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Kia CadenzaModel year report

2018 Kia Cadenza Problems

Complaints
7filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
5,625miles, 2 complaints with mileage
Recalls
1campaigns on record
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA crash rating
—no overall rating published
EPA fuel economy
23 mpgcombined, 3.3L 6-cyl FWD · 20 city / 28 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2018 Kia Cadenza (complaints, recalls, investigations), EPA fuel economy. Report an error

NHTSA recorded 7 consumer complaints for the 2018 Kia Cadenza. The part named most often is engine, with 5 complaints (71% of the total), followed by other or unknown (2) and air bags (1). 2 of the complaints include a mileage, and 100% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 5,625 miles. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign and 51 technical service bulletins for this model year. Engine complaints overlap with 1 technical service bulletin filed under the same part.

This model year has fewer than 25 complaints on record, so the numbers below can change a lot with a few new reports.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Example complaints

Engine: “I purchased a new 2018 Kia Cadenza with 11 miles on it. I have had the car less than a year and it randomly stalls while in drive mode in motion and sometimes while sitting idle. It has stalled on the freeway, neighborhood streets, drive-way and on feeder roads. The car has been in and out of the dealership at least 5 times. Kia motors cannot figure out what's wrong with the vehicle. They placed a tracker in the vehicle and determined the crank sensor was malfunctioning. They replaced the crank sensor, I picked the vehicle up and less than 24 hours later the car stalled again. …”

NHTSA complaint #11208151, filed 2019-05, 9,500 miles

Other or unknown: “We became more concerned after seeing a report about fires involving kias this morning. Our new 2018 Kia Cadenza had about 1,750 miles on the odometer on october 11, 2018, when the following occurred: we were on a city street, stopped at a stop light, when we saw some small, light strands of smoke that seemed to be rising just outside the right, front fender. We pulled into a nearby parking lot & checked under the hood. There was a smell. It seemed like something hot or scorched (rubber or oil related??), but no smoke or leaks were noticeable. …”

NHTSA complaint #11140136, filed 2018-10, 1,750 miles

Air bags: “The airbag light randomly came on 2 weeks ago and stayed on , indicating that the airbags would not deploy in the event of an accident. I called my mechanic, who confirmed it was not a warranty item. My car only has about 45,000 miles on it and is well maintained. it has never been in an accident. I dropped my car off with my mechanic, who is waiting on the needed part, but noticed after I dropped it off that other Kia models have been subject to a recall for this same issue. My guess is that not a lot of people purchased Kia Cadenzas, so maybe this flew under the radar. …”

NHTSA complaint #11747784, filed 2026-07

Mileage when problems were reported

100% of the 2 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 1,750 and 9,500 miles.

100%0–100%10–250%25–500%50–750%75–1000%100–1500%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (2 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 5,625 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Fewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

20182019202542026
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2018 Kia Cadenza version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Cadenza FWD3.3L 6-cyl8-speed automatic202823$2,900

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2018 Kia Cadenza → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 51 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 51 bulletins →

Other model years of the Kia Cadenza

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
2019574,0001—23—Not enough data
201875,6251—23—Not enough data
20173317,0002—2350 · TypicalRising
20161442,6742—22—Not enough data
20154845,5592—2225 · FewerRising
201411148,5003—2279 · MoreRising

All Kia Cadenza model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2018 Kia Cadenza have?

NHTSA recorded 7 consumer complaints for the 2018 Kia Cadenza as of Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2018 Kia Cadenza is reported most often?

Engine is named most often, in 5 complaints (71% of the total), followed by other or unknown with 2.

Has the 2018 Kia Cadenza been recalled?

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

What gas mileage does the 2018 Kia Cadenza get?

The EPA rates the 2018 Kia Cadenza (Cadenza, 3.3L 6-cyl) at 23 mpg combined, 20 city and 28 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,900 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2018 Kia Cadenza reported?

Among the 2 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 5,625 miles and the middle half falls between 1,750 and 9,500 miles; 100% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 27, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.