Kia K5 Problems — All Years, Common Issues & Reliability

A fuel system-related safety recall (SC356) remains incomplete on the vehicle. The vehicle was taken to an authorized Kia dealership in Jersey City, NJ, where I was informed that the recall repair had been completed. I paid for towing to the dealership for this repair. However, after picking up the vehicle, it immediately began exhibiting worsening symptoms, including engine shaking, rough operation while driving and idling, and prior stalling incidents. A check engine light also appeared after the visit. Upon further verification, the recall still shows as incomplete. This indicates that the recall repair was either not performed or not completed correctly. The issue appears to involve the fuel system, as the symptoms worsened after refueling and include unstable engine performance consistent with improper fuel delivery or air entering the system. This condition creates a safety risk due to potential engine stalling while driving, as well as the known recall risk involving fuel tank deformation and possible fire hazard. The problem has not been properly resolved by the dealership, and the vehicle is currently unsafe for normal use. The failed recall repair is available for inspection.

The contact owns a 2023 Kia K5. The contact stated that after fully refueling the vehicle, the fuel gauge incorrectly indicated that the fuel tank was empty. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed, and the dealer associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V794000 (Fuel System, Gasoline); and the VIN was included in the recall. The vehicle was not yet repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 60,000.

I am reporting a documented and unresolved brake system safety issue on my 2024 Kia K5 involving repeated premature brake pad wear and rotor damage. The vehicle has required three full brake pad and rotor replacements by approximately 40,000 miles, with each set lasting less than 15,000 miles. Service records consistently document uneven wear on the front brakes, particularly the outer pads, with up to a 4 mm difference between sides. This has resulted in one side reaching metal-to-metal contact while the opposing side retained usable material. This pattern has repeated across multiple brake replacements. This condition creates a braking imbalance that affects vehicle control. The vehicle exhibits pulling under braking and changes in steering alignment, indicating uneven braking force across the front axle. Braking performance can degrade rapidly, transitioning from normal operation to reduced stopping effectiveness without sufficient warning. Despite these documented conditions, the dealership and manufacturer, including escalation through Kia customer care and technical support, have been unable to identify a root cause. The condition has been classified as “within normal range,” and warranty coverage has been denied. The vehicle has been returned to service multiple times without corrective action. It has been acknowledged that the wear pattern is not typical, yet no defect has been identified. This creates a contradiction and uncertainty regarding the vehicle’s ability to safely perform under normal operating conditions. Due to rapid wear progression and lack of warning before significant degradation, there is limited opportunity to service the vehicle before braking performance is affected. This results in continued operation with a recurring braking imbalance. I request this be reviewed as a safety defect due to repeated loss of braking consistency, impact on vehicle control, and increased risk of reduced stopping performance or crash.

The vehicle experienced an overheating condition involving the fuel system, which aligns with an active recall stating that a damaged check valve can allow air into the fuel tank, causing it to expand and come into contact with hot exhaust components, potentially melting the fuel tank. While operating the vehicle, this created a serious safety concern due to the risk of fuel tank damage, fuel leakage, and potential fire. This was not a minor issue, as it directly involved a component that could lead to a fire hazard. The vehicle was later evaluated and deemed unrepairable due to the severity of the issue. Because of this, the vehicle is not currently being used due to safety concerns. Despite the known safety risk and recall-related defect, the situation has not been properly resolved. The handling of this issue raises concerns given the potential for fuel system failure and fire risk associated with this defect. This complaint is being submitted due to the safety risk involving the fuel system and the potential for fire while operating the vehicle.

The display is shows a "Check Oil Level" error. It comes on then goes off regularly. I have verified that the oil level is OK. Took it into the dealer and he said that this is a common issue and a software fix is coming. The car only has less than 2K miles. I depend on the engine displaying error messages, but they need to be real ones. Online complaints indicate that this is a common error and there seems to be no fix.

I bought a 2022 KIA K5 gt-line new and the horn stopped working less than a year later at 64,000 miles Gary Rome KIA assessed the repair and said KIA would not cover. I paid $169.00. In January 2026 my horn stopped working again. Ron Bouchard KIA assessed and said KIA would not cover repairs, I paid $819.98 myself. I have contacted KIA myself and with the assistance of the Ma Atty Gen'l office. I and the Atty Gen'l advocate have not received a reply from KIA. my out of pocket cost so far is $877.38 not including down time and inconvenience. KIA reportedly quietly acknowledged the horn issue in the K5 and extended warranty to cover repairs but did not or will not reimburse me my cost. I have uploaded bills and KIA horn defect acknowledgment article

The contact owns a 2023 Kia K5. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was a fuel odor inside the vehicle. Occasionally, the low fuel warning light was illuminated. While attempting to refuel the vehicle, gasoline was not entering the fuel tank as intended. The fuel odor inside the vehicle grew stronger. The failure was persistent. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was informed that the failure was severe. The contact was informed that, due to the severity of the failure, the vehicle could not be released to the contact. The contact was informed that the fuel tank had expanded severely and that the expanded fuel tank had shifted the frame of the vehicle. The contact was provided with a loaner vehicle. The contact stated that the contact's [XXX] son had been complaining about headaches for several months. In addition, the contact stated that the contact's son's normal seating space was the rear seat. The contact's son was receiving continued treatment from a neurologist for the unexplained, consistent headaches. In addition, the contact was being treated by primary care for unexplained headaches and other illnesses. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V794000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The manufacturer was made aware of the failure, and a case was filed. The contact was informed that the request for a buy-back was required. The contact was informed that the vehicle would not be released due to the safety hazard. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

While driving the entire car goes black kind of like you just turned it off. It has only happened at night time. The dash screen completely turns off and the headlights will go off. When it comes back on the dash has several lights on it such as the seatbelt is unbuckled (when I’m buckled), and other warning lights. This has been happening since September 2025. I take it to the dealership and they can’t seem to find anything wrong with it, and told me they “can’t do anything until the part completely fails” it’s creates a severe safety hazard since it only happens at night and the headlights also go off.

