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2025 Kia K4

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

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How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

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Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

All reported categories

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 5 of 45 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Electrical System. Review the 12 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Lane Departure. Review the 7 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

10 crash reports0 fire reports6 injury reports

What owners actually said

45 reports
58,000 miles · Jun 12, 2026
Back Over PreventionElectrical SystemEngine And Engine Cooling

The contact owns a 2025 Kia K4. The contact stated that while driving at 75 MPH, the vehicle downshifted upon depression of the accelerator pedal, with heavy white smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe. The contact stated that the low oil pressure warning light was illuminated prior to the failure. The contact pulled off the hig…

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The contact owns a 2025 Kia K4. The contact stated that while driving at 75 MPH, the vehicle downshifted upon depression of the accelerator pedal, with heavy white smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe. The contact stated that the low oil pressure warning light was illuminated prior to the failure. The contact pulled off the highway and drove into a store parking lot as the engine made an abnormal knocking sound. The contact requested assistance from a bystander, who advised the contact that the head gasket appeared to have blown. The contact checked and noticed that the coolant and oil levels were low. The contact added both oil and water to the vehicle and drove to the residence. The contact made a diagnosis appointment with a local dealer. Upon starting the vehicle, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the contact decided to tow the vehicle to the dealer. The dealer determined that the engine needed to be replaced due to sludge. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle had experienced various electrical failures, as the trunk, power door, and power windows buttons were inoperable. The contact also stated that the rearview camera image remained displayed while in drive(D) for an extended period. The contact was provided an estimate for the repair, and the vehicle remained in the dealer's possession. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and provided a case number. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 58,000.

NHTSA ODI #11743732

Mileage unknown · May 25, 2026
Lane DepartureSuspensionWheelsInjury

The warnings on the car all failed and I was lead off the road while going on a roundabout. This has trigged my car to completely lose all control and even though I was attentive to my steering wheel I still didn’t stop the car from leading me to that curb and off road onto grass etc.

NHTSA ODI #11739853

Mileage unknown · May 20, 2026
Air BagsForward Collision AvoidanceCrashInjury

Vehicle's forward collision warnings did not sound. Airbags did not deploy. Vehicle in front end collision at 40mph

NHTSA ODI #11738950

Mileage unknown · May 15, 2026
Forward Collision AvoidancePower TrainVehicle Speed Control

To whom this may concern, I was using my cruise control on my way to work. I usually set it to 80 because police are okay with that speed on I-75. I braked before my automatic brakes hit after I got cut off. I pressed resume in the cruise control and it accelerated pretty quick. I’ve experienced that quite a bit, but there’s be…

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To whom this may concern, I was using my cruise control on my way to work. I usually set it to 80 because police are okay with that speed on I-75. I braked before my automatic brakes hit after I got cut off. I pressed resume in the cruise control and it accelerated pretty quick. I’ve experienced that quite a bit, but there’s been a few times that the car exceeded the set cruising speed while trying to resume. I forget it happens because it’s happened about 4 times since purchasing the vehicle. I noticed an officer on the shoulder leaving the shoulder as I got closer, and he got right behind me and cut his lights on, I look down and the cruise control shows 80 above the speedometer (photo attached taken while pulled over), BUT the arm was past the tick for 90. The officer clocked me at 92 apparently. This is the only time this issue has occurred, and I informed the officer that this happens. I have a court date set for July 9th now. I Googled to see if other owners have this problem. There are others who expressed experiencing this in their K4s and K5s. The AI tool explained the following • "Resume" Behavior: When you press the resume button, the car attempts to get back to 80 mph as quickly as possible. This aggressive acceleration can cause it to temporarily overshoot the target speed before settling down. • Settings Sensitivity: The acceleration strength and reaction speed can be set to "Fast" in your infotainment system, causing more aggressive throttle input.

