2023 Kia K5 Reliability Report

The sunroof glass shatters with a loud bang at speed, sometimes dropping glass into the back seat, with no warning or visible crack beforehand. Fuel tank expansion appears here too. Cars are immobilized, declared unrepairable, and bought back, and one owner reports a recall ticket closed with no repair done. Other reports describe sudden power loss and jerky acceleration in traffic, Glacier White Pearl paint chipping and peeling, and streaks inside the windshield that the dealer would not cover.

Exterior trim works loose and falls off. The chrome pieces around the rear window and the C-pillar trim near the trunk come up most. Pieces fly off at highway speed and nearly hit cars behind, and owners describe the problem as widespread. A detached front bumper clip also shows up. Separately, the panoramic sunroof glass shatters on its own, both parked and while driving, and throws glass onto the road. One crash-related report gives no details.

Power drops away or the car shuts off in the middle of the road, sometimes with a burning smell, and afterward it barely moves. Another report describes a failed engine diagnosed right after purchase, followed by a buyback offer. Sputtering and weak acceleration persist for some owners even after new spark plugs. One complaint here is actually a fuel tank failure that blew the back seat loose. A separate owner says fuel economy falls short of the advertised figures, averaging 24 city and 27 highway.

Airbags fail to deploy in serious crashes. Reports include a front airbag that stayed off in a head-on collision that totaled the car and a side airbag that never fired in a passenger-side impact. In another crash, the frontal airbag went off with enough force to cause chemical burns and a concussion. Three of the four reports involve crashes, and injuries are reported. The fourth complaint is about a fuel tank recall delay, not airbags.

The brake pedal fails without warning. At low speed it goes soft and sinks to the floor, which led to a rear-end crash with an injury. During a highway tire blowout, the pedal locked solid while every warning light came on, leaving the driver unable to brake. Early wear is also reported, with front pads and rotors needing replacement at 8300 miles of light commuting.

Both reports trace back to the fuel tank, not the seats. The tank bursts at highway speed, lifts the rear seats, and cuts engine power in fast traffic. Before that, owners describe months of popping sounds, fuel odor, check engine lights, and failed emissions tests. Repeated dealer visits, including a purge control valve repair, do not fix the problem. Three injuries are reported.

Driver-assist systems shut off or fail to act. In one crash, the car shifted out of neutral in an automatic car wash and bumped the vehicle ahead with no warning and no automatic braking. Another owner sees warning lights on every start, with power steering, cruise control, and lane departure all disabled at once.