NHTSA Safety Recalls
Kia Recalls
Kia has 602 model-year recall listings with NHTSA across 34 models and 2000–2027 model years. The model with the most is the Sorento, with 77.
Owners have filed 38,739 complaints with NHTSA about the Kia model years listed here; the most, 1,520, concern the 2011 Sorento.
9 Kia models have enough complaint data for a years-to-avoid ranking; 7 of them have at least one year that stands out.
Complaints about Kia vehicles most often name the engine (at least 14,218), then the electrical system (5,556).
The Kia model with the most owner complaints is the Sorento: 9,685 across 21 model years listed here.
The newest Kia recall here, 26V545000, was reported on August 21, 2026 and concerns the air bags: sensor: occupant classification: front passenger.
Kia recalls most often concern the service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip: control unit/module (70 model-year listings), then the exterior lighting: brake lights: switch (39).
- Models
- 34
- Recall listings
- 602
- Model years
- 2000–2027
- Pages on file
- 217
campaign × model year
year + model
Kia models, most recalls first
| Model | Recalls | Years covered |
|---|---|---|
| Kia Sorento | 77 | 2003–2025(21) |
| Kia Sedona | 68 | 2002–2020(18) |
| Kia Sportage | 68 | 2000–2025(24) |
| Kia Optima | 59 | 2001–2019(18) |
| Kia Telluride | 35 | 2020–2027(7) |
| Kia Forte | 34 | 2010–2023(13) |
| Kia Soul | 34 | 2010–2023(14) |
| Kia Rio | 27 | 2001–2022(19) |
| Kia Stinger | 20 | 2018–2023(6) |
| Kia K5 | 19 | 2021–2025(5) |
| Kia Soul Ev | 17 | 2015–2019(5) |
| Kia Carnival | 13 | 2022–2025(4) |
| Kia Forte Koup | 13 | 2011–2015(5) |
| Kia Optima Hybrid | 12 | 2011–2018(5) |
| Kia Cadenza | 11 | 2014–2019(6) |
| Kia EV6 | 11 | 2022–2024(3) |
| Kia EV9 | 11 | 2024–2025(2) |
| Kia Rondo | 11 | 2007–2011(5) |
| Kia K900 | 8 | 2015–2019(4) |
| Kia Sorento Hybrid | 8 | 2021–2025(3) |
| Kia Seltos | 7 | 2021–2024(4) |
| Kia Niro | 6 | 2021–2025(5) |
| Kia Niro Ev | 6 | 2023–2025(3) |
| Kia Borrego | 5 | 2009–2010(2) |
| Kia Spectra | 5 | 2004–2007(4) |
| Kia Amanti | 4 | 2007–2009(3) |
| Kia K4 | 2 | 2025–2025(1) |
| Kia Ld Spectra | 2 | 2004–2005(2) |
| Kia Sorento Phev | 2 | 2023–2023(1) |
| Kia Sportage Phev | 2 | 2023–2023(1) |
| Kia Telluride Hybrid | 2 | 2027–2027(1) |
| Kia Niro Hybrid | 1 | 2017–2017(1) |
| Kia Niro Phev | 1 | 2022–2022(1) |
| Kia Sephia | 1 | 2000–2000(1) |
What gets recalled most on Kia vehicles
- SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE70
- EXTERIOR LIGHTING:BRAKE LIGHTS:SWITCH39
- FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS33
- ENGINE29
- TRAILER HITCHES27
- AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE17
- STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS16
- SUSPENSION:FRONT:CONTROL ARM:LOWER ARM16
- AIR BAGS15
- ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL12
- LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES:TRUNK LID:LATCH12
- ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE11
Kia years to avoid, by model
- Kia Forte2017
- Kia Nirono year stands out
- Kia Optima2012, 2013, 2015, 2016
- Kia Rio2001, 2002, 2003
- Kia Sedona2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006
- Kia Sorento2011
- Kia Soul2020
- Kia Spectrano year stands out
- Kia Sportage2000, 2001, 2002, 2017, 2018, 2020
Models sold in large numbers over many years collect more recalls and complaints than niche ones.
Newest record on this page: October 22, 2026. Data: NHTSA recall and owner-complaint files. How these figures are counted