- Safety
- 5
- of 5 stars
- Recalls
- 2
- on record
- MPG
- 27
- combined
Open recalls on record
2 safety recalls. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer — check the VIN before you buy.
Vehicle Summary
2025 Kia K5
Before You Buy
Safety record at a glance
- Recall campaigns
- 2
- Owner complaints
- 47
- Complaints citing a crash
- 4
These are raw counts from NHTSA records. They are not normalized by how many of these vehicles are on the road, so a model that sold in large numbers will tend to show more of everything. We do not publish a composite safety or reliability score.
2 Recalls on Record
These recalls have been issued by the manufacturer. Contact any authorized dealer to verify they have been completed — repairs are free.
Safety recalls
2 NHTSA campaigns affecting this model year.
- 25V351000high
Lighting issue
EXTERIOR LIGHTING:LIGHTING CONTROL MODULE:SOFTWARE
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."
Consequence
Parking lights that fail to illuminate properly can reduce visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
- 25V493000high
Body/structure issue
STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023-2025 K5 vehicles. The left and right rear window trim pieces may loosen and detach.
Consequence
Detached trim pieces can create a road hazard for other vehicles, increasing the risk of a crash.
Full campaign recordRemedy
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.
NHTSA crash-test ratings
NCAP star ratings and the underlying test breakdown for the 2025 Kia K5.
Frontal crash
- Driver
- 5 / 5
- Passenger
- 4 / 5
Side crash
- Driver
- 5 / 5
- Passenger
- 5 / 5
- Side pole
- 5 / 5
Rollover
- Rollover risk
- 10.7%
- Dynamic tip
- No Tip
Driver-assistance technologies
- Electronic stability control
- Standard
- Forward collision warning
- Standard
- Lane departure warning
- Standard
What the ratings mean
NHTSA gives the 2025 Kia K5 5 out of 5 stars overall. NHTSA does not publish enough comparable results for this class and year to rank it against peers.
NHTSA published results for every NCAP test in this program, so the overall star rating rests on a complete set of crash and rollover results.
NHTSA's dynamic test put this vehicle's rollover probability at 10.7% in a single-vehicle crash — the figure behind the rollover star rating, published here because the star alone hides how wide each band is.
Fuel economy & emissions
EPA figures for the 2025 Kia K5, with tailpipe CO₂ and class context.
23
City
33
Hwy
27
Comb
- Annual fuel cost
- $2,300
- Tailpipe CO₂
- 331 g/mi
How this compares
At 27 MPG combined, the 2025 Kia K5 ranks 4th of 5 large cars EPA rated for 2025 — 0.1 MPG short of the 27.1 MPG median for that group.
That places it in the lower third of its class. If annual mileage is high, the running-cost gap against a class-average rival compounds quickly.
EPA puts annual fuel spend at about $2,300, within $0 of the $2,300 typical for the class — roughly $11,500 over five years.
Tailpipe CO₂ is 331 grams per mile — about 5 metric tons over 15,000 miles of driving.
Consumer complaints
47 owner reports filed with NHTSA.
- 47
- Total
- 4
- Crashes
- 0
- Fires
- 6
- Injuries
Most reported components
- WHEELS/TIRES14
- ENGINE9
- ELECTRICAL7
- OTHER6
- STRUCTURE3
Notable Issues
47 consumer complaints filed with NHTSA. 6 reports involve injuries. 4 reports involve a crash.
Most reported problems
Safety timeline
Every dated recall and NHTSA investigation for the 2025 Kia K5, newest first.
- Recall
Detached trim pieces can create a road hazard for other vehicles, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Recall
Parking lights that fail to illuminate properly can reduce visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dates are the NHTSA report-received date for recalls and the ODI open/close date for investigations. Crash-test ratings are not shown here because the source does not provide a reliable publication date for them.
Specifications & ratings
Specifications
- Body class
- Large Cars
- Drive type
- Front-Wheel Drive
- Engine
- 2.5L 4-cyl
- Fuel type
- Unknown
- Transmission
- Automatic (AM-S8)
- Seats
- 0
Fuel economy
23
City
33
Hwy
27
Comb
- Annual cost
- $2,300
- Fuel
- Regular Gasoline
NHTSA crash ratings
- Overall
- Frontal
- Side
- Rollover
Explore related
Compare with
Systems recalled
Safety timeline
Full timeline- Recall
Detached trim pieces can create a road hazard for other vehicles, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Recall
Parking lights that fail to illuminate properly can reduce visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.