KIA Complaints

The vehicle began shaking and having ABS problems when driving at ~30 mph after having driven for several miles without issue. The vehicle did not have any history of problems or recent symptoms and was just over one year old. The vehicle was towed to the dealership. The dealership reported a broken driver side front wheel speed sensor wire and attributed it to rodent damage without other evidence.

Safety Complaint I am submitting this complaint regarding a recurring fuel gauge malfunction on my 2024 Kia Telluride. On XXX, the vehicle unexpectedly displayed a warning indicating that the fuel tank was empty and that refueling was immediately required. At the time of the warning, there was still a substantial amount of fuel remaining in the tank, and the vehicle had not been driven long enough to reasonably consume the displayed amount of fuel. After adding approximately one gallon of gasoline, the fuel gauge immediately returned to a normal reading, indicating that the vehicle had not actually been out of fuel. This strongly suggests that the fuel level indication system or fuel level sensor is intermittently malfunctioning. Since the initial occurrence, this problem has happened three separate times under similar driving conditions. The issue appears intermittently without warning and cannot be predicted by the driver. On XXX, while the vehicle was still covered under the manufacturer's warranty, I brought the vehicle to Cerritos Kia in [XXX] for diagnosis. I provided the dealership with video recordings clearly showing the instrument cluster displaying the false empty fuel warning. Despite reviewing the video evidence, the dealership refused to perform any repair because no warning lights or diagnostic trouble codes (DTCs) were present at the time of inspection. I was told to return only if the condition occurred again. No corrective action was taken while the vehicle remained under warranty. The malfunction has continued to occur after that visit. This defect creates a significant safety concern because drivers rely on the fuel gauge to accurately determine the amount of fuel remaining. A false empty fuel warning can cause drivers to unnecessarily stop in unsafe locations, alter their driving behavior, or lose confidence in the accuracy of the fuel gauge. More importantly, if the underlying defect causes INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2023 Kia K5. The contact stated that the front splash guard had detached from the vehicle following a night of driving in the rain. The contact stated that the failure had occurred without impact. Upon inspection, the dealer informed the contact that the repair would not be covered under warranty and provided an estimate for the repair. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and the contact was provided with a case number. The failure mileage was 54,269.

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Seltos. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at a complete stop with the brake pedal depressed, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated and crashed into a tree, where the vehicle came to a stop. The contact stated that the brake pedal remained depressed during the failure. While being placed on the tow truck, the vehicle violently jerked. The contact stated that while the vehicle was at the collision center for repair, the vehicle unintendedly accelerated while being moved. The contact stated that the brake pedal was depressed during the failure, with both feet on the brake pedal; however, the vehicle continued driving. The failure had occurred a second time while stopped at a red traffic light with the brake pedal depressed, and the vehicle had unintendedly accelerated. The vehicle was towed to a collision center. No warning lights were illuminated during the failure; however, the engine was revving unexpectedly. A Police report was filed during the crash. The vehicle was deemed unsafe to drive but the insurance company towed the vehicle to a Kia dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed with transmission failure. During the crash, the contact sustained injuries to the abdomen, left knee, and left thigh, with severe pain in the lower back. Several days following the crash, the contact had pain in the chest. The contact received physical therapy for the injuries. The contact previously suffered from PTSD. The dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 55,000.

The exterior paint on my 2016 Kia Sorento (Snow White Pearl, paint code SWP) is peeling off in large chunks across multiple panels. The clear coat is delaminating and lifting in sheets from the surface, exposing bare metal underneath which is now actively rusting. This is consistent with a known defect documented in hundreds of complaints about 2013-2016 Kia Sorentos in Snow White Pearl (SWP). I have photographic documentation showing significant progression of this damage over the past few months. The vehicle has not been inspected by a dealer or manufacturer regarding this issue. No warning was given prior to the paint failure — it began suddenly and has spread rapidly. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Additionally, the gear shift randomly locks in Park without warning, leaving me unable to operate the vehicle. This has occurred on multiple occasions and presents a direct safety risk as it strands me without notice. No warning lights or messages appeared prior to the shift lock engaging. The dashboard is also cracking in multiple locations, including near the airbag housing, which may present an additional safety concern.

