2022 Kia K5 Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
Data refreshed
What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2022 Kia K5, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Fuel system4222.5%
- Engine2714.4%
- Electrical2312.3%
- Powertrain (other)1910.2%
- Driver assistance179.1%
- Brakes94.8%
- Interior & seats94.8%
- Airbags94.8%
- Body & structure84.3%
- Visibility63.2%
- Steering63.2%
- Exterior lighting42.1%
- Other / unspecified31.6%
- Seat belts21.1%
- Suspension10.5%
- Tires & wheels10.5%
- Transmission10.5%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
On XXX, while traveling to [XXX], I experienced serious fuel system problems after filling my vehicle. The fuel gauge fluctuated from full to empty, and a loud pop caused the rear seat, where my two children were sitting, to lift upward. The vehicle would not accept more fuel despite the empty reading. I called AAA, but before the tow arrived, the gauge returned to normal, so I continued my trip. After returning to [XXX], I checked my Kia app and discovered active Recall SC356 describing a damaged check valve that could cause fuel tank expansion, rear seat lifting, and abnormal fuel gauge behavior—the same symptoms I experienced. On XXX, I brought the vehicle to The Kia Store in Louisville, advised them of the recall and my symptoms, and requested an inspection. Service Advisor Sidney Daub stated the issue was caused by a scratched muffler, not the recall, and no recall repair was performed. Relying on that assessment, I continued driving. From XXX, while traveling to [XXX], the same problems returned. Smoke came from the fuel tank area, fuel sprayed onto me when I opened the fuel door, and the vehicle became disabled and required towing home. I then took it to Kia Store East on June 10. There, [XXX] advised the failure was related to Recall SC356, and Haley informed me Kia Consumer Affairs would contact me. After weeks of communications, Kia advised on XXX that the vehicle was unrepairable and requested ownership documents. On XXX, Kia offered only to satisfy my loan balance through a buyback. I believe the dealership's failure to properly diagnose & repair the recall condition in April directly contributed to the later failure, safety hazards, towing expenses, and loss of my vehicle. I respectfully request that NHTSA investigate Kia's handling of Recall SC356 and the dealership's actions, & encourage Kia to consider a replacement vehicle, collateral swap, or another equitable resolution. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
As I was driving down the road, I began to hear a loud, forceful noise. I assumed it was something in my trunk rolling against the rear seats. The noise kept getting louder, and I pulled over, very frightened, as several warning lights came on, including the low fuel light and check engine light, and the fuel gauge needle was past “E.” Before the incident, the GPM reading was 400. After a while, I made it home, but the car started making loud noises and then died. That’s when I noticed my back seats were lifted. I called Kia customer service and had the car towed to the Kia dealership on Seigan Lane, where it is now. Something needs to be done about this.
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2022 Kia K5. The contact stated that while driving 50-65 MPH, the vehicle was jerking and came to a sudden stop. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and it was determined that there was an issue with the water pressure cooling system. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The dealer confirmed that there was no warranty coverage for the repair on the vehicle. The contact called the warranty company and informed the contact that the warranty mileage was 100,000. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that the dealers were independently owned. No assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 76,000.
Driving anywhere in general and which ever speed my gas would leak and smell would over take the car and I have a [XXX] and [XXX] babies. This is not the first but the third recall and this is a fire hazard I can’t imagine my car going in flames while we’re already suffering with a leaking gas smell every time we drive the car I can loose my whole family I will soon being filing a lawsuit against this I want a new vehicle completely I do not feel safe in this car with my kids at all there’s always an issue and my dealership is over 40min away to be going so often throughout the years of having this car this is completely unsafe dangerous and just out right unexpectedable and will be filing soon for a new car and compensation INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
My 2022 Kia k5 has gone into limp mode multiple times now while I am driving in addition to when it starts up. Check engine light, AUTOHOLD, EPB, traction control, etc. all aluminate on my dashboard. Car drives very rough and doesn’t want to accelerate or shift. Huge safety issue. Dealership said it was the throttle body assembly. Paid to have it replaced and the issues still persists. I have read multiple other comments with the same issue and dealerships have no idea what the issue is or how to correctly diagnose. Error codes were P00BD00, C136081, and C174181.
