KIA Complaints

While driving at about 70 MPH the right rear tire locked up temporarily causing loss of control of the vehicle. Luckily there were not other cars around as the car was in 3 lanes prior to coming to a complete stop. If this happened in traffic it could have caused a significant accident. There were no warning lamps on dash before or after the incident. After inspecting vehicle on side of road I could not see any issues. Drove about 15 yards and heard a grinding noise. Vehicle was towed to dealership. Dealership has inspected vehicle and advised it was caused by a failed awd coupler. The repair will be covered by warranty.

In July of 2024 (when the vehicle was a year old) our 2023 KIA Telluride was diagnosed with a faulty 4WD Coupler. We were told to go home with it (320 mile round trip) and return to have it repaired in August. We dropped it off on Aug 5th. On Aug 14th we were told that the new coupler was either faulty from the factory or failed immediately on their test drive. Again we were told to go home with the faulty 4WD Coupler and return in September to replace it again. We traveled back to KIA service Sep 10th and had another new coupler installed. The 4WD Coupler failed again in the early Summer of 2025. On July 9th we dropped the vehicle off for repair. On the 24th we traveled back to pick it up after they had installed the fourth 4WD Coupler this vehicle has had. I have negotiated with KIA Customer Care for a couple months now asking for a replacement vehicle since they are unable to find the underlying cause of these drivetrain failures. They have offered me a $2,199.99 compensation check if I would sign an agreement releasing them from any liability concerning this issue, as well as any other issue that might ever arise with this vehicle. I would also be forbidden to publicize this problem or reveal the settlement details. I am disinclined to accept it. The 4WD coupler is an important component in this vehicle's drivetrain. It is important in safe handling and control. KIA service has sent us on the long round trip home and back again knowing we were driving with a faulty drivetrain component. Judging for some online posts, this problem does not appear to be uncommon. It is reasonable to expect this issue to continue. KIA's plan seems to be to just get me past my warranty period (only about 8,000 more miles) and then any repair costs will be mine. The current and future safety issues obviously are of no concern to them. I currently have no good options. I don't like the idea of selling a vehicle with known safety issues. The repair history will show it to be a "Limon"

KIA K4 WITH 500 MILES ON IT. EXPERIENCED POPPING NOISE FROM THE WINDSHIELD AS IF A STONE HIT THE WINDSHIELD WHEN CAR WAS NOT IN MOTION. SEEMS TO HAPPEN WHEN THE AC IS ON AND THE SUN IS HITTING THE WINDSHIELD. I HAVE AT LEAST 8 SMALL CHIPS IN THE WINDSHIELD AS A RESULT. I HAVE NOT DRIVEN ANYWHERE THAT HAS AN ABUNDANCE OF ROCKS THAT COULD HAVE CAUSED THIS DAMAGE. IT'S HAPPENED TWICE AT THE SAME EXACT RED LIGHT AT THE SAME TIME OF DAY. I DID REPORT TO KIA CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THEY ASSIGNED A CASE #25559045. THE INSTRUCTED ME TO TAKE IT TO MY DEALER SERVICE DEPT SO THEY CAN SEE THE ISSUES AND HEAR THE NOISE.

The contact owns a 2023 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and failed to accelerate as intended. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and restarted. However, the failure reoccurred on five separate occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 27,776.

The engine in my 2015 Kia Optima Hybrid failed due to a known defect with the 2.4L engine used in Kia and Hyundai vehicles. The vehicle suddenly quit running and has been inoperable since. Prior to failure, the car had exhibited knocking noises and loss of power. This placed my safety at risk as the vehicle stalled unexpectedly and could have caused an accident if it occurred in traffic. The failure has been confirmed by an independent mechanic, who diagnosed the engine as needing complete replacement. Kia has refused to cover the repair, stating that the vehicle is past the extended warranty mileage, even though the issue is consistent with widely reported manufacturing defects on this engine family. The engine is still available for inspection, and there were no warning lights before the sudden failure. This problem has been widely reported by other Kia owners but my vehicle’s VIN is not included in the current recall campaign, leaving me with a non-functional vehicle despite the same defect.

While driving on September 15, 2025, the vehicle displayed a loud beeping and the warning message “Check Hybrid System. Stop Safely.” The vehicle restarted about an hour later, but the combustion engine ran very rough. The Kia dealer inspected it but reported no stored error codes. On September 23, 2025, the vehicle suddenly lost power while driving. It appeared to operate only on electric at low speed, then died completely in the roadway. The vehicle would not power down until the start/stop button was held. It required a tow back to the dealer. Prior to the first incident, a faint electrical smoldering odor was present. The vehicle remains at the Kia dealer for evaluation. This is a serious safety concern because the vehicle experienced sudden loss of motive power and stalling in traffic, which put both myself and others at risk. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Steering column is broken and keeps falling. Hard to replace entire steering column. While driving the entire steering wheel will fall into lap, makes the car nearly un-drivable. I have fixed before but the entire part is now failing and is extremely dangerous.

The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while his son was driving at 60 MPH, the instrument panel was entirely illuminated, and he pulled over. There was smoke inside the cabin. The occupants were able to exit the vehicle. An independent mechanic opened the hood and noticed a fire. They were able to extinguish the fire. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed that the drive belt had failed and had broken. There was friction from the drive belt, which caused the fire. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, who opened a claim. The manufacturer had called the contact, but no further assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 114,000.

I leased my 2020 Kia Sportage LX in August 2019 and purchased the Vehicle after the lease. In April 2025, the Vehicle started emitting a strong gas smell after filling. Often, the pump would stop short around 8-10 gals instead of the usual 13-14 gals. I attributed both to perhaps cheap gas and faulty pumps. On September 23, 2025, I went to the dealership to check the gas odor and possible gas leakage and ticking engine noise. I ended up having to replace the entire fuel tank. The car is now 6 years old and, of course, out of its 5-year warranty. The report indicates that the leak was from the top of the tank and in the cabin; therefore, nothing was caused by normal wear or damage. Upon searching, I found that in January of 2019, previous years were recalled to replace the fuel tank due to similar issues (Gas Tank Recall # SC172). Some of these models had recalls for the KSDS as well, and my vehicle had been recalled and repaired. My concern is that this is my 3rd Kia and 6th car total in life. Never have I had to replace a gas tank. I firmly believe some of these 2020 vehicles were built at the end of 2018 with the same parts in the 2019 recall; however were missed due to recall time and manufacturing rollouts.

My sorento started smelling like gas , inside & outside. Worse when I stop driving. The fuel pump pressure hose (that’s in a compartment under my backseat) is spraying fuel everywhere inside the compartment it in. The safety for myself and my grand sons that are all 2years old (3 of them) is we are inhaling the fumes from it separating steadily out under the seat their car seats are sitting on. I have not taken my vehicle to anyone but my friend after seeing a video of why a guys vehicle smelled like gas No inspection has been done by anyone I’m not even sure what steps I need to take or what to do now. There were NO messages, lights, etc., that flashed or popped up on my message center. It just all of a sudden one day started smelling like gasoline in my car. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)