2018 Kia Stinger Engine Problems

On XXX my son picked up his 2018 Kia Stinger (VIN [XXX]) from Ken Garff Honda Riverdale, UT after a routine oil change, filter change, and tire rotation (RO# 5026743). About 3 hours later, while driving on [XXX] near [XXX], he noticed a burning smell, then saw smoke coming from the front of the vehicle, followed by flames from the engine compartment. He pulled over and exited safely before the vehicle was fully engulfed. No other people or vehicles were struck, but the fire occurred on a public highway shoulder next to dry grass, creating a wildfire risk in addition to the risk to him and other traffic. On XXX, this same vehicle received recall SC300 (NHTSA Campaign 24V169000) at Jerry Seiner Kia in [XXX], which replaced the left turbocharger oil feed pipe and hose assembly. This addressed the exact component Kia's recall identifies as a fire risk from oil leaking near the exhaust manifold. This system, and/or the oil change performed hours before the fire, may be connected to the failure, but this has not yet been confirmed by a professional inspection. The problem has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent shop. No inspection by police/insurance/manufacturer has occurred yet. No dashboard warning lights or messages appeared before the fire; the only symptom noticed was a burning smell shortly before smoke and flames appeared. The vehicle is located at [XXX] with an address [XXX] Lot [XXX] and remains available for inspection upon request. I have a pending insurance claim with Bear River Mutual. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11755487

Incident

Aug 6, 2026

My vehicle is experiencing active symptoms consistent with the defects described in recalls SC279 and SC281. These include: - Sputtering and hesitation under acceleration - Severe drop in fuel mileage - Check Engine Light - Fuel‑rail pressure fault code - Black soot at the tailpipe - Loss of power The vehicle is unsafe to drive and may stall. My dealership confirmed that the recall parts are on national backorder and cannot repair the vehicle. Kia Corporate has refused to authorize towing or a loaner vehicle upfront, leaving me without safe transportation. This is a serious safety issue, and Kia is unable to provide a timely remedy.

NHTSA ID

11715301

Incident

Jan 26, 2026

My oil light came on around 91,000 miles. Kia is known for this issue being an oil pressure sensor issue. Happens around 80,000-100,000 miles. Its a pretty common issue and the labor for a $80 part costs up to $2,000.

NHTSA ID

11694772

Incident

Oct 13, 2025

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Stinger. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from the engine compartment. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V169000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the left turbocharger oil feed pipe and hose assembly had failed and needed to be replaced. The contact was also informed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle received the turbocharger oil feed pipe and hose assembly repair. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 83,270.

NHTSA ID

11683444

Incident

Aug 27, 2025

Mileage

83,270 mi

I have a check engine light related to the high pressure fuel pump. Because i brought the car in for the recall before the code appeared for the high pressure fuel pump, Kia claims the recall is complete and will not perform the related recall repairs. I also have since developed a engine code related to the catalytic converter which i am told by a separate mechanic that this can be caused by the high pressure fuel pump error. All in the repair estimate is $8,006.26, not including the $235 for Kia to give me this information without fixing anything.

NHTSA ID

11674408

Incident

Jul 7, 2025

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Stinger. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the engine started knocking for approximately six minutes. There were no warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who declined the repair, due to gaps in between oil changes. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 93,300.

NHTSA ID

11663871

Incident

May 29, 2025

Mileage

93,300 mi

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Stinger. The contact stated that occasionally while starting the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start immediately. The contact stated that oil was leaking from the vehicle during each failure. The contact stated that while attempting to accelerate from a light, at 5 MPH the vehicle lost automotive power, with the check engine and ABS warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed, and the contact was informed that the fuel pump and vacuum pump were faulty and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 99,000.

