U.S. public vehicle records

2026 Kia K4: complaints, problems and recalls

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

13 owner complaints analyzed

1 distinct recall campaigns

12,909 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2026 model year. Data updated: 2026-11-06 (November 6, 2026). 2 complaints include usable failure mileage. View data status.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Steering is the most frequently named component, appearing in 5 of 13 complaints (38.5%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Steering behavior	7	53.8%
Transmission and shifting	2	15.4%
Braking behavior	2	15.4%
Engine operation	1	7.7%

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.

Steering

Unknown Or Other

Electrical System

Lane Departure: Assist

Vehicle Speed Control

Air Bags

Engine

Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control

Steering: 5; Unknown Or Other: 5; Electrical System: 2; Lane Departure: Assist: 2; Vehicle Speed Control: 2; Air Bags: 1; Engine: 1; Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control: 1

Reported problems by failure mileage

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

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 1; 25,000 to 49,999: 1; 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 (1). 11 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.

2026

2026: 13

Pattern summary

Steering leads the component reports. Steering behavior appears in 7 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 2 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 2 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.

Examples from the source records

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

Owner report 11718955 · 2026-02-18 (February 18, 2026)

transmission stopped working when the vehicle was used under 200 miles.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11718955 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11720323 · 2026-02-25 (February 25, 2026)

Steering Instability: The steering wheel would periodically veer to the right and left on its own without my input. This created an unsafe driving condition and required constant correction to maintain control of the vehicle. Blind Spot / Reverse Detection Malfunction: When shifting the vehicle into reverse, the dashboard display indicated that no vehicle was present. However, when visually checking my driver-side mirror, there was clearly a vehicle immediately adjacent to my car. The system failed to detect or warn of the nearby vehicle, creat…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11720323 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11733624 · 2026-04-24 (April 24, 2026)

Sometimes when I’m driving the steering wheel just jerks to the left sometimes causing me to swerve into incoming traffic. It’s very scary. Luckily I’m holding tight to the steering wheel to keep myself from hitting someone.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11733624 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11738505 · 2026-05-18 (May 18, 2026)

The contact owns a 2026 Kia K4. The contact stated while her daughter was driving at approximately 25 MPH, the lane assist feature was diabled however, the contact attempted to avoid a dog and the vehicle independently jerked the vehicle and caused the front driver side of the vehicle to crash into a fence. No warning lights were illuminated. The air bags were not deployed. The vehicle was taken back to the residence. A police report was filed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The fail…

Owner-reported narrative. 465 miles reported. Look up ODI 11738505 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11739871 · 2026-05-25 (May 25, 2026)

My car was brand new with only 1442 miles. I was hit in the rear passenger side at a four way stop, this was not much force, however I was injured and my car was deemed a total loss. I fear this car ranks low in safety. Thankfully my daughter was not with me at the time.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11739871 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11741355 · 2026-06-01 (June 1, 2026)

The contact owns a 2026 Kia K4. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds with the smart cruise control activated, the brake was applied inadvertently and the steering wheel steered to the right, overcorrecting his steering efforts. The contact state that the inadvertent braking and steering nearly caused the vehicle to crash and almost resulted in the vehicle being rear-ended by another vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the vehicle operating normally and there was no fail…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11741355 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11755719 · 2026-08-09 (August 9, 2026)

The vehicle issues began 3 weeks after purchasing a 2026 Kia K4 with 89 miles on it. *"Key fob not recognized", black screen, car not starting and cascading into many other infotainment problems. ** Revving far higher (1.4 - 4.4) with the slightest acceleration ***Hesitating, them engaging so suddenly that steering is incredibly difficult. On more than one occasion, of someone had been in front of me, I would have hit them. ****All steering assist options OFF yet the car will take control and turn me towards oncoming traffic. I absolutely c…

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11755719 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 11762542 · 2026-09-07 (September 7, 2026)

Was in a side impact collision on july 17, 2026, vehicle was totaled but no air bags deployed nor did any collision sensors go off

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11762542 at NHTSA ↗

Recall history

1 distinct campaigns affect this selection. Announcement dates below are different from vehicle model years. A campaign may cover multiple years.

26V135000 · Seat Belts:Rear/Other:Anchorage

Reported: 2026-03-06 (March 6, 2026)

Kia America, Inc (Kia) is recalling certain 2027 Kia Telluride and 2026 Kia K4 vehicles. The rear center seat belt anchor buckle in the 2026 K4 and the third-row center seat belt anchor buckle in the 2027 Telluride may not latch properly.

