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Kia · NHTSA safety record

2019 Kia Stinger

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

43

Complaints

1

Crashes

3

Fires

0

Injuries

0

Deaths

Owners of the 2019 Kia Stinger have filed 43 safety complaints with NHTSA between May 2019 and July 2026. The most complained-about system is the engine, named in 12 of them (28%). The typical failure was reported at 12,500 miles, the median across the 15 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

NHTSA has issued 3 recalls covering this vehicle. A further 1 defect investigation is open and unresolved.

Recalls (3)

ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:TURBO/SUPERCHARGER:HOSES/PLUMBING

24V169000 · March 1, 2024

The defect
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2019-2020 K900, and 2018-2023 Stinger vehicles equipped with a 3.3-liter turbo gasoline direct injection engine. The left turbocharger oil feed pipe and hose assembly may deteriorate and leak oil.
The risk
An oil leak in the presence of hot engine components can increase the risk of an engine compartment fire while driving.
The remedy
Dealers will replace the left turbocharger oil feed pipe and hose assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed April 26, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC300.

Kia America, Inc. · up to 36,248 vehicles across all model years covered

FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP

23V634000 · September 13, 2023

The defect
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2018-2021 Stinger vehicles. The fuel control valve plunger may stick inside the high pressure fuel pump, causing over-pressurization and loss of drive power.
The risk
A loss of drive power can increase the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will update the engine control unit software, inspect, and replace the fuel pump as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 18, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC281.

Kia America, Inc. · up to 18,224 vehicles across all model years covered

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE

20V518000 · August 27, 2020

Park outside until repaired

The defect
Kia Motors America (Kia) recalled certain 2019 Stinger vehicles equipped with 3.3L T-GDI engines on August 27, 2020. On December 30, 2020, Kia expanded the recall population and added certain 2018-2021 Stinger vehicles. While driving, an engine compartment fire may occur in the area where the Anti-lock Brake Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) is located.
The risk
An engine compartment fire can increase the risk of injury or crash.
The remedy
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will install a new fuse kit in the electrical junction box, free of charge. Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures as a precaution until the recall repair is complete. The recall began November 30, 2020. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC196.

Kia Motors America · up to 28,200 vehicles across all model years covered

Defect investigations (1)

An investigation means NHTSA has decided a pattern is worth examining. A preliminary evaluation is often closed with no action; an engineering analysis is the stage that usually precedes a recall.

Hyundai and Kia ABS Module Fires

AQ23002

Still open audit query · opened November 17, 2023

the hydraulic brakes

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-137, 21V-331, 22V-051, 22V-800, and 23V-652 The purpose of this AQ is to evaluate the timeliness and scoping of Hyundai and Kia’s defect decision making and adherence with reporting requirements; and understand the varying defect descriptions and remedies between these recalls.

What owners report

Complaints naming each system. One complaint can name several, so these add up to more than 43.

ENGINE 12 28%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 9 21%
SERVICE BRAKES 6 14%
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 5 12%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 5 12%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 4 9%
POWER TRAIN 3 7%
VISIBILITY/WIPER 3 7%
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE 2 5%
STRUCTURE 2 5%
EXTERIOR LIGHTING 1 2%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 1 2%

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2021 at 10.

2019 2021 2026
2019 to 2026, the last of them a part year

In owners' own words

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

ENGINE

fire · towed · 4,238 miles

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2019 KIA STINGER. THE CONTACT STATED WHILE STATIONARY AT A STOP SIGN, WHEN HE NOTICE SMOKE ENTERING THE CAB OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THE TIRE GAUGE AND BRAKE WARNING LIGHT WERE ILLUMINATED. THE CONTACT STATED HE REVERSED INTO A PARKING LOT AND TURNED OFF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED HE AND HIS WIFE EXITED THE VEHICLE AND OPEN THE HOOD AND SAW THE FIRE STARTED ON THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE. THE CONTACT STATED THE WINDSHIELD WIPERS TURNED ON AND THE HORN BEGAN TO MAKE NOISE ON IT'S OWN. THE CONTACT STATED HE ALSO HEARD AN ABNORMAL NOISE. THE CONTACT STATED A SAMARITAN RAN INTO A NEAR BY HOME DEPOT STORE TO LOCATE A FIRE EXTINGUISHER TO EXTINGUISH THE FIRE.

NHTSA complaint 11243325, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

fire · 7,800 miles

ON MAY 14TH AT APPROXIMATELY 2:50PM, I WAS IN THE CAR FOR ROUGHLY THREE MINUTES GETTING ONTO 33 EAST IN MARYVILLE OHIO. I SMELLED SMOKE COMING FROM THE REAR AND PULLED OVER TO SEE WHERE THE SMOKE WAS COMING FROM. I OPENED THE HATCHBACK OF THE CAR AND SAW THE REAR FUSE PANEL IN THE HATCHBACK WAS MELTED OUT AND FLAMES POURED OUT OF THE OPENING. I CALLED 911 IMMEDIATELY. BY THE TIME POLICE AND FIRE ARRIVED THE CAR WAS COMPLETELY ENGULFED IN FLAMES AND BURNED TO THE GROUND WITHIN 7 MINUTES. I AM AWAITING ON THE COMPLETED INVESTIGATION FROM MY INSURANCE COMPANY TO VERIFY MY CLAIM AS THE CAUSE OF THE FIRE.

