vehicle signal
U.S. public vehicle records

2018 Kia CADENZA problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

7 owner complaints analyzed

1 distinct recall campaigns

5,625 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2018 model year. Data snapshot: . 2 complaints include usable failure mileage.

This selection has limited data. It remains available for lookup but is excluded from search indexing.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Engine is the most frequently named component, appearing in 5 of 7 complaints (71.4%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
TopicMatching reportsShare of complaints
Engine operation228.6%
Electrical and battery issues114.3%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Engine
5
Unknown Or Other
2
Air Bags
1
Component breakdown data
CategoryCount
Engine5
Unknown Or Other2
Air Bags1

Engine: 5; Unknown Or Other: 2; Air Bags: 1

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000
2
25,000 to 49,999
0
50,000 to 74,999
0
75,000 to 99,999
0
100,000 to 149,999
0
150,000 and above
0
Reported problems by failure mileage data
CategoryCount
Under 25,0002
25,000 to 49,9990
50,000 to 74,9990
75,000 to 99,9990
100,000 to 149,9990
150,000 and above0

Under 25,000: 2; 25,000 to 49,999: 0; 50,000 to 74,999: 0; 75,000 to 99,999: 0; 100,000 to 149,999: 0; 150,000 and above: 0

Under 25,000 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (2). 5 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2018
1
2019
1
2025
4
2026
1
Complaints over time data
CategoryCount
20181
20191
20254
20261

2018: 1; 2019: 1; 2025: 4; 2026: 1

Pattern summary

Engine leads the component reports. Engine operation appears in 2 complaint narratives. Electrical and battery issues appears in 1 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 11208151 · 2019-05-16 (May 16, 2019)

I PURCHASED A NEW 2018 KIA CADENZA WITH 11 MILES ON IT. I HAVE HAD THE CAR LESS THAN A YEAR AND IT RANDOMLY STALLS WHILE IN DRIVE MODE IN MOTION AND SOMETIMES WHILE SITTING IDLE. IT HAS STALLED ON THE FREEWAY, NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS, DRIVE-WAY AND ON FEEDER ROADS. THE CAR HAS BEEN IN AND OUT OF THE DEALERSHIP AT LEAST 5 TIMES. KIA MOTORS CANNOT FIGURE OUT WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THEY PLACED A TRACKER IN THE VEHICLE AND DETERMINED THE CRANK SENSOR WAS MALFUNCTIONING. THEY REPLACED THE CRANK SENSOR, I PICKED THE VEHICLE UP AND LESS THAN 24 H…

Owner-reported narrative. 9,500 miles reported. Look up ODI 11208151 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11699682 · 2025-11-16 (November 16, 2025)

No prior issues/light on dashboard as the car was just serviced for coolant hose replacement. On my way home from work, the car stalled and loss power at the light. The signs were giving engine failure due to losing power then a clicking/ticking noise. After pulling over and giving the car a break I tried to restart it, at that point the noise had change from the clicking to a weird knocking noise. I had the car towed to my trusted mechanic shop. He advised me that the engine indeed did fail and that it would need to be replaced. Verbatim he s…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11699682 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11640601 · 2025-02-04 (February 4, 2025)

Failure of Oil Pressure Sensor resulting in oil leaking into wiring harness, this is the same problem with 3.3L engines in other models that KIA has extended coverage. I contacted KIA Customer Care and was told they tracked VIN and not enough Cadenzas had reported the same repair. If the problem is with the engine sensor then it should apply regardless of vehicle it was installed.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11640601 at NHTSA ↗