NHTSA Data Explorer

Kia Cadenza

Data refreshed May 30, 2026

Select a model year to filter results to that year of the Kia Cadenza.

Complaints

210

Active records

Recalls

6

Active records

TSBs

195

Active records

Filing history

Monthly totals over the last 20 years. Click a legend item to show or hide that series.

Reported severity

Based on consumer complaints filed since 2000. Recalls and TSBs do not include severity data.

Deaths

0

Injuries

12

Crashes

8

Fires

5

Top reported issues — Kia Cadenza

Click a category to expand its values.

Condition issue

79

Operating state

50

Fluid issue

30

Noise

27

Thermal issue

26

Reporting mechanism

25

Engine behavior

22

Braking behavior

15

Performance issue

15

Smell

14

Driver assistance issue

9

Steering behavior

9

Electrical issue

8

Safety restraint issue

8

Safety restraint behavior

7

Lighting behavior

6

Access/entry issue

4

Recent change

4

HVAC behavior

3

Starting behavior

3

Vibration/harshness

3

Powering on/off behavior

2

Transmission/drivetrain behavior

2

Infotainment behavior

1

Ride/handling behavior

1

Recent filings

The 10 most recent filings for each type.

2017 KIA CADENZA

Filed Apr 22, 2026


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 no evidence of that.

2017 KIA CADENZA

Filed Mar 29, 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 put the car back together and told me we had to wrap up the work and return rental and get my car knowing it is a fire hazard I was in contact with warranty company for escalation…

2015 KIA CADENZA

Filed Mar 25, 2026


Vehicle: 2015 Kia Cadenza Issue: Open HECU Safety Recall — Fire Risk I am the owner of a 2015 Kia Cadenza with an open HECU recall related to a known fire risk. I have been experiencing a burning smell inside the cabin of the vehicle, consistent with the recall defect. Upon contacting Kia Consumer Assistance, I was advised not to drive the vehicle due to the fire risk and to have it towed to a dealer. However, after calling multiple Kia dealers in the Pittsburgh, PA area, the earliest available…

2017 KIA CADENZA

Filed Mar 21, 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 thankfully close to home. I turned car off and fan continues to run under the hood. I cannot afford to keep having this part replaced. Please look into this. This is not right.

2017 KIA CADENZA

Filed Mar 11, 2026


Check engine was flashing in front of my house in Brookhaven Pa. Took to mechanic around the corner, diagnosed with a blown head gasket & oil in my anti freeze over flow. Internal engine failure. Had towed to Kia dealership in NJ

2017 KIA CADENZA

Filed Feb 7, 2026


I have and am the original owner of a Kia Cadenza 2017 with the 3.3L Lambda engine (same engine as the Sorento lawsuit). The vehicle is currently at the dealership getting repaired due to carbon buildup causing the fuel injectors to malfunction( despite of consistently being on top of maintenance and oil changes).I have read online of lots of users with failed engines due to carbon buildup in these engines. The warning lights I got were p0171,p0174, and p0191, and am worried that after the…

2015 KIA CADENZA

Filed Feb 1, 2026


My entire Dash went Black. I could not see speed, gas level, milage. This is an extreme Hazard! I brought the car into Crown KIA in Clearwater to run a Diagnostic Check for 0.5 hour at $150 and they could not find the problem. I had no money to pay for additional time! I did research on this and found that this is a common problem with KIA's no matter what year!! Just because my particular VIN # is not on the recall should not absolve KIA from their duty to provide a safe reliable car!

2017 KIA CADENZA

Filed Jan 6, 2026


This vehicle was inherited to me in 2019 from my father who puchased it cash on 10/13/2017. On 4/19/2018 he brought it in for a check engine light which was related to recall sa299 (ELECTRONIC THERMOSTAT). On 7/11/2018 service was performed again. On 3/4/2022 I brought in for check engine light with same recall for ELECTRONIC THERMOSTAT. On 11/10/2025 car showed engine overheating. In fear, I immediately brought to closest mechanic stating same problem, ELECTRONIC THERMOSTAT AND RADIATOR…

2016 KIA CADENZA

Filed Dec 3, 2025


My 2016 Kia Cadenza (VIN [XXX] ) experienced repeated overheating, coolant loss, and eventually white exhaust smoke consistent with internal coolant intrusion. The issue began mid-2025 and worsened over time. Despite reporting overheating and coolant loss to Central Kia of Plano, the dealership failed to diagnose the problem, did not escalate to Techline, and did not check or apply Kia Service Action WTY039, which was active. They returned the vehicle to me still overheating, forcing me into…

2018 KIA CADENZA

Filed Nov 18, 2025


Complete engine failure due to rods and bearings (same as all other Kia engine recalls currently active). Ironically my car wasn’t included in the recall. Also I’ve noticed that Hyundai has extended the warranty for this same engine in the 2018 Santa Fe basically acknowledging it has a problem but didn’t include the 2018 Kia cadenza which has the EXACT SAME ENGINE. Now I have engine failure prematurely and they are trying to deny repairs. Also was never notified of the KSDS “upgrade” before…

Data sourced from NHTSA's public datasets. Issue classifications are generated by Repair Surge. About this data.

Updated May 30, 2026. Refreshed nightly.