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.
Safety risk
A melted fuel tank can leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
Manufacturer 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.
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.
Safety risk
Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
Manufacturer 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.
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.
Safety risk
Loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
Manufacturer 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
Manufacturer
Kia Motors America
Vehicles affected
21,575
Reported to NHTSA
2021-07-08
Owners notified
2021-07-21
Defect description
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.
Safety risk
A fuel leak increases the risk of a fire.
Manufacturer 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.
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.
Safety risk
A sudden increase in steering effort can increase the risk of a crash.
Manufacturer 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.
Owner complaints
A complaint is one person's report to a federal agency. It is not a finding.
Component
Complaints
Median mileage
Fuel/propulsion system
35
—
Engine
28
2,000 mi
Electrical system
24
5,000 mi
Power train
20
31,000 mi
Unknown or other
20
—
Air bags
9
5,000 mi
Service brakes
9
—
Forward collision avoidance: warnings
8
—
Fuel system, gasoline
8
85,000 mi
Seats
8
—
Structure: body
8
2,000 mi
Steering
6
35,000 mi
Vehicle speed control
5
—
Exterior lighting
3
—
Visibility/wiper
3
—
Wheels
3
—
Engine and engine cooling
2
76,000 mi
Forward collision avoidance: adaptive cruise control
The 2021 model has roughly the same number of complaints as this one. The 2023 model has about 1.5 times as many complaints as this one. These figures reflect raw complaint counts, not failure rates. Higher-selling model years naturally receive more complaints.
Safety recall repairs are provided free of charge by franchised dealers, regardless of vehicle age or mileage. This page displays aggregated data for the model year. To check recall status for a specific vehicle, search its VIN at nhtsa.gov.
