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2019 Kia Cadenza

Gas

Large Cars
1 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11

Safety Signal

85 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

Recalls1 critical1

Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA5

Crash ratingNHTSA overall—

Fuel economybest combined, EPA23 mpg

2020 2019 2018 2017 2016

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 2019 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 1 recall campaign for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of B. Owners have filed 5 complaints, most often about the engine.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov

Configuration	Powertrain	Drive	Engine / motor	City	Hwy	Comb	Annual fuel*
Cadenza	Gas	FWD	3.3L 6-cyl	20	27	23	$2,700

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 40143.

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Recalls (1)

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

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

5complaints filed

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

Filed per year: 2021: 1 · 2022: 1 · 2026: 3

Most-cited components

Engine2

Service Brakes, Hydraulic1

Steering1

Exterior Lighting1

Lane Departure1

Tires1

What owners describe

“While operating the vehicle, the engine suffered a catastrophic internal mechanical failure, resulting in an immediate and dangerous loss of motive power on the road. A subsequent physical diagnostic scan at an authorized Kia dealership revealed manufacturer trouble code P008800 (Fuel Rail System Pressure-Too High) alo…”Aug 6, 2026 · Engine · NHTSA owner report

“The contact owns a 2019 Kia Cadenza. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, several unknown warning lights illuminated. Additionally, upon starting the vehicle later, the contact noticed that there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from under the hood. The vehicle was taken to AutoZone, where…”Jun 8, 2026 · Engine · NHTSA owner report

“Hello, I wasn't notified of the recall on my vehicle. The steering wheel is extremely hard to turn and all of the system lights are on.”Aug 26, 2022 · Steering · 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

2020 Kia Cadenza

1 recalls · 0 complaints

2018 Kia Cadenza

1 recalls · 7 complaints

2017 Kia Cadenza

2 recalls · 32 complaints

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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