Consequence: A seat belt buckle that is not latched properly can fail to restrain an occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.

Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the anchor buckle assembly, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 5, 2026. Owners may contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC364. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning March 20, 2026.

NHTSA campaign record ↗

Explore the data

Vehicle analysis explorer

Inspect model-year patterns, reported mileage, monthly activity and the evidence behind each signal.

Data completeness

13 unique complaints in this selection. Analysis snapshot: 2026-11-06.

15.4%Usable mileage2 / 13 records

100.0%Valid incident date13 / 13 records

100.0%Valid filing date13 / 13 records

100.0%Ordered incident and filing dates13 / 13 records

Missing, zero and invalid mileage is excluded. Dates after the snapshot are excluded. Examples are limited selections, not a representative sample.

Problems by model year

Model-wide comparison of the eight most reported components across the model. Cells show counts and shares within each model year. Open a cell for source examples.

From model yearThrough model year

Component complaint heatmap
Component	2025	2026
Electrical System	1530.6% ODI 11681852 I own a 2025 Kia K4 that has experienced multiple serious defects since purchase, raising ongoing safety concerns. Within the first four months, my windshield has failed or cracked four times, with one replacement denied by Kia and paid out-of-pocket. The windshield continues to make loud cracking noises, suggesting a structural defect that has not been resolved. In addition, the sunroof does not open or close properly, and while Kia acknowledged the defect, they only offered a potential software adjustment that does not address the root cause.… Look up ODI 11681852 at NHTSA ↗	215.4% ODI 11767387 Driving home, the entire screen flickered, then went out, when it came back the drivers assist lane assist kicked in and the car steered itself into oncoming traffic, which forced an oncoming car in front had to lock its brakes to avoid a collision. Then after forcing the steering out of the incoming lane, the lane assist came back on causing collision with the curb in the opposite direction. After resetting the computer with a pin, and watching the screen flicker and blink, it came back on and now the car is parked at home. Hewitt police woul… Look up ODI 11767387 at NHTSA ↗
Unknown Or Other	1224.5% ODI 11681852 I own a 2025 Kia K4 that has experienced multiple serious defects since purchase, raising ongoing safety concerns. Within the first four months, my windshield has failed or cracked four times, with one replacement denied by Kia and paid out-of-pocket. The windshield continues to make loud cracking noises, suggesting a structural defect that has not been resolved. In addition, the sunroof does not open or close properly, and while Kia acknowledged the defect, they only offered a potential software adjustment that does not address the root cause.… Look up ODI 11681852 at NHTSA ↗	538.5% ODI 11739871 My car was brand new with only 1442 miles. I was hit in the rear passenger side at a four way stop, this was not much force, however I was injured and my car was deemed a total loss. I fear this car ranks low in safety. Thankfully my daughter was not with me at the time. Look up ODI 11739871 at NHTSA ↗
Steering	510.2% ODI 11689961 While driving on the freeway in the left lane on a two-lane highway, the lane departure and steer ahead feature incorrectly adjusted steering and pulled vehicle into the right lane. Is incorrect adjustment due to lane departure has happened numerous times. Each time this occurred I was not using copilot features. The lane departure cannot be turned off. Look up ODI 11689961 at NHTSA ↗	538.5% ODI 11720323 Steering Instability: The steering wheel would periodically veer to the right and left on its own without my input. This created an unsafe driving condition and required constant correction to maintain control of the vehicle. Blind Spot / Reverse Detection Malfunction: When shifting the vehicle into reverse, the dashboard display indicated that no vehicle was present. However, when visually checking my driver-side mirror, there was clearly a vehicle immediately adjacent to my car. The system failed to detect or warn of the nearby vehicle, creat… Look up ODI 11720323 at NHTSA ↗
Engine	816.3% ODI 11667842 Bought my Kia k4 2025 in February at DTLA Kia and the experience has been [XXX]. The first day driving I went up near dodgers stadium , immediately had a burnt smell. I disregarded it thinking maybe its fresh paint burning , WRONG. Till this day 4 months later my tail pipe throws a musty smell. Issue number 2 , the hesitant gas pedal. Who knows what it is maybe fuel system , transmission but daily and I mean DAILY my accelaration is poor,jerky, struggling and overall doesn't work. It has its good mornings but once I'm on the road for more than … Look up ODI 11667842 at NHTSA ↗	17.7% ODI 11769857 · 25,352 mi The contact owns a 2026 Kia K4. While driving 37 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. After restarting the vehicle, the failure persisted, and the message "Press Engine Start/Stop" was displayed with the key warning light illuminated. The following night, the contact started and then turned off the vehicle; however, the vehicle restarted independently without the Engine Start/Stop button being pressed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but was not yet diagnosed. The manufacturer was notified by phone, and a case was filed. The failure mileage … Look up ODI 11769857 at NHTSA ↗
Air Bags	714.3% ODI 11684275 The airbags failed to go off. I think the vehicle is still available it was towed to Carroll's in Winslow Maine. By the airbags not going off it made the risk of injury much greater. Also lost control of the steering all together. Tried to swerve to miss an animal and the steering assist took over. Yes we have a police report stating that the airbags didn't go off. I am sure budget had their people go look at the car. No warning lights present. Look up ODI 11684275 at NHTSA ↗	17.7% ODI 11762542 Was in a side impact collision on july 17, 2026, vehicle was totaled but no air bags deployed nor did any collision sensors go off Look up ODI 11762542 at NHTSA ↗
Power Train	816.3% ODI 11667842 Bought my Kia k4 2025 in February at DTLA Kia and the experience has been [XXX]. The first day driving I went up near dodgers stadium , immediately had a burnt smell. I disregarded it thinking maybe its fresh paint burning , WRONG. Till this day 4 months later my tail pipe throws a musty smell. Issue number 2 , the hesitant gas pedal. Who knows what it is maybe fuel system , transmission but daily and I mean DAILY my accelaration is poor,jerky, struggling and overall doesn't work. It has its good mornings but once I'm on the road for more than … Look up ODI 11667842 at NHTSA ↗	00.0% No examples available for this selection.
Lane Departure: Assist	510.2% ODI 11645914 · 1,300 mi The contact owned a 2025 Kia K4. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle was pulling to the left unintendedly. The contact stated that upon disengaging the Lane Keep Assist, the failure recurred while driving. The vehicle was taken to Discount Tire, where the tire pressure was adjusted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where an alignment was performed; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated while exiting the expressway and driving approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle veered to the left unintendedly, causing … Look up ODI 11645914 at NHTSA ↗	215.4% ODI 11733624 Sometimes when I’m driving the steering wheel just jerks to the left sometimes causing me to swerve into incoming traffic. It’s very scary. Luckily I’m holding tight to the steering wheel to keep myself from hitting someone. Look up ODI 11733624 at NHTSA ↗
Vehicle Speed Control	48.2% ODI 11683919 Transmission failure 4 times since purchasing it new in December 2024 I was almost killed multiple times on the highway because car won’t accelerate. Car is jumping when driving and choking Air conditioning shuts off while driving Car gets stuck in park and nothing will work Look up ODI 11683919 at NHTSA ↗	215.4% ODI 11718955 transmission stopped working when the vehicle was used under 200 miles. Look up ODI 11718955 at NHTSA ↗

