Kia · K5 · 2025
2
Recalls
40
Complaints
5/5
Safety Rating
The 2025 Kia K5 has 2 recalls and 40 owner-reported complaints on file with NHTSA. Overall safety rating: 5 out of 5 stars. Most reported issue: tires (10 reports).
Source: NHTSA Public Records · Updated Apr 22, 2026
This page combines three types of NHTSA data: recall campaigns (official manufacturer or government actions), owner complaints (unverified consumer reports), and crash test ratings (where available). A vehicle with many complaints is not necessarily less reliable — complaint volume correlates with sales volume and vehicle age. Recalls indicate identified defects, not overall quality. To compare this model year with others, use the year navigation in the sidebar or return to the model overview page.
Frontal Crash Test

Side Crash Test

Overall Frontal Rating
Driver and Passenger Assessment
Driver Side
Passenger Side
Overall Side Rating
Side Barrier and Side Pole Tests
Driver Side
Passenger Side
Rollover Resistance
10.7% rollover risk in single-vehicle crash
Safety Features
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2025 K5 vehicles. A software error in the Power-net Domain Controller (PDC) may cause the parking lights to flicker. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Remedy Status
The PDC software will be updated by a dealer or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 24, 2025. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC341.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023-2025 K5 vehicles. The left and right rear window trim pieces may loosen and detach.
Remedy Status
Dealers will inspect and replace the C-pillar trim assemblies, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 19, 2025. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC346.
While driving on the interstate at 70 miles an hour on cruise, I turned off cruise control in order to take control of my vehicle in order to change lanes and my car immediately took back the control and accelerated and then abruptly hit brakes at 70 miles an hour throwing me forward hitting my head which caused unconsciousness and when I came to, My air bags had deployed and my car was total lossed. Due to the state of shock and a concussion, I thought the car had hit an eighteen wheeler which was the last thing I remembered seeing in front of me due to the damages to my car. However, the truck was not there and my car was against the wall where it had stopped. I don’t know if something like debris came from under the truck that was in front of me causing the sensors to engage due to the abrupt stop causing me to hit my head and knocking me on conscious. No other vehicle was at the scene and my car had significant damage causing it to be a total loss.
On March 14, 2026 I discovered that my rear passenger tire had a large bubble. Pirelli P Zero All season 235/45/18. I contacted Dyer Kia about replacement and they told me that they could not get me in until Monday, this was Saturday. I was due to be somewhere on Sunday and told them I didn’t want to drive on the doughnut or on the tire with the bubble. They said there’s nothing we can do about it till Monday unless you want to go and purchase a tire and have it put on and we will see if we can reimburse you. That was not an option. Especially they after said we’ll see if we can reimburse. I went to there service department on Monday, March 16, 2026 at 8 AM. I told the service tech that the tire was in the trunk and it had a large bubble in it and it needed to be replaced. This tire had approximately 1400 miles on it. This is the second tire in two months that I have had to have replaced. They told me that I must’ve hit a pothole because that’s what causes sidewall bubbles. I disagree. They finally agreed to replace the tire and after being there for 4 1/2 hours they sent me on my way and I was within 5 miles of home and I did hit a small hole in the road and the tire immediately went flat. This tire was the one that they had just replaced in January on the passenger side front I contacted them again and told them that I was going to go to a tire dealer and put on new tires and send them the bill because now I am afraid to even drive my car. Sending them the bill is probably a moot point but it’s worth a shot. My car is brand new has approximately 1450 miles on it and I’ve already had three flats. I don’t
I brought my car into Dyer Kia on March 16, 2025 to replace my rear passenger side tire that had a bubble in it.They finally agreed to replace the tire and after being there for 4 1/2 hours they sent me on my way and I was within 5 miles of home and I did hit a small hole in the road and the tire immediately went flat. This tire was the one that they had just replaced in January on the passenger side front I contacted them again and told them that I was going to go to a tire dealer and put on new tires and send them the bill because now I am afraid to even drive my car. Sending them the bill is probably a moot point but it’s worth a shot. My car is brand new has approximately 1450 miles on it and I’ve already had three flats. I had actually told my sales rep while I was waiting for my tire to be put on that Dyer Kia should actually replace all four of my tires with new tires and not Pirelli’s. And he said that’s never gonna happen.I don’t understand why they would put as they call it a racing performance tire on a street car. I had four new Goodyear tires put on the car and the minute I drove away with a new tires, You could feel a total difference in the ride. I hope nobody dies because of all these defective Pirelli tires 235/45/18
The car material itself is very cheap meaning it poor quality, very flimsy, I hit a curb and the grill and cover just broke so easily even though it was now a serious hit but very small and slight to the point where you can’t feel it. Now it’s just hanging off and shaking badly because of the poor material, it isn’t stuff enough to keep in place.
