I was traveling approximately 60 MPH while entering turnpike. Ambient temperature approximately 62-65 degrees F. I heard sudden loud explosive bang, looked around. And no vehicles were immediately nearby and I did not observe or hear any object strike the vehicle prior to glass failure. I heard air coming from somewhere. I checked my windows and all of them were up, still heard the air noise opened the Moonroof and the Panoramic glass exhibited extensive damage and tempered-glass fragmentation with a large section missing.
The worst 2026 Kia K5 problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
- Engine5
- Electrical3
- Driver assistance2
- Airbags1
- Locks1
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Engine5
- Electrical3
- Driver assistance2
- Airbags1
- Locks1
- Tires1
Recalls 1
Electrical system: instrument cluster/panel
- What is wrong
- Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2025 Kia K4, 2025-2026 Sorento, Sorento Hybrid, Sorento Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV), 2026 Sportage, Sportage Hybrid, Sportage PHEV, K5, EV9, Carnival, and Carnival Hybrid vehicles. Due to a software error, the instrument panel display may fail. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 101, "Controls and Displays" and 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring System."
- Risk
- An instrument panel display that fails to show critical safety information, such as the speedometer, tire pressure, or warning lights, increases the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- The instrument panel display software will be updated over-the-air (OTA) or by a dealer, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed March 26, 2026. Owners may contact Kia Customer Service at 1‑800‑333‑4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC361. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on on February 9, 2026.
Recall number 26V046000 · Recall details
Technical service bulletins for the 2026 Kia K5 17
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Release notes: over-the-air: software update for data connectivity (ELE413
- Battery wiring harness covering inspection / replacement (SA645)
- Infotainment system software update using update.kia.com
- Release notes: over-the-air: software update for data connectivity (ELE413
- Voluntary service campaign: owner notification (SC363)
- Voluntary service campaign: oil level plug (OLP) inspection, and olp gasket and/or atf filler bolt...
- Voluntary service campaign: dealer principal memo (SC363)
- Voluntary service campaign: dealer parts and service manager memo (SC363)
- Voluntary service campaign: question and answer (SC363)
- Infotainment software update procedure
2026 Kia K5 fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.5L 4‑cyl | FWD | 23-26 | 33-37 | 27-30 |
| 2.5L 4‑cyl | AWD | 24 | 33 | 27 |
What 2026 Kia K5 owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
I was driving my 2026 Kia K5 southbound on [XXX] at approximately 40–42 mph and proceeding straight through an intersection. I was already in the intersection when another vehicle turned directly in front of me. I did not have sufficient time to avoid the collision and struck the other vehicle with the front of my vehicle. The other driver was cited for failure to yield. The collision caused substantial frontal damage to my vehicle. The vehicle was subsequently declared a total loss by my insurance company. Despite the frontal impact, none of the airbags deployed. At the moment of impact, white smoke or dust filled the passenger compartment and I heard loud popping and buzzing-type noises coming from both sides of the dashboard. I did not observe any airbag deploy. I am concerned that the airbag/SRS system may not have performed as intended during the collision and that the lack of airbag deployment placed the vehicle occupants at increased risk of injury. The vehicle has been declared a total loss and I no longer have physical possession of it. I do not currently know whether the vehicle remains available for inspection or whether it has been transferred to a salvage facility. To my knowledge, the suspected airbag/SRS non-deployment has not been inspected or confirmed by Kia or a Kia dealer. I did not observe any airbag/SRS warning light, warning message, or other indication of an airbag problem before the collision. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
This is the 2nd time my tire has blown out. 1st time was in Feb 2026 and now again in Sept 2026 both have been factory tires Pirrelli 235/45 R18. The 1st time was on a interstate at speeds 70 mph the 2nd time on a rural road 45 to 55 mph. Both incidents have almost caused a major accident. The dealership has made every excuse under the sun and pirreli wont even discuss the issue. I have seen multiple complaints about factory tire issues with this make and model.
The contact owns a 2026 Kia K5. The contact stated that while driving 80 MPH, the front driver's side door independently unlatched and swung open. The vehicle was taken to the dealer; however, the failure was not duplicated. The contact was informed that the door latches were being replaced. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 15,440.
Submitted by [XXX], Authorized Representative for the owner. The vehicle has a physical defect in the ADAS forward-facing camera bracket caused by a dealer-concealed repair using industrial silicone adhesive. The bracket is now visibly sagging, causing misalignment that leads to intermittent Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) failure. Critically, the vehicle’s computer does NOT illuminate a warning light for this physical displacement ('silent failure'), posing a severe crash risk. An undisclosed aftermarket GPS tracker was also found installed, which is pending contract review. A third-party inspection report titled 'Repurchase Inspection (Silicon at Rearview Mirror)' confirms the non-OEM adhesive and physical sag. The dealer has refused to provide a safe replacement vehicle. This defect stems from a non-OEM repair performed prior to sale. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
Driver awareness warning goes off frequently. There is no way to desensitize it. As a result warnings are ignored. Dealer and manufacturer says there is not way to prevent this issue.
The display is shows a "Check Oil Level" error. It comes on then goes off regularly. I have verified that the oil level is OK. Took it into the dealer and he said that this is a common issue and a software fix is coming. The car only has less than 2K miles. I depend on the engine displaying error messages, but they need to be real ones. Online complaints indicate that this is a common error and there seems to be no fix.
The contact owns a 2026 Kia K5. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with an engine harness failure. The contact was informed that the engine harness needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact was informed that the parts were ordered and would be delivered within a week. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The contact was informed that the dealer would be contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 89.
Kia has a known wiring‑harness defect that causes the low engine oil sensor to trigger incorrectly. Despite this, there has been no recall, and new vehicles are still being sold with the issue. The wiring harness is now on back order, leaving me without a car for weeks or longer. The vehicle has plenty of oil, and the dealership confirmed there are no engine problems, yet the warning light keeps coming back because of the faulty harness. This happened 1 day after buying this car new from the dealership lot.
The car only has 150 miles on it and I bought it 3 days ago and there is a LOW ENGINE OIL warning on the dash.
Compare the 2026 Kia K5
Other model years
Questions about the 2026 Kia K5
Is the 2026 Kia K5 reliable?
Owners have filed 14 complaints about the 2026 Kia K5, fewer than a typical K5 model year.
What is the most common problem with the 2026 Kia K5?
Engine and cooling, with 5 complaints. Next is electrical (3).
How many recalls does the 2026 Kia K5 have?
1 recall, covering electrical system.
What year does the Kia K5 have bad engine?
The Kia K5 model years with the most engine complaints are 2021 (32 complaints), 2022 (30 complaints) and 2023 (13 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 2026 Kia K5 get?
Official estimates for the 2026 Kia K5 range from 27 to 30 mpg combined. The most efficient version (2.5L 4-cyl, FWD) gets 23-26 city and 33-37 highway.
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