The ac and or heat goes out and I have to press the fuse under the hood and it comes back on other Kia k5 owners have had the same problem was told to report here for recall so fuse box doesn’t get burned out.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
The Integrated Thermal Management System (ITMS) in my Kia K5 GT (2.5T engine) has experienced a recurring internal electronic and mechanical fault. This is the third failure of this component. The failure causes the cooling system to malfunction, either by over-cooling or failing to cycle coolant once at operating temperature. Under acceleration—specifically when merging onto expressways—the vehicle suffers a sudden loss of power and enters 'limp mode' with a dashboard alert stating the engine is overheating. This creates an immediate safety hazard in high-speed traffic. When the fault occurs, the radiator fans lock at 100% duty cycle. This is a documented systemic issue with the Kia 2.5T powertrain (referenced by major automotive publications and multiple Technical Service Bulletins). Despite a prior Lemon Law settlement and an active 100,000-mile powertrain warranty, the manufacturer refuses to acknowledge this as a powertrain or emissions defect, attempting to charge out-of-pocket for a component that prevents the vehicle from passing state emissions and safety inspections."This was also cited in a 2023 issue of car and driver magazine long-term test with The Kia Sorento that shares the same engine and transmission combination This is a third time that part has failed for me with others had to replace that part over seven times The first time it happened it was at 8,000 mi it did not get fixed until 30,000 mi The second time it happened was at 51,000 mi The third time 75,000 mi
I was driving on the highway and my check engine light came on. I pulled over and it told it was from engine control system. I had a computer connected to it and it came back the idle control system rpm higher than expected.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2022 Kia K5. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45-50 MPH, the automatic front collision avoidance system abruptly engaged while there was a vehicle was parked on the passenger-side of the roadway. The contact stated the parked vehicle did not present a safety hazard to the vehicle. The dealer was notified of the failure; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 9,000.
EPB light with multiple other dash lights come on. It affects my breaking, shifting and acceleration. I was attempting to get on the freeway the first time it happened and my car would not accelerate. I had to drive off to the side to prevent getting hit. It happens intermittently at no given time. I just got it back from the dealership and am still having the issue.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
I noticed my car jerking from a stopped position a few months back it wasn’t consistent but it happened I figured it was just a powerful motor however last on October 7th I was driving down the street to go to the dealership and my car lost power I had to pull over my son was panicking he’s just little and I sat there and luckily it started after a few minutes and I went to the dealership and they blew me off saying it has electrical issues. WELL I went to Oreillys and they tested my battery it was good but only getting 10 % charge to it which he said was odd so he said to try and drive it some and come back he wlll see where it’s at. I did that and he said oh wow you’re back up to 100%! Well that was the 7th now last night I’m driving around Tallmadge ave and BOOM everything lit up I lost power steering my lights shut off completely and it was close to midnight! It was insane I am luckily a very good driver because I almost went right off the road!
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.
Interior & seats
Reports naming seats, latches, locks, linkages and interior fittings.
From owner reports, verbatim
On XXX, while traveling to [XXX], I experienced serious fuel system problems after filling my vehicle. The fuel gauge fluctuated from full to empty, and a loud pop caused the rear seat, where my two children were sitting, to lift upward. The vehicle would not accept more fuel despite the empty reading. I called AAA, but before the tow arrived, the gauge returned to normal, so I continued my trip. After returning to [XXX], I checked my Kia app and discovered active Recall SC356 describing a damaged check valve that could cause fuel tank expansion, rear seat lifting, and abnormal fuel gauge behavior—the same symptoms I experienced. On XXX, I brought the vehicle to The Kia Store in Louisville, advised them of the recall and my symptoms, and requested an inspection. Service Advisor Sidney Daub stated the issue was caused by a scratched muffler, not the recall, and no recall repair was performed. Relying on that assessment, I continued driving. From XXX, while traveling to [XXX], the same problems returned. Smoke came from the fuel tank area, fuel sprayed onto me when I opened the fuel door, and the vehicle became disabled and required towing home. I then took it to Kia Store East on June 10. There, [XXX] advised the failure was related to Recall SC356, and Haley informed me Kia Consumer Affairs would contact me. After weeks of communications, Kia advised on XXX that the vehicle was unrepairable and requested ownership documents. On XXX, Kia offered only to satisfy my loan balance through a buyback. I believe the dealership's failure to properly diagnose & repair the recall condition in April directly contributed to the later failure, safety hazards, towing expenses, and loss of my vehicle. I respectfully request that NHTSA investigate Kia's handling of Recall SC356 and the dealership's actions, & encourage Kia to consider a replacement vehicle, collateral swap, or another equitable resolution. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Driving anywhere in general and which ever speed my gas would leak and smell would over take the car and I have a [XXX] and [XXX] babies. This is not the first but the third recall and this is a fire hazard I can’t imagine my car going in flames while we’re already suffering with a leaking gas smell every time we drive the car I can loose my whole family I will soon being filing a lawsuit against this I want a new vehicle completely I do not feel safe in this car with my kids at all there’s always an issue and my dealership is over 40min away to be going so often throughout the years of having this car this is completely unsafe dangerous and just out right unexpectedable and will be filing soon for a new car and compensation INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
