AutoUtility currently tracks 32 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2017 Kia Cadenza. Engine & Cooling issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 10 complaints (31.3% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 4 filings cite a crash, 1 cites a fire, 1 reports one or more injuries.
Factual proportion of owner complaints categorized by automotive subsystem in NHTSA records
10 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
6 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
5 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
4 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
Formal engineering analyses and preliminary evaluations opened by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
"The contact owns a 2017 Kia Cadenza. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle suddenly lost motive power. The contact waited before restarting the vehicle and continued driving. The ABS warning light was intermittently flashing. The failure became more persistent,..."
"Engine oil light is on and there is a burning smell when I drive. Fear of a fire breaking out in the engine when driving or parked. Had it looked at by a technician and they expressed those concerns to me and that brings me great worry. The service technician believed it was just the oil cap being..."
"The vehicle harness is burned and under recall sc206 for HECU fuses that was allegedly repaired which should have required a check of the harness connections . part number 91223f6632 is for the wire harness during engine replacement for campaign wty039 I was told the harness was melted and needed..."
"I currently have a complaint 11709255 regarding the electric thermostat. I just had that part replaced in November of 2025 for the 3rd time. Last week, again I had a warning of engine problem. The next day there was cold air blowing when the heat was on. The dash thermostat immediately began to..."
"Check engine was flashing in front of my house in Brookhaven Pa. Took to mechanic around the corner, diagnosed with a blown head gasket & oil in my anti freeze over flow. Internal engine failure. Had towed to Kia dealership in NJ"
Reported defect complaint volume across sibling model years (2015–2020)
| Model Year | NHTSA Complaints | Crash Reports | Safety Recalls | Detailed Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 Kia Cadenza | 48 | 1 | 2 | View 2015 Problems → |
| 2016 Kia Cadenza | 14 | 0 | 2 | View 2016 Problems → |
| 2017 Kia Cadenza Current Page | 32 | 4 | 2 | Current |
| 2018 Kia Cadenza | 7 | 0 | 1 | View 2018 Problems → |
| 2019 Kia Cadenza | 5 | 0 | 1 | View 2019 Problems → |
| 2020 Kia Cadenza | 0 | 0 | 1 | View 2020 Problems → |
Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 19 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications
| Vehicle Component / System | Total Complaints | Crash Reports | Fire Reports | Injury Entries | Fatality Entries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA category: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seat Belts NHTSA category: SEAT BELTS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Air Bags NHTSA category: AIR BAGS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AIR BAGS,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,SUSPENSION,WHEELS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SUSPENSION,WHEELS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TIRES,WHEELS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Cross-reference safety recalls, crash test safety ratings, and EPA fuel economy for this model year
Key performance indicators, EPA fuel economy specs, powertrain variants, and summary ratings.
Official recall campaigns, safety defect descriptions, and manufacturer free remedy instructions.
NHTSA 5-Star NCAP crash test results, driver assistance systems, and rollover resistance ratings.
EPA fuel economy ratings, electric range, and annual energy cost benchmarks.
Direct, deterministic answers synthesized from verified United States government databases for the 2017 Kia Cadenza
In official NHTSA consumer records, the most frequently cited issue area for the 2017 Kia Cadenza is Engine & Cooling, appearing in 10 records (31.3% of submitted filings).
Secondary reported categories include Electrical System (6) and Fuel & Propulsion System (5).
AutoUtility does not issue subjective reliability scores or commercial ratings. In official United States government records, NHTSA tracks 32 consumer defect complaints and 2 safety recall campaigns for the 2017 Kia Cadenza.
Reviewing documented component complaint distributions, recall remedy notices, and active federal investigations provides an objective, evidence-based view of the vehicle's historical safety and defect record.
Among consumer complaint records on file with NHTSA for the 2017 Kia Cadenza, 4 filings cite a crash, 1 cite smoke or fire, and 1 report one or more injuries.
Incident entries represent consumer descriptions at the time of submission to federal authorities and do not establish mechanical causation or legal liability.
NHTSA ODI records list 1 formal defect investigation involving the 2017 Kia Cadenza (1 currently open).
Federal defect investigations are formal engineering evaluations opened when safety defect trends emerge, and do not by themselves establish a confirmed defect or mandatory recall.
The complaint records on this page are retrieved directly from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) public database under 49 CFR Part 576.
Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.