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Your vehicleHome›Kia›K5› 2025
Kia · Large Sedan

2025 Kia K5

Gas
Large Cars
4 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26
B
Safety Signal
89 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record
RecallsNHTSA campaigns 2
Complaints4 crash · 6 injured reported 53
Crash ratingNHTSA overall 5★
Fuel economybest combined, EPA 30 mpg
Starting MSRP5 trims · manufacturer $27,190
2027202620252024202320222021

The 2025 Kia K5 is sold in the U.S. as a gas large sedan with 4 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the K5, is EPA-rated at 30 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of B. Owners have filed 53 complaints, most often about the tires. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall. Manufacturer pricing runs from $27,190 to $34,690 across 5 trims.

2025 Kia K5

Trims & pricing

Source: manufacturer press kitWhich trim should I buy? → Compare a trim →
TrimPowertrainDriveMSRPHPTorqueMPG combCargo (2nd row)Wheels
LXSGasFWD$27,190191 hp181.5 lb-ft30 mpg15.6 cu-ft16 in
GT-LineGasFWD$28,190191 hp181.5 lb-ft29 mpg15.6 cu-ft18 in
GT-LineGasAWD$29,790191 hp181.5 lb-ft27 mpg15.6 cu-ft18 in
EXGasFWD$34,690191 hp181.5 lb-ft29 mpg15.6 cu-ft18 in
GTGasFWD$33,290290 hp311 lb-ft27 mpg15.6 cu-ft19 in

MSRP excludes destination. Open a trim for the complete spec sheet and standard/optional equipment. Have the car in front of you? Decode its VIN to see which of these trims it is and what it was priced at.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov
ConfigurationPowertrainDriveEngine / motorCityHwyCombAnnual fuel*
K5GasFWD2.5L 4-cyl263730$2,250
K5GasFWD2.5L 4-cyl253629$2,300
K5GasFWD2.5L 4-cyl turbo233327$2,500
K5 AWDGasAWD2.5L 4-cyl243327$2,500

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 47719, 47718, 47720, 47717.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates
ConfigurationSmog ratingEmission standardWhere it can be sold newSmartWay
K5, K5 AWD6 / 10Federal Tier 3 Bin 30 / California LEV-III SULEV30All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards—
K54 / 10California LEV-III ULEV70 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 70All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards—

Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.

The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.

Also on file Beside the 2025 K5
Head to head vs the 2025 Honda Accord Other years The 2027 K5 Lineup The 2025 lineup Recalls Kia recalls
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The cheapest ownership win

Insurers price the 2025 K5 very differently, and the gap between the best and worst quote on the same car and driver is usually larger than any option you are weighing on this page.

How to compare cover →

Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.

Recalls (2)

Source: NHTSA recall database
▲high

Structure

SC346
100,063 vehicles 56% reported repaired
Problem Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023-2025 K5 vehicles. The left and right rear window trim pieces may loosen and detach. Risk Detached trim pieces can create a road hazard for other vehicles, increasing the risk of a crash. Fix Dealers will inspect and replace the C-pillar trim assemblies, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed November 19, 2025. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC346.
Filed with NHTSADefect report PDFOwner letter PDFRemedy instructions PDFChronology PDF
NHTSA campaign 25V493000 reported Jul 28, 2025 Kia America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →
○minor

Exterior Lighting

SC341
82,281 vehicles 95% reported repaired built Feb 20, 2024 – Apr 23, 2025
Problem Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2025 K5 vehicles. A software error in the Power-net Domain Controller (PDC) may cause the parking lights to flicker. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 108, "Lamps, Reflective Devices, and Associated Equipment." Risk Parking lights that fail to illuminate properly can reduce visibility, increasing the risk of a crash. Fix The PDC software will be updated by a dealer or through an over-the-air (OTA) update, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed June 24, 2025. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC341.
Filed with NHTSADefect report PDFOwner letter PDFRemedy instructions PDFChronology PDF
NHTSA campaign 25V351000 reported May 27, 2025 Kia America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.

