KIA Complaints

I have warranty and extended warranty for my engine which completely died on my after 8 years.I went to file the warranty claim and it was denied now they are reviewing my extended warrenty.

Diagnostic scan of car's computer showed trouble code B138400 Side Airbag Front PAssenger-Resistance Circuit Short to Ground.

Driving at highway speed of 65 mph, the vehicle abruptly lost power. The check engine light started flashing. I was almost rear ended due to the loss of power, I was able to coast to the emergency shoulder and stop. The car was towed to the nearest Kia dealership. Diagnostics show code P1326, the engine has failed and needs to be replaced at a cost of over $10000. This the same engine that was included in a class action lawsuit for model years up to 2019, the 2020 was not included. Kia is offering no assistance to me as the second owner of the vehicle even thought the car only has 98,000 miles, the powertrain warranty is reduced to 60,000 for a second owner. The cost of repairs is more than the value of the vehicle.

Oil pressure light failed to engage even though engine started to tick.. resuling in Valves not lubricating effectively. It took until next day for Engine to hesitate. When the Auto start feature engaged( the battery light also showed) This left me at the Lights on green, and i had to put vehicle in park to start the vehicle again. The main issue here is that the low oil sensor isnt coming on fast enough for how low the oil is ( 4 quarts low)

On Mon, Nov 18, 2025, I was driving at 60 mph with cruise on. Suddenly cruise was cancelled and check engine and low oil pressure lights came on. I pulled off road at earliest point possible. Seemed to be running ok. Drove slowly to a convenience store and turned off engine. I checked oil and it was low. When I was walking out to car after buying some oil, I saw oil under car. I called tow service and had it delivered to dealership. Upon inspection, the dealership determined the oil drain plug had fallen out and the engine needs to be replaced. The oil had been changed by an independent shop at 75085 miles. This incident happened at 78,887 miles. I feel the drain plug would have fallen out before 3002 miles if it was put in loose. This issue needs to be made into a recall with reimbursements for engine replacements and towing. If this had happened on a busy road and engine seized, there could have been a wreck trying to get off road.

On October 30th 2024, I purchased a 2019 Kia Optima from San Diego Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram. On November 26th the car was stolen from in front of my house, while the alarm was activated and the key was in our possession. I went online to the Kia website to find some information and found that there was a recall on that vehicle to install an anti-theft device. San Diego Chrysler did not have this done. I contacted them in regards to that not being done and they replied that they offered me to purchase a GPS system. They don't seem to feel anything was done wrong but if a car has an open recall, it would seem that a dealer needs to have that done PRIOR to selling a car to a consumer who is unaware of the theft problem. I had the car for three weeks, lost my trade-in, deposit and still have it financed. Big conglomerates need to be held accountable.

The contact owns a 2019 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to the local dealer and was informed that parts for the repair under NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V703000 (Trailer Hitches) were not available. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, who replaced the fuse. The vehicle was repaired. The contact stated that the driver’s side taillight became inoperable. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the same dealer, where it was diagnosed that the taillight bulb, taillight assembly, and the wiring harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure persisted. The manufacturer was contacted, opened a case, but no assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 45,220.

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed and approaching a stop sign, the vehicle almost stalled. The contact stated that her daughter was able to safely park the vehicle in a parking lot and the had the vehicle towed to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 116,000.

The contact owns a 2019 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The vehicle was taken to a dealer four times where an unknown diagnosis was provided and the vehicle was repaired four times with unknown parts, but the failure persisted. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving at approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle jolted forward, shuddered, and lost motive power. The check engine warning light was flashing. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the cylinder #2 valve was burned and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was being repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 101,000.

The contact’s daughter owns a 2017 Kia Optima. While the contact’s daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a loud rattling sound coming from the front end of the vehicle. The check engine warning light illuminated. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start on the first attempt. The vehicle started on the second attempt was able to be driven. The vehicle was taken to the dealer who determined that the engine rod had failed, causing complete engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact became aware that the vehicle was included in an undisclosed Product Improvement Program for a software update; however, the contact was unaware of the software update which voided the Extended Warranty for the engine repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and opened a case. The manufacturer referred the contact to the NHTSA Hotline to report the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.