Reliability, what owners report, and what it costs to keep.
AVOIR's read: a solid ownership case with specific caveats below.
Owners have filed 45 complaints with NHTSA about the 2025 Kia K4, and it carries 2 recalls. These are owner allegations rather than confirmed defects, but the pattern of what people complain about is the most useful signal a used buyer has.
| Area | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Unknown or other | 6 | 13% |
| Electrical system | 4 | 9% |
| Air bags | 3 | 7% |
| Power train | 3 | 7% |
| Steering | 2 | 4% |
| Wheels | 1 | 2% |
| Electrical system | 1 | 2% |
| Engine and engine cooling | 1 | 2% |
| Electrical system | 1 | 2% |
| Power train | 1 | 2% |
Verbatim from NHTSA complaint records, trimmed for length.
The tpms system will stop working and display a message saying check tire pressure monitoring system. While this message is displayed i cannot see any tire pressures and presumably will not receive any warnings about tir
NHTSA complaint: Wheels
I am submitting this complaint regarding a suspected safety defect involving a 2025 Kia K4. On XXX, the vehicle was involved in a single-vehicle crash in the Town of [XXX]. According to the driver, the vehicle unexpecte
NHTSA complaint: Steering
Air bag did not deploy, yes High Risk Yes Yes No Hit a street sign. Went through radiator, bent frame in front on passenger side, busted windshield, punctured roof. Car is totaled
NHTSA complaint: Air bags
The primary Dashboard of the vehicle stopped working (while driving the car) and i lost access to all important information such as speed, RPM, current cruise setting, milage, visual alerts for any driver assistance warn
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
I'm not sure what's going on. It's telling me to start stop the car when it's running and then it will turn off and go into accessory mode even when I'm driving that's dangerous. I took it to Kia a month ago for the same
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
The contact owns a 2025 Kia K4. The contact stated while driving at 40 MPH on several occasions, the vehicle stalled. The vehicle was able to restart but would immediately stall again, requiring the driver to wait approx
NHTSA complaint: Engine and engine cooling
The car completely cut off while driving on the highway going 65 mph. This isn’t the first time it has turned off while driving. I had to pull over and put the car in park before it would turn back on. The error says Acc
NHTSA complaint: Electrical system
This car is a rental to [XXX]. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA complaint: Unknown or other
NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2025 Kia K4. Recalls are free to have fixed at a franchised dealer regardless of who owns the car now, but only if they were never done, so check the VIN of the specific car rather than trusting the model.
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.
Risk: A loss of drive power increases the risk of a crash.
Fix: 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 nu
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 suc
Risk: 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.
Fix: 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 Cus
| Reliability raw | 84 | excellent |
|---|---|---|
| Longevity est. | 80 | excellent |
| Maintenance | 90 | excellent |
| Depreciation | 57 | average |
| Performance | 45 | below average |
| Efficiency | 55 | average |
| Safety | 100 | excellent |
Percentile ranks against other midsize & large cars in the catalog.
What stands behind each score for this car:
Owners have filed 45 complaints with NHTSA for this model-year, and unknown or other is the most reported area with 6 of them (13%). There are 2 recalls on record. Check any specific car against its VIN before buying.
AVOIR scores its reliability 84/100 (excellent) from NHTSA recall campaigns and complaint density. That figure is a raw complaint count, not yet adjusted for sales volume, so a high-volume model scores worse than it deserves.
AVOIR scores its longevity 80/100, but that figure is an estimate built from the powertrain and the brand's record, not a measurement. A 2025 car has no 200,000-mile population to observe yet, so treat it as a prior rather than evidence.
AVOIR's read: worth a look, because a solid ownership case with specific caveats below. Its overall ownership score is 76/100. Condition, mileage and service history still matter more than any score, so get a pre-purchase inspection on the specific car.
Sources: NHTSA recalls and complaints, EPA fuel economy, IIHS awards, and live market listings. A score describes a model-year, not the individual car in front of you. Get a pre-purchase inspection.