Is the KIA K5 more reliable than the Chrysler 300?

Slightly, yes. Both stand well, and the K5 holds a narrow lead. It does draw many more owner complaints per car sold, 10.2 per 10,000 against 2.3 for the 300, so the lead rests on standing and not on a cleaner complaint record.

Which has more recalls, the K5 or the 300?

The K5. Federal recall records show 20 recalls across its six model years, against 13 for the 300 across its six. Recall counts say little about any single car, so check the recall history of the exact vehicle by VIN before buying.

Which is cheaper to repair?

Only the 300 has repair-cost data here, so a fair comparison is not possible. Independent data puts the 300 at $631 a year, with 0.3 unscheduled shop visits and a 13% chance that a repair is major.

What goes wrong most often on the Chrysler 300?

Electrical problems, led by the Uconnect touchscreen. It freezes or goes dark, often after a failed update showing error code 20, and owners lose the backup camera, radio, navigation, and climate controls. Some say dealers waited weeks for parts.

Which model years of each car should I avoid?

For the K5, avoid 2021 and 2022, the weakest years. For the 300, avoid 2018 and 2019. The strongest K5 years, 2025 and 2026, are recent and have had less time to collect complaints. Better 300 years are 2020 and 2023.

Last updated: 2026-10-10

Chrysler 300 vs Kia K5: Reliability Compared

Chrysler 300

Good

More Reliable

Kia K5

Good

Reliability favors the KIA K5 by a slight margin over the Chrysler 300. The K5 stands a little higher, but it draws far more owner complaints per car sold. Fuel tank swelling and shutting-off headlights set it apart from the 300's Uconnect screen failures.

How Do the Chrysler 300 and Kia K5 Generations Compare?

Newer K5 shoppers are looking at the fifth generation, which covers US model years 2021 through 2023 in the data, with a facelift in 2025. The weakest years, 2021 and 2022, belong to the start of that generation. The 2025 and 2026 cars have had little time to collect complaints, so their clean records prove little. The 300 sits in the long second generation, which ran from 2011 to 2023, with updates in 2015. Every year from 2018 to 2023 belongs to that one generation, and 2023 is the last model year listed.

Verdict

The Kia K5 is more reliable than the Chrysler 300, scoring 75/100 vs 72/100.

A slight edge goes to the K5, and the gap is narrow. Both sedans stand well on reliability, so neither is a risky pick on standing alone. The K5 is ahead, but it draws far more owner complaints per car sold and has more recalls across its six model years, 20 against 13. The Chrysler 300 has the lighter complaint record, yet its air bag reports include bags that did not deploy in serious crashes. Treat the K5 lead as small and let the specific problems guide your choice.

Key Differences

1Chrysler 300 has 7.9 fewer complaints per 10k sold
2Chrysler 300 has 7 fewer total recalls
3Kia K5 scores 3 points higher in reliability

Category Scoreboard

2Chrysler 300

—

2Kia K5

Reliability ScoreTotal RecallsComplaint RateSafety Rating

Chrysler 300 vs Kia K5: Which Is More Reliable?

Chrysler 300 vs Kia K5 at-a-glance reliability comparison
Metric	Chrysler 300	Kia K5
Reliability Score	72/100	75/100
Years Tracked	6	6
Total Recalls	13	20
Complaints per 10k Sold	2.3	10.2
Safety RatingNHTSA overall	2023 NHTSA	2026 NHTSA
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Year Wins	3	0

What Are the Common Problems With the Chrysler 300 and Kia K5?

Electrical trouble tops both lists, but it looks different. K5 owners describe headlights, the instrument cluster, and the radio shutting off while driving, plus a battery that dies overnight. Chrysler owners describe the Uconnect touchscreen freezing, often after a failed update, which takes out the backup camera and climate controls. Only the K5 has fuel tanks that swell with a loud bang, and its power train reports include a crash and injuries, with stalling and sudden power loss. The 300 has no crash-linked power train reports. Its own crash-linked areas are electrical and air bags, where bags failed to deploy or went off in empty cars.