NHTSA ID

11661509

Incident

Jan 5, 2025

Mileage

99,000 mi

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Stinger. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V169000 (Engine and Engine Cooling); however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact stated that there was a burning odor coming from underneath the hood of the vehicle near the engine compartment. There was a warning light illuminated, however the contact was unsure what warning light was illuminated. The contact described the warning light as a circle with a line symbol in the center but was not sure of the symbol. The dealer was contacted, and an appointment was made. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, and it was confirmed that parts were not available and might take an additional 3 days for the repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the issue. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ID

11647646

Incident

Mar 24, 2024

Mileage

70,000 mi

Confirmed that the Oil Pressure Switch had to be replace. Kia had a recall begin July 3, 2019 that the part was faulty and did extend to eligible vehicles to 15 years or 150,000 miles. This part is known problem in the make and model of the Kia Stinger. My 2018 Stinger GT2 was not included in the recall. The dealer did replace and confirmed that the part number is 24V169000 which was included in the recall "SC300" by Kia but my VIN was not included. Apparently they did not recall all the vehicles that have this safety hazard.

NHTSA ID

11639447

Incident

Jan 24, 2025

Oil Pressure Switch is bad. Kia had a recall begin July 3, 2029 that the part was faulty and did extend to eligible vehicles to 15 years or 150,000 miles. This part is known problem in the make and model of the Kia Stinger and I now have this issue with my 2018 Stinger GT2 with 115,000 miles. Many complaint on forums related to this but it seems that Kia has selected specific vehicles only. Oil light comes on when care is stopped at an idle. Then goes off and does happen when car is cold.

NHTSA ID

11630695

Incident

Dec 10, 2024

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Stinger. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle was shuddering and lost motor power. The contact previously replaced the spark plugs, and the engine out of pocket. In addition, excessive white smoke was coming from the exhaust pipes. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed with a misfire in cylinder #3. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure reoccurred. The vehicle was taken to another local dealer, Hersons Kia (15531 Frederick Rd, Rockville, MD 20855) where the Oxygen sensor was replaced. The contact stated excessive white smoke was coming from the exhaust pipes. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic where the engine, spark plugs, and turbocharger were replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 122,000.

NHTSA ID

11604725

Incident

May 15, 2024

Mileage

122,000 mi

*Notice* There has been NO ACCIDENT but it could potentially be a fatal one. When performing the auto start up process the car's RPM increases rapidly, the engine makes a sputtering sound as if the car will crank or that there is a misfire and shuts down. This results in the check engine light coming on the instrument panel and error code P0172: Replace High Pressure Fuel Pump.

NHTSA ID

11578804

Incident

Oct 2, 2023

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Stinger. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact noticed a very strong oil burning odor. The contact pulled over, raised the hood, and observed smoke coming from under the hood of the vehicle. The contact stated that the oil was recently changed by the dealer. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer, and a diagnostic test was performed, and the contact was informed the turbo oil feed line had failed. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The contact referenced NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V169000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) as a possible solution however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 139,000.

NHTSA ID

11577577

Incident

Mar 1, 2024

Mileage

139,000 mi

Turbo oil supply line cracked and leaking oil increasing risk of a fire.

NHTSA ID

11575217

Incident

Feb 28, 2024

On 11/13/2020 my car had 26,942 miles. I experienced my first issue with my vehicle where it lost power while driving on the freeway. My vehicle was in the shop for 17 days where they replaced the fuel pump directly affected my turbo. On 10/19/2023 my vehicle had 68,366 miles on it while driving to work when I went to accelerate from a stop sign there was no power and I literally had to drift to the side of the road. My vehicle was in the shop for seven days and it was the same issue. A few weeks after my vehicle was repaired, I received the recall notice, however at this time there was no resolution it was nearly a recall campaign. On 12/29/2023 my vehicle had 70,290 miles (not even 2000 miles since my vehicle had returned from the shop) as I was leaving work, my car begin sputtering like it was going to lose power. I made it home safely however, upon trying to start my vehicle the next morning there was a warning and a message saying not to drive my vehicle. My vehicle has been in the service center since December 30, 2023 with no resolution.

NHTSA ID

11571761

Incident

Nov 13, 2020

The car will lose power while accelerating and the turbo does not properly work well. Was told it was a fuel pump issue.