NHTSA ODI #11737989

Mileage unknown · Apr 25, 2026
Air BagsCrashInjury

I was hit on the driver side of the car infront of the driver door side of the hood and it took out my wheel and the car is totaled with how hard the hit was made my car bounce but the air bags never deployed and the fireman and the police officer said with as hard as I was hit it should have deployed

NHTSA ODI #11733814

Mileage unknown · Apr 6, 2026
SteeringCrash

While driving my 2025 Kia K4, the steering system failed and became unresponsive. I was unable to steer the vehicle as intended. The exact cause of the steering failure is UNKNOWN at this time. The vehicle and steering components are available for inspection upon request. The loss of steering control put my safety and passenger…

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While driving my 2025 Kia K4, the steering system failed and became unresponsive. I was unable to steer the vehicle as intended. The exact cause of the steering failure is UNKNOWN at this time. The vehicle and steering components are available for inspection upon request. The loss of steering control put my safety and passengers riding at serious risk because I could not properly control the direction of the vehicle. Steering is essential for avoiding hazards, staying in the lane, and maintaining control. The failure resulted in a single‑vehicle accident and could have caused serious injury or involved other motorists if traffic conditions had been different. The problem has not yet been confirmed by a Kia dealership or an independent service center. At the time of this report, the vehicle has not been inspected by Kia or another repair facility. Police and/or insurance involvement may have occurred due to the accident, but no mechanical inspection of the steering system has been completed yet. There were no warning lights, messages, or alerts prior to the steering failure. The problem occurred suddenly and without warning while the vehicle was being driven. I did not notice any clear symptoms before losing steering control. The exact cause of the steering failure is UNKNOWN. Based on my personal experience, the failure was sudden and unexpected and occurred during normal driving conditions. I had no prior indication that there was a problem with the steering system before the accident occurred.

NHTSA ODI #11729402

Mileage unknown · Apr 6, 2026
EnginePower Train

As I entered onto i4 reaching the speed of 60 miles an hour my vehicle began to make a high pitched whining noise that got louder as I pressed on the gas pedal, noise dissipated when I let off the gas pedal. Vehicle began to slow down on its own , even when applying pressure to the gas pedal, I had no choice but to pull over on …

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As I entered onto i4 reaching the speed of 60 miles an hour my vehicle began to make a high pitched whining noise that got louder as I pressed on the gas pedal, noise dissipated when I let off the gas pedal. Vehicle began to slow down on its own , even when applying pressure to the gas pedal, I had no choice but to pull over on i4, error message displayed “RED CAUTION EMBLEM” error message “Transmission Control Unit” Kia k4 app displayed Diagnostic Alert AT PO72200

NHTSA ODI #11729395

Mileage unknown · Mar 2, 2026
Air Bags

After having my information panel replaced apx. a month later the airbag for passenger seat illuminated and has not gone off.

NHTSA ODI #11721339

Mileage unknown · Feb 19, 2026
EnginePower Train

Engine Failure, Engine cooling and lost power

NHTSA ODI #11719127

Mileage unknown · Feb 16, 2026
Forward Collision AvoidanceService Brakes

When parked and cutting the car on check driver assistance system come on, check and, and esc comes on. The parking brake does not go off and malfunction. When trying to move the car sometimes it still drives and sometimes the parking brake will not allow you to move until the system resets its self. There are 6 codes that app…

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When parked and cutting the car on check driver assistance system come on, check and, and esc comes on. The parking brake does not go off and malfunction. When trying to move the car sometimes it still drives and sometimes the parking brake will not allow you to move until the system resets its self. There are 6 codes that appear. Started in December 2025 have taken car to the dealership 3 times and they report back because the codes are no longer present they can not fix it.

NHTSA ODI #11718311

Official recalls

2

26V046000 · Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/panel

Jan 26, 2026

Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2025 Kia K4, 2025-2026 Sorento, Sorento Hybrid, Sorento Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV), 2026 Sportage, Sportage Hybrid, Sportage PHEV, K5, EV9, Carnival, and Carnival Hybrid vehicles. Due to a software error, the instrument panel display may fail. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 101, "Controls and Displays" and 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring System."

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An instrument panel display that fails to show critical safety information, such as the speedometer, tire pressure, or warning lights, increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: The instrument panel display software will be updated over-the-air (OTA) or by a dealer, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed March 26, 2026. Owners may contact Kia Customer Service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC361. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov on February 9, 2026.

25V548000 · Engine And Engine Cooling:critical Fasteners

Aug 25, 2025

Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2025 K4 and Sorento vehicles. The connecting rod bolts in the engine may have been improperly tightened, which can cause a loss of drive power.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Dealers will replace the sub engine assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 12, 2025. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC349.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

0

No exact-year investigations in this snapshot.