KIA Complaints

I am unsure what part of my car malfunctioned. I had my foot on the brake when my car began to surge forward and accelerate itself, crashing me into a tree because the steering completely stopped working as well. It is available for inspection upon request. My safety and the safety of others was put at risk because I was in the middle of the street. The problem has been confirmed by an independent service center. A couple days after the incident, the same exact malfunction happened to an employee at the independent service center. The vehicle was lightly inspected by the manufacturer but there isn't a concise conclusion as to what caused the issue. There was not any warning lamps or messages before the incident. My airbags did not deploy during the incident even though there was significant damaged to the body of the car. A couple days prior to the incident, I was at a complete stop at a traffic light. As I had my foot on the brake, the car began to surge and jerk forward itself.

To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to formally dispute a repair charge and report unacceptable service at Courtesy Kia (Mesa, AZ) regarding my vehicle. Timeline of Events: June 12, 2026: I brought my vehicle to Courtesy Kia for a mandatory software recall. Prior to this appointment, my fuel gauge worked perfectly. Immediately upon picking up the vehicle, the fuel gauge ceased to function. After calling customer service, I brought the vehicle back for inspection. The dealership kept my car for three days. Despite the issue being caused during their previous service, I was denied a loaner vehicle, forcing to come to take the car and use it during the weekend or I can wait until Monday 29 until the service manager back but I asked them I can’t use the car with this error as it’s not safe for me and my kids and that should be fixed by them since that’s their mistake and unfortunately I’ve had paid out-of-pocket for my family's transportation. June 26, 2026 (Diagnostic): The service department initially claimed the issue was a broken fuel pump and quoted me $1,210. I informed them this was impossible, as the fuel pump was completely replaced just 3 months ago. I requested to speak to the service manager, but was told he was unavailable until Monday. And the gentleman Michael who was taking care of my car said let me speak with the technician and back to me again with different quote The diagnosis was suddenly changed to a "fuel sending unit and gasket," with a new quote of $546?? But if I want I can wait until Monday to check with service manager. June 29, 2026: After receiving no follow-up call, I contacted the dealership myself. I spoke with Service Manager Shane Hackelton, who refused to take responsibility for the damage caused during the recall service and insisting that not related to recall software and should be fixed by myself. I look forward to your prompt response and a resolution to this matter.

I am filing this complaint regarding my 2021 Kia Soul due to repeated engine and powertrain failures and concerns about the quality and safety of the repairs. While my vehicle was under Kia's 100,000-mile powertrain warranty, I repeatedly brought it to the dealership for excessive oil consumption and transmission problems. Despite multiple visits, the dealership performed minor repairs or claimed they could not identify the transmission issue. I also contacted Kia Consumer Affairs but received no assistance. Shortly after my warranty expired, Kia determined both the engine and transmission required replacement. The repairs were completed as a "good faith" repair rather than a warranty or recall repair, using remanufactured components. Since then, I have continued experiencing problems. The replacement engine appears to have been installed improperly, including stripped motor mount bolts/pins and a missing bracket. Within months, I also developed radiator and coolant reservoir problems, raising additional safety concerns. I understand Kia has issued recalls and service campaigns involving similar engine and powertrain defects. When I previously checked my VIN, I recall it showing an engine-related recall. However, a recent search showed no open recalls. Regardless, my vehicle experienced the same failures and required replacement of both the engine and transmission after I repeatedly sought repairs while still under warranty. I believe these repeated failures and the apparent improper installation of the replacement engine warrant investigation. I have repair records documenting my complaints, the repairs, and the continuing issues.

The contact owns a 2026 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that while driving 75 MPH, the check engine warning light started flashing and the vehicle entered LIMP Mode. The contact pulled over, turned off, and restarted the vehicle, and the vehicle operated as intended while driving to the residence. The contact stated that the following day, while driving 75 MPH with an 18-wheeler behind the vehicle, the vehicle hesitated, shuddered, and jerked. The check engine warning light was consistently illuminated, and the message "Engine Management System - Follow Up Check Required" was displayed. Additionally, the Mobile App displayed the message "Engine Issues" with DTC: P030100. The contact pulled over, turned off, and restarted the vehicle, but the failure persisted while driving to the dealer. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with cylinder injector failure. The dealer replaced the cylinder injector; however, the failure recurred while driving 30 minutes later. The contact pulled over, turned off, and restarted the vehicle, but the failure persisted, and the vehicle made abnormal sounds. The vehicle failed to exceed 25-30 MPH and was taken to the dealer. The dealer had not yet provided the result of a diagnostic test. The manufacturer was contacted and informed that the latest diagnostic report submitted by the dealer on June 22, 2026, stated that the vehicle was diagnosed with a gasket failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 7,000.