Whether any of this applies to one specific K5

A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2025 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Kia publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.

NHTSA VIN check →Kia’s own VIN lookup →

Hear about a recall before the letter does

The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2025 Kia K5, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

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Parts & accessories for the 2025 Kia K5

Search by fitment on eBay Motors — OEM take-offs, aftermarket, and the trim pieces dealers no longer stock. The listing and the price are the seller's.

Find parts for this K5 →

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database
53complaints filed

4 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 6 injuries · 0 deaths reported

6.0 per 10,000 built · Kia reported 88,585 K5 built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2024: 5 · 2025: 23 · 2026: 25

Most-cited components

Tires 15
Electrical System 11
Power Train 6
Unspecified 6
Wheels 5
Exterior Lighting 5

In owners' own words

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.

While driving in the dark this morning with my eight year old in the backseat, my headlights shut off, my entire dash including my speedometer, warning lights, radio, heat, heated seat and steering wheel, lost electricity
Electrical System Jan 13, 2026 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11710809
While I was driving, the panoramic sunroof suddenly shattered without any impact. I did not hear or see any object hit the glass. It made a very loud noise similar to a gunshot, and then the glass fractured across the middle section, broke upward, and collapsed into small pieces. There is no visible rock chip or impact point.
Visibility/Wiper Dec 29, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11707437
Component/System Involved: The vehicle experienced a brief electrical failure affecting multiple systems simultaneously: exterior headlights, infotainment system, and dashboard indicators (seatbelt warning). All components recovered automatically within approximately 0.5–1 second.
Exterior Lighting Dec 17, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11705522
The K5 - as soon as I began driving it at 0 miles, I noticed it shifted at lower speeds extremely hard. Head-jerking hard during the first drive of each day at speeds below 25mph. Once the vehicle warmed up, the problem would go away and wouldn't appear until the next day - after the vehicle cooled down completely.
Power Train Oct 5, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11691491
Tire size: P 235/45 R 18 While I was driving home from work my steering started feeling a little shaky. My commute is 6.5 miles. I thought it felt a little weird about 2-3 miles in and I called my boyfriend to meet me when I got home because I could tell something was off, but my tire pressure was fine.
Tires Sep 16, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11687606
OEM Pirelli tire blew out going 55mph. The car has 6500 miles on it. The sidewall of the tire blew. There were no punctures in the tire or reasoning for this to happen
Wheels Aug 6, 2025 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11678673

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.

Reported by Kia itself: 3 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 3 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 3.4 per 100,000 built. Every K5 model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP
ConfigurationOverallFrontalSideRolloverRollover risk
4 DR AWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆11%
4 DR FWD★★★★★★★★★☆★★★★★★★★★☆11%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking.

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications
Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 27
Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-06-18
Kindsas classified by NHTSA 17 service bulletins, 5 over-the-air updates, 4 service campaigns

Most often about: Electrical System, Power Train, Air Bags, Forward Collision Avoidance, Back Over Prevention.

