KIA Complaints

On Saturday the 18th of July, the car was fine, on Sunday 07/19/2026 got ready to take car to regular scheduled oil change and it was making a blown engine noise, the rod had failed, Safety issues where the people at oil change could have had a rod thrown out the bottom of the engine, or my car could have failed in the middle of the road causing an accident. No warning signs, no limp mode, no engine light, no noted metal in oil on previous oil changes. Inspected at Kia, does not meet any recall warranties, however service manager at West Hills Kia stated this is in an internal engine failure and should not have happened with our service records and care of vehicle.

The contact owns a 2015 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. During the failure, several unknown warning lights flashed on the instrument panel and there was smoke coming from under the hood of the vehicle. The contact exited the vehicle, and there were flames coming from underneath the hood. The Fire Department was called to the scene and extinguished the flames. During the failure, the vehicle was destroyed. A Police report was filed, and the vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The contact stated that the original engine was previously replaced by the local dealer due to a previous recall. No further information was available. The failure mileage was 140,000.

The contact owns a 2021 Kia K5. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH, the fuel gauge suddenly went from one-half tank to empty. The fuel level displayed 120 miles to empty. The contact attempted to refuel the vehicle but was unable to add fuel to the tank. The contact also stated that the oil warning light and the TPMS warning light was illuminated. The contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V794000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 119,185.

The first time the collision warning lights and sounds came on when I was parked but had my engine on in the morning of 7/21/2026. The second time was when I was merging on a busy highway with cars going 65+mph... There were no cars around me, but the collision warning said crash, the sounds came on, and my brakes went into effect. I pulled off the road, and now I am terrified to drive my car. I called KIA and told them this. They sent out a tow. They had my car and told me that the computer on my car did not register any issues for both times this happened. Someone is taking my car home tonight and going on the same highway to see if it happens again.

The camber bolts in front struts moved from original location causing uneven tire wear and steering issues. When replacing tires mechanic showed me marks where bolts were originally and where they are now. Mechanic said he has seen multiple of same vehicles with the same issue. Mechanic said most likely poor roads and improperly torque of bolts is causing the issue with this make and model. Caught issue just in time tires were down to threads and wouldn't of lasted much longer. A blowout on a front steer tire would most likely cause an accident or rollover.

I was getting into my car when I noticed that it was full of smoke, I then opened my hood and trunk. My trunk was on fire from a wire that had came down. I was only about to pull it out and put it out. Insurance said it will most likely be deemed a total loss.

I am filing this complaint regarding Kia America’s handling of a safety recall and repurchase of my 2023 Kia K5 GT-Line (VIN: [XXX]. I purchased this vehicle used on XXX, and financed it through Capital One. After taking my vehicle to an authorized Kia dealership for the fuel tank valve safety recall, I was informed that my vehicle was unsafe to drive and could not be repaired. The dealership advised me that Kia would be repurchasing the vehicle. Kia has offered to buy back the vehicle, but the settlement being offered does not appear fair under the circumstances. Although Kia has determined that my vehicle is unsafe and unrepairable due to a manufacturer safety defect, I have only been provided with 15 days of rental vehicle coverage while Kia’s own repurchase letter states that the process may take 60 to 90 days to complete. This could leave me without transportation through no fault of my own. Additionally, Kia has refused to reimburse my $4,000 down payment or provide any additional compensation related to the loss of use of my vehicle. Their offer also includes a substantial mileage deduction under certain options, despite the fact that this repurchase is the result of a manufacturer safety defect rather than a voluntary sale or trade-in. I requested written clarification regarding my settlement options, rental coverage, loan payoff, and reimbursement of my expenses. Rather than answering my questions, Kia responded only that the offer was “firm” and compliant with Florida law, without addressing the specific concerns I raised. I am requesting that this matter be reviewed to determine whether Kia is handling this safety recall and repurchase fairly and whether consumers whose vehicles are deemed unsafe and unrepairable should receive adequate transportation assistance and fair compensation while waiting for the manufacturer to complete the repurchase process. I respectfully request assistance in reviewing Kia America’s handling this case. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA

