Problems · NHTSA complaints

2026 Kia K5 problems

Owners filed 14 complaints about the 2026 Kia K5 with NHTSA between Dec 2025 and Oct 2026. The most-cited component is engine (4).

Complaints
14
Filed with NHTSA
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
2
People reported injured
Deaths
0
Reported to NHTSA
01 —By component

Complaints by component

One complaint can cite several components
  1. Engine4
  2. Electrical system3
  3. Lane departure2
  4. Air bags1
  5. Tires1
  6. Latches/locks/linkages1
  7. Forward collision avoidance1
  8. Engine and engine cooling1
  9. Other / unknown5

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API · synced Oct 30, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Trend

When complaints were filed

Does it get worse with age? Complaints per calendar year filed
View as table
Model yearComplaints filed per calendar year
20251
202613

Mileage at failure isn’t a structured field in NHTSA complaint data, so we don’t chart it. Some owners mention it in their reports below.

03 —Owner reports

Top problems in owners’ words

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first

Engine

4 reports
“The display is shows a "Check Oil Level" error. It comes on then goes off regularly. I have verified that the oil level is OK. Took it into the dealer and he said that this is a common issue and a software fix is coming. The car only has less than 2K miles. I depend on the engine displaying error messages, but they need to be real ones. Online complaints indicate that this is a common error and there seems to be no fix.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 13, 2026Electrical system, EngineODI 11730905

Electrical system

3 reports1 related recall
“Kia has a known wiring‑harness defect that causes the low engine oil sensor to trigger incorrectly. Despite this, there has been no recall, and new vehicles are still being sold with the issue. The wiring harness is now on back order, leaving me without a car for weeks or longer. The vehicle has plenty of oil, and the dealership confirmed there are no engine problems, yet the warning light keeps coming back because of the faulty harness. This happened 1 day after buying this car new from the dealership lot.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 10, 2026Electrical systemODI 11723226

Lane departure

2 reports
“Submitted by [XXX], Authorized Representative for the owner. The vehicle has a physical defect in the ADAS forward-facing camera bracket caused by a dealer-concealed repair using industrial silicone adhesive. The bracket is now visibly sagging, causing misalignment that leads to intermittent Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) failure. Critically, the vehicle’s computer does NOT illuminate a warning light for this physical displacement ('silent failure'), posing a severe crash risk. An undisclosed aftermarket GPS tracker was also found installed, which is pending contract review. A third-party inspection report titled 'Repurchase Inspection (Silicon at Rearview Mirror)' confirms the non-OEM adhesive and physical sag. The dealer has refused to provide a safe replacement vehicle. This defect stems from a non-OEM repair performed prior to sale.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 3, 2026Lane departure, Forward collision avoidanceODI 11748152

Air bags

1 report1 crash
“I was driving my 2026 Kia K5 southbound on [XXX] at approximately 40–42 mph and proceeding straight through an intersection. I was already in the intersection when another vehicle turned directly in front of me. I did not have sufficient time to avoid the collision and struck the other vehicle with the front of my vehicle. The other driver was cited for failure to yield. The collision caused substantial frontal damage to my vehicle. The vehicle was subsequently declared a total loss by my insurance company. Despite the frontal impact, none of the airbags deployed. At the moment of impact, white smoke or dust filled the passenger compartment and I heard loud popping and buzzing-type noises coming from both sides of the dashboard. I did not observe any airbag deploy. I am concerned that the airbag/SRS system may not have performed as intended during the collision and that the lack of airbag deployment placed the vehicle occupants at increased risk of injury. The vehicle has been declared a total loss and I no longer have physical possession of it. I do not currently know whether the vehicle remains available for inspection or whether it has been transferred to a…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 29, 2026Air bagsCrash reportedODI 11767890

Tires

1 report
“This is the 2nd time my tire has blown out. 1st time was in Feb 2026 and now again in Sept 2026 both have been factory tires Pirrelli 235/45 R18. The 1st time was on a interstate at speeds 70 mph the 2nd time on a rural road 45 to 55 mph. Both incidents have almost caused a major accident. The dealership has made every excuse under the sun and pirreli wont even discuss the issue. I have seen multiple complaints about factory tire issues with this make and model.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 21, 2026TiresODI 11765747

Latches/locks/linkages

1 report
“The contact owns a 2026 Kia K5. The contact stated that while driving 80 MPH, the front driver's side door independently unlatched and swung open. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. The contact was informed that the door latches were being replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 15,440.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Aug 11, 2026Latches/locks/linkagesODI 11756235
Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 30, 2026

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.