2025 KIA K5 Problems and Recalls (40 Complaints)

The most-reported problem on the 2025 KIA K5 is Transmission / driveline (15% of 40 owner reports). There are 2 safety recalls. Check the VIN and inspect Transmission / driveline — this is the NHTSA file, not a score.

NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation Snapshot 2026-09-07 40 complaints · 2 recalls

What problems show up on the 2025 KIA K5?

6 of 40 filings named Transmission / driveline (15% of the file). That is what owners wrote, not a shop diagnosis of the vehicle in the driveway.

Second is Body / frame (5 reports).

There are 2 official safety recalls on this year. They were filed about Lights and Body / frame. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov — a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific truck.

The 2024 has 29 reports on file; this year has 40. Older years collect more reports just by being on the road longer. If you need a fairer comparison, use the equal-time view.

What to check before you buy a 2025 KIA K5

A useful visit to this page takes five minutes. YearTell does not score years and cannot see the vehicle in front of you.

  1. Look up the VIN for open recalls at nhtsa.gov. This year has 2 campaigns on file below.
  2. Transmission / driveline. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped.
  3. Body / frame. Look for rust, collision repair and body gaps that do not match a clean truck.
  4. Glass / wipers / cameras. Check windshield, wipers and any camera or sensor the listing claims is there.
  5. Skim a few owner reports below for Transmission / driveline. Look for the same symptom repeating.
  6. Take that list to a mechanic. Do not turn the complaint total into a score.

What owners reported

System named most often: Transmission / driveline 6 complaints · 15.0% of the file
Crashes, fires, injuries and deaths in those filings:
  • Crashes 4
  • Fires 0
  • Injuries 6
  • Deaths 0
All KIA K5 years →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record Read our complete data methodology →

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Which systems owners named

Share of owner complaints filed against each vehicle system. These shares are not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold.

Which systems owners named Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) appears in 6 of 40 owner complaints (15.0%) in this vehicle snapshot. Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN): 6 complaints, 15.0% of reports Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 6 · 15.0% Body / frame (STRUCTURE): 5 complaints, 12.5% of reports Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 2 crash reports 5 · 12.5% Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY): 5 complaints, 12.5% of reports Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 5 · 12.5% Wheels (WHEELS): 4 complaints, 10.0% of reports Wheels (WHEELS) 4 · 10.0% Engine (ENGINE): 3 complaints, 7.5% of reports Engine (ENGINE) 1 crash reports 3 · 7.5% Tires (TIRES): 3 complaints, 7.5% of reports Tires (TIRES) 3 · 7.5% Airbags (AIR BAGS): 2 complaints, 5.0% of reports Airbags (AIR BAGS) 1 crash reports 2 · 5.0% Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM): 2 complaints, 5.0% of reports Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 2 · 5.0% Automatic braking / collision warning (FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE): 2 complaints, 5.0% of reports Automatic braking / collision warning (FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE) 2 · 5.0% Unclassified NHTSA leftover: 14 complaints, 35.0% of reports Unclassified NHTSA leftover 2 crash reports 14 · 35.0% 0% 25% 50% 75% 100%

“Unclassified NHTSA leftover” is not a car part. It is a filing bucket and always sits last.

View component data as a table
System / Component Complaints Share of Reports Safety Reports (Crashes / Fires)
Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN) 6 15.0% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Body / frame (STRUCTURE) 5 12.5% 2 crashes · 0 fires
Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY) 5 12.5% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Wheels (WHEELS) 4 10.0% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Engine (ENGINE) 3 7.5% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Tires (TIRES) 3 7.5% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Airbags (AIR BAGS) 2 5.0% 1 crashes · 0 fires
Electrical (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM) 2 5.0% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Automatic braking / collision warning (FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE) 2 5.0% 0 crashes · 0 fires
Unclassified NHTSA leftover 14 35.0% 2 crashes · 0 fires
NHTSA Consumer Complaints, NHTSA Safety Recalls, and NHTSA Defect Investigations Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

When reports and recalls showed up

When owners filed reports, and when recall campaigns showed up.

