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2017 Kia Cadenza

Gas
Large Cars
1 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11
C
Safety Signal
77 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
Recalls1 critical2
Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA32
Crash ratingNHTSA overall—
Fuel economybest combined, EPA23 mpg
20202019201820172016
Active NHTSA advisory: park outside and away from structures until repaired. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and see the recall details below.

The 2017 Kia Cadenza is sold in the U.S. as a gas large car. The most efficient version, the Cadenza, is EPA-rated at 23 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of C. Owners have filed 32 complaints, most often about the engine.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
CadenzaGasFWD3.3L 6-cyl202823$2,700

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 37830.

Factory warranty running out?

The 2017 Kia Cadenza is in the years where transmission, electronics and drivetrain repairs land on the owner. Compare extended-coverage quotes in about two minutes.

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Recalls (2)

Source: NHTSA recall database
!critical

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

SC206
Park outside379,931 vehicles
ProblemKia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017-2021 Sportage and Cadenza vehicles. The electrical circuit in the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) may short-circuit, which can cause a fire in the engine compartment.RiskAn engine compartment fire can increase the risk of injury.FixOwners are advised to park outside and away from structures as a precaution until the recall repair is complete. Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace certain fuses in the electrical junction box. Vehicles equipped with an electronic parking brake (EPB) will also receive a HECU software update. Repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on April 30, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC206.
NHTSA campaign 21V137000reported Mar 4, 2021Kia Motors America
▲high

Service Brakes, Hydraulic

SC146
47 vehicles
ProblemKia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017 Cadenza vehicles. The brake vacuum hose on the affected vehicles may kink, reducing braking performance.RiskReduced braking performance can lengthen the distance needed to stop the vehicle, increasing the risk of a crash.FixKia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the brake vacuum hose, replacing it as necessary, free charge. The recall began on April 17, 2017. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC146.
NHTSA campaign 17V190000reported Mar 16, 2017Kia Motors America

NHTSA defect investigations

Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:Control Unit/Module — Hyundai and Kia ABS Module Fires open

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received eight Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) and eight Kia America, Inc. (Kia) Part 573 Recall Reports between 2016 and 2023. The combined 16 safety recalls all involve the antilock braking system (ABS) modules or Hydraulic Electronic Control Units (HECU) manufactured by the equipment supplier Mando. The Part 573 Recall Reports contain varying defect descriptions and differing remedy descriptions for the same or similar equipment supplied by Mando. Safety recalls included in this Audit Query (AQ) review include: Hyundai recalls 20V-520, 20V-543, 21V-161, 21V-160, 21V-303, 22V-056, 22V-810, and 23V-651. Kia recalls 16V-815, 20V-518, 20V-519, 21V

Opened Nov 17, 2023 · action AQ23002

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
32complaints filed

4 involved a crash · 1 a fire · 1 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2017: 1 · 2018: 4 · 2019: 4 · 2021: 4 · 2023: 3 · 2024: 7 · 2025: 2 · 2026: 7

Most-cited components

Engine11
Electrical System6
Unspecified6
Fuel/Propulsion System5
Wheels3
Service Brakes2

What owners describe

“The contact owns a 2017 Kia Cadenza. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle suddenly lost motive power. The contact waited before restarting the vehicle and continued driving. The ABS warning light was intermittently flashing. The failure became more persistent, causing the vehicle to lose…”Aug 6, 2026 · Steering · NHTSA owner 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 n…”Apr 22, 2026 · Engine · NHTSA owner report
“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…”Mar 29, 2026 · Electrical System · NHTSA owner report

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

NHTSA has not published 5-Star crash ratings for this model year.

Other Cadenza model years

A

2020 Kia Cadenza

1 recalls · 0 complaints

B

2019 Kia Cadenza

1 recalls · 5 complaints

B

2018 Kia Cadenza

1 recalls · 7 complaints

C

2016 Kia Cadenza

2 recalls · 14 complaints

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

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