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RecallScanner Severity Profile

Kia K5

Watch8 recall campaigns, verify by VIN.
0
RecallScore
Critical
2
Fire risk
2
Crash risk
6
Injuries
0
Deaths
0
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All Recalls

8 campaigns
8 recalls 2 critical🔥 2 fire risk💥 6 crash risk
Model year
Airbag
Nov 3, 2021
1645 days ago

Your car may not detect a child car seat and deploy the airbag, injuring your child.

Affected: AIR BAGS: AIR BAG/RESTRAINT CONTROL MODULE · 2021
CRASH RISK
NHTSA
Summary

Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2021 Telluride, K5, and Forte vehicles. The Occupant Classification and Detection System (OCS/ODS) unit may not detect the presence of a child restraint system in the front passenger seat. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."

Consequence

In the event of a crash, deployment of the front passenger air bag, with a child in that seat, can increase the risk of injury to the child.

Remedy

Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the OCS/ODS unit, free of charge. The recall began March 18, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC207.

Airbag
Jul 3, 2023
1038 days ago

Your side curtain airbags may not deploy in a crash and leave you unprotected.

Affected: AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW:CURTAIN · 2023
CRASH RISK
NHTSA
Summary

Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2023 K5 vehicles. The side curtain air bags may have been installed incorrectly, causing them not to deploy properly in the event of a crash.

Consequence

Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will inspect and reinstall the side curtain air bags, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 7, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC263.

Steering
Jun 14, 2021
1787 days ago

Your power steering can suddenly become hard to turn while cornering with Lane Following Assist on.

Affected: LANE DEPARTURE: LANE KEEP: STEERING ASSIST · 2022
CRASH RISK
NHTSA
Summary

Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2022 K5 vehicles equipped with 2.5L T-GDI engines. The Rack-Mounted Motor Driven Power Steering (R-MDPS) system lacks the ability to diagnose communication faults. If a communication fault occurs while driving around a curve with Lane Following Assist (LFA) engaged, the steering assist level may not adjust properly, causing a sudden increase in the steering effort required.

Consequence

A sudden increase in steering effort can increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will update the R-MDPS software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are were mailed June 24, 2021. Owner may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC213.

Fuel System
Nov 17, 2025
170 days ago

Your fuel tank can melt from heat and leak gasoline, causing a fire while driving or parked.

Affected: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE · 2024
FIRE RISK
NHTSA
Summary

Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2024 K5 vehicles. A damaged check valve can allow air to enter the fuel tank, causing it to expand and contact hot exhaust components, melting the tank.

Consequence

A melted fuel tank can leak, increasing the risk of a fire.

Remedy

Dealers will replace the check valve. The fuel tank will be inspected for damage and replaced as necessary. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 16, 2026. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC356. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning December 1, 2025.

Fuel System
Aug 7, 2021
1733 days ago

Your fuel pump connection can leak gasoline and start a fire while you drive or park.

Affected: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS · 2022
FIRE RISK
NHTSA
Summary

Kia Motor America (Kia) is recalling certain 2021 Sorento and 2021-2022 K5 vehicles equipped with 2.5L turbocharged engines. Fuel may leak at the pipe connection between the high-pressure fuel pump and fuel rail.

Consequence

A fuel leak increases the risk of a fire.

Remedy

Dealers will inspect and tighten, or replace the fuel pipe as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 21, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC214.

Body
Jul 28, 2025
282 days ago

Your rear window trim can detach and become a road hazard for other cars.

Affected: STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS · 2025
CRASH RISK
NHTSA
Summary

Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023-2025 K5 vehicles. The left and right rear window trim pieces may loosen and detach.

Consequence

Detached trim pieces can create a road hazard for other vehicles, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

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.

Software
May 27, 2025
344 days ago

Your parking lights can flicker and fail, making other drivers unable to see you at night.

Affected: EXTERIOR LIGHTING:LIGHTING CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE · 2025
CRASH RISK
NHTSA
Summary

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."

Consequence

Parking lights that fail to illuminate properly can reduce visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.

Remedy

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.

Engine
Nov 10, 2022
1273 days ago

Your transmission can fail and cut power to the engine while driving, causing a crash.

Affected: POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION · 2023
CRASH RISK
NHTSA
Summary

Kia Motors, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Sorento and 2021-2023 K5 vehicles. The vehicle's "fail-safe" limited-mobility drive mode may be impaired, when prompted by a transmission oil pump malfunction, which can result in a complete loss of drive power.

Consequence

Loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.

Remedy

Dealers will inspect and replace the transmission, as necessary. Dealers will also update the transmission control unit software. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 9, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC250.

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Full analysis: how to read the Kia K5 recall history
Year range, common components, complaint patterns, and how to use this page.

Understanding the Kia K5 recall history

The Kia K5 currently has 8 recall campaigns indexed from the NHTSA public database. Each recall represents a formal campaign to fix a defect at no cost to the current owner. Owner complaints are self-reported incidents that haven't (yet) resulted in a recall but can indicate emerging patterns worth watching.

The most frequent recall categories for the K5 in our dataset are fuel system (2), air bag (2), and software / sensor (1). These clusters matter when you're shopping for a used K5: recalls in these systems tend to be the ones most likely to have been skipped by previous owners, because they aren't always visible during a routine test drive or pre-purchase inspection.

The tracked recalls span model years 2021–2025, with campaigns reported to NHTSA between 2021 and 2025. Not every model year carries every recall. Each campaign is scoped to a specific year range and often a specific build window, which is why a VIN lookup is the only way to know whether a particular K5 is actually affected by any of these campaigns.

How to use this page

The safest path for an owner is to run your VIN through the checker above. A VIN query hits NHTSA's live API and tells you whether your specific K5 has an open, unresolved recall. If you're researching a used K5before buying, use the recall list below to understand the model's full history, then check the seller's VIN to see whether prior owners actually completed the free repairs. Many don't, and unresolved recalls can linger for years.

Figures are generated live from the RecallScanner dataset, which is sourced from NHTSA's public recall and complaint APIs and refreshed daily. RecallScanner is independent and not affiliated with Kia or any U.S. government agency.

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