NHTSA lists 6 safety recalls and 167 owner complaints for the 2021 Kia K5.
6Safety recalls
167Owner complaints
8Complaints citing a crash
2Complaints citing a fire
Data: NHTSA recall and complaint filesUpdated Sep 27, 2026
Recalled components: fuel system, air bags, powertrain, and lane departure systems. Most-reported area: electrical system (46 complaints, 28%). The K5 replaced the Optima for 2021.
6 safety recalls for the 2021 Kia K5
Newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.
A damaged check valve can allow air to enter the fuel tank, causing it to expand and contact hot exhaust components, melting the tank.
Risk: A melted fuel tank can leak, increasing the risk of a fire.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will replace the check valve. The fuel tank will be inspected for damage and replaced as necessary. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed January 16, 2026. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC356. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning December 1, 2025.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2024 K5 vehicles.
The side curtain air bags may have been installed incorrectly, causing them not to deploy properly in the event of a crash.
Risk: Air bags that do not deploy as intended can increase the risk of injury in a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will inspect and reinstall the side curtain air bags, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 7, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC263.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2023 K5 vehicles.
The vehicle's "fail-safe" limited-mobility drive mode may be impaired, when prompted by a transmission oil pump malfunction, which can result in a complete loss of drive power.
Risk: Loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the transmission, as necessary. Dealers will also update the transmission control unit software. All repairs will be performed free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 9, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC250.
Kia Motors, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Sorento and 2021-2023 K5 vehicles.
5L turbocharged engines. Fuel may leak at the pipe connection between the high-pressure fuel pump and fuel rail.
Risk: A fuel leak increases the risk of a fire.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will inspect and tighten, or replace the fuel pipe as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 21, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC214.
Kia Motor America (Kia) is recalling certain 2021 Sorento and 2021-2022 K5 vehicles equipped with 2.
5L T-GDI engines. The Rack-Mounted Motor Driven Power Steering (R-MDPS) system lacks the ability to diagnose communication faults. If a communication fault occurs while driving around a curve with Lane Following Assist (LFA) engaged, the steering assist level may not adjust properly, causing a sudden increase in the steering effort required.
Risk: A sudden increase in steering effort can increase the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will update the R-MDPS software, free of charge. Owner notification letters are were mailed June 24, 2021. Owner may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC213.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2022 K5 vehicles equipped with 2.
NHTSA listing: K5. Components: Lane departure systems: lane keep, steering assist; Steering. Kia campaign SC213.
Air bags
Mar 11, 2021
air bag/restraint control module
Fails federal standard 208 (occupant crash protection)
The Occupant Classification and Detection System (OCS/ODS) unit may not detect the presence of a child restraint system in the front passenger seat. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) number 208, "Occupant Crash Protection."
Risk: In the event of a crash, deployment of the front passenger air bag, with a child in that seat, can increase the risk of injury to the child.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the OCS/ODS unit, free of charge. The recall began March 18, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC207.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2021 Telluride, K5, and Forte vehicles.
NHTSA listing: K5. Components: Air bags: air bag/restraint control module; Air bags: sensor, occupant classification, front passenger. Kia campaign SC207.
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 167 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2021 K5. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Electrical system46 · 28%
Fuel and propulsion system43 · 26%
Engine29 · 17%
Powertrain18 · 11%
Fuel system13 · 8%
Air bags10 · 6%
Body structure10 · 6%
Most named: body (10)
Unknown or other32 · 19%
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 2021 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) and the 2021 drew 50.
Owner complaints
2021: 167 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
2021: 6 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 FWD
Rollover risk 10.7%
Questions
What are the most common 2021 K5 problems?
The areas owners name most often in NHTSA complaints: electrical system (46), fuel and propulsion system (43), engine (29). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can name several areas.
Is the 2021 Kia K5 safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2021 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.