When reports and recalls showed up Owner reports in this snapshot begin in Jul 2024; the first recall shown was reported in May 2025. 2024-Q3: 2 owner reports 2 2024-Q4: 3 owner reports 3 2025-Q1: 2 owner reports 2 2025-Q2: 4 owner reports 4 2025-Q3: 8 owner reports 8 2025-Q4: 7 owner reports 7 2026-Q1: 5 owner reports 5 2026-Q2: 6 owner reports 6 2026-Q3: 3 owner reports 3 Owner reports Jul 2024 Jul 2026 Recall campaign 25V351000 ◆ Recall campaign 25V351000 Recall campaign 25V493000 ◆ Recall campaign 25V493000
  • Campaign 25V493000 was reported 23 days after the first earlier complaint mapped to its component.
View timeline records as a table
Date Record type Count Record identifier
2024-Q3 Owner reports 2
2024-Q4 Owner reports 3
2025-Q1 Owner reports 2
2025-Q2 Owner reports 4
2025-Q3 Owner reports 8
2025-Q4 Owner reports 7
2026-Q1 Owner reports 5
2026-Q2 Owner reports 6
2026-Q3 Owner reports 3
Recall campaign 1 25V351000
Recall campaign 1 25V493000
NHTSA Safety Recalls Snapshot 2026-09-06 Open source record

Safety Recalls (2)

Official campaigns. Each one says what could go wrong and what the dealer was told to fix.

In short, these campaigns were filed about Lights and Body / frame.

  1. Recall campaign 25V351000

    Lights

    Report date
    Component:
    Lights (EXTERIOR LIGHTING)
    Consequence:
    Parking lights that fail to illuminate properly can reduce visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    The PDC software will be updated by a dealer or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 24, 2025. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC341.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →

  2. Recall campaign 25V493000

    Body / frame

    Report date
    Component:
    Body / frame (STRUCTURE)
    Consequence:
    Detached trim pieces can create a road hazard for other vehicles, increasing the risk of a crash.
    Remedy:
    Dealers will inspect and replace the C-pillar trim assemblies, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 19, 2025. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC346.
    View authoritative NHTSA record →
NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

What owners actually wrote

Short excerpts from the public NHTSA file. Look for the same symptom repeating.