Darker cells indicate a larger share of submitted complaints. Components overlap. This measures complaint composition, not failure probability.

Failure mileage by component

Median and middle 50% of usable owner-reported mileages. Ranges require at least five records.

Component failure mileage distribution
Component	Mileage range (25th–75th percentile)	Median	Usable records	Examples
Electrical System	Too few reports for a range	25,352 mi	1 (sparse)	ODI 11769857 · 25,352 mi The contact owns a 2026 Kia K4. While driving 37 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. After restarting the vehicle, the failure persisted, and the message "Press Engine Start/Stop" was displayed with the key warning light illuminated. The following night, the contact started and then turned off the vehicle; however, the vehicle restarted independently without the Engine Start/Stop button being pressed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but was not yet diagnosed. The manufacturer was notified by phone, and a case was filed. The failure mileage … Look up ODI 11769857 at NHTSA ↗
Engine	Too few reports for a range	25,352 mi	1 (sparse)	ODI 11769857 · 25,352 mi The contact owns a 2026 Kia K4. While driving 37 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. After restarting the vehicle, the failure persisted, and the message "Press Engine Start/Stop" was displayed with the key warning light illuminated. The following night, the contact started and then turned off the vehicle; however, the vehicle restarted independently without the Engine Start/Stop button being pressed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but was not yet diagnosed. The manufacturer was notified by phone, and a case was filed. The failure mileage … Look up ODI 11769857 at NHTSA ↗

Complaint and recall timeline

Explore monthly filing activity alongside recall announcements. Up to ten years of monthly history is available.

