KIA Complaints

I am the original owner of this car and get all my oil changes and regular maintenance on time. The car has 123k miles. I was getting into the freeway evening of 10/3 and my car stopped accelerating was making a loud noise so I pulled off to the side of the road. Per the Kia dealership service department my engine completely failed. This is a known issue with this year and model but Kia is not helping me in any way with the replacement of my engine. Please help.

Engine oil consumption test,did 3 at Kia dealership and was confirmed engine was bad,we don’t have all the maintenance records so we are denied.Kia should stand by their product and change this engine under warranty and recall.

On October 3rd, 2025 I was driving at approximately 15mph when my dash started to flash red while beeping. It displayed a message that stated "Check Hybrid System" Within 15 seconds the car shut off. There was no power to utilize the flashers to warn drivers behind me. The abrupt stop caused a near collision and left my car stranded in an intersection. After about 5 minutes I was able to utilize the 12v battery reset button and get the car safely to the side of the road. My car had an all points inspection in September and no issues were noted at that time. I searched 3 websites, including NHTSA, and all noted I had 0 recalls on my vehicle. However, there were multiple reports of this happening to other 2023 Kia Sportage owners over the past 2 years. Some reported that this happened to them on the highway. On October 6th, 2025 I took my car to the dealership to be serviced. Upon check-in the advisor stated I had 2 active recalls on my vehicle. (Safety Recall: Hybrid Control Unit Sw Upgrade (vesc) OEM code SC322 from January 2025 and Saftey Recall: Bms S/w Upgrade (vesc) OEM Code SC338 from June 2025) The first recall has to do with emissions, the second causes the exact scenario that happened to my vehicle. My concern is that Kia failed to report all affected VIN numbers, or failed to notify all affected customers within 60 days reporting the recall as mandated by the NHTSA and they should be held responsible for that. A car shutting off within 10 seconds could be catastrophic when traveling on busy highways. This could result in multiple injuries or even fatalities and needs to be further investigated.

My 2018 Kia Rio S (VIN [XXX] ) suffered sudden engine failure at approximately 84 000 miles. I pulled over immediately when the oil light came on, but the engine began rattling and was later diagnosed by the dealer as a bearing/seizure failure requiring full engine replacement (estimate ˜ $15 865). This vehicle uses the 1.6 L Gamma II GDI engine, which is the same engine family already included in Kia’s “Engine Litigation II” settlement and KSDS (Knock Sensor Detection System) program for Forte, Soul, and other models. However, Kia claims the 2018 Rio is not covered by the extended warranty even though the failure mode is identical (rod-bearing wear and oil starvation). I never received any recall or settlement notice. The lack of notification and exclusion of the Rio model leave owners unprotected against a known safety-related defect that can cause stalling or fire. I request NHTSA investigate inclusion of 2018 Kia Rio vehicles in the existing Gamma engine recall/settlement. 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 his wife was driving 65 MPH, there was an abnormal banging sound coming from the top of the vehicle. The contact stated that the sunroof had exploded, and the glass had shattered. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact's wife kept driving to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 4,358.

As I am driving, does not matter speed or weather, the instrument cluster screen will do a "System Check" as if the vehicle is being started. The screen will go blank for about 5 seconds and then will reappear. If the vehicle is in cruise control, that will disengage and the vehicle will slow down and I have to catch it and keep speed up. This does not happen every day and has happened at different intervals of 6 days between incidents and up to 15 days. Occurred on: June 9, 2025; June 17, 2025; (vehicle in shop to be looked at June 23rd through August 5th); August 9, 2025, August 14, 2025; September 6, 2025, September 18, 2025; and October 2, 2025.

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving on several occasions at various speeds, the vehicle consumed an excessive amount of engine oil. The contact stated that on several occasions, there was no oil or low oil in the oil pan. The contact stated that oil needed to be added to the vehicle daily. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

The engine is consuming oil at a rapid rate that could be potentially dangerous. This is happening to other people with the same make and model as well.

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at a very low speed, the vehicle's speed increased independently. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that the failure occurred while the vehicle was being parked. The contact noticed an unusual sound, and the engine revved up. The contact stated that the vehicle was uncontrollable. The vehicle went across the street into the neighbor's yard. The vehicle crashed into the neighbor's rose bush and up onto the patio. The contact stated that the neighbor, who was seated on the patio, had been knocked out of the chair. In addition, the vehicle crashed into a wooden post. The neighbor was transported to the hospital by ambulance. A police report was filed; however, the information was unavailable. The neighbor's injuries were unknown. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 32,500.

Engine shut off while driving, Would not restart, vehicle VIN included in PI2107 campaign, Kia refused to cover repair. This is a serious safety hazard.