KIA Complaints

View complaints related to KIA. The complaints found here are submitted by actual consumers with first hand experience. You can submit your own complaint to the NHTSA or call the Hotline, Monday-Friday 8am to 8pm at (888) 327-4236, TTY: (800) 424-9153.

  • 2023 KIA SELTOS
    - Moorhead, MN

    We first noticed that the car was sputtering and jerking when accelerating at highway speeds. It wasn't consistent at first but continued to get worse over time and at more regular occurrences. White/grey smoke was spotted from the tailpipe whenever the vehicle was accelerating, either from a stop or when "resuming" on the cruise control. We brought the vehicle in to the dealership as the "service engine" light came on and explained what was happening with the car. They told us that there was an "intake valve" that was plugged and need to be replaced and that the on-board computer needed to be updated. We also had some routine maintenance done as well and they sent us on our way. Quickly after getting the car home we noticed that the original problem persisted and actually got worse. We checked the recalls on our car and noticed that there are other recalls on other VINs for the same Make, Model, Year and engine type as our car and the symptoms of those recalls were exactly the same as our symptoms in our car. We returned the vehicle to the dealership and again the "service engine" light had come on. This time they got the code that says something to the effect of "cylinder scoring" and that we needed to have the engine replaced. The recall for the 2.0L Nu engine for 2023 Kia Seltos' that doesn't currently include the VIN for our vehicle is SC336. We had to replace the engine out of our own pocket and would like to see this VIN included in the recall that affects other vehicles of this similar Make, Model, year and engine type.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2023 KIA SOUL
    - San Antonio, TX

    The contact owns a 2023 Kia Soul. The contact stated that the battery discharge and Auto START/STOP warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V531000 (Power Train), for which the dealer replaced the electric oil pump controller as the remedy. After the repair, the cruise control was unintendedly activated. The Lane Keep Assist feature was intermittently activated independently. While refueling, the fuel gauge was half full and took approximately 30-40 minutes before quickly displaying a full tank. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that the recall repair was completed; however, the vehicle was not taken back to the dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and referred the contact back to the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 33,000.

    Source: HOTLINE VEHICLE OWNERS QUESTIONNAIRE
  • 2024 KIA TELLURIDE
    - Niskayuna, NY

    Window trim metal fell apart and plastic molding dislodge without reason, only for 2 years old car.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2011 KIA SORENTO
    - Baltimore, MD

    The engine light comes on and then the wheel lock light will come on and the car will disengage from 4 wheel drive to 2 wheel drive while driving

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2018 KIA OPTIMA
    - Upland, CA

    The oil consumption is burning at a faster rate than normal. My oil changes are always on time but for months I have been having to take it for an oil change about 2,000 miles below mileage time. I have had it inspected but found no oil leaks. This is a major problem for the engine and safety.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2017 KIA SORENTO
    - Tucson, AZ

    I came to this website because it was suggested to me to look for a recall. While there is an active recall with my car, the interesting part to me is the fact that the issues I'm having with my car match a recall for the same model as mine, just a different spec. To me that seems odd, I'd have the same type issues... I was wondering how to get this examined.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2015 KIA OPTIMA
    - Alexandria, VA

    The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at 35 MPH and attempting to accelerate, the vehicle entered LIMP Mode, lost motive power, and was unable to accelerate above 30 MPH. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway to turn off the vehicle; however, the vehicle failed to restart. Several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced, and the repair could not be covered by the manufacturer because the vehicle had not received the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) ECU upgrade (PI2002D) prior to the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was opened. The failure mileage was 58,000.

    Source: HOTLINE VEHICLE OWNERS QUESTIONNAIRE
  • 2024 KIA EV9
    - Riverside, CA

    We were rear ended on the freeway by a vehicle going 75 mph. The impact pushed us into the vehicle in front of us.The airbags were deployed but the front and rear passenger seat belts did not lock. My husband flew forward onto the dashboard and cracked the windshield. My daughter who was behind him flew forward into the back of the passenger seat. They both suffered injuries as a result. The vehicle was deemed a total loss by our insurance company..We have some pictures and video. As of now the vehicle is in the ownership of the insurance company on their storage lot.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2016 KIA SORENTO
    - Damascus, OR

    The intake valve cam Engine Variable Valve Timing (VVT) Sprocket pin wasn't properly seated in the phaser and worked its way out. Additionally, the corresponding hole in the camshaft was machined too deep, allowing the pin to completely depart the phaser and move into the camshaft. This resulted in no control over valve timing and the Bank 2 camshaft over-advancing the intake valves to 63 degrees from standard. This is under-engineering of critical engine parts and poor quality control by Kia. It caused the engine to go into "limp home mode" with a significant reduction in power and a flashing check engine light. Had this happened towing a trailer, or in poor driving conditions, the vehicle may have been difficult to control and put occupants in danger. The pin was found completely inside the camshaft. There seems to be low quality engineering with this manufacturer, as there are many reports of these known problems.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE
  • 2023 KIA SORENTO
    - Los Lunas, NM

    While I was driving on an interstate road(with no vehicles around) the sun roof of my 2023 Kia Sorento exploded and the glass completely shattered and caused pieces of the broken glass to fly off. Thankfully I had the visor up so none of the glass fell onto me, otherwise myself and my two kids (3 year old and 6 month old) could have gotten seriously injured. With nearly 80% of the glass sunroof panel above the driver area popping off, that much glass falling onto me could have caused a serious distraction and caused me to run into another vehicle or lose control of the vehicle. At the time the sunroof shattered, there was nobody on the road or any external debris that could have caused the sunroof to shatter like that. I suddenly head a loud explosion that sounded almost like a shotgun being shot and was instantly startled, and when I realized we were all okay in the vehicle I heard the sound of glass sliding off the roof of my Sorento. I then began to see chunks of glass falling on the road behind me which posed as a risk to other vehicles that were behind me and caused other drivers to swerve to avoid being hit by the glass. Since this has happened, I have contacted Kia and taken it in to my local service department. The service manager (when he inspected the sunroof) stated the glass is tempered glass and should not explode when cracked or shattered. Other reports of this exact issue is prevalent online and poses a great risk to consumers, families, and other drivers on the road.

    Source: NHTSA WEB SITE