KIA Complaints

The contact's mother owned a 2017 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while her brother was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact's brother parked the vehicle, rolled down the window, and became aware that there was smoke coming from under the hood before the vehicle caught on fire. The contact's brother exited the vehicle and ran away from the vehicle. The contact's brother called the contact and the police about the fire. The Police, bomb squad, and firefighters arrived at the scene. The firefighters extinguished the fire. The Police, bomb squad, and fire department reports were filed. The contact's brother received medical treatment for a severe asthma attack. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard, but the insurance company had not yet declared the vehicle a total loss because the vehicle only had liability coverage. Upon investigation, the contact's brother discovered that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V703000 (Trailer Hitches); however, the contact's mother had not received a recall notification. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.

I had taken the Kia Sorrento to a local shop to get an oil change, and Mavis tire had discovered that the rear suspension and rear subframe were severely corroded with rust and I was told that the car is unsafe to drive. I had noticed as well that my brakes would not normally stop when I go to press them as a bit of a kickback and the traction sensors and ABS sensors and emergency brake sensors would go off and on for no reason.

Driving on three lane highway at 60 mph the car abruptly lost power. Was able to get off the highway. Called Kia roadside assistance. Tow truck picked up car and delivered it to Kia dealership. Service dept diagnosed and is replacing the ICCU.

While driving, alarm bells go off and the display reads “engine is off. Pull over and put in p/n”. Car maintains radio but engine is off until able to be restarted. Has happened twice and been brought to dealership twice. They say there is no code showing and send us home without repairs. Extreme safety concerns for car to turn off mid driving.

I took my 2021 KIA K5 to the dealership in March of 2025 for an oil change. While I was there, a diagnostic test was conducted to determine if my vehicle was affected by a damaged check valve. Therefore, the car could have caught on fire while it was being driven. I was given a rental car while my vehicle was supposed to be fixed. KIA deemed my 2021 K5 to be a hazard to the road. In June of 2025, KIA offered to pay my loan balance off and give me less than $250 for the "down payment." Please note when I purchased the KIA K5 in 2021, I traded my 2018 KIA Optima. Now, in June of 2026, KIA in offering me $13,200 for my KIA K5. I have until June 29, 2026, to accept the offer. The balance on my loan will come out of that so, I will receive approximately $7000 for a car I will pay a total of $44,000 for. I never once stopped making my monthly payment and my car has been deemed a hazard for the road since March of 2025. For years, I drove a vehicle that could have potentially caused a death or injury.

ICCU electrical system failed while driving (~1mi from house). Warning messages popped up and caused me to pull over and drive back to house under reduced speed. Kia told me car was not safe to drive and to tow car for repair under warranty. ICCU failure was confirmed by service provider and repaired after 2 weeks (diagnosis, part order, and replacement).

My vehicle’s white exterior paint and clear coat are delaminating and peeling off in pieces while driving. Loose paint pieces fly off the vehicle, creating a potential road hazard for other drivers. The defect affects the hood, the front, and the area above the windshield. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The paint delamination has been visually confirmed and is worsening over time. I have contacted Kia customer service multiple times by phone and email requesting repair or resolution. Kia has not responded or offered any remedy. The defect has not been inspected by the dealer as Kia declined to address it. No warning lamps or messages are applicable to this defect. The peeling first became noticeable approximately June 1st, 2026 and has progressively worsened since.

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Soul. The contact stated that while driving at 45 MPH, the vehicle stalled and jerked while accelerating and experienced severe jerking while decelerating. The failure had occurred on several occasions. On June 18, 2024, the vehicle failed to accelerate or shift properly. On January 15, 2025, the vehicle shuddered violently and nearly stalled. On April 14, 2026, the vehicle was jerking, and the transmission shifted gears improperly. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, and observed that the vehicle was consuming oil excessively. The dealer replaced the spark plugs and performed an induction cleaning and transmission valve service. The dealer was unable to duplicate the failure after a 36-mile test drive, after the service. From May 27 to May 29, 2026, the vehicle failed to start and was towed to the dealer again, where a new short-block engine assembly was installed. On June 2, 2026, a technician discovered that there was no oil in the engine, resulting in a critical crankshaft failure code. Despite the short block replacement and oil correction, the powertrain failures persisted, and the vehicle failed to exceed 50 MPH. The vehicle violently stalled and jerked while accelerating and decelerating, creating a safety hazard. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 92,573.

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Optima. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal odor and a knocking sound coming from the engine. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the dealer was unable to duplicate the issue. The vehicle was not repaired. The issue persisted. The contact stated that the vehicle was later returned to the dealer to be repaired under a service campaign involving the engine control unit (ECU). Shortly after the vehicle was repaired, the ECU failure message was displayed. The vehicle subsequently became inoperable. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the issue. The approximate failure mileage was 1,500.

My car is a 2019 KIA Niro Hybrid. It's only 7 years old, and my husband and I have been the only owners. It only has 61,000 miles on it, and it is serviced regularly and has to pass a state emissions test each year. As I was driving the other day, the dashboard lit up with critical alerts saying "check regenerative battery" and the braking system went completely soft; I could not stop the car using the brakes. It was terrifying. I had to pull off the road and use the emergency brake to stop the car. This was an awful incident that could have resulted in deaths or serious injuries. Again this is for a car that is well-maintained and well under 100,000 miles.