Within 1 month of purchasing this vehicle (new), the front passenger tire developed a bubble in the sidewall. We had to argue with the dealership to get it replaced. It had less than 200 miles on it. 7 months later there is a bubble in the sidewall of the front driver side tire. There is less than 9,000 miles on these tires. This is a safety issue and a defect that is not being addressed. We keep being told we must have hit a bump or something to cause this. I have owned many vehicles (more than I can count) and have never had this happen before. It should 100% be recalled or covered under warranty. Pirelli P Zero All Season 235/45R18 18-inch alloy
The stock OE Pirelli PZero 235/45 R18 tire had a sidewall bubble identified after 7200 miles. The tire was originally the front passenger tire, moved to the rear passenger after tire rotation.
While driving in the dark this morning with my eight year old in the backseat, my headlights shut off, my entire dash including my speedometer, warning lights, radio, heat, heated seat and steering wheel, lost electricity.
On 1/12/26 I brought my 2025 Kia K5 to Dyer Kia in Lake Wales, Florida, for a blow out on my right front tire. The tire had 700 miles on it. I have only had the car since October 2025. Car was new. Tire is a Perelli and tire size is 235/45/18. When I got there the service technician told me that I ran over something. I did not. I was on a smooth road, no debris on the road. I had two other people in the car with me and they can verify that there was nothing on the road because we walked the road to see if there was any debris. They replaced it under their pro Care policy, because I had not purchased road hazard. I didn’t purchase that because it came in a package that I couldn’t afford. They did replace the tire and then I had to pay for the tire sensor because they said it was faulty. I don’t think I should’ve had to pay for that but that’s another story.
While I was driving, the panoramic sunroof suddenly shattered without any impact. I did not hear or see any object hit the glass. It made a very loud noise similar to a gunshot, and then the glass fractured across the middle section, broke upward, and collapsed into small pieces. There is no visible rock chip or impact point. This was extremely loud and frightening and could have caused injury if more glass had fallen inside the cabin.
k5 car seat belt locked 2025 gt line fix replacement of the assembly Retraction Issue deployed Stuck
Component/System Involved: The vehicle experienced a brief electrical failure affecting multiple systems simultaneously: exterior headlights, infotainment system, and dashboard indicators (seatbelt warning). All components recovered automatically within approximately 0.5–1 second. The issue appears electrical in nature (possible power interruption, grounding issue, BCM/TCM-related event). The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. Safety Risk: Yes. The headlights shut off completely while driving at night, even if only momentarily. This created a visibility loss and increased risk of collision, especially with surrounding traffic. The sudden loss and restoration of lighting was distracting and unexpected. Reproduction / Confirmation: The issue has occurred 4 times under different conditions (day/night driving). It has not yet been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center. Inspection Status: The vehicle has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer, dealer, police, insurance, or any third party regarding this issue. Warnings or Prior Symptoms: There were no warning lights, messages, or symptoms prior to the failure. The only indication was the seatbelt warning light illuminating during the event, coinciding with the blackout. No prior alerts appeared before either occurrence.I have experienced this electrical dropout four times over the ~1 year and 4 months I’ve owned the vehicle. Other owners of 2025 Kia K5s have reported the same momentary blackout behavior in online community discussions, indicating this may not be an isolated incident with my car. Owners have described the infotainment and instrument panel going dark and then returning to normal while driving.
KIA has hasd a recall since July of 2025 and the part to fix the back window trim. The part was supposed to be ready to ne installed by Oct of 2025. It is Nov 5 2025 and the part is still unavailable. KIA is in no hurry or rush to get this recalled.
fix
Shortly after a routine oil change performed at a Kia dealership, I discovered a significant oil leak underneath the vehicle the following day. Within a short period of time, the vehicle began experiencing engine-related issues including a cylinder misfire, noticeable shaking while driving, and loss of power, particularly when accelerating or driving on inclines. The vehicle also displayed a check engine light and a warning related to 12-volt battery drain. In addition, I noticed a strong burning odor coming from the engine area, which raised concerns about a possible fluid leak or internal engine issue. These conditions created a safety concern because the vehicle would hesitate and lose power during normal driving, which could increase the risk of an accident, especially in traffic or when merging or climbing inclines. The vehicle was returned to a Kia dealership for inspection. I was informed that a cylinder issue was suspected; however, only a temporary repair involving a coil swap was performed. No comprehensive diagnostic testing was completed to confirm the root cause of the problem. After the repair, the vehicle continued to exhibit abnormal behavior, including shaking and lack of power. Due to ongoing safety concerns and lack of confidence in the vehicle’s reliability, I stopped driving the vehicle. This issue occurred at relatively low mileage, raising concerns about a potential engine defect or unresolved mechanical failure.