ComponentPeriod

Solid line: filed complaints. Dashed amber lines: recall announcement dates for this vehicle selection; markers include all recall components. The latest month is partial. Temporal proximity does not establish causation.

Monthly counts, recall campaigns and complaint examples

Monthly complaint and recall timeline
Month	Complaints	Campaigns announced	Examples
2024-12	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-01	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-02	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-03	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-04	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-05	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-06	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-07	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-08	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-09	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-10	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-11	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2025-12	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-01	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-02	2	None	ODI 11718955 transmission stopped working when the vehicle was used under 200 miles. Look up ODI 11718955 at NHTSA ↗ ODI 11720323 Steering Instability: The steering wheel would periodically veer to the right and left on its own without my input. This created an unsafe driving condition and required constant correction to maintain control of the vehicle. Blind Spot / Reverse Detection Malfunction: When shifting the vehicle into reverse, the dashboard display indicated that no vehicle was present. However, when visually checking my driver-side mirror, there was clearly a vehicle immediately adjacent to my car. The system failed to detect or warn of the nearby vehicle, creat… Look up ODI 11720323 at NHTSA ↗
2026-03	0	26V135000	No examples available for this selection.
2026-04	1	None	ODI 11733624 Sometimes when I’m driving the steering wheel just jerks to the left sometimes causing me to swerve into incoming traffic. It’s very scary. Luckily I’m holding tight to the steering wheel to keep myself from hitting someone. Look up ODI 11733624 at NHTSA ↗
2026-05	2	None	ODI 11738505 · 465 mi The contact owns a 2026 Kia K4. The contact stated while her daughter was driving at approximately 25 MPH, the lane assist feature was diabled however, the contact attempted to avoid a dog and the vehicle independently jerked the vehicle and caused the front driver side of the vehicle to crash into a fence. No warning lights were illuminated. The air bags were not deployed. The vehicle was taken back to the residence. A police report was filed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The fail… Look up ODI 11738505 at NHTSA ↗ ODI 11739871 My car was brand new with only 1442 miles. I was hit in the rear passenger side at a four way stop, this was not much force, however I was injured and my car was deemed a total loss. I fear this car ranks low in safety. Thankfully my daughter was not with me at the time. Look up ODI 11739871 at NHTSA ↗
2026-06	1	None	ODI 11741355 The contact owns a 2026 Kia K4. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds with the smart cruise control activated, the brake was applied inadvertently and the steering wheel steered to the right, overcorrecting his steering efforts. The contact state that the inadvertent braking and steering nearly caused the vehicle to crash and almost resulted in the vehicle being rear-ended by another vehicle. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed that the vehicle operating normally and there was no fail… Look up ODI 11741355 at NHTSA ↗
2026-07	0	None	No examples available for this selection.
2026-08	1	None	ODI 11755719 The vehicle issues began 3 weeks after purchasing a 2026 Kia K4 with 89 miles on it. "Key fob not recognized", black screen, car not starting and cascading into many other infotainment problems. * Revving far higher (1.4 - 4.4) with the slightest acceleration *Hesitating, them engaging so suddenly that steering is incredibly difficult. On more than one occasion, of someone had been in front of me, I would have hit them. **All steering assist options OFF yet the car will take control and turn me towards oncoming traffic. I absolutely c… Look up ODI 11755719 at NHTSA ↗
2026-09	5	None	ODI 11762542 Was in a side impact collision on july 17, 2026, vehicle was totaled but no air bags deployed nor did any collision sensors go off Look up ODI 11762542 at NHTSA ↗ ODI 11765205 The vehicle has repeatedly jerked into other lanes while I am driving, requiring me to quickly jerk the steering wheel back to avoid a collision. This occurs whether the lane-keeping assistance feature is turned on or off. I turned the feature off, but the problem continued. The vehicle does not feel safe to drive and appears likely to cause an accident, especially when there is oncoming traffic. Look up ODI 11765205 at NHTSA ↗ ODI 11765622 On August 28, 2026, I was driving my 2026 Kia K4 GT-Line with approximately 1,872 miles at low speed in a parking lot. While making a left turn at the end of an aisle, I attempted to straighten/unwind the steering wheel. The steering became unusually unresponsive and I was unable to straighten the vehicle as expected. The vehicle continued left and struck a curb, causing body and front suspension damage. The abnormal steering behavior occurred before the curb impact. I observed no power steering, check-engine, ADAS, or other warning lights or … Look up ODI 11765622 at NHTSA ↗
2026-10	1	None	ODI 11769857 · 25,352 mi The contact owns a 2026 Kia K4. While driving 37 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. After restarting the vehicle, the failure persisted, and the message "Press Engine Start/Stop" was displayed with the key warning light illuminated. The following night, the contact started and then turned off the vehicle; however, the vehicle restarted independently without the Engine Start/Stop button being pressed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but was not yet diagnosed. The manufacturer was notified by phone, and a case was filed. The failure mileage … Look up ODI 11769857 at NHTSA ↗
2026-11 (partial)	0	None	No examples available for this selection.

