2020 Kia Stinger: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
16 NHTSA owner complaints · 6 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Owner complaints: 16 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 2.67
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
Was wondering why this vehicle isn't included in the fuel pump recall .There is hesitation, starves for fuel. All the symptoms, per mechanic, saying that is should be included!
I was driving to work when suddenly my steering wheel gets supper heavy as I was making a turn shook the life out of me my eps went out if you could please do a good will repair or see if there’s any extended warranty please check for a TSPs
Transmission light appeared and a loud knocking noise followed by white smoke bellowing out of the exhaust. I took it to a shop and they said it now needs an engine replacement.
Recalls: 6 campaigns (5 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 24V169000 | Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline:Turbo/Supercharger:Hoses/Plumbing | 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. |
| 21V862000 | Electrical System:Instrument Panel:Fuel Gauge | Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Stinger vehicles. A software error in the instrument cluster may cause an inaccurate fuel gauge reading. |
| 23V634000 | Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump | Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2018-2021 Stinger vehicles. |
| 20V560000 | Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Fuel Pump | Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Stinger vehicles. The fuel pump's jet nozzle may have a plastic burr remaining from the manufacturing process, possibly causing a blocked nozzle and an insufficient fuel supply to the engine. |
| 20V422000 | Steering | Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2020 Stinger vehicles equipped with a 2.0L Turbo-GDI engine. A component within the Rack Mounted Motor Driven Power Steering (MDPS) Assembly may have been manufactured incorrectly, possibly resulting in the steering locking or becoming difficult while driving. |
| 20V518000 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:Control Unit/Module | 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. |
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 24 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $3,150
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 System6 complaints · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,620
- Electrical System6 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Engine5 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Power Train2 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Steering2 complaints · typical job: Electric power-steering rack or column motor replacement (5.0 h labour + parts)$1,020–$2,500
- Service Brakes2 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
Other Kia Stinger years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2020 Kia Stinger?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Fuel/Propulsion System (6 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2020 Kia Stinger a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 76/100, computed from 16 NHTSA complaints and 6 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2020 Kia Stinger's most common problem?
6 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2020 Kia Stinger 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 2020 Kia Stinger cost to run per year?
About $4,710 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $23,552 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 2020 Kia Stinger have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 6 recall campaign(s) for the 2020 Kia Stinger, 5 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 01/03/2024. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Compare with
Other midsizes of about the same age.
What will a 2020 Kia Stinger 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.
Thin evidence — 16 complaints, 6 recalls on record
- 16 NHTSA complaints on record (2.7/yr of exposure) — better than a typical year of this model (3.8/yr)
- 6 recall campaigns, 5 touching safety-critical systems
- Thin complaint record — this score is held close to the model's own average rather than read as evidence of quality