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Kia lemon law
If your Kia keeps going back to the dealer for the same problem, your state's lemon law may make the maker buy it back or replace it, and pay your lawyer when you win. Here is what Kia owners report to the federal government, and how to check your own car.
What Kia owners report most
| Problem area | Complaints |
|---|---|
| Wiring, battery, lights and electronics | 1,649 |
| Engine | 1,373 |
| Transmission, drive shafts and axles | 890 |
| Fuel system, or the battery and motor of an EV or hybrid | 516 |
| Automatic emergency braking and collision warning | 400 |
| Visibility/Wiper | 367 |
A complaint can name more than one area. 1,307 complaints name none.
Models with the most complaints
- Telluride 1,281
- Sorento 697
- Seltos 567
- EV6 550
- K5 506
- Sportage 450
Latest Kia recalls
- Air Bags, August 21, 2026: 2026 EV9, 2025 EV9, about 21,290 vehicles.
“A child in the front seat may be at a greater risk of injury if the air bag deploys during a crash.”
NHTSA recall 26V545000 - Electrical System, July 2, 2026: 2024 EV9, 2024 EV6, 2023 EV6, 2022 EV6, about 8 vehicles.
“A fire increases the risk of injury.”
NHTSA recall 26V431000 - Seats, July 2, 2026: 2021 Telluride, 2022 Telluride, 2023 Telluride, 2024 Telluride, about 462,869 vehicles.
“A fire increases the risk of injury.”
NHTSA recall 26V430000 - Seat Belts, June 2, 2026: 2027 Telluride Hybrid, 2027 Telluride, about 6,264 vehicles.
“A seat belt strap that does not extend can fail to restrain an occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.”
NHTSA recall 26V356000 - Fuel System, Gasoline, April 10, 2026: 2022 Carnival, 2023 Carnival, 2024 Carnival, 2025 Carnival, about 141,032 vehicles.
“A fuel leak increases the risk of a fire.”
NHTSA recall 26V232000
Check your own car by its VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup. Recall repairs are free at any Kia dealer.
Recalls, repairs and the lemon law
A recall alone does not make a car a lemon. What counts is a defect the dealer cannot fix: most states presume a lemon after 3 or 4 repair attempts for the same problem, fewer for a defect that could cause a crash, or about 30 days in the shop, inside the first one to two years. A recall repair for a defect that keeps coming back is a repair attempt like any other, so keep the repair order from every visit.
In California, Kia America opted in to the state's new lemon law process on May 1, 2025. Owners send the written demand to customercaresupport@kiausa.com at least 30 days before suing. How the new process works
How a Kia lemon law claim and buyback work
Keep the repair order from every visit, then write to Kia, not only the dealer, at the customer relations address in your owner's manual or warranty booklet, and ask for a buyback or a replacement. In a buyback Kia refunds the price, taxes and fees and costs like towing, minus a deduction for the miles you drove before the first repair, and pays off the loan.
The steps · Letter template · Buyback or cash and keep · Estimate a buyback
Kia lemon law in your state
The rules depend on the state where you bought or leased the car:
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arizona
- Arkansas
- California
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Florida
- Georgia
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Illinois
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Texas
- Utah
- Vermont
- Virginia
- Washington
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming
Questions about Kia lemons
How many complaints have Kia owners filed with NHTSA?
6,144 for 2021 to 2027 model years, received through October 22, 2026. The most reported area is wiring, battery, lights and electronics.
How many Kia recalls are there?
80 safety recalls cover 2021 to 2027 Kia models, for about 4,716,237 vehicles in all.
Is a recall enough to make my Kia a lemon?
No, not on its own. But if a defect keeps coming back after repairs, recall repairs included, each visit can count as a repair attempt under your state's lemon law. Keep every repair order.
How do I start a Kia lemon law claim?
Keep every repair order, then write to Kia at the address for customer relations in your owner's manual or warranty booklet, asking for a buyback or replacement under your state's lemon law. Send it by a tracked method and keep a copy.
Does Kia have to buy back a lemon?
Yes, when your state's lemon law rules are met. The maker must buy the car back or replace it, and most states let you choose. The rules differ by state: see your state guide.
Did Kia opt in to California's new lemon law process?
Yes. KIA AMERICA opted in on May 1, 2025. California owners send the written demand to customercaresupport@kiausa.com, at least 30 days before suing.
About the data
From NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation files (complaints received 2020 to now, and recalls), counted for 2021 to 2027 model years and filed under the make KIA. Read on October 26, 2026. Complaints are what owners report, not findings, and big sellers get more of them: a count is not a defect rate, and it says nothing about your car. We keep no complaint text or personal details.
Is your Kia a lemon? Find out free
Free, about ten taps. You see what your state's law says first. If you want a lawyer, we find a lemon law firm in your state that takes cases like yours, and they contact you.
Your state: Ohio
What model year is it?
Who pays the lawyer? In Ohio, an owner who wins can make the maker pay the lawyer.* * So most lemon law lawyers ask nothing up front. Some charge costs, or a share of a settlement: ask before you sign. You never pay us. More