Emerging complaint spikes

Complete months in the latest six months with at least 10 complaints, at least twice the preceding 12-month average, and at least three square-root deviations above that average.

This is a descriptive screening rule, not a statistical defect finding. Publicity and reporting changes can increase submissions.

No complete months meet the spike thresholds for this selection.

Equal-age model-year comparison

Model-wide cumulative reports during the first three or five calendar years, starting with the model year (age 0). Only fully elapsed windows are compared.

Observation windowFirst model yearSecond model year

No selected model years have a complete observation window. Choose an eligible year or a shorter window.

Incident date is preferred when valid and no later than filing; otherwise filing date is used. Model year approximates age. Equal observation time does not adjust for sales, distance driven or reporting delays. One complaint linked to multiple model years can appear in each cohort.

Components reported together

Each cell counts unique complaints naming both components. Open a nonzero cell for examples.

Component co-occurrence matrix
Component	Steering	Unknown Or Other	Electrical System	Lane Departure: Assist	Vehicle Speed Control	Air Bags	Engine	Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control
Steering	—	1 ODI 11755719 The vehicle issues began 3 weeks after purchasing a 2026 Kia K4 with 89 miles on it. "Key fob not recognized", black screen, car not starting and cascading into many other infotainment problems. * Revving far higher (1.4 - 4.4) with the slightest acceleration *Hesitating, them engaging so suddenly that steering is incredibly difficult. On more than one occasion, of someone had been in front of me, I would have hit them. **All steering assist options OFF yet the car will take control and turn me towards oncoming traffic. I absolutely c… Look up ODI 11755719 at NHTSA ↗	1 ODI 11767387 Driving home, the entire screen flickered, then went out, when it came back the drivers assist lane assist kicked in and the car steered itself into oncoming traffic, which forced an oncoming car in front had to lock its brakes to avoid a collision. Then after forcing the steering out of the incoming lane, the lane assist came back on causing collision with the curb in the opposite direction. After resetting the computer with a pin, and watching the screen flicker and blink, it came back on and now the car is parked at home. Hewitt police woul… Look up ODI 11767387 at NHTSA ↗	2 ODI 11733624 Sometimes when I’m driving the steering wheel just jerks to the left sometimes causing me to swerve into incoming traffic. It’s very scary. Luckily I’m holding tight to the steering wheel to keep myself from hitting someone. Look up ODI 11733624 at NHTSA ↗ ODI 11755719 The vehicle issues began 3 weeks after purchasing a 2026 Kia K4 with 89 miles on it. "Key fob not recognized", black screen, car not starting and cascading into many other infotainment problems. * Revving far higher (1.4 - 4.4) with the slightest acceleration *Hesitating, them engaging so suddenly that steering is incredibly difficult. On more than one occasion, of someone had been in front of me, I would have hit them. **All steering assist options OFF yet the car will take control and turn me towards oncoming traffic. I absolutely c… Look up ODI 11755719 at NHTSA ↗	1 ODI 11767387 Driving home, the entire screen flickered, then went out, when it came back the drivers assist lane assist kicked in and the car steered itself into oncoming traffic, which forced an oncoming car in front had to lock its brakes to avoid a collision. Then after forcing the steering out of the incoming lane, the lane assist came back on causing collision with the curb in the opposite direction. After resetting the computer with a pin, and watching the screen flicker and blink, it came back on and now the car is parked at home. Hewitt police woul… Look up ODI 11767387 at NHTSA ↗	0	0	0
Unknown Or Other	1 ODI 11755719 The vehicle issues began 3 weeks after purchasing a 2026 Kia K4 with 89 miles on it. "Key fob not recognized", black screen, car not starting and cascading into many other infotainment problems. * Revving far higher (1.4 - 4.4) with the slightest acceleration *Hesitating, them engaging so suddenly that steering is incredibly difficult. On more than one occasion, of someone had been in front of me, I would have hit them. **All steering assist options OFF yet the car will take control and turn me towards oncoming traffic. I absolutely c… Look up ODI 11755719 at NHTSA ↗	—	0	1 ODI 11755719 The vehicle issues began 3 weeks after purchasing a 2026 Kia K4 with 89 miles on it. "Key fob not recognized", black screen, car not starting and cascading into many other infotainment problems. * Revving far higher (1.4 - 4.4) with the slightest acceleration *Hesitating, them engaging so suddenly that steering is incredibly difficult. On more than one occasion, of someone had been in front of me, I would have hit them. **All steering assist options OFF yet the car will take control and turn me towards oncoming traffic. I absolutely c… Look up ODI 11755719 at NHTSA ↗	0	1 ODI 11762542 Was in a side impact collision on july 17, 2026, vehicle was totaled but no air bags deployed nor did any collision sensors go off Look up ODI 11762542 at NHTSA ↗	0	0