**Vehicle:** 2025 Kia Carnival **Current Mileage:** Approximately 18,000 miles I am reporting a serious and ongoing safety defect involving the center LCD display in my 2025 Kia Carnival. The problem began immediately after the vehicle's first scheduled service at an authorized Kia dealership and has continued ever since. The center LCD screen intermittently flickers and then goes completely blank while I am driving. When this happens, the rearview camera image is also lost while the vehicle is in Reverse, leaving the display completely black and preventing me from seeing behind the vehicle during backing. This creates a significant safety hazard and increases the risk of striking a pedestrian, child, vehicle, or other object. The display failure while driving is also extremely distracting because critical vehicle information and functions become unavailable. I have taken the vehicle to authorized Kia dealerships multiple times for warranty repairs, but the defect remains unresolved. The LCD display has been replaced, yet the problem continues to occur. The dealerships have kept my vehicle for extended periods during several repair attempts without permanently correcting the issue. Service dates include: * September 9, 2025 * March 10, 2026 * March 18, 2026 * June 1, 2026 The issue is intermittent but repeatedly occurs without warning. I transport my family, including infants, in this vehicle, and I am extremely concerned about their safety and the safety of others. Losing the backup camera and display while reversing or driving creates an unacceptable safety risk. I believe this may be a safety-related defect affecting the vehicle's display system. I respectfully request that NHTSA investigate this issue because multiple warranty repair attempts, including replacement of the display, have failed to resolve the defect.

The contact owns a 2025 Kia Sorento. The contact stated the messages "Take A Coffee Break" and "Hands on Steering Wheel" consistently illuminated while driving. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who stated that there was no issue with the vehicle. While driving approximately 60 - 70 MPH, the Forward Collision Avoidance system activated, causing the vehicle to swerve towards the right, and the brakes activated. The contact manually turned the steering wheel and depressed the accelerator pedal to continue driving. The vehicle was returned to the dealer; however, the dealer was unable to determine the cause of the failure because there was no data on the EDR. The dealer rebooted the software; however, 23 days later, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was returned to the dealer, and the contact was informed that the software was updated. The vehicle had not been driven since the second software update. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. The contact opened a case with the Better Business Bureau. The failure mileage was 293.

On the night of [XXX], the vehicle was plugged in to AC charge at my home charging at 7.5kw (32 amps/240 volts). The next morning, the dedicated breaker to the EVSE was tripped, and the EVSE was damaged and unusable upon resetting the breaker. The car had charged approximately 20% before cutting off. A new EVSE was ordered and arrived by that night, however the car would not accept a charge, and displayed a "charging failure" message, despite the new EVSE working on two other electric vehicles. Additionally, the vehicle to load (V2L) functionality was compromised, and the vehicle displayed an error message when attempting to use the V2L. The vehicle was taken into Kia service center located in Mission, KS on 6/29, and diagnosed with a broken ICCU, which is scheduled for service on 7/1/2026. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2014 Kia Sorento. The contact stated that after taking the vehicle to the dealer for an inoperable air conditioning system, the vehicle failed to start unless the hood was opened. The check engine and several other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The dealer was made aware of the failure but informed the contact that a diagnostic test was needed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

While my 2025 Kia K5 was parked in the driveway, the front driver-side original-equipment Pirelli P Zero All Season tire suddenly blew out. I had just parked and walked inside when we heard a loud pop. There was no impact, no curb strike, and no driving event - the vehicle was stationary when the tire failed. The vehicle had approximately 16,500 miles. This is part of an apparent pattern: my son purchased an identical 2025 Kia K5 on the same day from the same dealer. At about 22,000 miles, his front driver-side tire developed a sidewall bulge, and all four of his original-equipment Pirelli tires show rapid, uneven wear. Two identical vehicles, bought together, both experienced failure of the same tire position (front driver-side) - his bulging, mine blowing out - which strongly suggests a defect in the original-equipment tires and/or a vehicle alignment/suspension condition causing abnormal wear and failure. No crash, injury, or fire resulted because the vehicle was parked. However, a sudden tire failure of this kind at highway speed would create a serious risk of a blowout, loss of control, and crash. The failed tire is available for inspection upon request. I am filing this complaint to document the failure and the pattern across two identical vehicles.

At approximately 22,000 miles, all four original-equipment Pirelli P Zero All Season tires on my 2025 Kia K5 are showing rapid and uneven tread wear that is far beyond normal for the mileage. Last week I discovered that the front driver-side tire has also developed a visible bulge/bubble in the sidewall, which indicates internal structural failure and an imminent risk of sudden blowout. There were no warning lights, no impact event, and no inflation problem before the bulge appeared. This is especially concerning because my father purchased an identical 2025 Kia K5 on the same day from the same dealer. His vehicle has significantly fewer miles, yet his front driver-side tire suddenly blew out while parked in his driveway. The fact that two identical vehicles, purchased together, both experienced failure of the same tire position points to a possible defect in the original-equipment tires and/or a vehicle alignment/suspension condition causing abnormal wear. No crash or injury has occurred yet, but a sidewall bulge at highway speed creates a serious risk of a blowout, loss of control, and crash. The vehicle and the affected tire are available for inspection upon request. The tires have not yet been inspected by a dealer or independent shop. I am filing this complaint to document the safety concern and the apparent pattern across two identical vehicles.