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Kia K5Model year report

2023 Kia K5 Problems

Compared with other Kia K5 years

Typical for this model

47/100 0.9× a typical year · 50 = typical

Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated

Complaints
110filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
37,000miles, 14 complaints with mileage
Recalls
4campaigns on record
Trend
Too newThis model year is less than 4 years old, so a trend is not meaningful yet.
NHTSA crash rating
5 / 5stars overall, 2 rated versions
EPA fuel economy
31 mpgcombined, 1.6L 4-cyl FWD · 27 city / 37 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2023 Kia K5 (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Complaints for this model year cluster around the fuel and evaporative emissions system: owners describe a fuel tank that swells and deforms, fuel that will not go in at the filler, and a strong gasoline smell. Many contact reports describe the vehicle being held at a dealer undrivable while parts were unavailable, and a smaller share describe transmission hesitation or shudder. Trim detachment at the rear window and trunk lid and a few reports of shattered sunroof glass round out the list.

  1. Fuel system

    Fuel tank expands, bulges into rear seat

    • 54 complaints (49%)
    • median 60,000 mi at 3.0 yrs old (7 state mileage, few)
    • 5 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2023–2026

    Owners describe a loud bang or thump from the rear of the car followed by a swollen fuel tank, a fuel smell, poor fuel economy, and a check engine light with a code read as an evaporative-system valve or air-entry fault. Some report the rear seat cushion lifting or being pushed up above the tank. Several say the dealer diagnosed an expanded tank and either kept the car on hold as not repairable or discussed a buyback, and many describe long waits because recall parts were on back order. Reported from roughly 13,000 to 77,000 miles, in hot weather and at highway speed as well as at a standstill; several reports involve vehicles taken in under the fuel tank recall.

    Recall 25V79400016 related service bulletins

    What to check: Ask whether NHTSA campaign 25V794000 was completed and whether the fuel tank, straps and check valve were inspected; look for parts availability before committing. A fuel smell in or around the car, a tank that looks swollen under the rear seat, or a filler that keeps clicking off are reasons to have it inspected.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “I started the purchase process of a Kia in 2022 of July. The car was built with a faulty fuel tank and no recalls were made on the vehicle. June 27,2025 I was driving on the freeway when my car started to not accelerate my fuel tank ejected into my backseat and I was forced to jump out of my car on the freeway.”

    NHTSA complaint #11685406, filed 2025-09

    “Fuel Tank has expanded and is in danger of exploding due to heat from exhaust system. My vehicle has been returned to a local dealer and Kia Corporate is willing to pay off my loan , but not compensate me for my down payment of $3500 that I put down 6 mths ago.”

    NHTSA complaint #11772126, filed 2026-10
  2. Engine

    Stalls or loses power while driving

    • 11 complaints (10%)
    • median 6,537 mi at 2.0 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
    • filed 2023–2025

    Owners describe sudden loss of power or a complete shutdown while driving, in some cases on the interstate, along with a rush of warning lights and, in a few reports, an inability to restart immediately. One owner reports a misfire code and rough running. According to several complaints, dealers could not reproduce the problem or said the behavior was normal. Reported from under 5,000 miles up to about 70,000, at both low speed and highway speed.

    Recall 22V7600001 related service bulletin

    What to check: Ask for a service history showing whether any engine or transmission control software updates were applied. On a test drive, note any hesitation, fluttering or warning lights, and have any stored codes read before purchase.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “Why is Kia Dealership are allowed to sale cars that have recalls. Knowing that they have recalls and are allowed to sale. why not fix the issues and then sale. Safety Concerns driving and have to kids in the back car 65mph and car shut down breaks don't work or accelerator used the emergency breaks had shut down the car. Took it to the dealership I been calling them status on my car with no information provided. Imaging being behind 18 wheeler my accelerator don't work. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11612210, filed 2024-09

    “10/25 I was traveling, and my car sudden loss of power, while in traffic.. almost causing accident. 10/28 I was traveling on interstate, and my car sudden loss of power, while in traffic.. almost causing accident. This is ridiculous.. When I hit the gas sometimes, feels like it fluttering and jerking. I’ve reported multiple times over the years and this one having hesitation when driving this car. Manager drove it was concern, mechanic talking about it’s the way the car supposed to be.”

