Is your car affected?
Check by VIN to confirm the
exact model and see every recall for it.
Recalls are issued for a make, model and model year. Whether the repair has already been done on one specific car is known only to its manufacturer and dealers. Check your vehicle's official status at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a dealer.
US recalls (6)
Fuel system, gasoline
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.
Risk and remedy
Risk: 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.
Air bags: side/window, curtain
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.
Risk and remedy
Risk: 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.
Power train: automatic transmission
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.
Risk and remedy
Risk: 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.
Fuel system, gasoline: delivery, hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
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.
Risk and remedy
Risk: 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.
Lane departure: lane keep, steering assist
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.
Risk and remedy
Risk: 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.
Air bags: sensor, occupant classification
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."
Risk and remedy
Risk: 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.
Canadian recalls (5)
Show 5 Canadian recalls
Fuel system
2025-11-18 · campaign 2025-638
Issue:
On certain vehicles, the check valve for the purge control system could wear and cause the fuel tank to expand. As a result, the fuel tank could contact hot components and fuel could leak.
Note: This recall only affects certain vehicles equipped with a 1.6 L turbocharged engine.
Safety Risk:
A fuel leak can create the risk of a fire.
Corrective Actions:
Kia will notify owners by mail and advise you to take your vehicle to a dealership to replace the check valve and update the electronic control unit (ECU) software. The dealer will also inspect and, if necessary, replace the fuel tank.
Airbag
2023-03-08 · campaign 2023-124
Issue:
On certain vehicles, the side curtain airbag(s) may not have been installed correctly. As a result, the side curtain airbag(s) may not inflate properly in a crash.
Safety Risk:
A side curtain airbag that doesn't work properly could increase the risk of injury in a crash.
Corrective Actions:
Kia will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealership to inspect the installation of the side curtain airbags, and reinstall them correctly if necessary.
Powertrain
2022-10-12 · campaign 2022-580
Issue:
On certain vehicles, a fault in the transmission oil pump can cause the vehicle to enter "fail-safe mode". When this happens, a programming error can cause a sudden loss of power to the wheels after 20-30 seconds.
Note: This recall only affects vehicles equipped with a 2.5 L turbo gasoline (T-GDI) engine and an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT).
Safety Risk:
A sudden loss of power to the wheels could increase the risk of a crash.
Corrective Actions:
Kia will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealership to inspect and, if necessary, replace the transmission. The dealer will also update the transmission control unit software.
Fuel system
2021-07-09 · campaign 2021-421
Issue:
On certain vehicles, the connection between the high-pressure fuel pipe and fuel pump may not be properly sealed. As a result, a fuel leak could occur.
Safety Risk:
A fuel leak can create the risk of a fire.
Corrective Action:
KIA will notify owners by mail and instruct you to bring your vehicle to a dealer to inspect and replace the high-pressure fuel pipe, as required.
Steering
2021-06-15 · campaign 2021-374 · 168 vehicles
Issue:
Under certain driving conditions, a fault in the power steering system could cause reduced power assist when the lane following assist (LFA) system is used. This can cause a sudden change in steering feel and an increase in steering effort.
Note: This problem only affects certain models equipped with a 2.5 L T-GDI engine.
Safety Risk:
A sudden change in steering effort could increase the risk of a crash.
Corrective Action:
Kia Canada will notify owners by mail and instruct you to bring your vehicle to a dealer to update the motor driven power steering system (MDPS) software.
Owner complaints (169)
Owners filed 169 complaints with NHTSA about the 2021 Kia K5 (8 crashes, 2 fires, 7 injuries, 1 deaths reported). Among 6 model years of this model, it ranks #1 for the most complaints (median 110).
| Most-reported problem | Complaints | |
|---|
| Electrical system | 46 | |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 44 | |
| Unknown or other | 32 | |
| Engine | 30 | |
| Power train | 19 | |
| Fuel system, gasoline | 13 | |
| Air bags | 10 | |
| Structure | 10 | |
Crash test ratings
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2021 Kia K5.
| Version | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover |
|---|
| 2021 Kia K5 4 DR FWD | 5★ | 4★ | 5★ | 4★ |
Fuel economy
EPA ratings for each 2021 Kia K5 version.
| Version | City MPG | Highway MPG | Combined | Yearly fuel cost |
|---|
| K5 1.6 L Automatic (S8) | 29 | 38 | 32 | $2,100 |
| K5 1.6 L Automatic (S8) | 27 | 37 | 31 | $2,150 |
| K5 2.5 L Automatic (AM-S8) | 24 | 32 | 27 | $2,500 |
| K5 AWD 1.6 L Automatic (S8) | 26 | 34 | 29 | $2,300 |
Need this data in your app?
Recalls, complaints, crash ratings and fuel economy as a JSON API. Decode up to 50 VINs per call and get a daily feed of new recalls.
Explore the API →Sources: NHTSA recalls, complaints and 5-Star Safety Ratings, US EPA fuel economy and Transport
Canada's Vehicle Recalls Database (contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada).
Recalls updated 2026-10-30.