2022 Kia K5

My 2022 Kia K5 EX has a serious fuel-system safety defect involving fuel tank expansion, which caused rear seat pan deformation and rear seat strap deformation. Kia America’s engineering review confirmed this in their findings. The fuel tank expansion caused the rear seat to lift/warp from underneath, creating a risk of fuel leakage, fire, and structural failure in a crash. This is a significant safety concern for occupants and the public. Kia America acknowledged this safety defect in a letter dated October 15, 2025 and stated it is “consistent with the fuel tank expansion condition.” They offered to repurchase the vehicle due to this safety issue. (Letter attached.) Because of this defect, my vehicle has been out of service for 78 days and is not safe to drive. I use this vehicle as my primary source of income for full-time rideshare work, which has caused severe loss of income. Due to the extended loss of use and financial hardship, I am now at risk of repossession, even though the vehicle is unsafe because of a manufacturer-confirmed defect. Despite Kia acknowledging the defect, no recall has been issued, which raises concern that other drivers may still be using potentially unsafe vehicles. I am requesting NHTSA to investigate this defect for potential recall action.

While driving my 2022 Kia K5 LXS, the vehicle began shaking violently and lost acceleration. The check-engine light came on, showing code P0301 (cylinder 1 misfire). The issue caused unsafe driving conditions, especially with my child in the car. Kia Roseville incorrectly documented the repair, while Kia Folsom later confirmed the issue was engine-related. The vehicle has also been subject to fuel tank expansion concerns under recalls SC288 and SC288A, which can create additional fire risk and pressure issues. Despite repairs, I still experience safety fears and severe loss of vehicle value due to these recurring defects and poor documentation. Kia America has not provided a resolution.

I was driving my car and heard a loud pop, I was on the interstate and thought maybe my tire was going flat but nothing alerted me on my dash. I heard loud wind noises but everything seemed fine until my car started basically hopping forward and it became hard to accelerate. I had to push the gas harder than normal to maintain average highway speeds. I was also feeling super lightheaded while driving and kept rolling my window down as if I couldn’t get a full breath of air. I would roll it back up after 5 minutes or so and would have to roll it right back down. I was driving a long distance and wasn’t able to immediately stop but I was informed of the gasoline fumes when I family member helped get my bags out of my car. It was the scariest thing

I took my car because of fuel recall, due to multiple vehicles having their gas tank expanding or exploding. Even after they completed the recall on my vehicle I still had my gas tank expand. I took my vehicle to the Kia Frisco dealership and they took my vehicle advising they had to buy it back from me. Once they had the vehicle after close to a month they stated that my vehicle was repairable even after stating that several of these models had gas tanks expanding and exploding. I do not feel safe getting into this vehicle after the repair and I want to report it.

Car stalls out without warning. The electronics (radio, dash, lights, etc...) all are still functional, the engine light comes on while the car is still "on" with the engine stalled out. I pulled over, put the car in park, turned it off, and then restarted the car without issue. After restarting the car, the check engine light is not longer on. This first occurred once about a year or two after i bought the car while on the freeway (2023). The second time I was on a dirt road outside of town (March 2025). The third time I was accelerating through an intersection while taking a left turn, after being stopped at the green light waiting for a time to turn (August 2025). My car stalled out in the middle of the intersection, but I was lucky enough to have gained enough momentum to roll out of the way of oncoming vehicles. The most recent time this occurred, the car had trouble turning over, but was able to after a few tries. I took it into my kia dealership and they told me to replace the battery as it was testing "low". I bought a battery from autozone and replaced it as instructed. However I have never had any issues otherwise and the battery test autozone performed on my old battery said the old battery was still "good". This was recent and the problem is rare so i have not confirmed if this is a fix, however it is a dangerous fault that does not seem to be resolved.