AutoUtility currently tracks 7 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2018 Kia Cadenza. Engine & Cooling issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 5 complaints (71.4% of submitted records). Zero crashes, fires, injury reports, or fatality reports are cited across these complaint records.
- • Total NHTSA Complaints: 7 reports
- • #1 Reported Problem Area: Engine & Cooling (5 reports • 71.4% of submitted complaints)
- • Secondary Problem Areas: Air Bags & Restraints (1)
- • Crash-Citing Complaints: 0 filings
- • Fire-Citing Complaints: 0 filings
- • Complaints Reporting Injuries / Fatalities: 0 injury filings • 0 fatality filings
Most Reported Problems for 2018 Kia Cadenza
Top automotive subsystem defect categories ranked by unique owner complaint volume in federal records
Engine & Cooling
Air Bags & Restraints
Recent NHTSA Owner Reports for 2018 Kia Cadenza
Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
"The airbag light randomly came on 2 weeks ago and stayed on , indicating that the airbags would not deploy in the event of an accident. I called my mechanic, who confirmed it was not a warranty item. My car only has about 45,000 miles on it and is well maintained. it has never been in an accident...."
"Complete engine failure due to rods and bearings (same as all other Kia engine recalls currently active). Ironically my car wasn’t included in the recall. Also I’ve noticed that Hyundai has extended the warranty for this same engine in the 2018 Santa Fe basically acknowledging it has a problem but..."
"No prior issues/light on dashboard as the car was just serviced for coolant hose replacement. On my way home from work, the car stalled and loss power at the light. The signs were giving engine failure due to losing power then a clicking/ticking noise. After pulling over and giving the car a break..."
"Vehicle has been properly maintained and at 78k miles, while at a stop sign, the engine seized. No warning signs from vehicle appeared."
"Failure of Oil Pressure Sensor resulting in oil leaking into wiring harness, this is the same problem with 3.3L engines in other models that KIA has extended coverage. I contacted KIA Customer Care and was told they tracked VIN and not enough Cadenzas had reported the same repair. If the problem is..."
Complaint History for Kia Cadenza
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 | 32 | 4 | 2 | View 2017 Problems → |
| 2018 Kia Cadenza Current Page | 7 | 0 | 1 | Current |
| 2019 Kia Cadenza | 5 | 0 | 1 | View 2019 Problems → |
| 2020 Kia Cadenza | 0 | 0 | 1 | View 2020 Problems → |
Detailed NHTSA Component Breakdown for 2018 Kia Cadenza
Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 4 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications
| Vehicle Component / System | Total Complaints | Crash Reports | Fire Reports | Reported Injury Entries | Reported Fatality Entries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Air Bags NHTSA category: AIR BAGS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Official NHTSA Defect Investigations (1)
Formal safety defect inquiries and engineering analyses opened by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)
Hyundai and Kia ABS Module Fires
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received eight Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) and eight Kia America, Inc. (Kia) Part 573 Recall Reports between 2016 and 2023. The combined 16 safety recalls all involve the antilock braking system (ABS) modules or Hydraulic Electronic Control Units (HECU) manufactured by the equipment supplier Mando. The Part 573 Recall Reports contain varying defect descriptions and differing remedy descriptions fo...
The complaint records on this page are retrieved directly from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) public database.
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