  • OTA_ELE413_NOTES_R2 Over-the-air update
    2026-06-18 · Electrical System
  • RELEASE NOTES: OVER-THE-AIR: SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR DATA CONNECTIVITY (ELE413 Revision 2) - This Over-the-Air (OTA) software update is designed to update the Data Connectivity Unit (DCU) logic of certain 2025 - 2026MY Carnival, EV9, K5 and Sorento vehicles. This update is designed to improve the vehicle’s network communication performance.
  • TSB_ELE419 Service bulletin
    2026-06-02 · Electrical System
  • TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SERVICE ACTION: BATTERY WIRING HARNESS COVERING INSPECTION / REPLACEMENT (SA645) - This bulletin provides information for inspecting the 12V battery wiring harness on certain 2025-2026 MY K5 (DL3) vehicles equipped with the Theta III 2.5L GDI engine, produced from February 20, 2024, through March 13, 2026. The subject vehicles may exhibit an illuminated Malfunction Indi
  • TSB_ELE422 Service bulletin
    2026-05-28 · Electrical System
  • TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM SOFTWARE UPDATE USING UPDATE. KIA. COM - This bulletin provides information and service procedures for updating the infotainment systems on applicable Kia vehicles using the Kia Navigation Updater available at update.kia.com. The software update may improve system performance, enhance existing features, and apply the latest operating software for sup
  • SC363_TSB Service bulletin
    2026-04-17 · Power Train
  • TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN: OIL LEVEL PLUG (OLP) INSPECTION, AND OLP GASKET AND/OR ATF FILLER BOLT REPLACEMENT OR A/T REPLACEMENT (SC363) - This bulletin provides information to inspect the oil level plug and automatic transmission fluid (ATF) for signs of leakage and, if necessary, replace the oil level plug gasket and/or ATF filler bolt, or the 8-speed Automatic Trans
  • TSB_ELE417 Service bulletin
    2026-04-14 · Electrical System
  • TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: INFOTAINMENT SOFTWARE UPDATE PROCEDURE - This bulletin provides information on the process for downloading infotainment software updates and preparing USB for installation on applicable Kia vehicles. The software downloads and USB preparation process is similar across all supported platforms; however, in‑vehicle installation procedures vary by head unit type.
  • TSB_ENG264 Service bulletin
    2026-04-01 · Engine
  • TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER ACTION: ECU LOGIC IMPROVEMENT FOR DTC P2B59F0 (CA2516) - This bulletin provides information to upgrade the Engine Control Unit (ECU) software on certain 2024–2025MY vehicles equipped with 2.5 GDI or 2.5 T-GDI Theta III engines listed in the table below. Affected vehicles may experience an illuminated malfunction indicator light (MIL) accompanied with DTC P2B59F
  • TSB_ELE413 Service bulletin
    2026-03-20 · Electrical System
  • TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: DCU COMMUNICATION LOGIC IMPROVEMENT - This bulletin provides the procedure to upgrade the Data Connectivity Unit (DCU) system software on some 2025–2026MY vehicles listed in the table below. Kia has identified that Connected Car Services (CCS) functionality may intermittently fail due to temporary DCU communication issues. This condition can impact convenience and conne
  • PS797 Other
    2025-12-09 · Back Over Prevention — Warnings
  • PITSTOP: TECHNICAL OPERATIONS: EXTERNAL DAMAGE TO ULTRASONIC SENSOR: This Pitstop provides information related to Parking Distance Warning (PDW) alerts and repairs involving ultrasonic sensors. The PDW system alerts the driver while parking, by calculating distance based on the difference in signal transmission and reception times between the vehicle (ultrasonic sensor) and an object. The membrane

A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.

At the New York inspection station

Source: New York State DMV

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2025 Kia K5 failed the safety inspection on 1.0% of first inspections — higher than the 0.36% for every 2025 model-year vehicle inspected.

New York inspections 1.0%

failed the safety inspection

2,458 initial inspections of 2,425 vehicles.

MeasureThe 2025 K5Every 2025 vehicleBehind it
Failed the safety inspection1.0%0.36%2,458
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit0.33%0.16%2,458
Miles driven a year9,7918,354odometer at inspection
Average odometer14,24412,194odometer at inspection

New York does not emissions-test model years this new, so the safety inspection is the record here. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2025 vehicle” is every 2025 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).

Compare the 2025 K5 with

Any vehicle, your weights →
Head-to-headVerdict
2025 Honda Accord · Large Sedan · grade BToss-up
2025 Lucid Air · Large Sedan · grade DAir +18.2

K5 by model year

all years, side by side →
Year Safety Recalls Complaints
2027 A* 0 0 30 mpg2026 A 1 14 30 mpg2025 this page B 2 53 30 mpg2024 C 2 31 31 mpg2023 D 4 110 31 mpg2022 D 5 129 32 mpg2021 D 6 169 32 mpg

Common questions about the 2025 K5

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

How much does the 2025 Kia K5 cost?

