RoadVitals

2026 Kia K4

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
7
+1 complaint in 30 days
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
1
Latest Mar 6, 2026
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
3
1 injuries, 0 deaths reported

Overview

Our database contains 7 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2026 Kia K4, most frequently naming the driver assistance, steering and tires & wheels categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; and 7 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Driver assistance660.0%
  • Steering330.0%
  • Tires & wheels110.0%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

1 campaign cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov
26V135000

SEAT BELTS:REAR/OTHER:ANCHORAGE

Mar 6, 2026
14,870 units potentially affected
The defect: Kia America, Inc (Kia) is recalling certain 2027 Kia Telluride and 2026 Kia K4 vehicles. The rear center seat belt anchor buckle in the 2026 K4 and the third-row center seat belt anchor buckle in the 2027 Telluride may not latch properly.
The risk: A seat belt buckle that is not latched properly can fail to restrain an occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.
The remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the anchor buckle assembly, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 5, 2026. Owners may contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC364. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning March 20, 2026.
Kia America, Inc.Manufacturer number SC364View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Driver assistanceSteering
Filed Aug 9, 2026

The vehicle issues began 3 weeks after purchasing a 2026 Kia K4 with 89 miles on it. *"Key fob not recognized", black screen, car not starting and cascading into many other infotainment problems. ** Revving far higher (1.4 - 4.4) with the slightest acceleration ***Hesitating, them engaging so suddenly that steering is incredibly difficult. On more than one occasion, of someone had been in front of me, I would have hit them. ****All steering assist options OFF yet the car will take control and turn me towards oncoming traffic. I absolutely could have been in/caused a serious accident. •We have had it into the service department 3 times and they were "unable to replicate" in spite of the fact that the second technician was unable to lock/unlock the door while my husband was standing with him. They refused to see the videos that we had of some of the problems.They lied about how far it was driven. 2 of the visits the average speed limit was 23 and 25 mph. Total miles driven: 11 v/s the 39 reported. One visit claims 4 miles but our app shows nothing for the time it was being looked at. •I have asked many times if the computer system had been checked for error codes or glitches and no one will answer the question. •No warning lights, just MANY obvious computer system problems

NHTSA ID
11755719
Incident
Jul 10, 2026
Driver assistance
Filed Jun 1, 2026
Crash reported

The contact owns a 2026 Kia K4. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds with the smart cruise control activated, the brake was applied inadvertently and the steering wheel steered to the right, overcorrecting his steering efforts. The contact state that the inadvertent braking and steering nearly caused the vehicle to crash and almost resulted in the vehicle being rear-ended by another vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the vehicle operating normally and there was no failure replicated. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and multiple complaints were filed. The failure mileage was unknown.

NHTSA ID
11741355
Incident
May 5, 2026
Filed May 25, 2026
Crash reported1 injury reported

My car was brand new with only 1442 miles. I was hit in the rear passenger side at a four way stop, this was not much force, however I was injured and my car was deemed a total loss. I fear this car ranks low in safety. Thankfully my daughter was not with me at the time.

NHTSA ID
11739871
Incident
May 1, 2026
Driver assistanceTires & wheels
Filed May 18, 2026
Crash reported

The contact owns a 2026 Kia K4. The contact stated while her daughter was driving at approximately 25 MPH, the lane assist feature was diabled however, the contact attempted to avoid a dog and the vehicle independently jerked the vehicle and caused the front driver side of the vehicle to crash into a fence. No warning lights were illuminated. The air bags were not deployed. The vehicle was taken back to the residence. A police report was filed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 465.

NHTSA ID
11738505
Incident
May 17, 2026
Mileage
465 mi
Driver assistanceSteering
Filed Apr 24, 2026

Sometimes when I’m driving the steering wheel just jerks to the left sometimes causing me to swerve into incoming traffic. It’s very scary. Luckily I’m holding tight to the steering wheel to keep myself from hitting someone.

NHTSA ID
11733624
Incident
Apr 24, 2026
Driver assistanceSteering
Filed Feb 25, 2026

Steering Instability: The steering wheel would periodically veer to the right and left on its own without my input. This created an unsafe driving condition and required constant correction to maintain control of the vehicle. Blind Spot / Reverse Detection Malfunction: When shifting the vehicle into reverse, the dashboard display indicated that no vehicle was present. However, when visually checking my driver-side mirror, there was clearly a vehicle immediately adjacent to my car. The system failed to detect or warn of the nearby vehicle, creating a significant near missed accident and safety risk.

NHTSA ID
11720323
Incident
Feb 19, 2026
Driver assistance
Filed Feb 18, 2026

transmission stopped working when the vehicle was used under 200 miles.

NHTSA ID
11718955
Incident
Feb 15, 2026

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

TSB_ELE414_R1

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: BODY DOMAIN CONTROLLER (BDC) REPLACEMENT (CA2515 Revision 1) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information regarding the Body Domain Control unit ‘BDC’ on certain 2025MY and 2026MY K4 (CL4) vehicles manufactured from May 1, 2025, through February 9, 2026. Due to a communication issue between the key fob and the BDC, the affected vehicles may exhibit a NO START condition when the ignition 'START' button is pressed; however, all other key fob functions such as the Lock/Unlock, Trunk Release, Alarm, and Remote Start continue to operate normally.

TSB_ELE422

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM SOFTWARE UPDATE USING UPDATE.KIA.COM - This bulletin provides information and service procedures for updating the infotainment systems on applicable Kia vehicles using the Kia Navigation Updater available at update.kia.com. The software update may improve system performance, enhance existing features, and apply the latest operating software for supported vehicles (2021-2026MY All Models).

TSB_ELE414

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: BODY DOMAIN CONTROLLER (BDC) REPLACEMENT (CA2515) - This bulletin provides information regarding the Body Domain Control unit (“BDC”) on certain 2025MY and 2026MY K4 (CL4) vehicles manufactured from May 1, 2025, through Feb 9, 2026. Due to a communication issue between the key fob and the BDC, the affected vehicles may exhibit a NO START condition when the ignition 'START' button is pressed; however, all other key fob functions such as the Lock/Unlock, Trunk Release, Alarm, and Remote Start continue to operate normally.

TSB_ELE417

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: INFOTAINMENT SOFTWARE UPDATE PROCEDURE - This bulletin provides information on the process for downloading infotainment software updates and preparing USB for installation on applicable Kia vehicles. The software downloads and USB preparation process is similar across all supported platforms; however, in‑vehicle installation procedures vary by head unit type.

TSB_ELE413

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: DCU COMMUNICATION LOGIC IMPROVEMENT - This bulletin provides the procedure to upgrade the Data Connectivity Unit (DCU) system software on some 2025–2026MY vehicles listed in the table below. Kia has identified that Connected Car Services (CCS) functionality may intermittently fail due to temporary DCU communication issues. This condition can impact convenience and connectivity features by causing the Remote Start and Remote Climate functions to become inoperative, prevent vehicle status updates in the Kia Access app, and interrupt connected navigation routing services.

TSB_ENG261_R1

ENGINE

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: DATA COLLECTION: EXTRACT CALIFORNIA EMISSIONS DATA FROM ECU (DC26) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information related to extracting “in use monitoring performance tracking” emissions data from the Engine Control Unit (ECU) of certain vehicles sold in California. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) requires the emissions data from vehicles with a minimum of 3,000 accumulated miles without reprogramming or resetting.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Kia K4 by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2026Viewing710—
2025442065.8

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.