Your vehicle report
2025 Kia K4
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 47
- Received Mar 2025 to Oct 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Airbags fail to deploy in crashes6 complaints · 13% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Glass shatters or cracks without impact4 complaints · 8.5% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Engine stalls and loses power while driving3 complaints · 6.4% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #26V046000Kia 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."
- Recall #25V548000Kia 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.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
- Airbags fail to deploy in crashesFirst signal: Nov 2025
- Steering wanders or pulls at highway speedFirst signal: Jan 2026
Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 10 crashes, 0 fires, 8 people injured, 0 deaths.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 4 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Electrical & lights
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Month | Complaints |
|---|---|
| March 2025 | 1 |
| April 2025 | 0 |
| May 2025 | 0 |
| June 2025 | 1 |
| July 2025 | 0 |
| August 2025 | 3 |
| September 2025 | 7 |
| October 2025 | 0 |
| November 2025 | 2 |
| December 2025 | 5 |
| January 2026 | 3 |
| February 2026 | 5 |
| March 2026 | 1 |
| April 2026 | 3 |
| May 2026 | 3 |
| June 2026 | 3 |
| July 2026 | 7 |
| August 2026 | 1 |
| September 2026 | 0 |
| October 2026 | 2 |
| Total | 47 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 6 | 13% | 8.8× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Nov 2025 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 6.5% |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 4 | 8.5% | 3.1× | |
| Engine stalls and loses power while driving | 3 | 6.4% | 5.1× | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 3 | 6.4% | 4.6× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Jan 2026 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 2.6% |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #26V046000January 26, 202642,677 vehicles affected
electrical system: instrument cluster/panel
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."
An instrument panel display that fails to show critical safety information, such as the speedometer, tire pressure, or warning lights, increases the risk of a crash.
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.
NHTSA recall #25V548000August 25, 202530 vehicles affected
engine and engine cooling: critical fasteners
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.
A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
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.
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 2025 Kia K4.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN