KIA Complaints

There is a defect in the passenger seat belt buckles, its extremely hard to get it to fasten and it doesn't properly lock, you have to consistently put the buckle in to get it to lock and sometimes it may just unbuckle without touching it.

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The defects involve multiple electronic control systems, including steering, braking, and airbag modules, which continue to generate active and stored Diagnostic Trouble Codes (DTCs) even after the May 2, 2023 recall repair. The vehicle remains in our possession and is available for inspection upon request. 2. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Because the vehicle fails to illuminate dashboard warnings, we were unaware of critical malfunctions occurring in real time while driving. This creates the risk of sudden failure in steering, braking, or airbag deployment, directly endangering both occupants and the public. 3. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Yes. Independent diagnostic scans repeatedly confirmed active and stored DTCs following the recall repair. These findings show the defects are reproducible and ongoing. 4. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or others? The vehicle was inspected by Kia’s authorized dealer, Spradley Motors in Pueblo, CO, for the recall repair. Since then, diagnostic evaluations have been performed by independent service providers. Documentation of these inspections is attached. 5. Were there any warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? No dashboard warning lamps illuminated, even though faults were recorded internally by the vehicle’s control modules. The absence of warnings despite active codes is itself the central safety issue. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact's son owned a 2012 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked in the driveway, the contact's daughter-in-law looked through the glass door of the residence and noticed that the vehicle had caught on fire. The contact stated that the fire started from underneath the hood. The contact stated that the entire vehicle had burned significantly. The fire was extinguished by fire department, and the fire department filed a report. The contact stated that he resided in a lot for RVs converted into permanent residences. The contact stated that the contact's residence and a neighbor's residence sustained heat damage from the vehicle fire, and the side of the contact's residence melted. The contact's deck also caught on fire, and the fire was extinguished by fire department. The vehicle was totaled. The vehicle remained at the residence. There was no injury sustained. A police report was filed but the police report information was not available. The dealer was not contacted. The contact became aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652(Service Brakes, Hydraulic), which the contact related to the failure. The contact stated that the recall notice had not been received. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2014 Kia Soul. The contact discovered a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a private sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 92,000. It was later discovered that the mileage on the Title was 200,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at the dealer for routine maintenance, the mechanic detected a knocking sound coming from the engine, and the vehicle was diagnosed with engine rod bearing and camshaft failures. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 103,000.

There is water filtration in the upper stop lamp. This happens while driving under heavy raining conditions.

On August 22nd 2025 my daughter was driving this vehicle and was in a car accident and her front air bags did not deploy. Her passenger side airbags deployed with no passenger but nothing in the front and it was a front collision. Upon receipt of the Paperwork from Copart we learned there was an active recall from 2018 for the front airbags possibly not deploying and resulting in injury during a collision, which is what happened. Her knee and ribs were injured from hitting the steering wheel. The car was declared a total loss from insurance.

I was driving today and upon braking trying to come to a four way stop, the brake pedal went to the floor with no stopping. My vehicle went through the 4 way stop endangering me and my passengers. The piston blew out where all fluid leaked over the place. This is dangerous.

I had a diagnostic appointment on 9/8/25 for my 2025 Kia K4 due to a popping noise on the windshield that happens when the weather is hot/sun on windshield. Once the diagnostic was complete, the recommendation from the dealer was to replace the windshield since it was not factory. The dealer did hear the noise during the diagnostic. I purchased the vehicle Jan 2025 and I start hearing the popping noise in June 2025 (factory windshield #1). In August 2025, the windshield was replaced by a company due to what I assumed was a rock hitting my windshield that cause a crack that grew rapidly (windshield #2). The noise continued. My diagnostic results recommended replacing the windshield again. The windshield was replaced again in Sep 2025 (windshield #3). The windshield is still making the same popping noise when out in the sun. From what I've read, this is an ongoing issue with the 2025 Kia K4 vehicles regarding a possible plastic dashboard trim contracting and expanding in the new K4 vehicles.

Vehicle: 2019 Kia Sorento (VIN: [XXX] at Incident: 171,800 Description of Incident: On Sunday, August 31, 2025, at approximately 12:30 PM, my 2019 Kia Sorento experienced a sudden and catastrophic engine failure while in motion. I was driving with my two children at approximately 60 mph on Highway 111, a major highway in Palm Springs, CA. Without any warning whatsoever, no dashboard lights, sounds, or symptoms, the engine failed and the vehicle immediately lost all power. The gas pedal became completely unresponsive, and I was left to coast from highway speeds down to a natural stop. My safety and the safety of my children were severely at risk. Being in a vehicle that is unable to accelerate or even maintain speed on a major highway creates an immediate and extreme hazard for being rear-ended by other traffic moving at 60+ mph. We were a vulnerable, slow-moving obstacle with no ability to power ourselves out of a dangerous situation. The vehicle was towed to the Palm Springs Kia dealership in Cathedral City, California, where it was inspected by their service department. A certified Kia technician confirmed the cause of failure was a cracked engine valve, requiring a full engine replacement. I am the original owner of this vehicle and have a complete and documented history of performing all scheduled maintenance. This incident represents a severe safety defect, as a sudden loss of motive power in traffic places the vehicle occupants and surrounding drivers at high risk of a serious collision. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6) INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)