NHTSA complaint 11208262. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

fire · 12,000 miles

I STARTED MY CAR AND REALIZED THAT THE ENTIRE INSTRUMENT PANEL WAS FLASHING AND INDICATED "CHECK MY BLIND SPOT FOR A COLLISION". I WAS PULLING OUT ONTO A SECONDARY ROAD AND THERE WERE NO OTHER CARS IN THE NEAR VICINITY. I THOUGHT EVERYTHING WOULD CORRECT ITSELF ONCE I STARTED DOWN THE ROAD. I TURNED ONTO THE MAIN ROAD AND EVERYTHING KEPT FLASHING, THERE WAS EXCESSIVE PLAY IN THE STEERING AND THE CAR WOULD NOT SHIFT GEARS. I SLOWED DOWN TO MAKE IT TO THE SAFEST PLACE TO PULL OVER, WHICH WAS A DOLLAR GENERAL. ONCE I PULLED INTO A PARKING SPACE, I SHUT MY CAR OFF AND RESTARTED TO SEE IF IT WOULD RESET THE COMPUTER AND INSTRUMENT PANEL. I THEN SMELLED BURNING PLASTIC AND SAW WHITE SMOKE COMING

NHTSA complaint 11329240, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE

towed · 54,000 miles

The contact owns a 2019 Kia Stinger. The contact stated while driving approximately 70 MPH, the Forward Collision Avoidance system erroneously engaged, and the vehicle slowed down. The contact was able to pull over, wait for several minutes, and then restart the vehicle. The service engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that while merging into traffic, the vehicle slowed down and stopped in traffic. The contact stated that the battery had drained. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer. who was unable to duplicate the failure and cleared the warning light. The accelerator pedal and battery were replaced. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The

NHTSA complaint 11538654, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

VISIBILITY/WIPER
I was driving on the highway & my sunroof exploded. At first i thought someone had dropped something off a bridge , but i realized from the damages. Sunroof exploded. The glass caused damage to my paint !

NHTSA complaint 11751465. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
Oil pressure sensor failure on the engine, there is an open TSB for this same issue/same engine on other Kia models but not the Stinger. Dealer verified that the oil pressure is fine and that it is the sensor, independently verified by a third party shop. Dealer charge is over $3k for the repair and third party is just about $2k.

NHTSA complaint 11743225. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
My 2019 Kia Stinger GT2 with approximately 25,000 miles has been out of service since February 12, 2026 for diagnosis and repair of a system issue. The vehicle has remained at the dealership for over two months. Multiple repair attempts have been made, including escalation to Kia corporate engineering. Despite these efforts, the issue has not been clearly diagnosed and no permanent repair has been completed. The vehicle is currently unusable, and the inability to identify the root cause raises concerns that the issue could result in unpredictable or recurring system behavior. Given the reliance on electronic and computer-controlled systems, there is concern about safe and reliable operation

NHTSA complaint 11732324, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

STRUCTURE:BODY
The roof trim panel separates from the vehicle while driving. Depending on the car's speed the metal, plastic and rubber strip is lifted up and off the car and into the slip stream behind the vehicle creating a serious hazard for cars behind us. We examined the strip and determined the plastic clips that hold this panel in place do not function as intended, or fail to adequately hold this large section of trim in place during driving conditions. We brought this to the attention to the Kia dealership and were told "Warranty replacement items are not covered after 12 months". They offered to replace the item but we believe it is material craftsmanship and a design flaw that allows this trim

NHTSA complaint 11725409, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
The issue involves the high-pressure fuel pump covered under Recall 23V634000 (Kia SC281). When the recall was marked as “completed” at the dealership, only a software update was performed. The required inspection of the fuel pump and potential replacement were never carried out. Two years later, the vehicle began experiencing problems consistent with the recall defect, including loss of power and engine performance issues. This indicates the recall remedy was not properly completed, and the defective fuel pump was left in place. The safety risk is that the vehicle may lose motive power while driving, increasing the likelihood of a crash. This problem could potentially affect other owners

NHTSA complaint 11688866, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM
The car had fuel pump recall I had it fixed on 10/24 now the car has the same issue but your kia refuses to fix it. My warranty company is replaceing the fuel pump but not the reprogramming of it but why is it my issue if it is a recall to begin with that wasn’t fixed or I would not need a high pressure fuel pump and have the same problem. Kia states they only fix one time so now I’m responsible to have it programmed when it was a recall to begin with

NHTSA complaint 11649560. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Kia Stinger

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2022 17 1 —
2021 17 5 —
2020 16 6 —
2018 67 4 1

Other 2019 Kia models

Sorento 419 Optima 204 Forte 146 Soul 134 Sportage 69 Niro 54 Sedona 36 Niro PHEV 26

Every Kia on this site — 176 vehicles, 208 recall campaigns and 1 open investigation .

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. What each state asks for , read from the statutes.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst