Reliable Auto DB

2015 Kia Cadenza reliability

Is it reliable?

Owners have filed 48 complaints with NHTSA about the 2015 Kia Cadenza over 12 years — 1 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Cadenza years here — over the median of the other years, which is 1. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Brake control module and Windshield.

2014 Kia Cadenza
Photo by EuroCarGT, resized from the original. Wikimedia Commons CC BY-SA 4.0
Complaints

48

Per year

1

Recalls

2

Years on the road

12

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (13 of 48), then Engine (13) and Visibility (5). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash, 2 that report a fire, and 1 that reports an injury.

Next to 2014 and 2016

The 2014 Cadenza has 110 complaints, 6 per year, and the 2016 has 14 complaints, 0 per year. The 2015 has fewer complaints per year than the 2014. The 2015 has more complaints per year than the 2016.

The complaint rate is complaints filed in this year’s first 3 years on the road, divided by however many of those years have passed. Recalls are a separate count. The numbers are for the US-market 2015 Kia Cadenza. How we count. Data as of .

Recalls (2)

Recall Brake control module 2023-09-25 · NHTSA campaign 23V652000
Summary Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2010-2019 Borrego, 2014-2016 Cadenza, 2010-2013 Forte, Forte Koup, Sportage, 2015-2018 K900, 2011-2015 Optima, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, Soul, 2012-2017 Rio, 2011-2014 Sorento, and 2010-2011 Rondo vehicles. The Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) may experience an electrical short, which can result in an engine compartment fire while parked or driving.
Remedy Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the HECU fuse, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed November 14, 2023. Owner notification letters were mailed March 29, 2024 through June 18, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC284.
Recall visibility, windshield 2022-03-15 · NHTSA campaign 22V158000
Summary Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling all 2014-2016 Cadenza vehicles. During manufacturing, the front windshield may not have been properly bonded to the vehicle, allowing it to detach.
Remedy Dealers will inspect the front windshield glass. If necessary, the windshield will be removed and reinstalled. Repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 13, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC232.

Complaints by component (48 total)

Electrical system
13
Engine
13
Visibility
5
Exterior lighting
4
Hydraulic brakes
3
Steering
3
Structure
3
Suspension
2
Visibility and wipers
2
Air bags
1
Air brakes
1
Back-over prevention
1
Fuel and propulsion system
1
Seats
1
Service brakes
1
Wheels
1
Show 8 more Show less
Crash-flagged

1

Fire-flagged

2

Injury reports

1

Death reports

0

Complaints filed per year

1201432016320185201922021820221220231120241202522026
Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings
  • "Vehicle: 2015 Kia Cadenza Issue: Open HECU Safety Recall — Fire Risk I am the owner of a 2015 Kia Cadenza with an open HECU recall related to a known fire risk. I have been experiencing a burning smell inside the cabin…"
    Electrical system · filed 2026-03-25
  • "My entire Dash went Black. I could not see speed, gas level, milage. This is an extreme Hazard! I brought the car into "Crown KIA" in Clearwater to run a Diagnostic Check for 0.5 hour at $150 and they could not find the…"
    Electrical system, Exterior lighting, Visibility and wipers · filed 2026-02-01
  • "The bulbs had originally been replaced in 2021 at the dealer. We took the car to the dealer November 26, 2024 having noticed how dim they were around May 2024. The dealer states no problem was found, lights appear to be…"
    Exterior lighting · filed 2025-01-28
  • "Engine seized. 3.3L Lambda II GDI. This is the 2nd Hyundai/KIA product that the engine has seized on me. Both with bearing failure. Neither on the list of recalled engines. You need to do a more thorough investigation…"
    Engine · filed 2024-10-03
  • "There are thousands of vejicles with a variant of the 3.3L V6 Lambda II GDI Hyundai/KIA class of engines on the road. There are hundreds if not thousands of complaints regarding different variants of this engine…"
    Engine · filed 2024-10-02

NHTSA crash ratings

Version Overall Front Side Rollover
2015 Kia Cadenza 4 DR FWD Not rated Not rated Not rated Not rated

Stars are how this vehicle did in NHTSA crash tests. They are a safety result, separate from the complaint record. Not rated means that test was not run for this version.

Fuel economy

Trim Engine Transmission Drive City Hwy Combined Annual fuel cost
Cadenza 3.3L, 6-cyl Automatic 6-speed Front-wheel drive 19 28 22 MPG $2950

Specs and fitment

First generation (VG), 2014–2016
Body styles Sedan
Oil 5W-30 (preferred; all temps) , 6 qt capacity
Tire size 225/55R17, 245/45R18, 245/40R19 (trim dependent)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 22V-158 covers all 2014-2016 Cadenza vehicles: during manufacturing, the front windshield may not have been properly bonded, allowing it to detach. The campaign lists 30,362 vehicles. Dealers inspect the glass and, if needed, remove and reinstall it. Recall 23V-652 covers certain 2014-2016 Cadenza vehicles among many other Kia/Hyundai models: the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) circuit may short and cause an engine-compartment fire. That multi-model campaign lists 1,730,192 vehicles. Owners are advised to park outside until the fuse replacement is completed.

Compare

Previous year 2014 Kia Cadenza Next year 2016 Kia Cadenza See every Kia Cadenza model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2015 Kia Cadenza reliable?

Owners have filed 48 complaints with NHTSA about the 2015 Kia Cadenza over 12 years — 1 per year. That is more complaints per year than most Cadenza years here — over the median of the other years, which is 1. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Brake control module and Windshield.

What are common problems with a 2015 Kia Cadenza?

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (13 of 48), then Engine (13) and Visibility (5). Those filings include 1 that reports a crash, 2 that report a fire, and 1 that reports an injury.

Is the 2015 Kia Cadenza more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2014 Cadenza has 110 complaints, 6 per year, and the 2016 has 14 complaints, 0 per year. The 2015 has fewer complaints per year than the 2014. The 2015 has more complaints per year than the 2016.

Has the 2015 Kia Cadenza been recalled?

The 2015 Kia Cadenza has 2 recalls on file with NHTSA. See the recalls table on this page for dates, components, and remedies.

How many complaints have owners filed about the 2015 Kia Cadenza?

Owners have filed 48 complaints about the 2015 Kia Cadenza with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2015 Kia Cadenza get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2015 Kia Cadenza is 22 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What generation is the 2018 Kia Cadenza?

Second generation (YG, 2017-2020).

What oil does a Kia Cadenza take?

5W-30 preferred for all temperatures; VG (~6 qt) and YG (~6.9 qt) capacities differ by generation.

What does recall 22V-158 cover on the Cadenza?

All 2014-2016 Cadenza vehicles: the front windshield may not have been properly bonded during manufacturing. See the NHTSA campaign for the remedy.