2023 Kia K5

I am filing this complaint regarding Kia America’s handling of a safety recall and repurchase of my 2023 Kia K5 GT-Line (VIN: [XXX]. I purchased this vehicle used on XXX, and financed it through Capital One. After taking my vehicle to an authorized Kia dealership for the fuel tank valve safety recall, I was informed that my vehicle was unsafe to drive and could not be repaired. The dealership advised me that Kia would be repurchasing the vehicle. Kia has offered to buy back the vehicle, but the settlement being offered does not appear fair under the circumstances. Although Kia has determined that my vehicle is unsafe and unrepairable due to a manufacturer safety defect, I have only been provided with 15 days of rental vehicle coverage while Kia’s own repurchase letter states that the process may take 60 to 90 days to complete. This could leave me without transportation through no fault of my own. Additionally, Kia has refused to reimburse my $4,000 down payment or provide any additional compensation related to the loss of use of my vehicle. Their offer also includes a substantial mileage deduction under certain options, despite the fact that this repurchase is the result of a manufacturer safety defect rather than a voluntary sale or trade-in. I requested written clarification regarding my settlement options, rental coverage, loan payoff, and reimbursement of my expenses. Rather than answering my questions, Kia responded only that the offer was “firm” and compliant with Florida law, without addressing the specific concerns I raised. I am requesting that this matter be reviewed to determine whether Kia is handling this safety recall and repurchase fairly and whether consumers whose vehicles are deemed unsafe and unrepairable should receive adequate transportation assistance and fair compensation while waiting for the manufacturer to complete the repurchase process. I respectfully request assistance in reviewing Kia America’s handling this case. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA

10/25 I was traveling, and my car sudden loss of power, while in traffic.. almost causing accident. 10/28 I was traveling on interstate, and my car sudden loss of power, while in traffic.. almost causing accident. This is ridiculous.. When I hit the gas sometimes, feels like it fluttering and jerking. I’ve reported multiple times over the years and this one having hesitation when driving this car. Manager drove it was concern, mechanic talking about it’s the way the car supposed to be.

The contact owns a 2023 Kia K5. The contact stated that upon purchasing the vehicle new and driving off the dealer lot, the message "Radar Sensor Blocked" was displayed. The dealer was informed but no assistance was provided. The vehicle was driven to the residence. The contact stated that another message indicating that a sensor was blocked was displayed, and the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine had imploded. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was filed. The manufacturer offered buyback assistance; however, the dealer had not returned the owner’s or the manufacturer’s calls. The failure mileage was approximately 74.

2023 Kia K5 GT1, once at 16k miles and now again at 26k miles, while driving, the dashboard console flickered on me and the car lost complete acceleration and power, fortunately on urban roads or else would have been extremely unsafe and dangerous if high speed, especially since I have a child. Pulled over and turned off vehicle, and turned back on acceleration regained but check engine light remains solid. Took it to dealer at 16k miles and they checked it out and just reset the codes, advised if it happened again to bring it back right away. I am aware of the open recall on this Kia model, but my specific vehicle VIN is not impacted. However, I suspect the sudden power loss issue is the exact same issue. This is an extremely dangerous and unsafe issue with this vehicle, particularly if you have kids or are driving high-speeds on the highway!!!!

Component or System Failed: The fuel tank exploded, causing the vehicle to become undrivable. The explosion was so severe that the back seat was completely blown off. The vehicle is currently not in my possession, as it has been with the dealership for over three months. I have photos and proof of the damage, and I am willing to provide them for inspection. How Safety Was Put at Risk: I have a [XXX] son who sits directly above the fuel tank in the back seat. When the explosion occurred, the back of his seat was completely blown off, and had he been in the car at the time, he could have been seriously injured or killed. This was an extremely dangerous defect, and I am deeply concerned that this could happen to other Kia vehicles, putting more lives at risk. Beyond the immediate danger of the explosion, I have been left without a working vehicle for over three months, and Kia has provided no resolution. Despite confirming that the vehicle is not repairable, they have stalled the process, forcing me to continue making payments on a car I do not even have. Problem Reproduced or Confirmed by a Dealer or Independent Service Center? Yes, the Kia dealership confirmed that the vehicle is not repairable and that the fuel tank failure was severe. However, they have not provided any solution or compensation. Has the Vehicle Been Inspected? Yes, the vehicle was inspected by the Kia dealership, which determined that it was not repairable. I do not know if it has been inspected by any third-party mechanics, insurance representatives, or other authorities. Warning Lamps, Messages, or Symptoms Prior to the Failure? There were no warning lights, messages, or other symptoms prior to the explosion. The vehicle was operating normally before this occurred. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

One day I was driving and my car began to shake really bad. It doesn’t transition smoothly when switching gears in transmission. Sometimes it doesn’t accelerate and I’d have to floor the gas to get it going. Rough acceleration. Car would even shake in idle sometimes. It has been doing this ever since. One day it’ll shake, the next day it might not. It doesn’t matter if I drive slower or faster, the car still shakes, has rough to no acceleration, and shifts gears roughly. Engine light is on and is reading misfire of cylinder 3.

The contact owns a 2023 Kia K5. The contact stated while making a turn from a complete stop, the check engine warning light and several other unknown warning lights illuminated. The message "A possible condition with your engine control system has been detected" was displayed on the infotainment screen display. The accelerator pedal was depressed, but the vehicle failed to respond as needed. The contact was able to drive back to her nearby residence at a significantly slow speed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the failure could not be replicated. The contact stated that the vehicle operated as needed; however, the failure recurred while making a left turn in a parking lot. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the throttle body had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated while driving at highway speeds, the failure recurred, and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to pull to the shoulder of the road. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was test-driven. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle could not be diagnosed because the warning lights were not illuminated. The contact stated that the failure was recurring intermittently and was causing the infotainment system to reset. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 13,000.

Received an oil change as part of normal service schedule on a 2023 Kia K5 vehicle purchased August of 2022 (from different dealership). 4 days after this service was conducted, the drain plug in the oil system of the vehicle fell out of my car, therefore draining my vehicle of the oil it needs to operate normally, causing the car to completely stall near my home. I had to pay out of pocket at a nearby Express Oil Change facility to have a new drain plug and oil put into car, after which I immediately brought my vehicle back to this dealership to ascertain what happened. This is the SECOND time this same exact issue has occurred with my vehicle (the first time occurring after an oil change at a different Kia dealership in Charlotte, NC), which I brought to my service advisor's attention prior to them beginning the oil change service. I expressed to this service department that I am extremely concerned there is something malfunctioning or defective within the vehicle that has caused this issue TWICE in an almost-new vehicle, and that I was now concerned there could be possible damage to my engine from this reoccurring issue. The service department at Kia Wesley Chapel did absolutely nothing to address my concerns or the issue other than replacing the drain plug (yet again). This Kia service department, and KIA overall, refuses to recognize or admit to any issue within the vehicle, and I was told to "wait and see if it happens again".