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What 17 owners told NHTSA about the 2021 Kia Stinger

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (17)Crash / fire / injury (1)Brakes (5)Engine (4)Fuel system (4)Electrical system (2)Visibility & wipers (2)Service Brakes, Air (1)Suspension (1)Transmission & drivetrain (1)

4 of 17 complaints match · Fuel system · clear filters

Jun 17, 2026Fuel system

My car started skipping or stalling when I'd press the accelerator. Then the check engine light came on. I took it to an Independent mechanic and it showed high pressure fuel pump or system. The spark plugs were changed, but the problem remained. I checked and noticed that there was a recall for that particular problem. I called the dealership and they said my VIN wasn't attached to it. But I do think it should be.

NHTSA ODI 11744848

Oct 1, 2025EngineFuel system

Since April I have been having the same issue. Sometimes when I am stopped and the autostop is supposed to shut down the engine, the engine just sputters and if I hit the gas nothing happens. I have to put the car in park and shut it down then restart it. I try to shut the auto stop off when I get in the car but sometimes I forget. It has happened at over 20 times that I have documented over the last couple of thousand miles, many times in dangerous locations, in the middle of interactions or waiting for a light. The engine light has also gone on and off over the last couple of months. The car is now at the dealership and they say the high pressure fuel pump is leaking. I see there has been a recall in specific Kia Stingers, should my car be involved in this recall? The issue began around 45000 miles and continues at 52000.

NHTSA ODI 11690875

Nov 21, 2023Fuel system

The contact owns a 2021 Kia Stinger. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed and making a turn, the vehicle lost motive power inadvertently. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and drove to his nearby residence. The contact stated upon driving the vehicle uphill that same day, the vehicle failed to exceed 2-3 MPH and started losing power. The contact stated that he drove back to his nearby residence. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where an unknown repair was performed; however, the failure persisted. The contact stated while driving approximately 35-40 MPH, the vehicle lost motive power. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact was able to veer to the side of the road. The contact was able to restart the vehicle and continued driving. The contact stated that the failure recurred several times while driving. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V634000 (Fuel System, Gasoline) that he related to the failure; however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

NHTSA ODI 11556241

Mar 27, 2021Electrical systemFuel system

BRAND NEW CAR, JUST OVER 300 MILES ON THE ODOMETER. SUDDENLY LOST POWER WHILE DRIVING ON A BUSY MAIN ROAD IN FAIRFAX, VA. WAS ALMOST REAR ENDED (INCHES TO SPARE) AND STRANDED ON THE ROAD. CAR WOULD NOT RESTART. A POLICE OFFICER RESCUED ME AND PUSHED ME TO SAFETY ON A NEARBY RESIDENTIAL SIDE STREET TO AWAIT A TOW TRUCK. TURNS OUT THERE WAS A DEFECT IN THE WIRING FROM THE FUEL SENDING UNIT AND THE FUEL GAUGE WAS REPORTING JUST UNDER HALF A TANK DESPITE BEING EMPTY. THE VEHICLE WAS SO NEW THAT I HAD NOT FILLED IT UP SINCE TAKING DELIVERY. GIVEN THIS WAS A BRAND NEW CAR, SPORADIC DRIVING DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, SHARING THE CAR WITH MY WIFE AND THE FACT THIS CAR IS MUCH LESS FUEL EFFICIENT THAN MY PREVIOUS CAR, I DID NOT REALIZE THE GAUGE WAS STUCK AND WAS NOT AS SUSPICIOUS ABOUT IT AS I WOULD PERHAPS HAVE BEEN IN ANOTHER CAR. MOMENTS EARLIER, I HAD BEEN ON A BUSY HIGHWAY WITH NO SHOULDER DUE TO CONSTRUCTION. IF I HAD RUN OUT OF GAS THEN, IT COULD HAVE BEEN A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. UNEXPECTEDLY LOSING ALL POWER AND NOT KNOWING THE FUEL LEVEL IN THE VEHICLE COULD LEAD TO A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. I WAS FORTUNATE THAT I DIDN'T GET REAR ENDED, AND THAT THERE WAS A POLICE OFFICER NEARBY WHO CAME ACROSS ME AND HELPED.

NHTSA ODI 11405181

Working with the data? Download all 17 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 14, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2021 Kia Stinger verdict →