AutoUtility currently tracks 162 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2021 Kia K5. Fuel & Propulsion System issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 54 complaints (33.3% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 7 filings cite a crash, 2 cite a fire, 6 report one or more injuries, 1 reports one or more fatalities.
Factual proportion of owner complaints categorized by automotive subsystem in NHTSA records
54 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
45 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
18 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
17 owner complaints submitted to NHTSA ODI for this subsystem.
Specific mechanical, electrical, and driver-assist defect symptoms identified via deterministic narrative analysis
8 complaint narratives describe this symptom.
4 complaint narratives describe this symptom.
Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
"The contact owns a 2021 Kia K5. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 25V794000 (Fuel System, Gasoline). The vehicle was taken to a dealer for the recall repair. The contact was struggling to receive updates on the status of the vehicle. The contact spoke with a service clerk..."
"I am reporting a violation of the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act by Ball Kia (National City, CA). The dealer tried to deny service for recall 25V794000 (SC356) for a melted, leaking fuel tank, fabricated a false diagnostic narrative of road impact to exploit me, and tried to charge..."
"Wiring harness has melted at the HVAC connection point."
"Recall NNK post-repair failure. Dealership: Kia of Valdosta (RO# XXX). After ECU update NNK-02-0118, my K5 suffered a severe loss of acceleration and torque. The car cannot safely merge on highways. The dealer’s own live scan data sheet proves that at 4,997 RPM under full load, the Turbo..."
"The contact owns a 2021 Kia K5. The contact stated that while driving approximately 55 MPH, the fuel gauge suddenly went from one-half tank to empty. The fuel level displayed 120 miles to empty. The contact attempted to refuel the vehicle but was unable to add fuel to the tank. The contact also..."
Reported defect complaint volume across sibling model years (2021–2026)
| Model Year | NHTSA Complaints | Crash Reports | Safety Recalls | Detailed Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 Kia K5 Current Page | 162 | 7 | 6 | Current |
| 2022 Kia K5 | 123 | 14 | 5 | View 2022 Problems → |
| 2023 Kia K5 | 104 | 6 | 4 | View 2023 Problems → |
| 2024 Kia K5 | 28 | 1 | 2 | View 2024 Problems → |
| 2025 Kia K5 | 49 | 4 | 2 | View 2025 Problems → |
| 2026 Kia K5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | View 2026 Problems → |
Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 60 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications
| Vehicle Component / System | Total Complaints | Crash Reports | Fire Reports | Injury Entries | Fatality Entries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 19 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Fuel & Propulsion System NHTSA category: FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 17 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Fuel System NHTSA category: FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Air Bags NHTSA category: AIR BAGS | 5 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| Structure & Body NHTSA category: STRUCTURE | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility & Wipers NHTSA category: VISIBILITY/WIPER | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AIR BAGS,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SEATS,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LANE DEPARTURE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STRUCTURE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| AIR BAGS,SEATS | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| BACK OVER PREVENTION,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,AIR BAGS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,LANE DEPARTURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SEATS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SEATS,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VISIBILITY/WIPER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine & Cooling NHTSA category: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING,FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance NHTSA category: FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,SEATS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,SEATS,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE,TIRES,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM,BACK OVER PREVENTION,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM,LANE DEPARTURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lane Departure Warning NHTSA category: LANE DEPARTURE | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| LANE DEPARTURE,BACK OVER PREVENTION,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,AIR BAGS,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SEATS,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM,VISIBILITY/WIPER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE,LANE DEPARTURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering NHTSA category: STEERING | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,LANE DEPARTURE,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,POWER TRAIN | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STRUCTURE,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 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 2021 Kia K5
In official NHTSA consumer records, the most frequently cited issue area for the 2021 Kia K5 is Fuel & Propulsion System, appearing in 54 records (33.3% of submitted filings).
Secondary reported categories include Electrical System (45) and Engine & Cooling (18).
AutoUtility does not issue subjective reliability scores or commercial ratings. In official United States government records, NHTSA tracks 162 consumer defect complaints and 6 safety recall campaigns for the 2021 Kia K5.
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 2021 Kia K5, 7 filings cite a crash, 2 cite smoke or fire, and 6 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.
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.