2026 Kia K5: complaints, problems and recalls
Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.
Key facts
11 owner complaints analyzed
1 distinct recall campaigns
110 mi median reported failure mileage
Scope: 2026 model year. Data snapshot: . 3 complaints include usable failure mileage.
Most common problems
Engine is the most frequently named component, appearing in 4 of 11 complaints (36.4%). A complaint can name multiple components.
| Topic | Matching reports | Share of complaints |
|---|---|---|
| Braking behavior | 1 | 9.1% |
| Electrical and battery issues | 1 | 9.1% |
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.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Engine | 4 |
| Unknown Or Other | 4 |
| Electrical System | 3 |
| Lane Departure: Assist | 2 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 1 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking | 1 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings | 1 |
| Lane Departure: Warning | 1 |
Engine: 4; Unknown Or Other: 4; Electrical System: 3; Lane Departure: Assist: 2; Engine And Engine Cooling: 1; Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking: 1; Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings: 1; Lane Departure: Warning: 1
Reported problems by failure mileage
Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| Under 25,000 | 3 |
| 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: 3; 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 (3). 8 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.
| Category | Count |
|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 |
| 2026 | 10 |
2025: 1; 2026: 10
Pattern summary
Engine leads the component reports. Braking behavior appears in 1 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.
Examples from the source records
Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.
Owner report 11703123 · 2025-12-04 (December 4, 2025)
Had the sunroof sunshade open, and the sunroof has exploded spontaneously out of nowhere. Since i had the sunshade open, the glass pieces went all over me and my wife, it had first scared us cause it was like a gun being fired off in the car, and i could've gotten into an accident. No. the car hasn’t been seen by the dealership. Theres has been many reports about this issue, me personally im in a group and theres a few people on there that this has happened to. No warning before it happened, there was no sign of impact. looks like it ju…
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11703123 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11711862 · 2026-01-19 (January 19, 2026)
My vehicle is 3 months old with only 3300 miles on it at the time this happened. I was driving on the interstate near on Saturday, January 17th, 2026. It was reasonably cold outside, and of course I had the heater on set to 70. My panoramic moonroof glass was closed, but the shade was open. My glass randomly exploded outward leaving a major hole in the glass. Glass shattered and sprinkled inside the vehicle while I was driving. After pulling over to identify what happened, I realized that the moonroof exploded outward from the vehicle.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11711862 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11722163 · 2026-03-05 (March 5, 2026)
The contact owns a 2026 Kia K5. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, the engine immediately started to rev extremely high, and smoke was coming from under the hood, and the front passenger side lights failed to illuminate. There was a sizzling sound coming from the engine compartment, and the hood was very hot to the touch. The contact turned off the vehicle, and a tow truck company was contacted. The contact stated that while raising the vehicle onto the tow truck, hundreds of shards of black plastic fell from the vehicle onto t…
Owner-reported narrative. 110 miles reported. Look up ODI 11722163 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11722165 · 2026-03-05 (March 5, 2026)
Low oil engine warning. Oil level is okay. Car has 80 miles on it, total.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11722165 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11722365 · 2026-03-05 (March 5, 2026)
The car only has 150 miles on it and I bought it 3 days ago and there is a LOW ENGINE OIL warning on the dash.
Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11722365 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11723226 · 2026-03-10 (March 10, 2026)
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-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11723226 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11723870 · 2026-03-12 (March 12, 2026)
The contact owns a 2026 Kia K5. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with an engine harness failure. The contact was informed that the engine harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the parts were ordered and would be delivered within a week. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that the dealer would be contacted. The failure milea…
Owner-reported narrative. 89 miles reported. Look up ODI 11723870 at NHTSA ↗
Owner report 11730905 · 2026-04-13 (April 13, 2026)
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-reported narrative. Look up ODI 11730905 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.
26V046000 · Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel
Reported: 2026-01-26 (January 26, 2026)
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2025 Kia K4, 2025-2026 Sorento, Sorento Hybrid, Sorento Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV), 2026 Sportage, Sportage Hybrid, Sportage PHEV, K5, EV9, Carnival, and Carnival Hybrid vehicles. Due to a software error, the instrument panel display may fail. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 101, "Controls and Displays" and 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring System."
Consequence: An instrument panel display that fails to show critical safety information, such as the speedometer, tire pressure, or warning lights, increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy: The instrument panel display software will be updated over-the-air (OTA) or by a dealer, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed March 26, 2026. Owners may contact Kia Customer Service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC361. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov on February 9, 2026.
NHTSA campaign record ↗