KIA Complaints

The contact owns a 2025 Kia K4. The contact stated that after driving for approximately 40 minutes at speeds between 55-75 MPH, the TPMS warning light started flashing, with the message "Check Tire Pressure" displayed. The vehicle was taken to the dealer three times. On the first visit, the dealer was unable to duplicate the issue. On the second visit, the dealer diagnosed the vehicle with an electrical system failure and reprogrammed the TPMS; however, the failure persisted. On the third visit, the dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure, and the vehicle remained unrepaired. The manufacturer was informed of the failure and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 800.

1. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The engine misfired due to a broken valve in one of the cylinders. This failure occurred approximately two months after completing the scheduled 100,000-mile service at a Kia dealership. The affected parts (valve, cylinder components) should still be available for inspection by Kia or a third party. 2. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The vehicle suddenly lost power and stalled in the middle of the highway while driving at normal speed. This created a dangerous situation where I could have been struck by oncoming traffic while trying to safely exit the roadway. 3. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? The issue was confirmed by a repair shop, which diagnosed the cause as a misfire due to a broken valve. I have service documentation of the diagnosis available. 4. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives, or others? The vehicle has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer or insurance representatives, but it was inspected by the servicing dealership and/or an independent mechanic who confirmed the valve failure. 5. Were there any warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Prior to the complete failure, the check engine light illuminated and the vehicle began running roughly (misfiring). These symptoms appeared very shortly before the breakdown, giving me no meaningful time to react before the engine stalled.

The contact owns a 2022 Kia K5. The contact stated that while driving at 43 MPH, the vehicle made an abnormally loud booming sound. The contact's daughter, who was occupying a rear seat, screamed out because the rear seats had suddenly risen. The contact pulled over to the side of the road and inspected the vehicle. The check engine and the low fuel warning lights were illuminated. The contact's wife met the contact and picked up the children. The contact stated that upon resuming driving, the vehicle was jerking violently, and the fuel gauge level lowered significantly. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with an EVAP system failure. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and determined that the fuel tank had expanded. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and offered to repurchase the vehicle. The failure mileage was approximately 85,000.

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving at 20 MPH, the contact heard a clicking and banging sound coming from the engine. The contact mentioned that while looking through the front driver's side mirror, she noticed smoke coming from the engine. Several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact pulled over to the right side of the road, turned the vehicle off and then exited the vehicle and opened the hood of the vehicle and noticed flames coming from the engine. No injuries were sustained. No medical attention. The contact dialed 911, but there was no police report filed. The fire chief showed up at the scene and extinguished the fire. The vehicle was not destroyed. The vehicle was towed to a collision center. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and opened a case. The approximate failure mileage was 105,000.

The contact owns a 2022 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact heard an explosion and observed that the moon roof glass had shattered, sending glass down into the interior of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but it had not yet been diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 42,000.

The contact owns a 2024 Kia Niro. The contact stated that while driving in slow traffic, the vehicle accelerated unintentionally and crashed into the rear of another vehicle. The contact stated that while reversing, the failure recurred and the rear end of the vehicle crashed into the front end of another vehicle. The air bags did not deploy. There was no warning light illuminated. None of the vehicle's occupants sustained injuries. No police report was filed. The contact drove to a nearby safe location, and the vehicle was towed to the dealer. The insurance company then towed the vehicle to a tow lot and inspected the vehicle. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a case was filed. The manufacturer informed that the contact engineers would be sent to diagnose the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 13,000.

I now believe I've had a lemon. Since I purchased my car in 2016 they have been trying to diagnose a smell from the exhaust and started replacing parts, this was in Miami. Then for a few years in Vegas the car spent months at the dealership trying to fix a burning oil issue which I've been told there is a known problem with the turbo still isn't fixed. From the first year I had paint peeling on my snow white pearl color which has numerous forums about KIA/Hyundai paint issues especially with my color. I had them repaint the hood which took twice after the bad job the first time. I saw little bumps in the paint which I thought was over-spray from that incident and now I have peeling from one of those spots which is how they form from what i read. My car is 2016 but only has 65k miles. The spot now is getting bigger by the week, the rain isn't helping. there are other spots around the edges and a big spot on the roof and others I've already filled in with a paint pen which looks ugly. If you see my car, inside and out it looks pretty close to new from the way I've taken care of the car. The paint started in August of 2016 but most recently 2025. The engine issues were day one but most recently 2024 they fixed a cylinder that got a hole in it after consuming all the oil and it seems to be headed down that path with the remedy they are offering at KIA. The engine and paint should be convered under a class action lawsuit or recall to hold them accountable and fix the issues.

Paint on the hood is peeling back in two front areas. There may have been chip from road debris, but the loss of paint in excessive, indicating defective adhesion in the paint used by the manufacturer.

The vehicle was being driven southbound on I135, near McPherson, KS, at highway speeds in good weather when the rear panel of the panoramic sunroof glass exploded/shattered for no apparent reason. The interior sunscreen was closed at the time or glass would have potentially fallen on the driver, thus distracting or potentially injuring the driver while traveling at highway speeds. The vehicle has not been inspected by the police as no criminal conduct is believed to have caused the glass to break. The local dealer claims no responsibility and doesn't even complete the repairs - send to a local auto glass repair company, which will inspect the glass when the new glass arrives. This appears to be a material defect or design issue as there have been multiple other Kia owners who have experienced similar sunroof glass failures, including a previous class action suit against Kia Motors for a similar issue.

The contact owns a 2023 Kia Seltos. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was while smoke coming from the exhaust, after which 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. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the engine due to possible poor maintenance, which the contact disputed. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 80,000.