Data: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation · snapshot 2026-09-07
Safety incident filters
Showing 8 of 40 complaints · page 1 of 2
2026-07-23Automatic braking / collision warning (FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11752288
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The first time the collision warning lights and sounds came on when I was parked but had my engine on in the morning of 7/21/2026. The second time was when I was merging on a busy highway with cars going 65+mph... There were no cars around me, but the collision warning said crash, the sounds came on, and my brakes went into effect. I pulled off the road, and now I am terrified to drive my car. I called KIA and told them this. They sent out a tow. They had my car and told me that the computer on my car did not register any issues for both times this happened. Someone is taking my car home tonight and going on the same highway to see if it happens again.
2026-07-17Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11751032
CrashFireInjuryDeath
I don’t see any problem
2026-07-06Body / frame (STRUCTURE)Unclassified NHTSA leftover
NHTSA ODI 11748579
CrashFireInjuryDeath
The turning lights keep flickering and the back trim became lose.
2026-06-29Wheels (WHEELS)
NHTSA ODI 11747116
CrashFireInjuryDeath
While my 2025 Kia K5 was parked in the driveway, the front driver-side original-equipment Pirelli P Zero All Season tire suddenly blew out. I had just parked and walked inside when we heard a loud pop. There was no impact, no curb strike, and no driving event - the vehicle was stationary when the tire failed. The vehicle had approximately 16,500 miles. This is part of an apparent pattern: my son purchased an identical 2025 Kia K5 on the same day from the same dealer. At about 22,000 miles, his front driver-side tire developed a sidewall bulge, and all four of his original-equipment Pirelli tires show rapid, uneven wear. Two identical vehicles, bought together, both experienced failure of the same tire position (front driver-side) - his bulging, mine blowing out - which strongly suggests a defect in the original-equipment tires and/or a vehicle alignment/suspension condition causing abnormal wear and failure. No crash, injury, or fire resulted because the vehicle was parked. However, a sudden tire failure of this kind at highway speed would create a serious risk of a blowout, loss of control, and crash. The failed tire is available for inspection upon request. I am filing this complaint to document the failure and the pattern across two identical vehicles.
2026-06-29Wheels (WHEELS)
NHTSA ODI 11747112
CrashFireInjuryDeath
At approximately 22,000 miles, all four original-equipment Pirelli P Zero All Season tires on my 2025 Kia K5 are showing rapid and uneven tread wear that is far beyond normal for the mileage. Last week I discovered that the front driver-side tire has also developed a visible bulge/bubble in the sidewall, which indicates internal structural failure and an imminent risk of sudden blowout. There were no warning lights, no impact event, and no inflation problem before the bulge appeared. This is especially concerning because my father purchased an identical 2025 Kia K5 on the same day from the same dealer. His vehicle has significantly fewer miles, yet his front driver-side tire suddenly blew out while parked in his driveway. The fact that two identical vehicles, purchased together, both experienced failure of the same tire position points to a possible defect in the original-equipment tires and/or a vehicle alignment/suspension condition causing abnormal wear. No crash or injury has occurred yet, but a sidewall bulge at highway speed creates a serious risk of a blowout, loss of control, and crash. The vehicle and the affected tire are available for inspection upon request. The tires have not yet been inspected by a dealer or independent shop. I am filing this complaint to document the safety concern and the apparent pattern across two identical vehicles.
2026-06-08Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11742700
CrashFireInjuryDeath
On startup, the engine took about an extra second to fire. The starter cranked noticeably longer than normal before the car turned on. Shortly after, I pulled out and turned onto a street. When I pressed the accelerator, there was no response at all. No rev increase and no acceleration. The car would not pick up speed. I switched to manual shift mode to try to force a gear change. When I changed gears, it took a couple of seconds to respond each time, much slower than normal. I managed to coast/limp to a nearby gas station. I shut the car off and restarted it, and the problem cleared completely. The car has driven normally since.
2026-05-14Transmission / driveline (POWER TRAIN)
NHTSA ODI 11737766
CrashFireInjuryDeath
There is a hard shift after the car has been parked. Bought the car with 6 miles on it, now has 35,000. This issue is not new, we have had it into 2 different dealerships, and neither "were able to duplicate the issue". It is increasingly getting worse so it will be going back to the shop yet again.
2026-04-09Glass / wipers / cameras (VISIBILITY)
NHTSA ODI 11730198
CrashFireInjuryDeath
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.

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems on the 2025 KIA K5?

Owners named Transmission / driveline most often — 6 of 40 reports (15%). That is the NHTSA file, not a diagnosis of every vehicle.

Are there recalls for the 2025 KIA K5?

NHTSA lists 2 safety recall campaigns. They were filed about Lights and Body / frame. Check the VIN at nhtsa.gov; a campaign on this page can still be open on a specific vehicle.

What should I inspect before buying a 2025 KIA K5?

Look up the VIN for open recalls. Have a shop drive it and check the transmission: hard or delayed shifts, burnt-smelling fluid, and 4WD engagement if equipped. Then skim owner filings for the same symptom and take that list to a mechanic.

Does a high complaint count mean I should skip this year?

No. Counts are reports people chose to file and they are not adjusted for sales volume. YearTell does not publish scores or a list of years to skip. Inspect the vehicle.

EPA Fuel Economy Database Snapshot 2026-08-21 Open source record

Estimated Ownership Cost

EPA fuel economy ratings and annual operating cost estimates

Data: US EPA Fuel Economy Guide · snapshot 2026-08-21
Supported range: 1,000–60,000 miles per year
Supported range: $1.50–$10.00 per gallon
55% city45% highway
Estimate unavailable

EPA fuel-economy data is unavailable for this vehicle.

No estimate is shown when required EPA values are unavailable.

 Open Ownership Cost Calculator →

Adjacent Model Years

Immediate preceding and succeeding model year records

NHTSA Consumer Complaints Snapshot 2026-09-07 Open source record

Complaint counts reflect self-selected reports and are not normalised for production sales volume. We publish no reliability scores, superlatives, or vehicle rankings.

Methodology & Data Integrity

Source: NHTSA ODI / recalls, snapshot 2026-09-07. YearTell is not a government agency.

Read our complete data methodology → Sources