My son owned the 2022 Kia s-K5 and lost his life in the same car ...him and my nephew died in this car last [XXX] one month after his [XXX] birthday...he was driving the car hit maybe black ice or the car lock up and went sideways on the payment for .3 of a mile and couldn't pick straits or gain control of the car and then hit a ditch n tree and satellites 2 total with the front of the car rolled the car over into a canal with water in drown and died ..the front air bags never deployed the side ones did but it took a lot of damage on the front were it showed them air bags was defaults and did not perform as a safe device as they are designed for ...then the seat belts were locked and that's cause them to not be able to get out of the car they was trapped in the car so this Kia safety equipment didn't do or perform the job it was intended for so them factors could of very well contribute to them 2 boys deaths so I'm putting an the Kia manufacturer as the responsible ones for building or producing such a bad none safe vehicle that has killed my son and my nephew....I feel that the Kia manufacturer should pay for there negligence and be punished for selling them to the public...it's not fair I'll never see my son again INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Side Curtain and Seat Side Airbags. Unavailable for inspection as Avis Rental Company cleaned the vehicle, removed airbags, and sold at auction as salvage. Side curtain airbags trapped me in the vehicle, and shrapnel from seat side airbag impaled/injured my arm. Combination of Side Curtain and Seat Side airbags, and seat belt, resulted in catastrophic shoulder injuries. Additionally, the gases and powder substance from the airbag deployment caused a severe asthma attack. I was told that the entire interior was covered in a powder substance. Note: It appears that Avis Rental Company rented this vehicle out in violation of Federal Law (FIXING AMERICA'S SURFACE TRANSPORTATION ACT - Public Law 114-94 114th Congress - SEC. 24109. <<NOTE: Raechel and Jacqueline Houck Safe Rental Car Act of 2015.>> RENTAL CAR SAFETY.) as the recall is still showing as unresolved. I had also contact Kia Corporate and Kia Maui to inquire as to whether they had record of the recall being resolved and neither did.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
Paint chipping on driver’s side door
A silver piller price of trim flew off on the highway in the rear. A lot of Kia k5 owners have experienced this and it could fly off and hit someone on the highway. Transmission is super jerky and can sometimes lose power I’ve also known a lot of people that have similar issues with the kind of transmission in the k5 GT 2022
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2022 Kia K5. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V794000 (FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The local dealer was contacted, and it was confirmed that the part was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact experienced the failure, causing the check engine warning light to remain illuminated, and the vehicle hesitated while accelerating. The vehicle was taken to the local mechanic, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the check valve was faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. Additionally, the contact stated that while the AC was activated, one vent was blowing hot air while the other vent was blowing cold air. No further information was available. The failure mileage was 103,000.
Kia dealership has confirmed that the components of the vehicle's multi-fuse (located under the hood) for the AC/HVAC system have started to burn and are melting part of the fuse panel due to excessive current draw and excessive heat. Due to this, the vehicle's HVAC (both heat and a/c) does not function. A vehicle's HVAC functions help to: 1) Defrost/defog vehicle's windows during rainy and humid days, 2) maintains a vehicle's air quality, 3) cools the vehicle's interior on hot and humid days, 4) assists in preventing mold and bacteria growth via dehumidification, 5) assists in keeping the cabin cool and dry to prevent driver fatigue and promote driver focus. Other than the inoperability of the HVAC system, no other signs or symptoms were present prior to the issue. I initially though this issue would be covered under Kia's HVAC Blower technical bulletin/warranty (WTY037) however the dealership has advised that the WTY037 only applies if the fuse is blown, not melted. This slight difference in melting vs. blowing should be an issue as the effect of the issue is the same, but components melting seems to be slightly more serious, but is not covered. Also, melting components, to me, could lead to fire hazards.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
- Power Steering Motor Failed in under 50,000 miles - Failure of steering motor can make it hard to steer, steering wheel slightly shakes too - Turning the wheel you hear a high pitched rattling / squeak noise - Inspected and reproduced by Dealership / Manufacturer and determined it was the motor
2022 Kia K5 GT Line steering wheel is getting stuck when driving over 20mph. It is hard to keep the wheel in a straight line when driving. The steering wheel becomes sticky and will veer to another lane. You have to apply pressure to bring the car back to center which is a safety hazard because when the wheel loosen up you unknowingly be in another lane. While driving, my wheel became extremely stiff and I close to hitting a vehicle in another lane because I had no control of the wheel. Kia dealerships are refusing to service my K5 without giving any reason. It is a scary situation when you can not control the car due to this stuck steering even when all assisted driving and lane assist features are turned off. This issue began in September and I have not been able to remediate the problem. Kia dealerships are not helping. I have taken my car to independent mechanics and they are not able to determine the cause of this issue. When driving at higher speeds like 60mph and over you have to continually add pressure to keep the car in a straight line. I have had front and rear end alignments and full inspections but have no found a solution to this problem.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
Turn signal, the turn signal just goes out and does not work. This is a know issue with kia. I have almost bin hit several times do to this. I have 2 exact cars and they have both the same issue. You cannot just have the bulb replaced, the whole headlight asembly has to be replaced, the front bumper has to be removed to replace the headlight asembly, very costly, this is not so much the cost but more of a safety concern.