I was driving eastbound in my 2012 Kia Sportage on I-82 just past Benton City MP97 at about 11AM on Monday June 22, 2026, when my engine knocked twice, the red check engine light came on, and I lost power. I pulled over off the road next to a concrete barrier that was beside a rock roadcut. My flashers would not operate, I put it into park, turned off the ignition and immediately noticed the smell of burning oil or rubber. I had 2 half gallon containers of water on my front seat, so I popped the switch, lifted the hood, used the prop rod to hold the hood up as I started dowsing the flames that were popping up on the passenger side of my engine compartment near the firewall. After using both half gallons, I ran to the rear of the vehicle, opened the hatchback, and grabbed a gallon spray bottle of water and brought that back around to the front of the vehicle. By this point the prop rod holding the hood was bending and the flames were popping back up, I pumped the sprayer and directed a stream of water with my left hand and used my right to hold up the hood as the prop rod was not working. After the fire was completely out, I returned to the rear of the vehicle, donned my reflective vest, put a portable flasher on my vehicle, and at this point a Benton County fireman in a pickup arrived - he was called by a motorist that saw me pulling over with smoke trailing my vehicle. The fireman was followed by a large firetruck and crew. They propped up the hood with a bar and inspected the motor to verify the fire was completely extinguished. They took my information and left. A Washington State Patrol arrived, assessed the scene and offered assistance, but I already had called my wife so he left me to wait for her. He told me I had 24 hours to get the car off the interstate. I had the car towed to my driveway by A&E towing at about 2:30PM. I just realized this morning that I ought to report it to you. I haven't tried to start it, but I'm sure it won't.

Driving down the road and the left rear passenger window exploded. Shatters went everywhere all over the passenger in the back. I went online and looked and this is a hugh issue evidently with some Kias. To me this is really serious issues that Kia is completely ignoring. Someone will eventually get seriously injured bi the glass exploding like it does.

Rear passenger door latch failure on my brand-new 2027 Kia Telluride Hybrid. The vehicle has had this issue since the moment we drove it off the lot. The rear door opens, but the latch mechanism does not properly reset or disengage, so the door will not close and securely latch. This is a serious safety defect, not a minor inconvenience. A rear passenger door that cannot reliably close and stay latched creates an obvious risk of the door opening unexpectedly while driving, which could result in passenger ejection, injury, or a collision hazard to other vehicles on the road. The problem appears concentrated in the rear doors and is not consistent with a child-lock issue. This should be treated as an urgent safety-related defect in the latch, actuator, or related door mechanism.

The vehicle has suffered a total failure of the audio output system/amplifier. While the central infotainment screen visually illuminates and functions correctly, there is zero audio output across all speakers and inputs. The failed component is currently in the vehicle and is available for inspection upon request. Because there is no audio output, all voice-activated, hands-free Bluetooth calling and audible turn-by-turn GPS navigation cues are non-functional. Operating the vehicle safely over long distances or in traffic is compromised because utilizing navigation now forces the driver to physically look away from the road to read visual maps on the screen, creating an immediate, severe driver distraction that puts my family and other motorists at risk. The total audio failure was officially diagnosed and confirmed by an authorized Kia dealership service center. The dealership verified that the system outputs zero sound and stated that the entire multimedia/audio control assembly requires a complete replacement. The component has been inspected and diagnosed directly by authorized Kia dealership service technicians, and an official corporate case has been opened with Kia America for a goodwill escalation. There were no warning lamps, error messages, or preliminary symptoms prior to the incident. The audio output system failed suddenly and completely without warning, while the visual dashboard screen remained active.

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the drain plug detached, and oil started leaking from the oil pan. The accelerator was depressed, but the vehicle failed to move and stalled while driving on the highway. The vehicle failed to restart. The oil light illuminated after the failure. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who determined the oil cap had detached. The mechanic informed the contact that the vehicle was difficult to start. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 60,000.