NHTSA ID

11529036

Incident

May 1, 2023

Bought a CERTIFIED PREOWNED 2018 Kia Stinger from Russ Darrow Kia in Madison, WI Feb. 2021. Approx. Aug 2021 cylinder 3 on our 2018 Kia Stinger started misfiring. After replacing the spark plugs (x4 times) and coil packs, there was no improvement. We had it towed to Metro Kia of Madison because it was under Kia warranty still, and after 5-months and an engine replacement (including the long-block), we got our car back in Feb 2022. Flash forward to the end of Jan 2023, the Stinger starts driving rough. Idling harder, but no error codes are showing. After about 24hrs of very light driving because we knew something was wrong, an error code for cylinder 1 came up on my way home from work just a half mile away. When I got home, thick white smoke was billowing out of the exhaust which filled up the entire parking garage causing an environmental hazard to myself and my neighbors. So, I immediately open the garage doors and opened the windows to air everything out, and moved my car outside. I did some research online and figured I would try to replace the spark plugs and coil packs again, just to see if I could drive it to an independent shop because it is out of manufacturer warrenty by 3k miles. That didn't really help, and we ended up having it towed, again. After a week, find out they can't see anything on the top of the engine which has cause cylinder 1 to completely FAIL, and going to inspect for bottom side repair, plus labor, and whatever else is going to be close to $15k! Metro Kia basically said there was nothing they could do even though it was them who did the last repair. Russ Darrow Kia who originally sold us the vehicle also said we were screwed. We stopped work on the vehicle for now because we can't afford it and $2k in rentals. Opened a case with Kia on 2/14/23 due to the 2.0 THETA II engine recalled which Stingers are NOT included on, but haven't heard back yet. Never buying another KIA ever again because it's been nothing but PROBLEMS!

NHTSA ID

11508029

Incident

Aug 2, 2021

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Stinger. The contact stated while the vehicle was stationary in her garage, she started to smell antifreeze and saw an oil leak underneath the vehicle and on the engine. The contact took the vehicle to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed with needing the timing chain pan to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact took the vehicle to an independent mechanic and was informed that the serpentine belt was loose. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact took the vehicle back to the local dealer and made the mechanic aware of the diagnostic result from the independent mechanic. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The contact also stated the dealer completed NHTSA Campaign Number: 18V754000 (Electrical System) on 11/26/2019. The failure mileage was approximately 22,000.

NHTSA ID

11448835

Incident

Apr 14, 2020

Mileage

22,000 mi

I RECENTLY PURCHASED A USED 2018 KIA STINGER PREMIUM. I WAS NOTIFIED ONLINE THAT MY VEHICLE HAD AN OUTSTANDING RECALL, SC196A WITH A FIRE HAZARD FROM THE FUSE BOX. I MADE AN APPOINTMENT WITH GARDEN GROVE KIA AND ASK NUMEROUS TIMES IF THE PART COULD BE ORDERED AHEAD OF TIME BEFORE I TOOK IT IN SO I DON'T HAVE TO BE INCONVENIENCED TWICE. I WENT TO THE DEALERSHIP AND WAS TOLD TO LEAVE THE VEHICLE FOR 3 HOURS FOR AN INSPECTION AND THEN THE PART WOULD BE ORDERED FOR ME TO COME BACK FOR THE INSTALL. I THEN CALLED THE HUNTINGTON BEACH DEALERSHIP AND THEY TOLD ME THE SAME THING. I HAVE CONTACTED KIA CORPORATE AND AM AWAITING AN ANSWER. THERE HAS TO BE A MORE EFFICIENT WAY OF DEALING WITH THIS RECALL. THIS SHOULD BE DONE IN A SINGLE APPOINTMENT AND IS A LIABILITY FOR ME TO HAVE TO RETURN LATER.

NHTSA ID

11404923

Incident

Mar 25, 2021

WENT TO CAR WASH TO DEGREASE ENGINE IN THE EVENING. CAR WAS PARKED IN CAR WASH BAY NOT RUNNING. SPRAYED GUNK ENGINE DEGREASER ON MOTOR AND CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE IN A FEW SECONDS UNEXPECTEDLY. CAR WAS NOT RUNNING. QUICKLY PUT FIRE OUT WITH WATER AND FUEL LEAKS AFTER CAREFUL INSPECTION AND ELECTRICAL WIRES FOUND BARE AND BURNT. NOT SURE IF THERE WAS A SHORT OR A FUEL LEAK PRESENT BEFORE USING GUNK DEGREASER BUT DID NOT EXPECT FIRE FOR DOING THIS. PREMIUM MODEL STINGER WITH 2.L T GDI ENGINE. LOVE THE CAR BUT DID NOT EXPECT THIS. :( REPAIR EXPENSIVE TO NOT REPLACE MOTOR. AROUND $13,000 AT DEALERSHIP. *TR

