2022 Kia K5: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
127 NHTSA owner complaints · 5 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Owner complaints: 127 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 31.75
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
All lights on dash appear. Forward collision warning, blind spot warning, other warnings. Car loses ability to accelerate for a few moments and makes unsafe to drive. RPM needle bounces.
As I was driving down the road, I began to hear a loud, forceful noise. I assumed it was something in my trunk rolling against the rear seats. The noise kept getting louder, and I pulled over, very frightened, as several warning lights came on, including the low fuel light and check engine light, and the fuel gauge needle was past “E.” Before the incident, the GPM reading was 400. After a while, I made it home, but t…
The contact owns a 2022 Kia K5. The contact stated that while driving 50-65 MPH, the vehicle was jerking and came to a sudden stop. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, and it was determined that there was an issue with the water pressure cooling system. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The veh…
Recalls: 5 campaigns (4 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 23V149000 | Air Bags:Side/Window:Curtain | Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2023 K5 vehicles. |
| 21V519000 | Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Hoses, Lines/Piping, And Fittings | Kia Motor America (Kia) is recalling certain 2021 Sorento and 2021-2022 K5 vehicles equipped with 2.5L turbocharged engines. Fuel may leak at the pipe connection between the high-pressure fuel pump and fuel rail. |
| 22V760000 | Power Train:Automatic Transmission | Kia Motors, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2022 Sorento and 2021-2023 K5 vehicles. |
| 21V447000 | Lane Departure: Lane Keep: Steering Assist | Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2022 K5 vehicles equipped with 2.5L T-GDI engines. The Rack-Mounted Motor Driven Power Steering (R-MDPS) system lacks the ability to diagnose communication faults. |
| 25V794000 | Fuel System, Gasoline | Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2021-2024 K5 vehicles. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a mid-size car of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 27 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,400
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Fuel/Propulsion System35 complaints · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,620
- Engine27 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Electrical System25 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Power Train21 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Unknown Or Other20 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Forward Collision Avoidance12 complaints · typical job: Radar or camera module replacement and calibration (3.0 h labour + parts)$780–$2,160
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2022 Kia K5?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Fuel/Propulsion System (35 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2022 Kia K5 a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 71/100, computed from 127 NHTSA complaints and 5 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2022 Kia K5's most common problem?
35 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2022 Kia K5 sit in the Fuel/Propulsion System group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is fuel pump or injector replacement: about 3.5 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $680–$1,620 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2022 Kia K5 cost to run per year?
About $4,233 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $21,165 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2022 Kia K5 have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 5 recall campaign(s) for the 2022 Kia K5, 4 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 07/03/2023. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other midsizes of about the same age.
What will a 2022 Kia K5 really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-10-04.
Moderate evidence — 127 complaints, 5 recalls on record
- 127 NHTSA complaints on record (31.8/yr of exposure) — in line with a typical year of this model (32.3/yr)
- 5 recall campaigns, 4 touching safety-critical systems