related to the oil pressure and it would need a new engine. This is no longer covered under warranty. This same car has already had the engine replaced once before. When we bought the Kia in 2018 (new) just weeks after we took it home, it required a new engine, which Kia replaced. The current issue appears to be related to oil pressure and is consistent with engine concerns reported on this model year.

Horns (high and low) have been replaced 5 times under a warranty. This is a serious safety hazard. Vehicle: Kia Carnival (Model Years 2022–2024) Issue: Repeated horn failure / electrical malfunction Owners of 2022–2024 Kia Carnival vehicles are experiencing repeated horn failures that present a safety concern. Reported symptoms include complete loss of horn function, intermittent operation, delayed response, and in some cases random horn or alarm activation without driver input. When the failure occurs, both the high-pitch and low-pitch horns are often found to be inoperative. Many owners report that dealerships replace both horns, sometimes multiple times, with some vehicles requiring second or third replacements. Kia has acknowledged this issue through a Technical Service Bulletin (ELE-263), which instructs dealers to replace both horns when one fails; however, the bulletin does not identify a permanent root cause or corrective design change. As a result, the issue frequently recurs after replacement. A non-functional or intermittent horn significantly reduces the driver’s ability to warn other road users and avoid collisions, creating a clear safety risk. Given the recurring nature of the failure across multiple model years, this appears to be a systemic defect rather than isolated component wear.

The vehicle is currently experiencing failure consistent with a U.S safety call {Technical Service Bulletin) related to the steering column. A diagnostic scan has confirmed error code C1259 (angle sensor signal error) that match those referenced in the recall documentation. The vehicle was taken to a local authorized Kia dealership in Ponce, Puerto Rico, where we were informed that no recall appears in their system and that the recall “only applies to the mainland United States”. This response is concerning, as Puerto Rico is a US territory, and this defect directly impacts driver safety and vehicle control. Given that this involves steering system failure, I consider this a critical safety concern.

I recently purchase my 2024 EV9 from Carvana with 9578 miles listed on 12/12/25. Doing my 7 days to purchase this SUV. I had some concerns about the violent wobble when I drove over a bump. With some concerns about this SUV, I google to see if anyone else had this same issue. To my surprise I founded a lot of complaints and ways to resolved the issue. One consumer stated he had his EV9 aligned and reduce some of the wobble but not completely. I drove to Courage KIA in Gastonia NC. When I drove their system performed a per inspection on your vehicle. The alignment was way out of alignment. Had the alignment taken care of however it still a wobble. On 12/24/26 doing the snow and ice storm here in Charlotte, I attempted to make a trip to the store. The roads were wet but no snow or ice was on the roads. However when I hit a bump the rear end violently wobble and the rear end moved to the left and right farther it did before. I thought I was going to spin out of control.Now that I think about the very low mileage on this SUV. This perhaps is why they sold it. ly wobble

The engine/power of my electric EV6 died. It went into limp home mode (speed limited) briefly before dying completely. I restarted it and was able to get it to a parking spot before it died again, but I was just lucky I was on a surface street with parking. Dealership confirmed it was an ICCU failure