Manufacturer pricing runs from $27,190 for the LXS FWD to $34,690 for the EX FWD, across 5 trims. Those are MSRPs from the manufacturer's own press material; they exclude destination, options, taxes and whatever the dealer adds. Every trim and price is listed above.

Does the 2025 Kia K5 have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 2 recall campaigns for the 2025 Kia K5. The most serious on file is 25V493000, covering Structure. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2025 Kia K5?

NHTSA gave the 2025 Kia K5 5 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 4-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 4-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it B (89/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2025 Kia K5?

Across the 4 EPA-rated configurations of the 2025 Kia K5, the best EPA combined figure is 30 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What do owners complain about on the 2025 Kia K5?

Owners have filed 53 complaints with NHTSA about the 2025 Kia K5, most often about tires, electrical system, power train. Of those, 4 involved a crash, 6 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

How clean is the 2025 Kia K5?

The EPA smog rating for the 2025 Kia K5 runs 4 to 6 out of 10 across its configurations. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — California LEV-III SULEV30, California LEV-III ULEV70, Federal Tier 3 Bin 30, Federal Tier 3 Bin 70 — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2025 Kia K5?

The manufacturer has filed 27 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2025 Kia K5, most often covering electrical system, power train, air bags. The most recent is dated 2026-06-18. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.

How does the 2025 Kia K5 do at state inspection?

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2025 Kia K5 failed the safety inspection on 1.0% of first inspections — higher than the 0.36% for every 2025 model-year vehicle inspected. The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.

Which 2025 Kia K5 trim is the best value?

$7,500 separates the cheapest of the 5 trims from the most expensive, so the answer depends on which of the differences you would actually use. Every trim has its own page here with the manufacturer's full specification and equipment list, plus a short summary of exactly what it adds over the base trim — worth reading before a dealer frames the walk-up for you. The trim-by-trim ladder shows what every step up costs and what it makes standard.

Is the 2025 Kia K5 better than the 2025 Honda Accord?

Too close to call: Honda Accord 89.7 vs Kia K5 89.6 with these weights. The Kia K5 is ahead on tech & comfort and safety. Raise the safety weight from 4 to 4.2 and it flips. We publish a full side-by-side of the 2025 Kia K5 against the 2025 Honda Accord — specifications by family, equipment feature by feature, safety record and ownership costs. You can re-weight what matters to you and the verdict recalculates.

What we hold, and what an empty row means

Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.

DataHeldSourceWhat it covers — or what empty means
Fuel economy & configurations4 configurationsEPA certification recordsEvery configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates4 configurationsEPA emission certificatesSmog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls2NHTSA recall campaignsA complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints53NHTSA complaint databaseAlso complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings2 testedNHTSA NCAPOnly the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them.
Service bulletins27NHTSA manufacturer communicationsEverything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
InvestigationsnoneNHTSA Office of Defects InvestigationNo defect investigation has been opened.
Driver-assist crash reportsnoneNHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like.
Specifications filed with NHTSAnoneNHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patternsWe had no VIN pattern to decode for this model year, or the manufacturer filed nothing usable.
Trims, pricing & equipment5 trimsManufacturer press kitTranscribed from the manufacturer's own press material, every value carrying the document it came from.

Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.

Where to go next

pages beside this one
Head to head 2025 Kia K5 vs 2025 Honda Accord Scored on price, fuel, safety, space, performance and warranty — the weights are yours.Other years The 2027 K5 The K5 model year with the cleanest record on file — grade A, 0 recalls.Lineup Every 2025 model on file, by price Each 2025 nameplate whose press kit we hold, ranked by the maker's announced starting MSRP — this one among them.Recall Watch Watch this K5 by VIN Give it the VIN and you hear the night a campaign is filed — from $29 a month for a lot, free for ten.

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). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly. Trim-level specifications and pricing are transcribed from the manufacturer's official press kit; every value carries its source in the data file.

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