Electrical System	1 ODI 11767387 Driving home, the entire screen flickered, then went out, when it came back the drivers assist lane assist kicked in and the car steered itself into oncoming traffic, which forced an oncoming car in front had to lock its brakes to avoid a collision. Then after forcing the steering out of the incoming lane, the lane assist came back on causing collision with the curb in the opposite direction. After resetting the computer with a pin, and watching the screen flicker and blink, it came back on and now the car is parked at home. Hewitt police woul… Look up ODI 11767387 at NHTSA ↗	0	—	0	1 ODI 11767387 Driving home, the entire screen flickered, then went out, when it came back the drivers assist lane assist kicked in and the car steered itself into oncoming traffic, which forced an oncoming car in front had to lock its brakes to avoid a collision. Then after forcing the steering out of the incoming lane, the lane assist came back on causing collision with the curb in the opposite direction. After resetting the computer with a pin, and watching the screen flicker and blink, it came back on and now the car is parked at home. Hewitt police woul… Look up ODI 11767387 at NHTSA ↗	0	1 ODI 11769857 · 25,352 mi The contact owns a 2026 Kia K4. While driving 37 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. After restarting the vehicle, the failure persisted, and the message "Press Engine Start/Stop" was displayed with the key warning light illuminated. The following night, the contact started and then turned off the vehicle; however, the vehicle restarted independently without the Engine Start/Stop button being pressed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but was not yet diagnosed. The manufacturer was notified by phone, and a case was filed. The failure mileage … Look up ODI 11769857 at NHTSA ↗	0
Lane Departure: Assist	2 ODI 11733624 Sometimes when I’m driving the steering wheel just jerks to the left sometimes causing me to swerve into incoming traffic. It’s very scary. Luckily I’m holding tight to the steering wheel to keep myself from hitting someone. Look up ODI 11733624 at NHTSA ↗ ODI 11755719 The vehicle issues began 3 weeks after purchasing a 2026 Kia K4 with 89 miles on it. "Key fob not recognized", black screen, car not starting and cascading into many other infotainment problems. * Revving far higher (1.4 - 4.4) with the slightest acceleration *Hesitating, them engaging so suddenly that steering is incredibly difficult. On more than one occasion, of someone had been in front of me, I would have hit them. **All steering assist options OFF yet the car will take control and turn me towards oncoming traffic. I absolutely c… Look up ODI 11755719 at NHTSA ↗	1 ODI 11755719 The vehicle issues began 3 weeks after purchasing a 2026 Kia K4 with 89 miles on it. "Key fob not recognized", black screen, car not starting and cascading into many other infotainment problems. * Revving far higher (1.4 - 4.4) with the slightest acceleration *Hesitating, them engaging so suddenly that steering is incredibly difficult. On more than one occasion, of someone had been in front of me, I would have hit them. **All steering assist options OFF yet the car will take control and turn me towards oncoming traffic. I absolutely c… Look up ODI 11755719 at NHTSA ↗	0	—	0	0	0	0
Vehicle Speed Control	1 ODI 11767387 Driving home, the entire screen flickered, then went out, when it came back the drivers assist lane assist kicked in and the car steered itself into oncoming traffic, which forced an oncoming car in front had to lock its brakes to avoid a collision. Then after forcing the steering out of the incoming lane, the lane assist came back on causing collision with the curb in the opposite direction. After resetting the computer with a pin, and watching the screen flicker and blink, it came back on and now the car is parked at home. Hewitt police woul… Look up ODI 11767387 at NHTSA ↗	0	1 ODI 11767387 Driving home, the entire screen flickered, then went out, when it came back the drivers assist lane assist kicked in and the car steered itself into oncoming traffic, which forced an oncoming car in front had to lock its brakes to avoid a collision. Then after forcing the steering out of the incoming lane, the lane assist came back on causing collision with the curb in the opposite direction. After resetting the computer with a pin, and watching the screen flicker and blink, it came back on and now the car is parked at home. Hewitt police woul… Look up ODI 11767387 at NHTSA ↗	0	—	0	0	0
Air Bags	0	1 ODI 11762542 Was in a side impact collision on july 17, 2026, vehicle was totaled but no air bags deployed nor did any collision sensors go off Look up ODI 11762542 at NHTSA ↗	0	0	0	—	0	0
Engine	0	0	1 ODI 11769857 · 25,352 mi The contact owns a 2026 Kia K4. While driving 37 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. After restarting the vehicle, the failure persisted, and the message "Press Engine Start/Stop" was displayed with the key warning light illuminated. The following night, the contact started and then turned off the vehicle; however, the vehicle restarted independently without the Engine Start/Stop button being pressed. The vehicle was towed to the dealer but was not yet diagnosed. The manufacturer was notified by phone, and a case was filed. The failure mileage … Look up ODI 11769857 at NHTSA ↗	0	0	0	—	0
Forward Collision Avoidance: Adaptive Cruise Control	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	—

