2021 Kia K5 problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Fuel/Propulsion System (28) · Electrical System (19) · Power Train (17)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Kia K5 model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
31 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (6)
Fuel System, Gasoline 2025-11-17 · campaign 25V794000 · 250,547 vehicles
Defect: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2024 K5 vehicles. A damaged check valve can allow air to enter the fuel tank, causing it to expand and contact hot exhaust components, melting the tank.
Risk: A melted fuel tank can leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
Fix: Dealers will replace the check valve. The fuel tank will be inspected for damage and replaced as necessary. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 16, 2026. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC356. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning December 1, 2025.
Air Bags:side/Window:curtain 2023-03-07 · campaign 23V149000 · 188,912 vehicles
Defect: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2023 K5 vehicles. The side curtain air bags may have been installed incorrectly, causing them not to deploy properly in the event of a crash.
Risk: Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and reinstall the side curtain air bags, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 7, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC263.
Power Train:automatic Transmission 2022-10-11 · campaign 22V760000 · 69,038 vehicles
Defect: Kia Motors, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Sorento and 2021-2023 K5 vehicles. The vehicle's "fail-safe" limited-mobility drive mode may be impaired, when prompted by a transmission oil pump malfunction, which can result in a complete loss of drive power.
Risk: Loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the transmission, as necessary. Dealers will also update the transmission control unit software. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 9, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC250.
Fuel System, Gasoline:delivery:hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings 2021-07-08 · campaign 21V519000 · 21,575 vehicles
Defect: Kia Motor America (Kia) is recalling certain 2021 Sorento and 2021-2022 K5 vehicles equipped with 2.5L turbocharged engines. Fuel may leak at the pipe connection between the high-pressure fuel pump and fuel rail.
Risk: A fuel leak increases the risk of a fire.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and tighten, or replace the fuel pipe as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 21, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC214.
Lane Departure: Lane Keep: Steering Assist 2021-06-14 · campaign 21V447000 · 846 vehicles
Defect: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2022 K5 vehicles equipped with 2.5L T-GDI engines. The Rack-Mounted Motor Driven Power Steering (R-MDPS) system lacks the ability to diagnose communication faults. If a communication fault occurs while driving around a curve with Lane Following Assist (LFA) engaged, the steering assist level may not adjust properly, causing a sudden increase in the steering effort required.
Risk: A sudden increase in steering effort can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Dealers will update the R-MDPS software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are were mailed June 24, 2021. Owner may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC213.
Air Bags:sensor:occupant Classification:front Passenger 2021-03-11 · campaign 21V164000 · 142 vehicles
Defect: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2021 Telluride, K5, and Forte vehicles. The Occupant Classification and Detection System (OCS/ODS) unit may not detect the presence of a child restraint system in the front passenger seat. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: In the event of a crash, deployment of the front passenger air bag, with a child in that seat, can increase the risk of injury to the child.
Fix: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the OCS/ODS unit, free of charge. The recall began March 18, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC207.
Service bulletins (134)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Electrical System 2026-06-18 · SC307_OWNR_301 · Service Campaign
voluntary service campaign & warranty extension campaign: owner renotification (sc307/wty037) - this document is the owner renotification advising that kia is conducting a voluntary service campaign to relocate and install an improved blower motor 40amp fuse, with an increased terminal width, within
Electrical System 2026-06-17 · SC307_REIMB · Service Campaign
voluntary service campaingn: reimbursement form (sc307 flight#301) - this document is a reimbursement request form that was mailed with the customer letter advising them to submit the form if they had paid for repairs for this same matter prior to the voluntary service campaign program launch.
Structure:body 2026-06-08 · CS2312_TSB_R2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
technical service bulletin: customer satisfaction: theft deterrent ignition cylinder protector and decal installation (cs2312) - 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 prov
Electrical System 2026-05-28 · TSB_ELE422 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
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 impr
Electrical System 2026-04-14 · TSB_ELE417 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
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
Structure:body 2026-02-19 · TSB_CS2312_R1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
technical service bulletin: customer satisfaction: theft deterrent ignition cylinder protector and decal installation (cs2312) - 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 prov
Showing the 6 most recent of 134 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-12 · Power Train“from the get-go seemed to have trouble with transmission once in a while little jerk when shifting gears, reported this, they could find nothing. it has become a lot worse. it has caused the car to shut down into limp mode with engine light on. so i had a problem from the beginning with my new car. but when they check it, they can’t find a problem.…”
2026-10-09 · Service Brakes“i am filing a safety complaint regarding my kia k5 because i am concerned about a potentially dangerous mechanical defect. i purchased this vehicle used from carmax approximately two years ago. within the first 30 days of ownership, the steering wheel began shaking. carmax repaired the problem at no cost after ordering a replacement part. approxi…”
2026-09-23 · Power Train“65k miles. started driving, 20 minutes into driving i was stopped at a round about then i went to accelerate and nothing happened my engine revd really loud and after about 10 seconds my car jolted forward and i was able to accelerate, this would happen every time i stopped and anytime a wanted to accelerate to another gear…”
2026-09-21 · Structure:body“2021 kia k5 99k1zrecall gas tank expanded and deformed the body, noticeable under back seat. risk of gas leak or fire kia of mckinney service center has vehicle unrepairable sc356 kia has case # 26282908 no symptoms, driver complained stopping was jerky can't fix car and won't replace it.…”
2026-09-16 · Fuel/Propulsion System“vehicle experienced a severe engine misfire (p0302), rough running, and loss of power while driving. dealership confirmed the purge control / pcv valve failed (replaced under recall sc356 / 25v-794), but charged out-of-pocket for the cylinder 2 ignition coil that failed as a direct result of the pcv valve failure. the dealership replaced the purg…”
2026-08-27 · Unknown Or Other · 💥 crash“the panoramic glass of the sunroof exploded out while driving on the freeway. a large piece of the glass exploded outwards and could not be retrieved. it was not damaged by external impact as other cars were not close enough to kick back rocks, debris, etc. the sunroof glass had no damage prior to shattering. hazard lights were turned on to drive t…”
2026-08-24 · Engine And Engine Cooling · 20,000 mi“the contact owned a 2021 kia k5. the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. the failure was a recurring failure. the message "not emissions ready" was displayed. the vehicle was towed. the dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. the manufacturer was made aware of the failur…”
2026-08-17 · Fuel System, Gasoline · 111,000 mi“the contact owns a 2021 kia k5. the contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 25v794000 (fuel system, gasoline). the vehicle was taken to a dealer for the recall repair. the contact was struggling to receive updates on the status of the vehicle. the contact spoke with a service clerk and was informed that the repair was going well and…”
2026-08-17 · Fuel/Propulsion System“i am reporting a violation of the national traffic and motor vehicle safety act by ball kia (national city, ca). the dealer tried to deny service for recall 25v794000 (sc356) for a melted, leaking fuel tank, fabricated a false diagnostic narrative of road impact to exploit me, and tried to charge $3,000 out-of-pocket for a federally mandated free r…”
2026-08-06 · Electrical System“wiring harness has melted at the hvac connection point. …”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.