KIA Complaints

The contact owns a 2022 Kia K5. While the contact's son was driving at an undisclosed speed, the rear seat started to rise independently. There were no warning lights illuminated. The contact's husband was sitting on the rear seat. In addition, the contact stated that the failure had occurred after the vehicle was refueled. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed with an expanded fuel tank. The contact was informed that the fuel tank needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the repair had taken three weeks. The vehicle was returned to the contact. The contact stated that two weeks later, the manufacturer began sending emails to the contact, which stated that the vehicle was under recall. The contact was advised to park and not drive the vehicle. The vehicle was towed to the dealer. The vehicle remained at the dealer for two additional months. The manufacturer informed the contact that the vehicle was non-repairable. The contact had not received an offer for a replacement vehicle and the contact was still required to continue monthly payments. In addition, the contact was concerned because her husband had been driving an unsafe vehicle for two weeks after the repair was performed by the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 79,000.

We received the NHTSA recall # 25VO99 letter from KIA America Corporate Headquarters, dated April 4, 2025. We called the service department at the local Kia dealership, and were told "Don't bring it in, hold off, they were not doing this at this time, KIA is doing it a different way." It seemed odd at the time, since we were following KIA's recall instructions: "In the interest of the safety of your passengers, as well as your own safety, contact your local KIA dealer to arrange for the recall to be performed." In early September, we had stopped driving the car and had it towed to the same service department because we heard a ticking noise in engine, and stalled out - no lights on the dashboard ever came on indicating an engine problem. The service center, at the Kia dealership, said that the noise had nothing to do with NHTSA Recall #25VO99 even though it is identical to the safety recall's indicators. Instead of honoring the recall they said we needed a new long block. We were told by the service center Kia had them do a borescope inspection across cylinders 1 through 4, we were told cylinder 3 was "really bad". They asked for our maintenance records and we were told that we voided our warranty by late oil changes along the way. We have brought the car to the same Kia dealership for all service when we moved here four years ago. To be clear the engine had plenty of oil in it when it started stalling out, and making noise. Kia is contending that the engine blew because the oil might have been dirty. They have given us no proof of this or no proof that the safety recall does not apply. This car was not even 5 years old and under the 60,000 miles. We still had 5 payments on our car loan with Kia. We were charged $6,679.15 for a new longblock engine. Kia took no responsibility for the faulty engine.

I get an error message on all the forward collision and lane departure system. A mechanic has looked at this and they cannot determine the issue. They say maybe the front cameras are acting up but the car has never been in a accident that would impact the cameras. In addition the drivers mirror will not reset from the reverse setting to drive mode. When driving it needs to be manually adjusted each time in order to see.

I am submitting this formal complaint regarding a serious safety issue I experienced with my 2017 Kia Forte. While driving, my steering wheel suddenly locked up & I was unable to turn left or right. This failure occurred in the middle of the road & put my life at serious risk. Thankfully, I was not involved in an accident. I was able to activate my hazard lights & safely maneuver to a stop before calling for assistance. My vehicle had to be towed to a repair shop, where I was informed that this is a known issue related to the MDPS (Motor Driven Power Steering) & ECU (Electronic Control Unit). The technician noted that Kia has issued a Product Improvement Campaign for some 2017–2018 Kia Forte models equipped with the 2.0L engine due to this very defect. However, my vehicle’s VIN was not included in the campaign, & the dealer has refused to provide assistance, stating that it is not their responsibility regardless of any service bulletins or improvement campaigns issued. This is deeply concerning, as it shows a clear disconnect between known safety issues and the manufacturer's accountability. There are numerous reports from other consumers experiencing the exact same failure outside the limited VIN range, indicating this issue may be much more widespread than Kia is acknowledging. It is unacceptable that a potentially fatal defect is being selectively addressed, especially when the manufacturer is aware of the problem. How many more incidents or near-accidents need to occur before a full recall is issued? This is not just a matter of inconvenience—it's a critical safety issue. The fact that Kia has already acknowledged the defect by issuing a product improvement campaign proves the problem exists. It is the responsibility of both the manufacturer and its dealerships to protect consumers by ensuring that all affected vehicles are repaired, not just those within an arbitrarily limited VIN range. I urge the NHTSA to investigate this matter further. Thank you.

My engine recently sustained damage. Although my vehicle’s VIN is listed in the affected recall range, I never received any safety recall notification. I purchased the car in January 2024 while the KSDS recall was still active, yet no one informed me of the recall at the time of sale and I have received no updates since.

The contact owns a 2023 Kia Forte. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle was able to be restarted. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the transmission. The contact was informed that the transmission needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 25,000.

I have a 2016 KIA Optima SX Turbo with 33,500 miles that the windows one by one are failing due to a defective regulator drum gear. This very flimsy gear fails and the window will not roll up. I have had 3 out of 4 fail in the last month. The only way to keep the window up is to shimmy them. This creates a huge safety risk in the event of an accident and also can impact the collision safety system including airbags. KIA is aware of this situation as outlined in their Technical Service Bulletin dated March 2021. I believe it's bulletin MC-10189544-0011. I've contacted the dealer who doesn't think there is a recall on this issue. This issue creates a safety issue that after only 33,500 miles should not exist.

CLEAR COAT PAINT IS PEELING. ON TOP OF HATCHBACK. I DON'T KNOW WHEN IT STARTED, I JUST NOTICED IT TODAY 9-29-25. iT IS AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION UPON REQUEST. NO WARNING MESSAGE PRIOR TO THE PROBLEM. I WENT TO DEALER AND THEY SAID THE PAINT WARRANTY EXPIRED IN 1922 AND THERE ARE NO RECALLS AND NOT EXTENDED WARRANTIES FOR THIS AND KIA HAS NO RESPONSIBILITY THAT'S WHY THEY ONLY GIVE A 3 YEAR, 36,000 MILE WARRANTY ON PAINT.

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Rio. The contact stated that while inspecting the vehicle, it was discovered that there was no oil on the dipstick. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. An oil consumption test was performed; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 50,000.

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power and was shaking and vibrating abnormally. The vehicle was towed to the local mechanic who discovered metal shavings in the engine oil. The vehicle was later towed to the local dealer who confirmed that the piston rings had failed and informed the contact that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was offered. The failure mileage was 55,445.