10.0
really awful- Crashes / Fires:
- 2 / 2
- Injuries / Deaths:
- 3 / 0
- Average Mileage:
- 143 miles
About These NHTSA Complaints:
The NHTSA is the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints can be spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem. See the Back button — blue bar at the very top of the page — to explore more.
Car stalls out without warning. The electronics (radio, dash, lights, etc...) all are still functional, the engine light comes on while the car is still "on" with the engine stalled out. I pulled over, put the car in park, turned it off, and then restarted the car without issue. After restarting the car, the check engine light is not longer on. This first occurred once about a year or two after i bought the car while on the freeway (2023). The second time I was on a dirt road outside of town (March 2025). The third time I was accelerating through an intersection while taking a left turn, after being stopped at the green light waiting for a time to turn (August 2025). My car stalled out in the middle of the intersection, but I was lucky enough to have gained enough momentum to roll out of the way of oncoming vehicles. The most recent time this occurred, the car had trouble turning over, but was able to after a few tries. I took it into my kia dealership and they told me to replace the battery as it was testing "low". I bought a battery from autozone and replaced it as instructed. However I have never had any issues otherwise and the battery test autozone performed on my old battery said the old battery was still "good". This was recent and the problem is rare so i have not confirmed if this is a fix, however it is a dangerous fault that does not seem to be resolved.
- Tucson, AZ, USA
Engine failed for literally no reason and started smoking and Lia won-??t stand by warranty either
- Shawnee, KS, USA
Brake pump failure caused the exhaust camshaft to break on the engine rendering the car inoperable. Engine replacement will cost over 8000 quoted by dealership. Car has check engine lights on the dash. We were advised by the mechanic at the dealership, they have had problems with the k5s with this issue.
- Clarksville , TN, USA
While driving the car started to have the sensors for the adaptive cruise control, automatic emergency breaking, blind spot warning, forward collision warning, and rear cross traffic warning all came on. The rpm starting going crazy the car was shaking and struggling to start, the car was shifting weird causing the acceleration to be poor. This all happened while driving if we were on a busy road we would-??ve gotten hit the car randomly started breaking and slowing down, this is dangerously and could cause serious injury and damages to the vehicle and others around it. This is a problem a lot of people have been complaining about and need to be fixed it-??s not okay or safe to be driving a car with these issues especially when there is no warning it just breaks and shuts down no matter where you are or how fast you may be going.
- Loves Park, IL, USA
The vehicle has experienced repeated transmission-related issues, including erratic shifting, delayed response, slippage, and sudden loss of power while driving. These symptoms significantly impact drivability and pose a safety risk, especially when accelerating or merging in traffic. The issue was previously addressed by the dealership under a recall repair. However, the same transmission behavior has returned approximately 3-?"4 months after the repair. The dealership performed repairs multiple times before, and the symptoms have now recurred. The problem has been confirmed by the authorized dealership and is scheduled for another inspection. There have been warning symptoms such as hesitation during gear shifts and intermittent power dips while in motion, which began reappearing recently. The component remains available for inspection. Given the repeat nature of the issue following an official recall, I believe this may be part of a broader unresolved defect in the vehicle-??s transmission system. The issue initially reappeared briefly after the recall repair, then subsided. However, it returned more consistently and noticeably after a couple of months, and is now ongoing.
- Wharton, NJ, USA
On August 23rd my car slowed down while on the highway and completely came to a stop and wouldn-??t drive while pressing the gas. At this time the forward safety system, EPB, Auto Hold, caution and traction control lights were on. I had to get the car towed to the dealership. September 1 Kia called said nothing was wrong with the car I could pick it up that same day I got charged for a diagnostic fee and also asked for the inspection to be done. Picked up the car on 9/2. After driving the car 2 days all the lights came up including the check engine light, at this moment the car completely stopped and turned off while in the middle of incoming traffic when turning at a light. Quickly turned blinker lights on and turned the car on and was able to drive it at this time only the check engine light was on called my husband because I was shaken by the fact that I could of been seriously injured if traffic would of been heavier at that time. He called Kia told them about the situation and they said to take the car in. As of right now 10/3 Kia is still not aware of what is going on with the vehicle and have stated that they have checked several things and still have not found the issue. The next thing they will be checking is the fuel system. To this moment I am thankful that nothing worse happened when the car completely came to a stop in the middle of incoming traffic, while the car was just inspected 2 days before.
