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Is the Kia K5 reliable?

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2.1K views 21 replies 9 participants last post by  bcooper733  
#1 ·
While the K5 looks fantastic and seems to have a lot of great features, I’m curious to know about the real world reliability of this car. Have any of you had long-term experiences with the K5 that you could share? How does it hold up in terms of mechanical issues, parts longevity, and general maintenance? Anybody coming from Honda, Toyota, Subaru, Mazda, etc. that had doubts initially?
 
#3 ·
My 2024 GT with the 2.5 turbo has been less then stellar in reliability. Bad fuel injector, a spark plug that failed, door handle lock button repeated issues. And my experience with my local Kia dealer service department has been shall I say, less than reassuring. I have made the decision that I will NOT own this car beyond the 10 year/100,000 power train warranty. Probably go back to Honda. Have you seen the look of the upcoming Prelude? Sexy!
 
#9 ·
Same, only have about 37k miles to the car but my 2021 K5 AWD GT-Line has been pretty reliable so far. No major issues over all with the car. The only hiccup I've had was an issue with the throttle body and accelerator, which put me into limp mode. Haven't had that crop up on me again yet ever since my last oil change when I also did another intake valve and turbo cleaning, which also cleans the throttle body since the stuff is sprayed into the intake.
 
#11 ·
The 2025 Consumer Reports Buying Guide - Automobile section - lists reliability ratings of used cars; and gives predictions on reliability of new models. This is based on thousands of surveys completed by owners. The 2022 K5 didn't have enough responses for valid conclusions. But there is complete data on the 2022 and 2023 K5. Info is not yet available for the 2024 and 2025 K5s. The 2022 K5 gets an average reliability rating with build quality as average and "minor transmission problems" and brakes being much worse than average. Every other item on the 2022 is rated as much above average. The 2023 is rated much above average on every single item except in-car electronics, which is rated above average. My 2023 K5 GT-Line verifies this info - not a single problem in 2 1/2 years of ownership. I'm a long-time car nut, restorer, former amateur racer, engine builder, etc. So I maintain my vehicles fanatically - which I recommend for any piece of equipment.

I hope this helps answer your question.

BVC
 
#15 ·
I haven't driven any K5 except my 2023 GT-Line, so I can't compare them. I had a 2019 Optima that I bought from a dealer with 8,000 miles on it. It had a problem with the accelerator "drive by wire" system that the dealer could not - or would not - fix. After 22 months of the car stalling when I would try to accelerate - several near death experiences - I threatened the dealer with filing formal complaints with NHTSA, Kia Corporate, our state's Attorney General's office, and the Better Business Bureau, the dealer gave me the brand new (12 miles on the clock) K5 GT-Line in an even trade to, as the general manager said, "To show you that we always try to do the right thing." It took them only 22 months for them to "do the right thing." The dealer I work with now in Durham, NC is amazing - honest, professional, keeps schedule promises, and charges fairly decent service fees.

If any Kia owner is experiencing the engine continuing to run, but not accelerating when the accelerator is depressed, make the dealer test the fly-by-wire accelerator components one at a time to isolate the problem. Kia knows about the problem, but hasn't decided to do a recall as far as I know. I haven't experienced this with the K5, so maybe they corrected it at the factory when they did the Optima to K5 changeover.

BVC
 
#20 ·
I haven't driven any K5 except my 2023 GT-Line, so I can't compare them. I had a 2019 Optima that I bought from a dealer with 8,000 miles on it. It had a problem with the accelerator "drive by wire" system that the dealer could not - or would not - fix. After 22 months of the car stalling when I would try to accelerate - several near death experiences - I threatened the dealer with filing formal complaints with NHTSA, Kia Corporate, our state's Attorney General's office, and the Better Business Bureau, the dealer gave me the brand new (12 miles on the clock) K5 GT-Line in an even trade to, as the general manager said, "To show you that we always try to do the right thing." It took them only 22 months for them to "do the right thing." The dealer I work with now in Durham, NC is amazing - honest, professional, keeps schedule promises, and charges fairly decent service fees.

If any Kia owner is experiencing the engine continuing to run, but not accelerating when the accelerator is depressed, make the dealer test the fly-by-wire accelerator components one at a time to isolate the problem. Kia knows about the problem, but hasn't decided to do a recall as far as I know. I haven't experienced this with the K5, so maybe they corrected it at the factory when they did the Optima to K5 changeover.

BVC
How do you feel about the overall value of the K5 GT-Line compared to other vehicles in its class? Checked out the Sonata by any chance? I think that's what a lot of folks pin it against.
 
#17 ·
Well, I bought my 2024 K5 GT-Line, Pre-Owned at 5,000 Miles, @ 9,963 Miles, it had Preventative Maintenance, Work Done: Oil and Filter - Change, Complimentary Multi Point Inspection. Check and inspect all fluid levels. Visually inspect all belts and hoses. Check tires and brakes and document measurements. MPI Complimentary Multi Point Inspection. Check and inspect all fluid levels. Visually inspect all belts and hoses. Check tires and brakes), it’s now @ 11,000 Miles… Car has been stellar
 
#21 ·
One thing I do wish is if we only also got the hybrid K5s over here. The hybrid K5s in South Korea were all decked out, mood lighting (not just foot well lights), keyfob remote to move the car forwards and backwards when not inside the car, and a solar panel roof for additional range and charge when parked. They also have additional USB-C charging ports on the sides of the front seats for the rear passengers.

We get none of that here. lol
 
#22 ·
I haven't driven the Sonata, but I would expect it to be pretty similar since it and the K5 are both built on the same platform. I understand that the Kia suspension is tuned a little more on the sporting side, but I don't know that for certain. Many years ago I did a little amateur racing, so I am somewhat aware of the difference between good, average, and poor handling. I like my GT-Line's handling in all normal situations. Fortunately, I haven't encountered a life-or-death driving situation in this car, but I'm very pleased with the handling and everything else about it - except the overly complicated controls setup which forces you through the screen to do much of what I'd rather do with knobs and buttons.

Regarding value, I agree with several professional reviewers who say it's a lot of car for the money. I've owned my 2023 K5 for 30 months with zero problems, except for a passenger sun visor which suffered a broken latch. This was replaced under warranty with no hassle.

Consumer Reports also gives the K5 high marks.

BVC