KIA Complaints

The paint of my white Kia Soul 2016 has been peeling on the cars hood, roof, doors. It gets worst every day. I checked for paint recalls but there is no recall at this time.

There was a knocking sound, so I pulled over and smoke started coming from underneath the hood of the vehicle. There was a fire and the car was later deemed a total loss.

I was driving and the vehicle shut off. All electric still on lights, radio, dash, etc. No issues or noises indicating that the engine was having faliure. Did not overheat, had oil and gas. Just bought car used 6 months ago with 140k miles. Had it towed to Mechanic and was told the engine was locked. Engine repair is my only option that is going to cost 5-8k. Vehicle has been maintained regularly with only one previous owner and no major repairs ever needed to be done.

Driving home from an oil change. All of a sudden all power was lost. Luckily a wide spot in the road was right there. Car would not start back up. Checked oil- it was good. Had car trailered to a mechanic. He took off oil filter and cut it in half- was full of metal shavings. Said needs new engine. We trailered the car back home, where it currently sits. If the wide spot in the road wasn’t there, they’re likely would have been an accident being this was right on a sharp corner.

My cars bulbs have been blowing on a regular basis for two years..some of the bulb connections are catching fire and exploding .Ive changed on numerous occasions but doesn’t matter even with new fittings…obviously an electric problem

the air bag light is on, the cruise control stop working around the same time, the light came on.

am the owner of a 2024 Kia Telluride, VIN [XXX] . This is the 2nd Telluride we have and total 3rd Kia we have. I am writing to formally report a design defect in the rear seatbelt system that poses a serious child passenger safety hazard. In the second row, where my child’s car seat is installed, the seatbelt buckle is positioned extremely low and close to the seat base. This placement makes it nearly impossible for a child to buckle themselves in and causes delays in securing them quickly. In emergency situations, this design could also prevent a child from unbuckling themselves promptly, creating a serious risk if rapid evacuation is needed. Both in everyday use and urgent scenarios, this flaw can lead to improper restraint or dangerous delays in ensuring a child’s safety. I called Kia Consumer Affairs on Tuesday August, 12th 2025 Case # [XXX] and was told there were no available solutions or suggestions. I am not satisfied with this response, as this is not a matter of convenience but of safety compliance and proper usability for child passengers. As a loyal Kia customer, I expected a resolution or at the very least a clear commitment to investigate this issue. I am requesting that Kia: Document this as an official safety complaint. Inform me if there are any existing Technical Service Bulletins, engineering reviews, or pending design changes related to this issue. Provide an explanation of how Kia intends to address this safety concern for current and future Telluride owners and particularly to me as I have a 2 year lease. I am also submitting this report to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) so it is on record for investigation. Photos and video of the defect can be provided upon request. Thank you for your prompt attention to this serious safety matter. Sincerely, INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the piston oil rings, resulting in damage to the engine. The contact was informed that a piston was missing and that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); but the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 130,000.

Fixed glass panel between the windshield and sunroof spontaneously shattered. There was no impact, debris, or outside force involved. The break occurred with a perfectly straight fracture line, which is characteristic of a manufacture defect stress-related failure rather than an external object strike.

The fuel tank in my 2023 Kia K5 LXS expanded and bent the subframe. This is a known problem with K5's with the 1.5L turbo engine. Kia had an emissions campaign for this problem affecting 2021 to 2024 models. My VIN isn't in that campaign, but it had the same problem. Given the fuel tank expansion and bent subframe, my car is no longer safe to drive and has been sitting at the dealership. I was told that with the fuel tank expansion a plate could pop open and create a fire or explosion. This also caused a significant loss of power, making the car untenable to operate. Kia's Techline reviewed the findings from the dealership service department (Campbell Kia Missoula), but closed the case without offering a repair and escalated it to another department (Consumer Affairs?), where it remains unresolved after two weeks. Kia is failing to resolve the issue in the form of either a repair or a buyback and keeps dragging the case out with virtually no contact or updates. Please help. This needs resolved ASAP.