KIA Complaints

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request?- MY CAR IS BURNING OIL AT A RATE OF AT LEAST 1 QT PER 1K MILES How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk?- DRIVING A CAR WITH INSUFFICIENT OIL COULD LEAD TO ENGINE FAILURE OR FIRE. I DRIVE MY [XXX] DAUGHTER AS WELL AS MYSELF AND FAMILY IN THAT CAR ON A DAILY BASIS. THE CAR COULD LEAVE ME STRANDED OR CAUSE A FIRE. I AM AFRAID TO DRIVE IT AND THEREFORE HAVE NOT DRIVEN IT. I AM CURRENTLY WITHOUT TRANSPORTATION DUE TO THIS ISSUE. I WILL NOT RISK MY FAMILYS SAFTEY. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center?- YES THIS IS A KNOWN ISSUE BY KIA AND MANY VECHILES WITH THE SAME MAKE AND MODEL HAVE BEEN RECALLED. 2 INDEPENDANT SERVICE CENTERS HAVE CONFIRMED MY CAR IS BURNING OIL AND IT IS UNSAFE. KIA HAS ALSO CONFIRMED IT IS BURNING OIL. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? -YES KIA PERFORMED AN INITAL OIL CONSUMPTUPN TEST WHICH IT FAILED, BUT REFUSE TO DO ADDITIONAL TESTS/REPAIRS DO TO SERVICE RECORD DOCUMENTATION. I AM STILL WITHIN MY 10Y/100K WARRANTY BUT THEY WILL NOT COVER IT. IT IS A DEFECTIVE ENGINE AND IS A MANUFACTURER DEFECT NOT USER ERROR Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear- THE OIL LIGHT WENT OFF THE FIRST TIME IN DEC 2024 AND I IMMEDIATELY TOOK IT TO SHELL STATION. THIS WAS BEFORE I WAS DUE FOR AN OIL CHANGE. THEY TOLD ME I HAD NO OIL. IN FEB 2025 I GOT ANOTHER OIL CHANGE AT VALVOLINE AND WAS TOLD THE SAME THING. KIA CONFIRMED THE OIL CONSUMPTION IN APRIL 2025 INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I was driving home at night around 8pm. I was merging into the slow lane and my car completely lost power. A semi truck was right behind me. Luckily I was able to get over to the emergency lane safely. My car had no acceleration at all or any control of the steering. Prior to this incident there was no problem or warnings of any lights on dash or car having problems. It’s a daily driver for me to work. It’s never gave me any problems prior to this. I’ve had the routine maintenance done on along with the recommended mileage maintenance done. It’s been over a month now and my car still won’t start I haven’t had time to get it towed to a dealer ship or repair shop because I work 17 hour days. Everything I’ve researched about my make and model is starting to indicate that the engine seized up. I really hope that’s now the case because my car will be paid off in 3months. It has 165k miles on it I need help on weather the engine is part of a recall.

The entire car failed as it caught fire. I wasn't able to break or put the car into park and it rolled to a stop while smoke was coming through the vents. Because of this, my passenger and I exited the vehicle and crossed the expressway while a highway patroller was directing traffic away from the car. Within 2 minutes the car was engulfed in flames. The car is not available for inspection as it was towed away and disposed of. The safety of myself and the passenger were at risk because the entire car broke out in flames and soon exploded. If we stayed in the car for any longer than we did, we would have died. UNKOWN. I do not believe that the vehicle has been inspected. The warning lights all turned on at exactly the same time, about 3-5 seconds before the car completely stopped.

The contact owns a 2016 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that after coming to a complete stop, the brake pedal was released, and the "check oil" warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The failure persisted, and the contact took the vehicle to the dealer. The dealer diagnosed that the spark plugs, and the piston rings had failed. The contact was informed by the dealer to add oil every 1,500 miles driven. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that since the piston rings and the engine had failed, NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V907000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE, ENGINE) would not apply. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Soul. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V259000 (Engine); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect.

The contact owns a 2015 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that on various occasions while driving at night, the front low-beam headlights failed to properly illuminate and was very dim. The headlight bulbs had been replaced approximately four times, but the failure returned after replacing the bulbs. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was 120,000.

In order to complete the Recall SC176 on my vehicle, I am required to submit comprehensive maintenance records. Since purchasing the car used in 2019, all routine maintenance—excluding tires and brakes—has been performed by the original selling dealership. However, that dealership is unable to provide the necessary documentation. As a result, the Kia dealership handling the recall is refusing to perform the required repairs, citing court-ordered terms that mandate maintenance record verification. Despite extensive discussions with Kia, there appears to be no alternative path forward without these records. This situation leaves me with two unacceptable options: continue driving a vehicle with a potentially hazardous, unrepaired engine, or reduce my household to a single vehicle—an outcome that would create significant hardship for my family. Additionally, because we are currently enrolled in a debt consolidation program, taking out any form of loan to replace this vehicle is not permitted. The lack of access to critical maintenance records, through no fault of my own, is now preventing the fulfillment of a safety recall and placing my family at risk. I am requesting immediate assistance in resolving this issue so that the recall repairs can proceed without further delay.

My sunroof exploded on my vehicle. I had no idea that this is something that can happen but saw that there was a class action lawsuit about this back in 2011. My sunroof had a giant hole in the middle out of nowhere.

The contact owns a 2015 Kia K900. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the headlights flickered intermittently and turned off occasionally without warning. The headlights eventually resumed normal operation while the contact continued driving. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the vehicle was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 16V210000 (Exterior Lighting). The dealer was also notified of the failure and the contact was provided the same information as the manufacturer provided. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

The steering is sticky. When on the highway you have to keep correcting the steering because the wheel seems to be sticking then moving. As a result you can not just go straight down the road but have to keep putting in steering corrections!!!!! This needs to be addressed! This is an ongoing problem , not just on one date.