NHTSA ID

11331154

Incident

Jun 20, 2020

Mileage

55,700 mi

CAR CHECK ENGINE WENT ON. TOOK TO AN AUTO STORE AND WAS TOLD CYLINDER 3 WAS MISFIRING. PROCEEDED TO CHANGE PLUS MYSELF, PLUGS WERE BURNT, 1 BROKEN, VERY LITTLE IF ANY OIL IN THE CAR. TOOK TO DEALER AND THEY INFORMED BE THE ENGINE WILL NOT HOLD PRESSURE. ENGINE NEEDS TO BE REPLACED. NOT 1 WARNING CAME ON. KIA WILL NOT WARRANTY AS I HAVE AN AFTERMARKET AIR FILTER.

NHTSA ID

11318542

Incident

Feb 15, 2020

Mileage

33,000 mi

VEHICLE BEGAN EXPERIENCING LOSS OF POWER AND ENGINE KNOCKING. THIS GRADUALLY BECAME WORSE AND WOULD SUBSTANTIALLY LOSE ALL POWER UPON TAKEOFF AT INTERSECTIONS CAUSING FOR DANGEROUS AND LIFE-THREATENING SITUATIONS. KIA REPLACED THE ENGINE BUT THE ISSUE PERSISTS AND HAS GOTTEN WORSE. THEY REFUSE TO CORRECT THIS PROBLEM OR BUYBACK THE DEFECTIVE VEHICLE.

NHTSA ID

11286356

Incident

Dec 27, 2018

Mileage

8,828 mi

AN INJURY HAS NOT OCCURRED. THE DEALER DID NOT SEEK TO RESOLVE THE RECALL ISSUE. KIA MOTORS HAS DECIDED THAT A DEFECT WHICH RELATES TO MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY EXIST IN CERTAIN 2018 STINGER VEHICLES MANUFACTURED FROM JULY 20, 2017 THROUGH JUNE 8, 2018. THE DEFECT MAY CAUSE DAMAGE TO THE FRONT WIRING HARNESS WHICH CAN RESULT IN AN ELECTRICAL SHORT CIRCUIT, INCREASING THE RISK OF A FIRE. THE FRONT WIRING HARNESS IS LOCATED IN THE ENGINE AND PASSENGER COMPARTMENT OF THE VEHICLE. I WAS ADVISED TO FILE AN ONLINE COMPLAINT BECAUSE THE SAFETY RECALL WAS NOT ADDRESSED.

NHTSA ID

11268266

Incident

Oct 14, 2019

I PARKED MY 2018 KIA STINGER AT HOME AFTER DRIVING 40 MIN, MOSTLY HIGHWAY. NOTHING WAS WRONG WITH THE CAR DURING THIS TIME. AFTER ROUGHLY 5 MINUTES IN MY HOUSE, I BEGAN TO SMELL A BURNING ODOR. I LOOKED AROUND THE HOUSE FOR ANYTHING BURNING. I SEARCHED THE 1ST/2ND FLOOR, BUT NOTHING. I OPENED MY BACK DOOR AND THE SMELL WAS STRONGER, BUT NOTHING WAS UNUSUAL. THE FURNACE WAS OKAY. THEN I HEARD FIRE TRUCKS AND POLICE OUT FRONT. I WENT OUT AND SAW MY CAR IN FLAMES.

NHTSA ID

11176669

Incident

Feb 11, 2019

Mileage

6,900 mi

VEHICLE WAS IN PARK WITH THE ENGINE NOT RUNNING. CAME OUT OF BIG DEAL CONVENIENT STORE LOCATED ON RTE 9 CHESTERFIELD, NH TO FIND SMOKE COMING OUT OF THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. CALLED 911 AND USED A STORE FIRE EXTINGUISHER TO TRY TO PUT OUT THE FLAMES. WAITED FOR THE FIRE DEPT TO ARRIVE, THEY PUT THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE OUT.

NHTSA ID

11163818

Incident

Dec 1, 2018

Mileage

17,500 mi