KIA Complaints

Check engine light came on 6months ago the code was P0420 I took it to a Kia dealership they said my catalytic converter was worn out and it would be $1500 to replace it I brought up how there was a recall he told me the vehicle already had the recall taken care of from the previous owner of the vehicle and would not fix it again i have no proof they fixed the recall and if they did it obviously didn’t work now that car don’t drive at all the catalytic converter is clogged I’m still making payments on the car this hell for me having hard time getting to work now with no transportation I need some guidance it’s not fair they can just tell me the previous owner got it fixed and even if they did it didn’t work or they didn’t do it right is there anything I can do?

After working out at my gym, my daughters and I were driving on a side street near at around 35MPH. With no warning, a large POP happened and our passenger sliding door window shattered. Thankfully, nothing but a scratch happened to my [XXX] that was in her car seat closest to the window that shattered. I called our local KIA dealership and my insurance agent and both mentioned that it could be because of the heat we are having in our area. This concerns me because the Carnival is a “MPV” aka family car and this happened without a chip or anything in the glass and terrified both of my girls. I have never heard of a window solely shattering bc of heat. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

on [XXX], the check engine light came on solid. My car is just 2 years old, only has 22K miles, and is currently under warranty, as it is a leased vehicle. According to Auto Zone, it was a "speed sensor". On 7/25/25, I was able to get an appointment with Garvey Kia of Queensbury, NY and the fault code is the "input turbine shaft speed sensor B circuit range for performance". The service technician told me that it is not able to be accessed, as it is internal, and it is not serviceable. My safety and the safety of others were at risk because the car would go "limp" when accelerating, there was harsh and delayed shifting, erratic RPM readings, and no power when accelerating. This inability to accelerate causes problems in traffic and when trying to get through intersections or out of side streets when acceleration is imperative. Yes, the car has been inspected by the Kia dealership. This same exact thing happened on [XXX], in which Destination Kia of Albany had by car for over 4 weeks to replace the transmission. At that time, the car had under 10K miles and was not even a year old. At that time, they put a refurbished transmission into the car. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

Car burns oil excessively. It is an ongoing problem. I also had a kia soul before this that also burned oil excessively

July 5th we were driving heard a loud boom and the car slowed down we pulled over. Then we seen that the seat was lifted up and smelled gas. We had an appointment for Monday July 7 for this recall and wasn’t able to drop off the next on Tuesday July 8. As called that Monday made the dealer aware. Now they been having the car and we are just waiting on the next process. There’s not sure what saying Kia will contact us. I am reaching out to get some type of results. We can’t get a rental car and next week it will be 30 days on the 8th of August. We are looking to resolve this matter with Kia.

We are replacing a second windshield in less than 2 years. Small pebbles start a chip, and the window companies try to fill the chip, but it cracks anyway. In both instances, the crack spanned from one side toward the top and affected my line of sight. The glass companies say they fix a lot of these cars. I'm afraid to go through the car wash with the high speed dryers for fear that the windshields strength is compromised and something can happen. Kind of makes my car wash membership useless...... That's over $2000 for 2 windshields and even then I have no guarantee that it will last. I'm seriously thinking of selling it as soon as I get it fixed. I'll definitely check the newer models to see if they are still having a problem. Maybe they can do us a favor and at least manufacture a better quality window for our next installation?

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V099000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the dealer refused to perform the recall repair. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled while stopped at a traffic light or stop sign. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, several unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact stated that on another occasion, while starting the vehicle, the vehicle vibrated abnormally, and while the brake pedal was depressed, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and an oil change was performed. The mechanic informed the contact that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and was diagnosed with camshaft failure, which caused engine failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the warranty was not covered because the vehicle had not received the oil change at a KIA dealer, and that the oil used was of poor quality. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 40,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

Check engine light came on so I took the car to a mechanic who scanned the vehicle and found diagnostic trouble code P0017 (Crankshaft Position – Camshaft Position Correlation). This code indicates a timing issue that could be related to a timing chain or camshaft sensor malfunction. The car only has 92,000 miles and is less than 10 years old, I bought it pre-owned. I contacted KIA corporate and was told to take the car to a dealership for evaluation, but the dealership refused to inspect the car without a $250 diagnostic fee, stating it was not covered because the vehicle was purchased used. My understanding is that powertrain issues like this should be covered under warranty, and this may relate to existing recalls such as Recall SC336, which concerns engine performance and safety. This could pose a serious safety risk if the engine fails while driving.

My wife got an accident in June 2022 but air bag did not work so I contacted Kia 6/22/2022 sent proof photo but just no good excuse why air bag did not work. It should be recalled for this matter. Defective airbag or sender.

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Soul. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated and the engine overheated. The contact turned off the vehicle and allowed the engine to cool down. The contact performed an inspection under the hood and noticed that the oil pressure was low. The contact drove the vehicle to the nearest gas station and added oil. The contact stated that the check engine warning light then turned off; however, two days later, the failure reoccurred. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of oil and oil needed to be added every two to three days. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The contact stated that in March 2025, the catalytic converter failed and was replaced. The contact stated that due to the failure, the vehicle had been taken to several dealers and independent mechanics for diagnostic testing. The independent mechanic informed the contact that, upon inspecting the spark plugs and the pistons, there was oil residue was visible on the spark plugs and pistons; however, there was no visible indication of an oil leak. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The contact referenced a recall; however, the VIN was not under recall. The failure mileage was approximately 110,000.