    NHTSA complaint #11696198, filed 2025-10
  3. Body and structure

    Chrome trim around rear window and trunk lid detaches

    • 7 complaints (6%)
    • median 33,884 mi at 3.0 yrs old (2 state mileage, few)
    • filed 2025–2026

    Owners report the chrome molding below the rear windshield and on the trunk lid comes loose and can fly off while driving, with some describing pieces separating on the highway. A few mention the front bumper or splash guard unclipping. Dealers handled it as trim replacement, and some owners were told a repair was not covered under warranty. Reported from about 13,500 to 54,000 miles, often noticed on the highway or while the car was parked.

    Recall 25V4930003 related service bulletins

    What to check: Push gently on the chrome molding along the rear window and trunk lid and look for gaps or loose clips; ask whether the trim replacement service action was performed and whether recall 25V493000 was addressed.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “The back chrome cover around the rear windshield all 3 pieces are coming loose and I had the one on my passenger side fly off while I was going down the highway and the piece almost hit the truck behind me thankfully traffic wasn’t to bad on the highway so he was able to hit his breaks and maneuver out of the way before. I currently have 2 more pieces trying to come off. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11651047, filed 2025-03

    “Front driver side bottom bumper has unclipped randomly. I’ve spoken to a group with other 2023 Kia K5 GT-Line owners and at minimum 30 others have had the same exact clip from the bumper randomly detach. This could cause a hazard for other drivers if the bumper were to detach and possibly hang while driving at a high speed on the freeway.”

    NHTSA complaint #11712498, filed 2026-01
  4. Transmission and drivetrain

    Transmission shudder, jerk and hard shifting

    • 9 complaints (8%)
    • median 34,000 mi at 1.0 yrs old (3 state mileage, few)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2023–2026

    Complaints describe the transmission hesitating, shuddering or jerking between gears, sometimes with an abnormal noise and the stability control light on. One owner reports a downshift at highway speed followed by a transmission replacement, and another reports a rear wheel locking momentarily. Dealers often could not replicate the concern on a test drive. Mostly reported between about 18,000 and 35,000 miles, at highway and in-town speeds.

    Recall 22V7600005 related service bulletins

    What to check: Drive at steady highway speed and through stop-and-go traffic to feel for shudder or delayed engagement, and ask whether the transmission control software update described in the service bulletins was applied.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “One day I was driving and my car began to shake really bad. It doesn’t transition smoothly when switching gears in transmission. Sometimes it doesn’t accelerate and I’d have to floor the gas to get it going. Rough acceleration. Car would even shake in idle sometimes. It has been doing this ever since. One day it’ll shake, the next day it might not. It doesn’t matter if I drive slower or faster, the car still shakes, has rough to no acceleration, and shifts gears roughly. Engine light is on and is reading misfire of cylinder 3.”

    NHTSA complaint #11613925, filed 2024-09

    “While driving at about 70 MPH the right rear tire locked up temporarily causing loss of control of the vehicle. Luckily there were not other cars around as the car was in 3 lanes prior to coming to a complete stop. If this happened in traffic it could have caused a significant accident. There were no warning lamps on dash before or after the incident. After inspecting vehicle on side of road I could not see any issues. Drove about 15 yards and heard a grinding noise. Vehicle was towed to dealership. …”

    NHTSA complaint #11689946, filed 2025-09

Buying note. For this model year the fuel tank and evaporative-system campaign is the main thing to verify: confirm with a dealer that recall 25V794000 and any related emissions campaign were completed, and check that parts are actually available before you rely on the car. A pre-purchase inspection that includes the fuel filler, rear seat area and A/C-free highway test drive will also surface most of what owners describe here.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 110 consumer complaints for the 2023 Kia K5. 14 of the complaints include a mileage, and 64% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 37,000 miles. Of all complaints, 6 involved a crash, 17 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns and 68 technical service bulletins for this model year. Compared with the other 2 Kia K5 model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 47 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (typical for this model). The comparison allows for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints, but not for how many vehicles were sold.

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.

