KIA Complaints

NHTSA Bulletin TSB BOD300 My KIA 2016 Optima Turbo has all four windows impacted by the defective gear. I've opened a case with KIA and it's case number 25563361. None of my windows roll up or down. This presents several very serious safety issues. The dealer has had my vehicle for over 2 weeks. Why has KIA not been forced to issue a recall on these defective gears?

Vehicle Component Affected: Electrical System / HVAC / Blower Motor Resistor Incident Description: While operating my 2023 Kia Sorento, the HVAC system suddenly suffered a complete failure, causing all airflow to cease instantly. A subsequent professional diagnostic inspection by an authorized Kia dealership revealed that the contacts at the blower motor resistor were severely burnt, causing the blower motor relay to burn out. This failure presents two critical safety and fire hazards: Fire Risk: The physical burning and overheating of electrical components and wiring within the dashboard assembly create an active fire hazard in the passenger cabin. Loss of Visibility: The sudden, complete loss of the climate control system severely compromises passenger safety by preventing the vehicle from defogging or defrosting the windshield during inclement weather, presenting an immediate crash hazard. This exact failure mechanism matches the description of Kia Safety Recall SC351 (NHTSA Campaign 25V649) word-for-word. However, Kia has stated that my specific VIN is excluded from the current recall population. Because this identical safety defect is actively manifesting outside of Kia's restricted recall range, I am requesting that the NHTSA investigate an expansion of SC351 to include all affected 2023 Kia Sorento vehicles to mitigate the risk of electrical fires and sudden visibility loss. 06/29/26 Experienced symptoms Inspected and diagnosed on 07/01/26 at JT Kia (Killian Road) Columbia, South Carolina

About six months ago, I lost the heated steering wheel functionality in my steering wheel, then from there, I slowly lost functionality like cruise control, and the most recent now my airbag and horn do not work. If you press on the horn, it is silent, and the airbag light has been illuminated consistently for the last couple of months. I had this issue diagnosed and it came up with the codes of B1346. And B1481. After some research, these issues are the result of a bad clock, spring and cause the airbag and horn not to work. Additionally, this issue is known to this model the 2011 Kia Optima, and has been recalled in most production cases of this vehicle, but my vehicle is not included. I received a quote for $876 from a dealership to get this corrected, but it should be included in the recall.

NHTSA Complaint Description — Kia Sportage Engine Stall While driving my 2020 Kia Sportage in mid-June 2026 on I-45 in Houston, TX, the vehicle suddenly stalled while I was driving, with no warning lights, messages, or symptoms beforehand. This created a dangerous situation because I was in active highway traffic and had to pull over immediately. My oil change was due on 06/02/2026, but even between 06/15–06/20, the vehicle should still have had oil. A car does not lose all oil in two weeks under normal conditions. The sudden stall and lack of oil indicate a mechanical defect, not a maintenance issue. I received a Kia notice around December 2025 or early January 2026 stating that my vehicle’s year and model could be eligible for an engine defect inspection. The letter explained that even if my VIN does not show up in their system, the model/year is still included. My vehicle is showing the same symptoms described in the defect notice, including unexpected stalling and oil loss. The problem has not yet been inspected or confirmed by the dealer, but the incident clearly shows a serious safety risk. My vehicle is available for inspection upon request.

The Kia Driver Assistance Warning, Showing a Coffee Pot, and Warning "Driver needs to Take Break" goes off constantly. Sometimes starts within 5 minutes of driving and goes off constantly for every 3 minutes . Dealer says it is a KIA problem and can not do anything. This constant warning is a Safety Hazard because it takes the Drivers Attention off his Driving with the constant Bells going off. It is a 2023 Kia Telluride and previous models you could turn off this Warning but NOT in 2023 according to dealer and KIA will not repair or turn off. This is a Safety Hazard.

I am submitting this complaint regarding a leaking evaporator core in my 2021 Kia K5. The evaporator core failed at approximately 59,600 miles, causing the air conditioning system to stop cooling properly. The vehicle was diagnosed by a repair facility, which determined that the evaporator core was leaking refrigerant and required replacement. An evaporator core is a major HVAC component that should not fail at such low mileage under normal operating conditions. This failure affects the vehicle’s ability to properly dehumidify and defrost the windshield, which can reduce visibility and create a potential safety hazard during rain, high humidity, or cold weather conditions. I have maintained the vehicle as recommended and believe this component failed prematurely. Due to the extensive labor required to replace the evaporator core, the repair cost is significant. I am requesting that NHTSA review this issue to determine whether there is a pattern of premature evaporator core failures in 2021 Kia K5 vehicles and whether an investigation is warranted. Vehicle Information: * Year: 2021 * Make: Kia * Model: K5 * Mileage at Failure: 59,600 miles * Failure: Leaking evaporator core causing refrigerant loss and loss of air conditioning performance

Was driving down the road with zero issues known, no check engine light, and only 114K miles. There was a sudden noise that was quiet so I turned down the radio, and then within 2 seconds or so a loud bang occurred, followed by a lot of smoke. I looked in the side mirrors and noted flames coming from underneath the van. Pulled over and got my family out.

Component Malfunction & Availability The component that failed is the center infotainment and entertainment touchscreen display system on a 2024 Kia Telluride. The center screen goes completely black, remains unresponsive to touch or power controls, and fails to initialize upon starting the vehicle. It does not respond to soft pinhole hardware resets. This is a recurring failure; the original factory entertainment screen suffered a total blackout defect and was replaced under manufacturer warranty, but the replacement OEM unit suffered an identical total failure just seven months later. The vehicle and the defective infotainment assembly are fully available for inspection upon request. Safety Risks Imposed Safety is actively compromised because the total failure of the entertainment screen completely disables the backup camera and the 360-degree surround-view safety monitors. When reversing, the driver is left with a dead screen, creating an immediate blind-spot hazard and significantly increasing the risk of a pedestrian backup collision or property impact. Furthermore, the blackout prevents the driver from adjusting critical cabin climate controls, defrosters, and hands-free Bluetooth communication systems, causing severe driver distraction while trying to operate the vehicle. Reproduction & Diagnosis The problem has been reproduced and confirmed by an authorized Kia dealership service center. The initial failure was verified by dealer technicians, resulting in a full warranty replacement. The current identical failure has been documented as a reoccurring, unresolvable defect with the OEM hardware. Inspection Status The system has been inspected and diagnosed exclusively by the authorized Kia dealership service center technicians during the first warranty replacement. No further inspections have been performed by Kia corporate investigators, law enforcement, or insurance representatives. Warning Signs & Symptoms There were no warning lamps, error messages, flicker

Driving on highway at 65, traction control light, airbag light, parking light, bcw warning, all came in at the same time. I was able to pull off to the side and re start engine to clear the lights. As soon as I got up to 40 lights one by one flickered on until up to highway speed and then all flickered and dash dings. Two independent shops ran diagnostics and noted that only battery was dead. Replaced battery and the lights came back immediately.

I took my 2016 Kia Sorento to the dealership for an emissions service update as a result of a service bulliten (SC340) After recieving the car back, the transmission acts unpredictably and the throttle is erratic. This happens when started cold and continues until the engine reaches temperature. It did not do this previous to the update. It is a safetey hazard and almost caused a collision. The throttle response was sluggish, it hunted for gears and as a result I was unable to safely merge into traffic endangering myself and other drivers.