2025 Kia K5

Problems, Recalls & Reliability Report

Average

Quick Summary

The 2025 Kia K5 has 60 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — that's 0.8x the segment average of 80. The most common issue is tires problems (17% of all complaints), specifically: tire size 235/45 r18. both front tires at 7,300 miles suddenly have bulging out of the side wall. one tire bulge the size of a golf ball, the other tire slightly larger in size. no warnings or inflation issues prior to failure. severe safety risk. risk of blowout is high. car not drivable due to ris.

4 crash reports 9 injuries

Total Complaints

Recalls Issued

—/5

Safety Stars

0.8x

vs Segment Avg

Known Problems

TIRES

10 complaints

17%

• tire size 235/45 R18. Both front tires at 7,300 miles suddenly have bulging out of the side wall. One tire bulge the size of a golf ball, the other tire slightly larger in size. No warnings or inflation issues prior to failure. Severe safety risk. Risk of blowout is high. Car not drivable due to ris
• Three of the four tires, rated for 30k miles, have failed. There are 11,400 miles on the tires. Back passenger tire blew out and went immediately and audibly flat. Dealer stated this is a known issue with this brand of tire on the Kia K5. 235/45 R18 94v M+S
• 234/45/R18 - 94V bubble developed on exterior of front, passenger side tire AND the interior of back, passenger side tire within a year of purchasing vehicle new with this tire installed. The tire had to be replaced immediately to avoid a tire blowout.

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“tire size 235/45 R18. Both front tires at 7,300 miles suddenly have bulging out of the side wall. One tire bulge the size of a golf ball, the other tire slightly larger in size. No warnings or inflation issues prior to failure. Severe safety risk. Risk of blowout is high. Car not drivable due to ris”

— NHTSA complaint filing

ELECTRICAL

9 complaints

15%

• Battery keeps dying even after replacement. I would drive it then park it overnight and the next day it would dead. this put my safety at risk because at any time my car could die and I wouldn’t know until I sat in it. I would then have to figure out what to do next since the last 3 times it has die
• While cruising at approximately 40 mph on a surface street, the car lost all power, completely shutting down. After rolling for two seconds it turned back on.
• The contact owns a 2025 Kia K5. The contact stated that occasionally while driving at various speeds, the front headlights, rear brake lights, and interior cabin lights illuminated very bright. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where unknown repairs were perfo

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“Battery keeps dying even after replacement. I would drive it then park it overnight and the next day it would dead. this put my safety at risk because at any time my car could die and I wouldn’t know until I sat in it. I would then have to figure out what to do next since the last 3 times it has die”

— NHTSA complaint filing

TRANSMISSION

6 complaints

10%

• While cruising at approximately 40 mph on a surface street, the car lost all power, completely shutting down. After rolling for two seconds it turned back on.
• I had plenty of time to pull onto a perpendicular street. While accelerating the car would not shift to next gear. It hit about 4.2 rpm and still did not shift. I was almost hit!!!! After pulIing over to safety, I ensured it was not in manual mode. Started driving again and It wouldn’t go more than
• Transmission has extremely hard shifting if vehicle sits for more than 24 hours. After the vehicle is parked, inside garage, or outside, the first drive of the day has an extremely hard shift of the transmission on the first shifting of the day. The shift it so hard, it jerks the entire car and jolt

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“While cruising at approximately 40 mph on a surface street, the car lost all power, completely shutting down. After rolling for two seconds it turned back on.”

— NHTSA complaint filing

OTHER

5 complaints

• I believe my cars GPS system is having issues where it thinks I’m on the wrong side of the road and proceeds to reducing my speed so I can no longer accelerate. I receive the do not enter traffic sign on my dash.
• I am reporting a safety concern with the KIA K5 Advance Driving Assistance Systems. The concern is the Driver Attention Warning (DAW) being a distraction to the driver due to consistent dinging and flashing light of the "taking a break" that according to manual could go off every 4 minutes, however,
• OEM Pirelli tire blew out going 55mph. The car has 6500 miles on it. The sidewall of the tire blew. There were no punctures in the tire or reasoning for this to happen.

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“I believe my cars GPS system is having issues where it thinks I’m on the wrong side of the road and proceeds to reducing my speed so I can no longer accelerate. I receive the do not enter traffic sign on my dash.”

— NHTSA complaint filing

LIGHTING

5 complaints

• Tire pressure light did not illuminate. Tire was apparently low, and tire blew out at stop. Inside sidewall of tire had large gash once tire was removed and spare installed. See picture.
• Component/System Involved: The vehicle experienced a brief electrical failure affecting multiple systems simultaneously: exterior headlights, infotainment system, and dashboard indicators (seatbelt warning). All components recovered automatically within approximately 0.5–1 second. The issue appears
• While driving in the dark this morning with my eight year old in the backseat, my headlights shut off, my entire dash including my speedometer, warning lights, radio, heat, heated seat and steering wheel, lost electricity.

Typical onset: 50K miles Est. repair: $500

“Tire pressure light did not illuminate. Tire was apparently low, and tire blew out at stop. Inside sidewall of tire had large gash once tire was removed and spare installed. See picture.”

— NHTSA complaint filing

Estimated Repair Costs

TIRES(~50K mi)

$500

ELECTRICAL(~50K mi)

$500

TRANSMISSION(~50K mi)

$500

OTHER(~50K mi)

$500

LIGHTING(~50K mi)

$500

Estimates based on average reported repair costs. Actual costs vary by location, shop, and severity.

🔍 Pre-Purchase Inspection Checklist

Based on 60 owner complaints for this specific year, here's what to check or ask about:

☐
TIRES: tire size 235/45 R18. Both front tires at 7,300 miles suddenly have bulging out of the side wall. One tire bulge the size of a golf ball, the other tire slightly larger in size. No warnings or inflation issues prior to failure. Severe safety risk. Risk of blowout is high. Car not drivable due to ris
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
ELECTRICAL: Battery keeps dying even after replacement. I would drive it then park it overnight and the next day it would dead. this put my safety at risk because at any time my car could die and I wouldn’t know until I sat in it. I would then have to figure out what to do next since the last 3 times it has die
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
TRANSMISSION: While cruising at approximately 40 mph on a surface street, the car lost all power, completely shutting down. After rolling for two seconds it turned back on.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
OTHER: I believe my cars GPS system is having issues where it thinks I’m on the wrong side of the road and proceeds to reducing my speed so I can no longer accelerate. I receive the do not enter traffic sign on my dash.
Typically appears around 50K miles. Repair cost ~$500
☐
General: Get a pre-purchase inspection from an independent mechanic ($100-$200)