Also reported: Lane departure (2), Suspension (2), Tires (2), Vehicle speed control (2), Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) (2), Electronic stability control (1), Exterior lighting (1), Wheels (1).

Example complaints

Fuel system: “The gas tank wii not allow you to put gas in it. When you try to put gas in it won't go down in the tank hose and the fuel gauge is ready a 1/4 tank. The car jerks when pressing on the gas pedal. I have only gone around 200 miles and gauge fluctuates with different reads so you don't know exactly how much gas is in the gas tank. The engine light is on as. This is happening while I am traveling.”

NHTSA complaint #11675715, filed 2025-07

Other or unknown: “I was driving with no other cars around, and i heard what sounded to be an explosion, come to find out my sunroof had exploded. I had glass fly all over the back windshield, and onto the road behind me. This could have caused an accident or damage to other vehicles if someone was around me.”

NHTSA complaint #11655970, filed 2025-04

Body and structure: “at 2:30 PM i had noticed that my passenger rear trim, right above my trunk was loose. I made note of it. about three hours later, i was driving down the interstate and i noticed it came off and was flying through the air. Thankfully it didn’t hit another vehicle but this isn’t the first time I have had issues with the trim and a lot of other k5 owners have had issues as well.”

NHTSA complaint #11667048, filed 2025-06

Engine: “MPG is lower then number provided by both dealer and manufactorer (my average 24 city 27 highway ) factoring that i rarely even use climate controls and other fuel consuming things and often turn off engine in mcdonald's drive thru lane”

NHTSA complaint #11490250, filed 2022-10

Mileage when problems were reported

64% of the 14 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 17,857 and 60,000 miles.

7%0–1029%10–2529%25–5021%50–757%75–1000%100–1507%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (14 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 37,000 miles.

Complaints by year filed

This model year is less than 4 years old, so a trend is not meaningful yet.

2022202320242025382026
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.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2023 Kia K5. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
K5 · sedan AWD★★★★★5 / 4554 · 10.7% risk
K5 · sedan FWD★★★★★5 / 4554 · 10.7% risk

Driver aids listed by NHTSA for the 2023 model year: forward collision warning standard on some versions, lane departure warning standard, automatic emergency braking standard on some versions.

Neighbouring years: 2022: same overall rating; 2024: same overall rating. A redesign between years can change both the car and the test.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2023 Kia K5 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
K5 FWD1.6L 4-cyl8-speed automatic273731$2,150
K5 FWD2.5L 4-cyl8-speed automatic243227$2,500
K5 AWD1.6L 4-cyl8-speed automatic253328$2,400

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 2023 Kia K5 → · 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. 68 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 68 bulletins →

Other model years of the Kia K5

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
2026141101529—Too new
2025544,3582529Too new to compareToo new
20243112,7802531Too new to compareToo new
202311037,000453147 · TypicalToo new
202212957,000553150 · TypicalRising
202116945,000653156 · TypicalRising

All Kia K5 model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2023 Kia K5?

Complaints for this model year cluster around the fuel and evaporative emissions system: owners describe a fuel tank that swells and deforms, fuel that will not go in at the filler, and a strong gasoline smell. The issues reported most often: Fuel tank expands, bulges into rear seat; Stalls or loses power while driving; Chrome trim around rear window and trunk lid detaches.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2023 Kia K5 have?

NHTSA recorded 110 consumer complaints for the 2023 Kia K5 as of Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2023 Kia K5 is reported most often?

Fuel system is named most often, in 55 complaints (50% of the total), followed by other or unknown with 23.

Has the 2023 Kia K5 been recalled?

NHTSA lists 4 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

How did the 2023 Kia K5 do in NHTSA crash tests?

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings give the 2023 Kia K5 5 out of 5 stars overall, across 2 rated versions (body style and drive). Ratings from different model years are only comparable when the vehicle was not redesigned in between.

What gas mileage does the 2023 Kia K5 get?

The EPA rates the 2023 Kia K5 (K5, 1.6L 4-cyl) at 31 mpg combined, 27 city and 37 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,150 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2023 Kia K5 reported?

Among the 14 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 37,000 miles and the middle half falls between 17,857 and 60,000 miles; 64% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 28, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. 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.