What 48 owners told NHTSA about the 2015 Kia Cadenza

My entire Dash went Black. I could not see speed, gas level, milage. This is an extreme Hazard! I brought the car into "Crown KIA" in Clearwater to run a Diagnostic Check for 0.5 hour at $150 and they could not find the problem. I had no money to pay for additional time! I did research on this and found that this is a common problem with KIA's no matter what year!! Just because my particular VIN # is not on the recall should not absolve KIA from their duty to provide a safe reliable car!

NHTSA ODI 11714783

The bulbs had originally been replaced in 2021 at the dealer. We took the car to the dealer November 26, 2024 having noticed how dim they were around May 2024. The dealer states no problem was found, lights appear to be working normally. These are HID lights. The DS1 bulb color is white, and the composite lens color is clear. The dealer has no idea what the problem could be. Called the xenon bulb manufacturer. They believe that with the bulbs only being 4 years old and the light being bright and even white(they're rated 5K) the problem is elsewhere in the electrical system. The dealer made a similar comment about their color when the car was checked. The dealer rechecked the lights 01/26/25, still could not identify a problem, and suggested that we start by replacing the bulbs, then move on from there. These bulbs retail for $400 and headlight assemblies run about $1700 ea. I advised that you cannot see much past the front of the car with the lights on and that either the high beams or fog lights need to be on when conditions dictate the use of the lights. It is nearly impossible to discern road hazards such as potholes or potential problems on the roadside within the headlamps arc.

NHTSA ODI 11639095

I received a recall letter dated [XXX] with NHTSA Recall #: [XXX] for 2015 Kia Cadenza Vin# [XXX] . I contacted Kia's customer care number on or around January 17, 2024 as I had started having more and more electrical problems associated with this recall. My compass direction on my rear view mirror has not worked for well over a year and a half. I cannot lock my car with my key fob going on a year now. If I do lock it with the key fob, my car alarm randomly goes off multiple multiple times. Now my interior lights are not properly going off when you shut the door, and flicker when manually turning them on. The letter clearly states that a fire could happen either while parked or driving. This is my primary means of transportation, but at this point it is going on 5 months since the recall was issued. I definitely have safety concerns at this point, and feel that this has taken far longer than should have. What are the next steps to actively get the ball rolling to get this taken care of so that we don't have to move forward in far more complicated ways? Thank you for your time, and I look forward to hearing from you with an active solution. : ) INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ODI 11579621

I WAS DRIVING HOME FROM WORK TUESDAY EVENING, THEN I NOTICED MY HEAD LIGHTS FLICKER TWICE. I THOUGHT NOTHING OF IT THEN THEY SUDDENLY SHUT OFF. I FLIPPED THE SWITCH BACK AND FORTH UNTIL IT TURNED ON. THEN 5 MINUTES INTO THE DRIVE THEY COMPLETELY SHUT OFF AGAIN BUT THIS TIME THEY NEVER CAME BACK ON. I HAD TO DRIVE 10 MINUTES TO MY HOUSE WITH MY HAZARDS. I GOT PULLED OVER BUT LUCKILY MY BROTHER IS A COP AND I WAS ABLE TO PROVIDE HIS GOLD CARD AND GOT A PASS FROM A TICKET. THE NEXT DAY I CHECKED ALL THE RELAYS AND FUSES IN THE CAR HOPING ONE HAD BURNT OUT, BUT THAT WAS A NEGATIVE. I SCHEDULED MY APPOINTMENT WITH KIA AND IT TURNED OUT THE MULTI FUNCTION SWITCH ASSEMBLY WAS FAULTY. IT STOPPED SENDING THE SIGNAL OUT TO TURN THE HEADLIGHTS ON. I ASKED WHAT COULDVE CAUSED IT AND THEY DIDNT KNOW, POSSIBLY A MANUFACTURE DEFECT LIKE THE K900 RECALLS. I ASKED IF THE CADENZA HAD THE RECALL THEY SAID NO, THEY CAN SWITCH OUT THE ASSEMBLY WHICH COST ME $500+ BECAUSE I WAS OUT OF WARRANTY. MY LUCK!!! WHICH I STILL THINK THIS IS A SAFETY ISSUE THAT SHOULD BE RESOLVED BY THE MANUFACTURES/ DEALERS NOT OUT OF THE CUSTOMERS EXPENSE.

NHTSA ODI 11222347