While driving on the interstate at 70 miles an hour on cruise, I turned off cruise control in order to take control of my vehicle in order to change lanes and my car immediately took back the control and accelerated and then abruptly hit brakes at 70 miles an hour throwing me forward hitting my head which caused unconsciousness and when I came to, My air bags had deployed and my car was total lossed. Due to the state of shock and a concussion, I thought the car had hit an eighteen wheeler which was the last thing I remembered seeing in front of me due to the damages to my car. However, the truck was not there and my car was against the wall where it had stopped. I don’t know if something like debris came from under the truck that was in front of me causing the sensors to engage due to the abrupt stop causing me to hit my head and knocking me on conscious. No other vehicle was at the scene and my car had significant damage causing it to be a total loss.

My brand new 2024 Kia K5 has been at Kia of temple hills since February 23, 2026. The dealership has stated they do not know how to diagnose or repair the issue and indicated they needed a special diagnostic tool from the manufacturer. The vehicle has now been out of service for an extended period with no repair timeline provided and no communication from them at all. I also have not been provided a loaner or rental vehicle during this timeframe. While driving with my toddler child the steering wheel gets tight the speedometer isn’t reading correctly. Dashboard lights up like a Christmas tree with almost all warning lights on and messages to check every system: from tire pressure to forward collision to RearCross-TrafficSafety and the list goes on

My 2022 Kia K5 GT-Line has had a recurring check engine light fault (P0471 — exhaust pressure sensor circuit) since approximately 9,874 miles in September 2022. The vehicle has been brought to the servicing Kia dealer a minimum of five times for this same fault across nearly 65,000 miles. It has never been permanently resolved. Most critically: dealer repair records from May 2025 (56,501 miles) confirm a technician identified fault code P047100, noted it as a history code, cleared it, test drove the vehicle, and returned it without performing any repair and without informing me. Ten months later, the same dealer presented this identical fault as a $1,121.07 customer-pay repair on a vehicle under active 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. The repair was only approved after I contacted Kia Consumer Affairs directly — the dealer had not contacted them despite claiming otherwise. The February 2026 repair failed within 15 minutes of pickup. I made five documented phone calls to the dealer over 33 days reporting the failure. No action was taken. The April 2026 repair — sensor and hose replacement — failed within one hour of pickup on April 1, 2026. Of additional concern: Recall SC288/SC288A (Fuel Tank Inspection and ECM Re-Update) was performed on this vehicle twice — July 2024 and August 2025. The ECM governs the exhaust pressure sensor circuit. The P0471 fault first appeared in dealer records between these two recall dates and has persisted through both completions. CARFAX confirms the April 2026 repair involved the engine/powertrain computer module. I am requesting NHTSA investigate whether SC288/SC288A is connected to recurring P0471 faults in 2022 Kia K5 vehicles. Kia Consumer Affairs Case escalated April 2, 2026.

STATEMENT OF FACTS: I presented my Kia K5 for two safety recalls (SC356 and SC263) with an active Check Engine Light for code P047100 (Exhaust Pressure Sensor). I informed the service advisor, Aliyah, that this code is a symptomatic secondary fault of the pressure irregularities addressed in Recall SC356, which explicitly lists an "Illuminated Check Engine Light" (MIL) as a primary warning sign. The dealership dismissed my technical assessment—which was backed by advanced AI data analysis. After the software update was performed, the advisor claimed the code remained "active," thereby "proving" it was unrelated to the recall. Based on this, I was charged a $248 diagnostic fee and told I needed a $534.02 out-of-pocket hardware repair for a "physically failing" differential pressure sensor that was allegedly reading 2 HPA against a spec of 23.09 HPA. EVIDENCE OF ERROR: Upon taking delivery of the vehicle, the Check Engine Light was completely extinguished. If the light were truly "still active" after the update, as I was told to justify the fee, the fault would have been present at pickup. Since then, I have driven over 120 miles (including multiple cold-start drive cycles between [XXX] and my place of work) with a 100% clear dashboard. My XXX App confirms the XXX fault is resolved, while the recalls remain "Open" administratively. REGULATORY VIOLATION: Under 49 U.S.C. Chapter 301, a manufacturer must remedy a safety defect without charge. A software "Logic Update" cannot physically repair a broken pressure sensor. The fact that the fault disappeared immediately following the update proves the sensor was functional and the fault was caused by the recall defect. By misdiagnosing a recall symptom as a non-covered hardware failure, the dealer effectively charged me for a federal safety repair. I request an investigation into these "diagnostic gatekeeping" practices and a full refund of the $248.00 fee. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)