Kia K900: Years to Avoid and Best Years to Buy
Kia K900: 6 model years scored from 58 NHTSA owner complaints and 8 recall campaigns. Worst year 2015, best year 2015.
Kia K900: which years to avoid
Across 5 scored model years the Kia K900 ranges from 49/100 in 2015 to 92/100 in 2019 — a 43-point spread, so which year you buy matters more than whether you buy a K900 at all. The weakest year’s complaints concentrate in Exterior Lighting (18 of them).
Avoid: 2015 — scored below 45 on the complaint and recall record.
Safest years: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 — scored 70 or better.
Scored from NHTSA complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. How the score works · every car’s years to avoid.
Year-by-year data table
| Year | Score | Verdict | Running cost / yr | NHTSA complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 92 | BUY | $5,130 | 0 | 1 |
| 2019 | 92 | BUY | $5,175 | 2 | 1 |
| 2018 | 87 | BUY | $6,060 | 0 | 2 |
| 2017 | 87 | BUY | $5,004 | 2 | 2 |
| 2016 | — | DATA PENDING | $5,190 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | 49 | AVOID | $5,222 | 54 | 2 |
Running cost is fuel or energy plus the maintenance band midpoint for that car at its age today, re-priced to your country. Purchase price, insurance and depreciation are not included.
Photographs and every generation of the K900, through the years →
What goes wrong on the Kia K900
Across every K900 model year in our index, owners report these component groups most often. The cost beside each one is the representative repair for that group at a US independent shop, re-priced to your country.
- Exterior Lighting19 complaints across all K900 years · typical job: Headlamp assembly or lighting-module replacement$360–$1,380
- Air Bags14 complaints across all K900 years · typical job: Airbag module, clockspring or sensor replacement$600–$1,700
- Electrical System10 complaints across all K900 years · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement$540–$1,310
- Service Brakes9 complaints across all K900 years · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles$580–$1,140
- Unknown Or Other7 complaints across all K900 years · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair$360–$940
- Engine7 complaints across all K900 years · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair$1,040–$2,220
Flat-rate labour hours x local shop rate plus a parts band. An estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote. Formula.
FAQ
Which Kia K900 years should I avoid?
On the NHTSA record the years to avoid are 2015 — each scores below 45 out of 100 on complaints per year of exposure and recall campaigns. The 2015 is the weakest at 49/100, with its complaints concentrated in Exterior Lighting.
What are the best Kia K900 years to buy?
2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 all score 70 or better. The strongest is the 2019 at 92/100, on 2 complaints and 1 recall campaigns.
What is the most common Kia K900 problem?
19 of the complaints filed against the K900 across all its model years sit in the Exterior Lighting group — more than any other component.
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Sources: NHTSA, EPA · Methodology · Updated 2026-10-04