2025 Kia K4 reliability

Is it reliable?

NHTSA's file on the 2025 Kia K4 holds 45 complaints after 2 years, a rate of 23 per year. It is too early to rank against other K4 years: a year is compared here only after 3 years on the road. NHTSA has 2 recalls on file, including Instrument cluster and Critical fasteners.

Complaints

Per year

Recalls

Years on the road

What owners report

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (12 of 45), then Engine (7) and Lane departure (7). Those filings include 10 that report a crash and 6 that report an injury.

Next to 2026

The 2026 K4 has 0 complaints, 0 per year.

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 2025 Kia K4. How we count. Data as of 2026-10-16.

Recalls (2)

Recall electrical system, instrument cluster 2026-01-27 · NHTSA campaign 26V046000

Summary 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."

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 NHTSA.gov on February 9, 2026.

Recall engine and cooling, critical fasteners 2025-08-25 · NHTSA campaign 25V548000

Summary Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2025 K4 and Sorento vehicles. The connecting rod bolts in the engine may have been improperly tightened, which can cause a loss of drive power.

Remedy Dealers will replace the sub engine assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 12, 2025. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC349.

Complaints by component (45 total)

Electrical system

Engine

Lane departure

Powertrain

Air bags

Forward collision avoidance

Steering

Speed control

Back-over prevention

Engine and engine cooling

Fuel and propulsion system

Service brakes

Wheels

Seats

Structure

Suspension

Tires

Show 9 more Show less

Crash-flagged

Fire-flagged

Injury reports

Death reports

Complaints filed per year

Excerpts from recent NHTSA complaint filings

"The tpms system will stop working and display a message saying check tire pressure monitoring system. While this message is displayed i cannot see any tire pressures and presumably will not receive any warnings about…"
Wheels · filed 2026-08-23
"I am submitting this complaint regarding a suspected safety defect involving a 2025 Kia K4. On XXX, the vehicle was involved in a single-vehicle crash in the Town of [XXX]. According to the driver, the vehicle…"
Steering, Lane departure · filed 2026-07-29
"Air bag did not deploy, yes High Risk Yes Yes No Hit a street sign. Went through radiator, bent frame in front on passenger side, busted windshield, punctured roof. Car is totaled"
Air bags · filed 2026-07-27
"The primary Dashboard of the vehicle stopped working (while driving the car) and i lost access to all important information such as speed, RPM, current cruise setting, milage, visual alerts for any driver assistance…"
Electrical system · filed 2026-07-18
"I'm not sure what's going on. It's telling me to start stop the car when it's running and then it will turn off and go into accessory mode even when I'm driving that's dangerous. I took it to Kia a month ago for the…"
Electrical system, Unknown or other · filed 2026-07-16

NHTSA crash ratings

Version	Overall	Front	Side	Rollover
2025 KIA K4 4 DR FWD	5 stars	4 stars	5 stars	5 stars

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
K4	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (AV-S1)	Front-wheel drive	30	40	34 MPG	$1900
K4	2L, 4-cyl	Automatic (AV-S1)	Front-wheel drive	29	39	33 MPG	$1950
K4	1.6L, 4-cyl	Automatic (8-speed)	Front-wheel drive	26	36	29 MPG	$2250

Specs and fitment

CL4 generation, 2025–present

Body styles Sedan, Hatchback

Oil SAE 0W-20 full synthetic (Smartstream G2.0 and 1.6T)

Tire size 205/55R16 (16-inch), 225/45R17 (17-inch), 235/40R18 (18-inch GT-Line)

Known issues for this generation

Recall 25V-548 covers certain 2025 K4 and Sorento vehicles. NHTSA states that connecting rod bolts in the engine may have been improperly tightened, which can cause a loss of drive power; dealers replace the sub engine assembly. The campaign lists 30 vehicles across those two model lines. Recall 26V-046 covers certain 2025 Kia K4 vehicles among a larger multi-model group; due to a software error, the instrument panel display may fail, and the display software is updated over-the-air or by a dealer (42,677 vehicles across the listed models). Recall 26V-135 covers certain 2026 Kia K4 vehicles whose rear center seat belt anchor buckle may not latch properly; dealers inspect and replace the anchor buckle assembly as necessary. That campaign lists 14,870 vehicles and also includes 2027 Telluride third-row buckles.

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See every Kia K4 model year →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2025 Kia K4 reliable?

What are common problems with a 2025 Kia K4?

The complaints owners file most often name Electrical system (12 of 45), then Engine (7) and Lane departure (7). Those filings include 10 that report a crash and 6 that report an injury.

Is the 2025 Kia K4 more reliable than the years next to it?

The 2026 K4 has 0 complaints, 0 per year.

Has the 2025 Kia K4 been recalled?

The 2025 Kia K4 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 2025 Kia K4?

Owners have filed 45 complaints about the 2025 Kia K4 with NHTSA.

What mpg does a 2025 Kia K4 get?

EPA-rated combined fuel economy for the 2025 Kia K4 is 32 MPG. See the fuel economy table on this page for city and highway figures by engine and transmission.

What oil does a 2025 Kia K4 take?

SAE 0W-20 full synthetic is specified for the Smartstream engines; capacity differs by engine (about 4.5 qt with filter on the 2.0L). Confirm the under-hood label and owner’s manual for your VIN.

What tire sizes fit the Kia K4?

Trim-dependent OE sizes on the record include 205/55R16, 225/45R17, and 235/40R18 on GT-Line; always match the door-jamb tire placard for your trim.

What NHTSA recalls mention the Kia K4?

Documented campaigns on the generation include 25V-548, 26V-046, and 26V-135; check your VIN with Kia or NHTSA because unit counts and model lists vary by campaign.