2017 Kia Cadenza problems & reliability
31 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2017 Kia Cadenza, alongside 2 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
1 complaint report injuries (1 injured).
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2017 Kia Cadenza vehicles were involved in 8 fatal crashes with 3 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine → | 10 | 32% |
| Electrical System | 6 | 19% |
| Unknown OR Other | 6 | 19% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 5 | 16% |
| Wheels | 3 | 10% |
| Air Bags | 2 | 6% |
| Seat Belts | 2 | 6% |
| Service Brakes | 2 | 6% |
| Suspension | 2 | 6% |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 1 | 3% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 14 reported components →Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“Engine oil light is on and there is a burning smell when I drive. Fear of a fire breaking out in the engine when driving or parked. Had it looked at by a technician and they expressed those concerns to me and that brings me great worry. The service technician believed it was just the oil cap being loose but there was…”
Engine · filed Apr 22, 2026
“The vehicle harness is burned and under recall sc206 for HECU fuses that was allegedly repaired which should have required a check of the harness connections . part number 91223f6632 is for the wire harness during engine replacement for campaign wty039 I was told the harness was melted and needed replacing , dealer…”
Electrical System · filed Mar 29, 2026
“I currently have a complaint 11709255 regarding the electric thermostat. I just had that part replaced in November of 2025 for the 3rd time. Last week, again I had a warning of engine problem. The next day there was cold air blowing when the heat was on. The dash thermostat immediately began to move to hot. I was…”
Engine · filed Mar 21, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Hyundai and Kia ABS Module Fires
Audit Query AQ23002 · opened Nov 17, 2023 · open
Technical service bulletins
72 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2017 Kia Cadenza. The 10 most recent:
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: ENGINE SUB ASSEMBLY INSPECTION/REPLACEMENT (WTY039 - REVISION 7) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a…
WTY039_TSB_R7 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 18, 2025
PITSTOP: TECHNICAL OPERATIONS: EXTERNAL DAMAGE TO ULTRASONIC SENSOR: This Pitstop provides information related to Parking Distance Warning (PDW) alerts and repairs involving ultrasonic sensors. The PDW system alerts the…
PS797 · Other · issued Dec 9, 2025
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: ENGINE SUB ASSEMBLY INSPECTION/REPLACEMENT (WTY039 REVISION 6) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a…
WTY039_TSB_R6 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 1, 2025
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: WARRANTY EXTENSION CAMPAIGN (WTY039) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area…
WTY039_TSB_R5 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 4, 2025
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: ENGINE SUB ASSEMBLY: INSPECTION/REPLACEMENT (WTY039) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in…
WTY039_TSB_R4 · Warranty Program/Extension · issued Oct 8, 2025
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: TRANSMISSION FLUID APPLICATION GUIDE - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area…
TSB_TRA046_R5 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 17, 2025
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: WARRANTY EXTENSION CAMPAIGN: HIGH-PRESSURE FUEL PUMP REPLACEMENT (WTY034) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are…
WTY034_TSB_R2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 27, 2025
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: WARRANTY EXTENSION CAMPAIGN: ENGINE SUB ASSEMBLY INSPECTION/REPLACEMENT (WTY039) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are…
WTY039_TSB_R3 · Warranty Program/Extension · issued Dec 5, 2024
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: ENGINE SUB ASSEMBLY INSPECTION/REPLACEMENT (WTY039) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in…
WTY039_TSB_R2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 5, 2024
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: WARRANTY EXTENSION CAMPAIGN: HIGH-PRESSURE FUEL PUMP REPLACEMENT (WTY034) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are…
WTY034_TSB_R1 · Warranty Program/Extension · issued Sep 21, 2024
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2017 Kia Cadenza has 2 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2017 Kia Cadenza?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.