The contact owns a 2025 Kia K5. The contact stated that while his wife was driving 65 MPH, there was an abnormal banging sound coming from the top of the vehicle. The contact stated that the sunroof had exploded, and the glass had shattered. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact's wife kept driving to the residence. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 4,358.
While driving the entire car goes black kind of like you just turned it off. It has only happened at night time. The dash screen completely turns off and the headlights will go off. When it comes back on the dash has several lights on it such as the seatbelt is unbuckled (when I’m buckled), and other warning lights. This has been happening since September 2025. I take it to the dealership and they can’t seem to find anything wrong with it, and told me they “can’t do anything until the part completely fails” it’s creates a severe safety hazard since it only happens at night and the headlights also go off.
Tire size: P 235/45 R 18 While I was driving home from work my steering started feeling a little shaky. My commute is 6.5 miles. I thought it felt a little weird about 2-3 miles in and I called my boyfriend to meet me when I got home because I could tell something was off, but my tire pressure was fine. When I was about .5 miles from our home, the shaking became audible and violent so I got scared and pulled off. I called again for help while I was parked and walked around to see if there was anything weird and I could not see anything. About 3-4 minutes later while I was sitting in my car waiting, my tire exploded. It shook my car and was so loud that people ran out of the building I was in front of to see what happened. At this point, I had a tire indicator come up saying something was wrong. When I walked around my car again, I saw in one of my tires the cords came out and split in middle of the tread causing separation, and the tire still had air in it. It also scratched my paint around the tire. When I had help come, we put my spare on and got it home, and we took it to a tire dealer the following morning. They all were shocked at how new the tire was and what happened. Everyone is so glad I was parked when it happened and upon research, this is a common occurrence with this brand and type of tire anywhere with 1000-10000 miles on it. My vehicle is less than 6800 mi and the specialists even said the tire had basically no wear and was faulty. On top of that, Pirelli warranty essentially refused to process anything and the dealer that THEY told us they would work with, Pirelli kept hanging up on them. They would not give me a name, let me speak to a supervisor, or give me a call back number should the call “disconnect” again. The dealer was able to comp the tire through their management, but even then, the issue of the faulty tire remains, and based on what I felt, I don’t want someone to get hurt having this happen to them while their car is in motion.
Transmission has extremely hard shifting if vehicle sits for more than 24 hours. After the vehicle is parked, inside garage, or outside, the first drive of the day has an extremely hard shift of the transmission on the first shifting of the day. The shift it so hard, it jerks the entire car and jolts me in my seat. The remainder of the drive and day, the hard shifting does not occur. Took the vehicle into dealership where purchased at 1000 miles and left it with them for 2 full days. Unsurprisingly, they said they were, "Unable to reproduce". The next day, the vehicle had the exact same problem. I have close to 3000 miles on the vehicle and the transmission continues to do the exact same thing every time I drive it. It is terrible for a brand new car. It doesn't matter which "Drive mode" the vehicle is in. The dealership also tried to reset the ECM. But no luck. My neck and back have been sore from the hard shift events too.
The contact owns a 2025 Kia K5. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at an undisclosed speed, the Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) warning light illuminated. The contact's daughter took the vehicle to a specialty tire shop, and it was determined that the front driver’s side tire had two bubbles. One bubble was located on the top, and one bubble was on the front side. The tire was replaced. The tire manufacturer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the vehicle manufacturer for assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 2,500.
234/45/R18 - 94V bubble developed on exterior of front, passenger side tire AND the interior of back, passenger side tire within a year of purchasing vehicle new with this tire installed. The tire had to be replaced immediately to avoid a tire blowout.
Showing 1–20 of 25 complaints
The 2025 Kia K5 has 2 recalls recorded by NHTSA.
NHTSA has received 40 owner-reported complaints for the 2025 Kia K5.
The 2025 Kia K5 received an overall safety rating of 5 out of 5 stars from NHTSA.
The most commonly reported complaint categories for the 2025 Kia K5 are tires (10 reports), unknown or other (4 reports), power train (3 reports).
Yes. NHTSA has 2 recalls on record for the 2025 Kia K5. Scroll up to review the published recall summaries, consequences, and remedies. To check for unrepaired recalls on your specific vehicle, use your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
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This page summarizes publicly available data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA by vehicle owners and do not by themselves prove defect severity or vehicle safety. Safety ratings may not be available for all vehicle-years. This site is not affiliated with NHTSA or any vehicle manufacturer. For official information, visit the official NHTSA page for this vehicle.