KIA Complaints

The LCD instrument cluster above the steering wheel is all black and not turning on. The map screen to the right turns on, but not the odometer screen. Can’t tell how fast I’m going or how much gas is in the car. I’ve read this was an issue with the earlier models.

While driving on a road trip from Charleston, South Carolina to Florida in January of 2023 the factory installed catalytic converter failed (front facing) clogging the exhaust system and damaging the engine (engine now experiences blow by and pistons rings have been damaged). A recall for the overheating of the catalytic converter was marked as repaired before I bought the car. However, I believe that either the update was not done to the on-board computer or that a damaged catalytic converter was not replaced. This directly led to the subsequent failure in question and has since damaged my engine. At the time of the incident, an investigation of both catalytic converters revealed heavy sediment deposits and the core of the filtering component of the front facing unit had become so corroded that a chunck of it had broken loose and become lodged in the connecting hose that linked it to the rest of the exhaust system, leaving the entire system blocked. Because I bought the car used, I wasn't aware of the recall history at the time of purchase. Nor was I given a vehicle history report or receipts for any work that had previously been done. When I pulled a vehicle history report shortly after the incident I was unable to accertain what the actual repairs to the car were previous to my ownership, just that it had been taken to a Kia dealership for service with dates listed. The issues still remain and I am unable to afford the lengthy and very expensive repairs suggested by multiple mechanics to correct them. I also still owe money on the note as the result of having to deal with a predatory business to secure financing in the first place. I hate to think I was taken advantage of but I can't help but feel like the catalytic converter should have been changed during that previously marked recall repair and clearly wasn't. Please help me figure out what went wrong here and if possible help me remedy this situation, especially if there was indeed fraud involved. Thank you

Widely circulated and well known ICCU issue leading to 12v failure. There is a recall on this, but people are being stranded and offered only part replacement. Kia should be responsible for corresponding costs associated with their defective units. I’ve had 2 bad ICCUs and the second one left me stranded. Unacceptable.

I was driving and experience a loss in power and got the Check Electrical Vehicle System error message. As I was trying to get to safe location to stop, I got the Power Limited warning message and lost even more power then got the Stop Vehicle and Check Power Supply warning. I did not have any warning lights prior to this happening. I had my car towed to a KIA dealership for inspection and am waiting for their findings. It was at the KIA dealership 12/22/2025 for the latest safety recall update.

The car stop working with this message "check electric vehicle system" I towed the car to kia service. They told me nee to replace ICCU unit. They replaced it for free, but still didn't have a car for few days. No loaner car offered.

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the front of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the knock sensor had failed. The knock sensors were replaced. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, two months after the knock sensors were replaced, the contact heard an abnormal knocking sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal and failed to move forward. The caution warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The contact called an independent mechanic, who arrived at the location where the contact had pulled over. The independent mechanic used a handheld code reader, and an unknown code showed that the problem was due to the oil and engine. The independent mechanic checked the oil, and the oil level was low. The contact stated that the oil had been changed a week prior to the failure. The independent mechanic added oil, and the vehicle restarted, and the warning lights disappeared. The contact was able to continue driving the vehicle. However, the vehicle failed to accelerate above 40 MPH. The vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the knock sensor had failed, and the engine was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The vehicle was not repaired. However, the oil was changed. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, who confirmed that the knock sensor had failed, and that the engine was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil, causing damage to the engine. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The contact was adding oil to the engine two or three times per week, and the oil was changed every two weeks. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

I did an OTA update that made the rear view camera work intermittently. It would just flash an image every couple of seconds instead of a live stream. I took it into the dealer, and on the way, it totally gave out in the middle of traffic in a very unsafe way. I was flashed with many warning signs and was not able to get it started again for 5min by just turning it on/off again. I finally got it to the dealer and after 6 weeks they told me that something spilled in the cup holders and fried the backup camera and drivetrain components. I find it extremely off the drivetrain and safety critical components are stored under a cup holder with no protection.

The contact owns a 2019 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that there was an engine oil leak on the driveway. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with a fractured oil pan, causing the engine oil leak. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired due to the VIN not being under recall. Upon further investigation, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign: 19V101000 (Engine); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 38,500.

The contact owns a 2022 Kia Niro. The contact stated that the rearview camera displayed a distorted image while the vehicle was in reverse(R). The failure obstructed the driver's visibility, preventing the driver from safely operating the vehicle. Additionally, there was a delay with the image appearing on the screen when the vehicle was in reverse(R). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but it was unknown if the vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, the vehicle failed to start up, with the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the battery terminals were loose. The vehicle was repaired; however, when the contact arrived to retrieve the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start. The dealer inspected the vehicle; however, no cause for the failure was found. The contact was informed by the dealer that the vehicle had an open recall, NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V426000 (BACK OVER PREVENTION). The vehicle remained at the dealer unrepaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 45,000.

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the engine was running rough, and there was a significant amount of air and oil when the oil cap was opened. Additionally, there was an abnormal sound coming from the exhaust system. The vehicle was sluggish while driving and depressing the accelerator pedal. The wrench warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the dealer for repair under NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V259000 (Engine); however, upon inspection, the dealer informed the contact that no repair was needed, and the recall was marked as completed; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, where the contact was advised that there would be a charge for fuel sampling. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure was also associated with NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 84,000.