Co-reporting does not establish that one component caused another concern.

Recurring narrative patterns

Specific keyword mentions beyond broad component labels. Matching includes negations and comparisons and does not confirm a diagnosis.

Search patterns

4 patterns with matching reports.

Warning lights and dashboard alerts

4 mentions · 30.8% of complaints

Median mileage: 12,909 mi (2 usable records).

ODI 11738505 · 465 mi

Look up ODI 11738505 at NHTSA ↗

ODI 11755719

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ODI 11765622

On August 28, 2026, I was driving my 2026 Kia K4 GT-Line with approximately 1,872 miles at low speed in a parking lot. While making a left turn at the end of an aisle, I attempted to straighten/unwind the steering wheel. The steering became unusually unresponsive and I was unable to straighten the vehicle as expected. The vehicle continued left and struck a curb, causing body and front suspension damage. The abnormal steering behavior occurred before the curb impact. I observed no power steering, check-engine, ADAS, or other warning lights or …

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Matching rule

\b(warning light\w*|check engine|dashboard warning\w*|malfunction indicator)\b

Hard or delayed shifting

3 mentions · 23.1% of complaints

Median mileage: 465 mi (1 usable records).

ODI 11733624

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ODI 11738505 · 465 mi

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ODI 11765205

The vehicle has repeatedly jerked into other lanes while I am driving, requiring me to quickly jerk the steering wheel back to avoid a collision. This occurs whether the lane-keeping assistance feature is turned on or off. I turned the feature off, but the problem continued. The vehicle does not feel safe to drive and appears likely to cause an accident, especially when there is oncoming traffic.

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Matching rule

Steering assistance concerns

2 mentions · 15.4% of complaints

Median mileage: Unavailable (0 usable records).

ODI 11755719

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ODI 11765622

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Matching rule

\b(power steer\w*|steering assist\w*|steering lock\w*|steering wheel lock\w*)\b

Stalling or loss of power

1 mentions · 7.7% of complaints

Median mileage: Unavailable (0 usable records).

ODI 11765622

Look up ODI 11765622 at NHTSA ↗

Matching rule

\b(stall\w*|loss of power|lost power|engine shut\w* off)\b