The left and right rear window trim pieces may loosen and detach.
Risk: Detached trim pieces can create a road hazard for other vehicles, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the C-pillar trim assemblies, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 19, 2025. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC346.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023-2025 K5 vehicles.
NHTSA listing: K5. Components: Body structure: body, roof and pillars; Body structure: exterior trim. Kia campaign SC346.
A software error in the Power-net Domain Controller (PDC) may cause the parking lights to flicker. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment."
Risk: Parking lights that fail to illuminate properly can reduce visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: The PDC software will be updated by a dealer or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 24, 2025. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC341.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2025 K5 vehicles.
NHTSA listing: K5. Kia campaign SC341.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
What owners report
The areas named in the 51 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2025 K5. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Tires14 · 27%
Electrical system11 · 22%
Powertrain6 · 12%
Body structure5 · 10%
Most named: body (3)
Exterior lighting5 · 10%
Wheels5 · 10%
Visibility/wiper4 · 8%
Unknown or other6 · 12%
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%.
Kia K5 recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2025 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2023 K5 drew the most (75).
Owner complaints
2025: 51 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Kia K5
Model year
Complaints
2021
167
2022
127
2023
107
2024
30
2025
51
2026
12
Safety recalls
2025: 2 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Kia K5
Model year
Recalls
2021
6
2022
5
2023
4
2024
2
2025
2
2026
1
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
Tested version
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Kia K5 4 DR AWD
Rollover risk 10.7%
Kia K5 4 DR FWD
Rollover risk 10.7%
Questions
What are the most common 2025 K5 problems?
The areas owners name most often in NHTSA complaints: tires (14), electrical system (11), powertrain (6). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can name several areas.
Is the 2025 Kia K5 safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2025 Kia K5 earns 5 stars overall. The table above lists each tested version.
How do I check if my K5 has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Kia dealers.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Sep 27, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Sep 26, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: K5.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.