2021 KIA K5 Unknown Or Other Problems

25 complaints about Unknown Or Other

25
Complaints
1
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Deaths

High Severity Issue

This component has been associated with crashes, fires, or deaths.

This Problem Across All Years

All Unknown Or Other Complaints (25)

Aug 22, 2025

At the beginning at the year I had to change my starter because my car would leave me stranded on the street, at a stop light or any time my car would stop. I was once in the car with my little brother and in the middle of the street it would not start again and left us stranded. Others around me had to help me push the car to the side of the road that way I wouldn't be rear ended. Now, I'm having other issues such as HVAC were my cars AC does not turn on. It doesn't even blow hot air. Some mechanics have told me it's probably my blower and resistor and other that it's a wiring issue. My car is only 4 years old and should not be having so many issues. I have tried reaching out to Kia but always get sent to voicemail or have told I would be charged for it to just be seen. If anyone could help me with my car that would be greatly appreciated.

Aug 22, 2025

HVAC is not working at all, not even blowing hot air. I've been told it could be a wiring issue or have to change my blower and resistor. KIA has told me they could not help because my car is over the 60,000 mile warranty. However, my car is 70,000 miles and about 4 years old. It has had other recall issues and just trying to be helped.

Jul 27, 2025

I am submitting this complaint regarding ongoing and unresolved safety issues with my Kia K5, which I believe are directly related to a known recall involving the ECM (engine control module) and/or fuel system. My vehicle continues to jerk and misfire during acceleration, and it has even stalled at idle on multiple occasions — creating a serious safety concern for myself and others on the road. I have already completed the recommended repairs, including new ignition coils and spark plugs, yet the problem persists. Despite these symptoms aligning with known recall-related issues, Kia of Orange Park (Florida) has refused to fully diagnose or investigate the matter, citing that the recall does not apply in my case. However, the symptoms match those outlined in other ECM/fuel system-related recalls, and this is not the first time this dealership has failed to properly address mechanical concerns. Previously, I had to escalate an A/C issue to Kia Corporate, which only resulted in a resolution after a recall was issued right before my vehicle was set to be returned with the same issue. That situation makes me extremely concerned that my current safety concerns are again being ignored and will only be addressed after a broader recall is issued. I am requesting that the NHTSA investigate this matter, as I am worried this defect may affect other vehicles and poses a safety risk that Kia and its dealerships are not taking seriously. Thank you for your attention and action.

Jul 18, 2025

I was driving down the highway when I heard a loud explosion like a gunshot that caused me to slow down and almost getting into an accident. It was scary; I came to a stop and realized that my sunroof had exploded. There is a large hole in my sunroof bigger than a watermelon with glass particles everywhere.

Jul 3, 2025

Hit pot holes lower control arm was replaced

Jun 19, 2025

AC system is interminably stops working for hours or days then starts working again. Have taken to dealer but every time I get it there unit starts working and they say they can’t check it if it’s working. This has been going on for over a month.

May 22, 2025

Having issues with the blower motor and harness which is a known issue with this car. I can’t keep my AC working plus my defroster doesn’t work either with the issue I am having with the blower motor. The issue is ongoing

May 16, 2025

My a/c has been giving me issues for about a year and a half to two years now. I have a 2021 Kia k5. When I first told Kia about it they told me it’s from the rain, if that’s the case then every car on the road would have this issue. Then they later told me it was my motor blower when I went back. There was a thousand dollar difference between two quotes they gave me for the same issue also. The air used to come on for a few hours or a day then go completely off. Now it’s sometimes will give off cold air if I put my hand to the vent but it’s nothing powerful to make a difference in the summer. I have read up on many other people having this issue. Kia also sent a recall to me last summer for a/c issues but the dealership told me that doesn’t apply to me because they are saying it’s my blower motor. I should not be held responsible for this malfunction at all. I want to request Kia give me an extended hvac warranty up to 180,000 miles at least!

Mar 26, 2025

My current 2021 Kia K5 FUEL TANK EXPLODED while driving. I’ve had this car for about 5 years and since driving it off the lot have experience issues with the vehicle and just a few hours ago, the fuel gas tank explode raising the back seat with passengers in the vehicle. It was extremely scary and something out of the blew. My friends and I were driving and I noticed the car engine light turn on (which was so odd to me as I keep a close eye to the car maintenance) and within 20 minutes we heard two EXTREMELY loud explosions sounds come from the car with the feeling of the car shake and rise a bit and felt as a tire exploded. I did not find this usual and we pulled over and the the seat my friend was sitting on was rose and unlatched. We then did some google searches and when looking into it, it appears there have been previous issues with this situation for other K5 Kia owners but KIA has done nothing regarding the matter. A few months ago I also went due to an internal thermostat exploding and causing the engine to overheat and smoke on the freeway and because they deemed it was not under the warranty, I left car-less for a week and a high bill. I don’t understand why I have to pay and endure these service costs when this is BASIC CAR FUNCTIONS. I do not appreciate the lack of empathy from dealer and service staff and feel unsafe and concerned for my safety for driving this vehicle. And now II have to endure the costs of being car less for 14 days per the dealer. Absurd.

Dec 11, 2024

Hi I brought my 2021 kia k5 got line last February 2023 around 44k miles I have had coolant leak where nobody can tell me where is the leak coming from I look online and other Kia owner have had the same issues

Sep 22, 2024

Have had issues with a/c since I bought the car. Has been inspected 3 times, apparently it was just the actuator doors not working. But not I have no a/c, and my dealer refused to fix it. On reddit there's a thread going around saying fuses are melting and that it's causing everyone's a/c to not work. My fuses for this particular spot are burnt looking. This is a safety issue in regards to living in Arizona, the heat is deadly. I will be trading my car in if this isn't recalled.