Chrysler 300 vs Kia K5 common problem areas comparison
Component	Chrysler 300	Kia K5
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM	0.7Very Low	1.7Low
POWER TRAIN	0.2Very Low	1.2Low
UNKNOWN OR OTHER	0.4Very Low	0.9Very Low
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM	—None	1.2Low
AIR BAGS	0.5Very Low	0.6Very Low
STRUCTURE	—None	0.8Very Low
ENGINE	—None	0.6Very Low
FUEL SYSTEM	—None	0.6Very Low
STEERING	—None	0.4Very Low
SEATS	—None	0.2Very Low
VISIBILITY/WIPER	—None	0.1Very Low
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL	—None	0.1Very Low
WHEELS	—None	0.1Very Low
TIRES	—None	0.1Very Low
SERVICE BRAKES	—None	0.1Very Low
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE	—None	0.1Very Low
LANE DEPARTURE	—None	0.1Very Low
EXTERIOR LIGHTING	—None	—None
BACK OVER PREVENTION	—None	—None
SEAT BELTS	—None	—None
SUSPENSION	—None	—None

Complaints per 10,000 units sold, aggregated across all tracked model years from NHTSA owner reports.

How Does Chrysler 300 vs Kia K5 Reliability Compare by Year?

Chrysler 300 vs Kia K5 year-by-year reliability scores
Year	Chrysler 300	Kia K5	Edge
2023	75/1001R / 5C	71/1004R / 81C	Chrysler 300
2022	73/1002R / 5C	69/1005R / 106C	Chrysler 300
2021	73/1002R / 18C	71/1006R / 132C	Chrysler 300

Best years to cross-shop: The 2023 Chrysler 300 scored 75/100 and the 2023 Kia K5 scored 71/100 — the strongest shared model years that have been on the road for at least two years, where available.

Who Should Buy the Chrysler 300 vs the Kia K5?

Pick the K5 if you want the better overall standing and can live with a heavier complaint load. Aim for 2025 or 2026, but remember those years have had less time to collect complaints, so that is not proof they are best. Avoid 2021 and 2022, the weakest years. On any K5, look up recall history by VIN, since owners report cars sitting undrivable for weeks over the fuel tank problem. Test the car cold for harsh first-drive shifts. Pick the 300 if you want fewer complaints per car sold and a known repair bill. Target 2020 or 2023 and skip 2018 and 2019. Before you buy, run the Uconnect screen through its functions, confirm the backup camera works, and check both headlights. A replacement headlight assembly is a dealer-only part that owners say can be back-ordered for months and cost over $2000.

Chrysler 300 vs Kia K5: Common Questions

Is the KIA K5 more reliable than the Chrysler 300?: Slightly, yes. Both stand well, and the K5 holds a narrow lead. It does draw many more owner complaints per car sold, 10.2 per 10,000 against 2.3 for the 300, so the lead rests on standing and not on a cleaner complaint record.
Which has more recalls, the K5 or the 300?: The K5. Federal recall records show 20 recalls across its six model years, against 13 for the 300 across its six. Recall counts say little about any single car, so check the recall history of the exact vehicle by VIN before buying.
Which is cheaper to repair?: Only the 300 has repair-cost data here, so a fair comparison is not possible. Independent data puts the 300 at $631 a year, with 0.3 unscheduled shop visits and a 13% chance that a repair is major.
What goes wrong most often on the Chrysler 300?: Electrical problems, led by the Uconnect touchscreen. It freezes or goes dark, often after a failed update showing error code 20, and owners lose the backup camera, radio, navigation, and climate controls. Some say dealers waited weeks for parts.
Which model years of each car should I avoid?: For the K5, avoid 2021 and 2022, the weakest years. For the 300, avoid 2018 and 2019. The strongest K5 years, 2025 and 2026, are recent and have had less time to collect complaints. Better 300 years are 2020 and 2023.

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More Kia K5 comparisons

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Decided between Chrysler 300 and Kia K5? Run a VIN check before you buy — uncover hidden accidents, title issues, and open recalls.

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How we score the Chrysler 300 and Kia K5

Scores weight complaint severity at 35%, repair costs at 30%, recall impact at 20%, and the spread of complaints across systems at 15%, with complaint counts adjusted for US sales. Read the full methodology.

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