Kia
Kia K5 years to avoid
No year to avoid stands out. Best years: 2024.
No Kia K5 model year stands out. None from 2021 to 2024 draws 1.5 times the median of 26 complaints for each year on the road, and the highest is not clearly ahead of the next, so the individual car and its history matter more than the year.
- 414complaints
- 8recall campaigns
- 4model years with a page
Newest report Sep 29, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
Pick your model year
Owner complaints on file for each year.
Years to avoid
- No year stands out.
Best years
2024
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
Complaints for each year on the road
Each model year's NHTSA complaints divided by the calendar years it has been on sale, counting this one (a 2018 model has had 9). Older cars have had longer to collect complaints, so raw totals flatter the new ones. Blue bars are the years to avoid. Too new to judge: 2025 and 2026.
Within one model, sales change less from year to year than they do between models, so a jump here is mostly a jump in problems. The call: the years to avoid are the (up to three) highest at 1.5 times the model's median rate or more, and the best are the (up to three) lowest at two thirds of it or less, from 2016 on.
Guide How much should a years-to-avoid list decide? What these lists get wrong
At a glance
- Where the complaints sit
- The 2021 has the most complaints of any Kia K5 year here: 167 of 414 (40%).
- Problem across the years
- Misfire is the top problem in every model year with a page, 54 reports in all. Pooled across the years, half of the 23 owners who gave a mileage for misfire were under about 76,000 miles.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 11% of Kia K5 complaints report a crash, a fire or an injury, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The highest share is on the 2022, 20 of its 127 complaints.
- Recalls on the top problem
- None of the 3 model years where owners report misfire has a recall on the same system.
- When owners filed
- Complaints are still climbing. 2025 brought 131, the most of any year so far. So far in 2026, 111 more have come in.
Photo: Mr.choppers, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Model years with too few complaints for a page of their own: 2024 (30), 2025 (51).
Year by year
2026 Kia K5
13 owner complaints so far; too new to call. 1 report involved a crash and 2 people were hurt. 1 recall: 26V-046 on the electrical system.
2023 Kia K5
107 owner complaints, 27 for each year on the road (1.0 times the model median). Most reported: misfire (17 reports) and stalling (10 reports). 6 reports involved a crash and 17 people were hurt. 4 recalls, including 25V-794 on the fuel system and 25V-493 on the structure.
2022 Kia K5
127 owner complaints, 25 for each year on the road (1.0 times the model median). Most reported: misfire (17 reports), stalling (13 reports) and A/C failure (12 reports). 15 reports involved a crash and 20 people were hurt. 5 recalls, including 25V-794 on the fuel system and 21V-519 on the fuel system.
2021 Kia K5
167 owner complaints, 28 for each year on the road (1.1 times the model median). Most reported: misfire (20 reports, median 75,085 miles), A/C failure (20 reports) and stalling (15 reports). 8 reports involved a crash and 7 people were hurt. 6 recalls, including 25V-794 on the fuel system and 21V-519 on the fuel system.
Recalls that cover several model years
A damaged check valve can allow air to enter the fuel tank, causing it to expand and contact hot exhaust components, melting the tank.
The side curtain air bags may have been installed incorrectly, causing them not to deploy properly in the event of a crash.
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.
Fuel may leak at the pipe connection between the high-pressure fuel pump and fuel rail.
The Rack-Mounted Motor Driven Power Steering (R-MDPS) system lacks the ability to diagnose communication faults.
Compare the K5 with its rivals
Side by side over the model years both have on file: what owners complain about, the mileage problems start at, recalls, investigations and crash reports.
- K5 vs Hyundai Sonata2021 to 2023
- K5 vs Toyota Camry2021 to 2026
- K5 vs Honda Accord2021 to 2026
Questions
What Kia K5 years should you avoid?
No Kia K5 model year stands out. None from 2021 to 2024 draws 1.5 times the median of 26 complaints for each year on the road, and the highest is not clearly ahead of the next, so the individual car and its history matter more than the year.
What are the best years for the Kia K5?
The 2024 draws the fewest complaints for its age: 30, or 10 for each year on the road.
What is the most common problem on the Kia K5?
Misfire, with 54 reports across the 4 model years that have a page here. It's the single most reported problem on the 2021, 2022 and 2023.
How many recalls does the Kia K5 have?
8 recall campaigns cover the Kia K5 model years 2021 to 2026 on this site. The widest, 22V-760 on the transmission and drivetrain, covers 3 model years.
How many Kia K5 complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
11% of them, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The 2022 has the highest share.
Is there a recall for misfire on the Kia K5?
No. None of the 3 model years where owners report it has one on the same system.