2021 Kia K5 power train problems
17 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the power train on the 2021 Kia K5 — 11% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“Recall NNK post-repair failure. Dealership: Kia of Valdosta (RO# XXX). After ECU update NNK-02-0118, my K5 suffered a severe loss of acceleration and torque. The car cannot safely merge on highways. The dealer’s own live scan data sheet proves that at 4,997 RPM under full load, the Turbo…”
filed Jul 30, 2026
“The contact owns a 2021 Kia K5. The contact stated that the driver-side turn signal became inoperable. The vehicle was shifting hard and/or not shifting at all. While driving at unknown speeds, the vehicle shut down. The turn signal and brake lights were illuminated. The contact stated there was a…”
filed Jun 4, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related recalls
- Vehicle's "fail-safe" limited-mobility drive mode may be impaired, when prompted by a…Campaign 22V760000 · Oct 11, 2022
Power Train problems in other K5 years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 K5 | 6 | 13% |
| 2024 K5 | 3 | 11% |
| 2023 K5 | 11 | 11% |
| 2022 K5 | 20 | 16% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2021 Kia K5
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.