Dead spot in headlights. Manufacturer intentionally created a dead spot just left of center so as to decrease any chance of headlights shining into oncoming traffic. The dead spot looks like an inverted triangle . These are an LED projector light which already have a very sharp cut off and should not require any further manipulation of spread or throw. The problem becomes severe when going around a left curve or bend as the headlights no longer illuminate the roadway in a safe manner as the very noticeable dead spot is now in the drivers lane.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
Driving this morning 5/7/2025 at 9:09am and smoke started emitting from the center consol accompanied by a burning smell. My husband noticed the smoke coming from the car charging area, it made a popping/poof sound accompanied with even more smoke. We immediately pulled the charger out of the charger port. My car charger was melted and slightly burned.
I was involved in an accident where my lane departure warning did not work! I was hit twice, causing significant body damage over19,000 in which my air bags did not deploy!
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Seat belts
Reports naming seat belts, buckles, retractors and pretensioners.
From owner reports, verbatim
My son owned the 2022 Kia s-K5 and lost his life in the same car ...him and my nephew died in this car last [XXX] one month after his [XXX] birthday...he was driving the car hit maybe black ice or the car lock up and went sideways on the payment for .3 of a mile and couldn't pick straits or gain control of the car and then hit a ditch n tree and satellites 2 total with the front of the car rolled the car over into a canal with water in drown and died ..the front air bags never deployed the side ones did but it took a lot of damage on the front were it showed them air bags was defaults and did not perform as a safe device as they are designed for ...then the seat belts were locked and that's cause them to not be able to get out of the car they was trapped in the car so this Kia safety equipment didn't do or perform the job it was intended for so them factors could of very well contribute to them 2 boys deaths so I'm putting an the Kia manufacturer as the responsible ones for building or producing such a bad none safe vehicle that has killed my son and my nephew....I feel that the Kia manufacturer should pay for there negligence and be punished for selling them to the public...it's not fair I'll never see my son again INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The female buckle component located on the seat directly behind the driver has failed. This has put anyone sitting in the car at a much higher risk of serious injury in the event of a car accident. This problem has been confirmed by the dealer and as of now, no solution is available.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Suspension
Reports naming suspension components — springs, struts, shocks, control arms and related hardware.
From owner reports, verbatim
My 2022 Kia K5 GT-Line was involved in a hit and run accident while my vehicle was unattended and legally parked on the street. The repairs for this vehicle were $11,500+ The entirety of the left side of the car was mauled. Very key integral parts were involved and I have had alignment issues, A/C and heating issues, electrical problems including safety features (lane change, etc) and heavy suspension damage. It took almost 5 months to fix everything on my car insurance company/shop; mostly using aftermarket parts to save money. Loved the “State of condition must be repaired to a pre-accident condition” yet the insurance gets away with using after market parts! As of, 08/29/2024, my vehicle is currently at the Kia dealership for o2 sensor recall, as well as my melted blower motor, melted a/c wiring harness kit, foul stench coming from A/C vents when recirculating switched into fresh air mode. The smell is foul and causing upper respiratory issues for me. The seat has become toxic smelling from mildew/rust. I’ve been trying to address all of the above issues. The shop believes once they fix the A/C blower motor/wiring harness they can try to diagnose the fumes coming from the vents. Most of the repairs are on back order and without a date (2weeks-2months+) I am without a vehicle for my job and my insurance doesn’t cover rental reimbursement.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Tires & wheels
Reports naming tires, wheels, hubs, or the tire-pressure monitoring system.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact leased a 2022 Kia K5 equipped with Pirelli Tires, Tire Line: P Zero AS, Tire Size: 235/45/R18. The contact stated that the passenger’s side front tire had a bubble. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the tire was replaced. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the driver’s side rear and passenger’s side rear tire thread depth was low. The two tires were replaced. The manufacturer was contacted by email and provided reimbursements for the tires. Additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 20,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Transmission
Reports naming the automatic or manual transmission, including shifting behaviour, shudder, slipping and transmission control modules.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2022 Kia K5. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate from a complete stop at the red traffic light, the vehicle failed to respond upon depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact stated that upon shifting to park(P) and restarting the vehicle, the vehicle operated as needed. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 38,000.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .