Kia K5 by Model Year: Problems, Recalls and MPG
Every Kia K5 model year since 2021: EPA fuel economy, NHTSA recalls, owner complaints and crash tests.
Every model year since 2021 in one place: EPA fuel economy, NHTSA recalls, owner complaints and crash test ratings. The best fuel economy rating, 32 mpg combined, arrived in 2021. The K5 replaced the Optima for 2021.
Complaints in each year's first three years
How the years are ranked
Model years ranked by owner complaints filed with NHTSA in their first three years (model year Y: filed by the end of Y+2), so every year is measured over the same time on the road. Years without three full years of data, and launch or final years with very few sold, are left out. Counts are not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | First 3 years | All complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|
Most described: the check engine light coming on, then loss of power or limp mode |
75 | 112 | 4 |
Most described: the check engine light coming on, then loss of power or limp mode |
53 | 130 | 5 |
Most described: the check engine light coming on, then air conditioning or heater failures |
50 | 171 | 6 |
Compare other models' worst years in the worst model years guide.
Year by year
| Model year | Best rating | Recalls | Complaints | Crash test |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2026 |
30 mpg Gas |
1 | 14 | |
2025 |
30 mpg Gas |
2 | 54 | |
2024 |
31 mpg Gas |
2 | 32 | |
2023 |
31 mpg Gas |
4 | 112 | |
2022 |
32 mpg Gas |
5 | 130 | |
2021 |
32 mpg Gas |
6 | 171 |
Owner complaints by model year
All complaints filed so far. Counts rise with sales volume and with time on the road, so recent years look better than they may turn out. The highlighted bar is the model year with the most complaints in its first three years.
2023: 112 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
| Model year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 171 |
| 2022 | 130 |
| 2023 | 112 |
| 2024 | 32 |
| 2025 | 54 |
| 2026 | 14 |
Best combined rating by model year
The best-rated version in each model year. Gas: 30 to 32 mpg (every year from 2021 to 2026); highest in 2021.
2026: gas 30 mpgTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
| Model year | Best gas version |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 32 |
| 2022 | 32 |
| 2023 | 31 |
| 2024 | 31 |
| 2025 | 30 |
| 2026 | 30 |
Every K5 year's ratings in one table
Questions
Which Kia K5 years have the most problems?
Only three Kia K5 model years have three full years of complaints so far: the 2021 (50), the 2022 (53), and the 2023 (75). That's too few to rank the years fairly. The 2024, 2025, and 2026 are not ranked yet: they have had fewer than three full years on the road.
Which Kia K5 years have the most recalls?
The 2021 has the most safety recalls in NHTSA's file (6), then the 2022 (5). A recall can cover a problem that affects only a few cars, so open a year's page to see what each one covers. No recall for 2021 to 2026 models tells owners not to drive the car or to park it outside.
What are the most common Kia K5 problems?
In the 513 owner complaints NHTSA lists for 2021 to 2026 models, apart from warning lights, owners most often describe loss of power or limp mode (50 complaints, most of them for the 2021, 2022, and 2023); air conditioning or heater failures (34 complaints, most of them for the 2021); and shaking, shuddering or vibration (32 complaints, most of them for the 2021, 2022, and 2023). One complaint can describe several problems. Each year's recalls and problems page lists what owners describe for that year.
Which Kia K5 year has the best MPG?
The best EPA fuel economy is 32 mpg combined, first reached by the 2021 gas version.
Sources and method
- US EPA fuel economy data (fueleconomy.gov), file dated Nov 4, 2026.
- NHTSA recall file dated Nov 12, 2026 and owner complaint file dated Nov 11, 2026; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.