I am filing an official safety complaint regarding an ongoing failure by Kia America and its dealership network to safely execute six simultaneous safety recalls and service campaigns on my 2014 Kia Soul (VIN: [XXX]).My vehicle was driven to the dealership in fully functional, running condition. The dealership performed consecutive software flashes (SC229 and PI2002A) alongside major physical dismantling of the steering rack and drivetrain assemblies (SC155, SC155A, and SC144), and engine management modifications (SC176). Upon pickup on XXX, my car began stalling directly on the lot. The dealership verbally dismissed this severe mechanical issue as a bad set of spark plugs.I personally purchased and installed brand-new spark plugs to isolate the issue. On XXX, within 10 miles of driving with the new plugs, the vehicle suffered a catastrophic power loss while driving on a public road, creating an immediate highway hazard. The vehicle will now start but stalls instantly when put into Drive, indicating a massive system conflict or physical grounding/wiring damage caused during the execution of these simultaneous recalls. Brand-new spark plugs did not resolve the issue, proving the dealer's verbal diagnosis was an attempt to dodge accountability. Kia Corporate has explicitly refused to authorize or fund a tow for an inoperable vehicle ruined directly by their own recall remedies. I request an immediate federal investigation into the execution and failure of these combined campaigns on my vehicle. As of XXX, the vehicle remains entirely disabled at my residence. Kia Corporate was contacted and explicitly refused to provide or cover a flatbed tow back to an authorized repair facility, stating only that they would 'see what they could do' if the consumer absorbs the transport costs for their defective recall execution. Thank you- [XXX] & [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

7/20/26 My 17 year old daughter was on the way to work and heard a loud noise like an explosion in her car. She, new to driving, scared and in a panic just assumed this was a blowout on a tire and pulled over to check the tires. All tires were clear so she proceeded to work cautiously, on her way home she noticed her check engine light had come on and noticed there was some road noise coming from the back. She then called me, note this is the first I heard of the situation. While on the phone with her I pulled up the CarFax to check when it had last been maintenanced, while doing that I saw for the first time TWO RECALLS on this car we had just purchased 3 months ago! By this time she was home and I instructed her to get out of the car while I Immediately called our local Kia dealership to schedule an appt to have the two recalls fixed (7/20/26 at 4:38pm). I gave the make and model to the service department and they informed me they couldn’t see me till Wed July 29th,at 8:00 am. When my husband and I further assessed the car after we got home we found that an explosion had occurred around her fuel tank, which was full at the time of the incident! The fuel tank expanded enough to completely rupture and detach her entire backseat! This incident was due to a recall replacing a valve on the fuel tank that was not conducted on the car from prior owners nor communication to the new owners (ME) upon my purchase of the vehicle. This could have been catastrophic to my daughter and anyone else in the vehicle had she kept driving the car and could have very easily been engulfed with flames and loss of life especially with a full tank of gas. The car has been towed to the local Kia dealership and leaked gas all in our driveway as it sat there. We are still awaiting response from Kia on our case it has been over 48 hours now and we have received no communication from them. KIA NEEDS TO DEEM THIS RECALL AS POSSIBLY FATAL AND ACT IMMEDIATELY TO SAVE LIVES!

The contact owns a 2021 Kia K5. The contact stated that there were failures with the spark plugs. While driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle shuddered, and the engine sputtered. The contact stated that fuel spewed out of the filler neck while refueling the vehicle, and the fuel gauge incorrectly indicated that the fuel tank was empty after refueling. Additionally, there was an abnormal egg and sulfur odor coming from the vehicle with the check engine warning light intermittently illuminated. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a local dealer and inspected under NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V794000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). During the inspection, the seats were damaged. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and was negotiating a buyback. The failure mileage was approximately 120,000.