KIA Complaints

My 2018 Kia Optima has a cracked oil pan, which caused an excessive oil leak —up to 5 quarts in a matter of hours. This eventually led to my engine going out.

The contact owned a 2014 Kia Optima. The contact stated that after her daughter had parked the vehicle and shut off the engine, a fire had started under the hood as she exited. No warning lights illuminated. There was no odor or strange sound during the failure. The local fire department had arrived on scene to extinguish the fire. The local fire department deemed that the cause of the fire was started with the HECU. It was unknown if a Police report was filed. The vehicle was left at the contact's relative's residence, where it remains for further investigation. The vehicle was deemed a total loss since it was consumed by the fire. No injuries were sustained. No medical attention was sought. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 185,000.

The contact owns a 2025 Kia Carnival. The contact stated that on several occasions the vehicle failed to start due to the 24-Volt battery failure. The vehicle was jump-started and operated normally, but the failure reoccurred. Additionally, the contact indicated that the emergency key failed to open the doors of the vehicle after the battery malfunction. A locksmith was called to the scene to open the doors. The cause of the failures was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failures. The failure mileage was 600.

While driving and/or starting the car, the power steering will go out, along with all safety lights/messages on dash, including check power steering, check forward collision sensor, check AWD, check blind spot sensor, check parking sensor, etc. Only sometimes will turning the car on and off reset the sensor. Other times the car will start and all lights will illuminate and the power steering will not work. Happens intermittently, including while driving. Dealer and mfr have been unable to fix the issue due to the randomness. Additionally they have been able to see the lights malfunction, but the first attempt at repair did not address the issue. Car continues to lose power steering intermittently. Car is inoperable without power steering given the weight.

On [XXX] the vehicle randomly went into limp mode. Wouldn't restart until it was jumped. Previous to this, the vehicle had already done this twice before. Exact dates unknown. On [XXX], the vehicle went into system check while I was driving it on 3 different occasions. The car shuts down by itself. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I was driving my Kia EV6 2023 on I-110 in California when the driver rear tire suffered an instantaneous deflation. I was driving at or slightly below the 65mph speed limit, there was traffic in front and to the rear of me, the road surface was excellent. The tires had 11556 miles of use and were operating at the correct pressures as the vehicle has a tire monitoring system. The ambient air temperature was circa 76F. I was able to exit the freeway with some difficulty. The tire was a Continental Cross Contact 255-45 R20. I have been driving for nearly 60 years, had a wide range of cars and tires and never experienced an incident like that described which has all the indications of a product defect.

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while accelerating from a complete stop, the vehicle shuddered, and there was an abnormal rumbling and clunking sound coming from the engine. The contact had received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), and the vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the piston-ring noise sensing system (PNSS) software was installed; however, the failure recurred and progressively worsened. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle stalled. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road and restart the vehicle. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that the failure persisted, and the vehicle could not be restarted. Additionally, the vehicle experienced excessive oil consumption. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the starter was replaced; however, the vehicle was not repaired. The dealer diagnosed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact related the failure to the recall, but the dealer informed the contact that the repair could not be covered under the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure several times, but no assistance was provided. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 30,000.

On August 23, 2025, I purchased a certified pre-owned Kia Carnival. Within hours, the vehicle had a severe fuel leak that produced a strong gasoline odor. Driving it made me sick, and I feared for the safety of my three children in the vehicle. A Kia technician later confirmed a crossover fuel line leak so severe that he became ill while inspecting it and feared the vehicle could explode. Even after repair, the gas odor persisted. This vehicle was sold to me in unsafe condition, and I believe this may represent a larger safety issue that needs investigation.

My torque converter is failing on my 2020 Kia Telluride. This is a known issue among other owners of this model year, and I believe Kia knows about it and is refusing to acknowledge because of how expensive it is.

the vehicle failed the fuel tank Inspection recall.I have a tech line case open :Case number 25408405 . It has been 46 days since the vehicle has been at the dealership waiting for information from Kia USA . I have been still told to pay for car note that I am financing through Kia itself as well as rental because the dealership doesn’t have any loaners .