- Winston Salem, NC, USA
The Integrated Thermal Management System (ITMS) failed/ malfunctioned. Available for inspection. My car completely lost power on the interstate and it was 70 mph speed limit, I had a semi behind me. I-??m taking to the dealer when I-??m off in 3 to 4 weeks. Problem has been reported by other owners, as well as Hyundai Sonata N-Lines. Also video evidence. Not been inspected yet, but that-??s the problem. No warning lights. Could see the temp gauge moving up when I accelerated. Problem happened when it was cold outside, popped the hood and engine wasn-??t overheated at all, ITMS failed.
- Omaha , NE, USA
On December 28th 2022 between the 6:30 am to 8:00 my car was parked and caught on fire. I have filed a complaint with Kia and since then I have gotten the run around about them looking into the vehicle and seeing what cause the issue. My car was still under the manufacture warranty
- Willoughby, OH, USA
I was traveling normally, exiting a highway ramp when my car acceleration system malfunctioned. It seemed as if it was a power train issue or engine issue. I was not able to accelerate or slow down properly due to this malfunction and it caused me to crash. My car was totaled.
- Forest Park, IL, USA
On 11/29/2022 my car wouldn't start, just click and continued to try and start then the check ESC warning came on. I had to get it jump started from KIA Roadside assistance and drove vehicle to local KIA Dealership where they tested the battery and said it was a bad battery. They replaced the battery. My car was purchased Dec 23rd 2021, battery was not even a year old. Fast forward 27 days, on Dec 26th, 2022, I was originally scheduled for the 8000 mile maintenance with Jake Sweeney KIA at 10am, went to start vehicle and wouldn't start again. It done the same as before on 11/29. Just click several times and then the check ESC warning came one(I have video of the entire process). after the Check ESC went off the entire cars electrical system went out and I couldn't even get jumper cables out of trunk of car. I contacted roadside assistance again, but they said it would be 3 to 4 hours before they could come, so I bought cables from store. Once started drove it to Jake Sweeney KIA they change oil and rotated tire and did diagnostic check and everything came back fine, but here is my issue I knew it would because once you jump the car there are no codes or issue after that. Left the dealership and will wait to see if it does it for a third time. I feel they should replce vehicle because this is a safety issue if happens outside the home not mention incovenice with everyday life (work etc).
- Frankfort, KY, USA
Randomly, the cars engine rev is really low, it-??ll go up down up down over and over and over and then shut off, sometimes while in motion. Other times, when you-??re finished driving and you shift into park the engine will shut off the moment you hit park. My safety is at risk due to the fact that when I was in motion and it did that it could-??ve caused an accident. The dealer claims they are unable to re-create the issue, even though I am video recording proof. Many warning messages appear on my dashboard when this happens, but they all go away. Once you turn the car fully off and back on.
- Rockford, MI, USA
2022 Kia K5 remote control/entry/start key fob batteries continually dying every 2-3 weeks. Once key is dead, the driver is locked out of vehicle and cannot start it. Driver is getting stuck on the side of the road constantly, posing a severe safety hazard. If vehicle stalls, driver cannot restart the vehicle since keyt fob is dead. Vehicle could then be stuck on an active roadway without the ability to restart the vehicle. Kia cannot fix the issue and has refused to replace the failing vehicles.
- Woodstock, GA, USA
The contact owns a 2022 Kia K5. The contact stated that while driving 60 mph, she struck two deers that jumped into the roadway. No safety object detection was activated during the failure. The vehicle went to the left and right and stalled. The driver-side door was jammed. The air bags failed to deploy. There were no warning lights illuminated. There were no reported injuries. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to an independent lot. The contact called the local dealer but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacture was not contacted. The approximate failure mileage was 2,000. The VIN was not available.
- Joplin, MO, USA
- Corinth, MS, USA