KIA Complaints

In the last year I have had to replace my headlight bulbs at least 3 times on each side. My yearly mileage is only around 9,000-10,500. The body shop has tried different brands of bulbs, tried not having the automatic light setting on and only turning on when needed, etc. Nothing seems to correct the issue and once I had them both go out within the same week. They go out so frequently that the shop has an extra set on hand now for when I call. I'm worried if I don't notice one out because I don't drive at night every day that I'll be without either headlight until I can get into the body shop yet again to have changed out.

The windshield wipers could not complete full return to starting position due to wet snow. This caused a shuddering noise as the mechanism driving the wipers continued to try to complete its motion. Then an electrical burning smell emanated through the car.

Vehicles battery has somehow malfunctioned and will charge to 100% but only has ~40 miles of range. This lead to my family being almost stranded in the middle of the night without range to get home with the un expected decrease. Vehicle is currently still at the dealership and has been there for over a month. They believe they have identified a problem with the battery pack but have to send out a specialist to look at it and have been waiting for that person for over three weeks and there is still no one assigned

Starting on Feb 22, 2025, we observed that our Kia EV9 had dramatically reduced range. Normally, when charging was complete the dashboard would show well over 250 miles of range, even in cold weather. On Feb 22nd we started to see the range had dropped to around 60 miles, even when the dashboard reported the battery at 100% charge. The actual range seemed to be even worse, dropping dramatically even after a short drive around our town. By all appearances, the high voltage battery seems to be defective and is causing a safety issue because it could result in a sudden loss of power during driving or an unexpected shutdown of the vehicle. This may also be a symptom of an even more serious battery defect that could result in a battery fire. We brought the vehicle to the dealer, and they were able to reproduce the severe drop in range. No components have been replaced yet, we are still waiting to hear which parts will be replaced under warranty service. During this entire time the vehicle has given zero warnings or alerts, including no warning messages nor the check engine light.

The camshaft bolt broke off and destroyed the engine. A second bolt worked itself loose and photos show it at least half way out. Less than 100k on vehicle. The car was on the freeway when it lost acceleration ability. The dealership requested the extended warranty cover the replacement of the engine and they denied coverage. A few months before the codes for camshaft sensor came on. We replace the sensor and the car worked fine until recently.

My oil level in my car keeps going low. Service department at Kia states they cannot find another problem. I’ve had regular oil changes. I met someone at the dealership experiencing the same problem.

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle shuddered and stalled. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The vehicle was able to restart but was shuddering significantly. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a fractured valve in cylinder #1. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed that the maintenance records of the vehicle were satisfactory; however, the manufacturer denied assistance and informed the contact that the failure was not a factory defect but was due to wear and tear. The failure mileage was approximately 109,000.

The engine stalls and starts up again when I’m driving. There is a diagnostic code that says engine has internal damage and continuing driving it with out repair will damage the engines. The car burns gasoline very fast. I am reporting the issue as I’m a mother with kids and it’s a safety issue is the engine stalls while I’m driving and leaves me in an unsafe place.

We heard a grinding sound from rear of vehicle while driving into a park lot. Checked road and vehicle to see if there was any damage or objects hit, there were not. Shortly after driving a few miles a BMS warning was showing and we called Kia roadside assistance. They insisted on towing the car but we waited until next day so we could secure a rental. The short drive to the rental agency now gave us 4 more errors regarding “check 4WD/AWD” and the code was given as “MCU_R” to check the rear motor control units. All were listed as “P1Axxxx” errors. During this time, electronics in the car did not work well, vehicle did not want to shift into gears and acceleration was noticeably degraded. Car is at dealership being worked on now.

The contact owns a 2021 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 was able to be restarted. After restarting the vehicle, the vehicle returned to normal functionality, but the failure became a regular occurrence. The low oil warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who diagnosed a failure with the engine. The contact was informed 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); the VIN was included, but the vehicle had not yet been repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 92,000.