Sep 2, 2024

Air conditioning was fine then would suddenly cycle levels by itself. One day the air stopped blower. Tested the resister, it was bad. Replaced it and less than one week later the air stopped again. Resister and blower motor test fine. Fuses and relay are fine. No ac/hest causing driving concerns with window fog.

Jul 31, 2024

I have 2021 Kia k5 gt line I am having similar problem as other who own a Kia k5 get line 2020,2021, 2022 and 2023. Ac works one time next I turn the car off and the next time I start it up it doesn’t work anymore and now my ac does not work now and it is off completely

Jun 13, 2024

Underbody dust panels have torn off of mounting bolts without any clear cause of damage, main front panel and right passenger side panel. Loose panels could have fallen off on highway. Only indication they came loose was when they began flapping in air flow from driving.

Apr 2, 2024

Fails to upload contacts. Voice recognition does not work. Does not identify caller. Only way to use their system to answer a call while driving is to physically pick up the phone from the charger, look at the phone and press the bluetooth function twice to answer the call.. I was at two dealers and talked to their corporate customer service reps and an escalation rep who told me they do not support Android any longer and to hard wire Android play for use. I tried that and Android play does not work very well. To answer a phone is basically the same process. The mechanic at one of the dealers has a Kia and told me he has the same issue. How many other folks are driving Kias and have to take their eyes off the road to answer a call? This is Extremely dangerous. Kia will do nothing to fix the problem. The car is my office. I need to have these functions working just like when i purchased the car. This is my business. This is going to cause a crash

Nov 29, 2023

The horn for this vehicle simply stopped working. The horn was used earlier in the day to prevent a different vehicle from changing lanes to avoid an accident. My wife has the same vehicle (year make and model) and her horn stopped working 2 weeks ago. The fuse is not the issue on either vehicle. My wife was informed by local Kia that this issue has been common. I researched this issue online and several Kia customers have experienced the same issue. This does not seem coincidental, and poses a great safety concern! Customers should not have to front the cost for this as it seems to be a defect in the manufactured line.

Feb 23, 2023

One day I was driving my car when suddenly I heard a loud explosion sound from the back. I continued to drive the car until I could pull over to inspect the car. In the midst of pulling the car over I began smelling a strong odor of gas in the cabin of the car. Prior to stopping the car started skipping and missing badly. I pulled over checked the car and discovered something malfunctioned and caused the rear seat to pop up and be bent from the frame. I proceeded to look under the seat and saw where what appeared to be the fuel pump almost popped out, the bracket above the fuel pump was broken and popped up from the explosion, the seat would not go back in place. I looked at the gas hand I went from 3/4 tank of gas to E in less than a few miles. The exhaust also sounds like something blew or came apart the car runs very loud and you can hear the car sounding like the exhaust have a hole. After the sequence of events the engine light never came on. This is huge life safety problem that should have never happened.

Aug 11, 2022

The front seats electrical adjustments do not work properly, I have had ir switch mid drive and stying to adjust them is a hassle. They do not work properly.

Apr 29, 2022

The undercarriage of the vehicle fell as I was driving down the highway. Yes it is available upon request. My safety was put at risk because part of the undercarriage piece started to rip and go underneath my tire. The problem was inspected by a dealer. The component has not been inspected by anyone else. There were no warnings prior to this occurring.

Apr 28, 2022

Can is going 4000rpm at 70 mph. Feels like no power, won't go over 80 mpg. To it the dealer but didn't do anything unless the check engine light is on. Can is 10 months old.

Apr 25, 2022

Horn went out? No explanation

Jul 6, 2021

Sunroof exploded while driving. Only had the car 2 months.

May 19, 2021

Purchased new Kia K5 LXS few months ago. Originally warning lights appeared on dashboard. At first windows would come down intermittently. Now my windows won't come down at all. My headlights flicker and turn off at night. Car sounds like it's powering down at times. Contacted dealership a number of times. Alerted dealership of problems and concerns via phone and during service. Met with indifference and treated like they hadn't talked to me regarding latest concerns. This shouldn't happen to any vehicle especially when purchased brand new.

Mar 29, 2021

WHILE I WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE, I HEARD AND ABNORMAL ABOUT OF NOISE COMING FROM THE ENGINE BAY AS WELL AS A SCRATCH WHILE I WAS DRIVING. THIS HAPPENED ON MARCH 26, 2021 AT 10PM. ON MARCH 29, 2022 I TOOK IT TO THE DEALER SHIP AND I WAS NOTIFIED THAT MY ENGINE COVER CAME OFF AND WAS THE CAUSE OF THE NOISE. THERE'S DAMAGE TO MY DRIVER SIDE FENDER, RUBBING TO THE WHEEL/TIRE AND MY FOG LIGHT HOUSING IS HANGING.

Mileage: 3,285

Feb 2, 2021 Crash

I WAS TRAVELING AT APPROXIMATELY 40-45 MPH, ANOTHER VEHICLE CROSSED IN MY PATH, AND I BROADSIDED HIS VEHICLE. I AM NOT SURE OF MY SPEED AT IMPACT. I WOULD GUESS 30 MPH. AIRBAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. THE REAR DRIVERS SIDE SEAT ALSO CAME UNLATCHED, FOLDING ITSELF DOWN. THERE WERE NO OTHER PASSENGERS IN THE VEHICLE.

Mileage: 10,400