What 40 owners told NHTSA about the 2025 Kia K4

While driving my 2025 Kia K4, the steering system failed and became unresponsive. I was unable to steer the vehicle as intended. The exact cause of the steering failure is UNKNOWN at this time. The vehicle and steering components are available for inspection upon request. The loss of steering control put my safety and passengers riding at serious risk because I could not properly control the direction of the vehicle. Steering is essential for avoiding hazards, staying in the lane, and maintaining control. The failure resulted in a single‑vehicle accident and could have caused serious injury or involved other motorists if traffic conditions had been different. The problem has not yet been confirmed by a Kia dealership or an independent service center. At the time of this report, the vehicle has not been inspected by Kia or another repair facility. Police and/or insurance involvement may have occurred due to the accident, but no mechanical inspection of the steering system has been completed yet. There were no warning lights, messages, or alerts prior to the steering failure. The problem occurred suddenly and without warning while the vehicle was being driven. I did not notice any clear symptoms before losing steering control. The exact cause of the steering failure is UNKNOWN. Based on my personal experience, the failure was sudden and unexpected and occurred during normal driving conditions. I had no prior indication that there was a problem with the steering system before the accident occurred.

NHTSA ODI 11729402

When I drive over 65 mph, I feel the car lose stability, and sometimes I feel those movements in the steering wheel. Also, it doesn't show the actual tire tread depth. In addition. And there is a burning smell.

NHTSA ODI 11714428

I am reporting ongoing safety issues with my Kia K4 LXS involving driver assistance systems and steering control. While driving in heavy rain with reduced visibility, the vehicle disabled multiple sensors and displayed a “camera obscured” message along with inattentive driving warnings, despite both of my hands being on the steering wheel and my full attention on the road. The loss of driver assistance features during hazardous weather conditions created a distracting and dangerous situation. This issue occurs frequently. I regularly receive false inattentive driving and hands-on-wheel warnings even when I am driving properly. These alerts are distracting and interfere with safe vehicle operation. I am also experiencing lane control and steering interference. The steering wheel will sometimes pull the vehicle in a direction that does not match the road, even when lane assist is turned off. This is especially dangerous in construction zones with temporary lanes marked by reflectors, including when driving next to large trucks. I have experienced multiple near-miss incidents and have had to physically override the steering wheel to remain in my lane. These problems now occur almost every time I drive and have caused me to feel unsafe operating the vehicle. I believe this represents a serious safety defect.

NHTSA ODI 11707033

While driving on the freeway in the left lane on a two-lane highway, the lane departure and steer ahead feature incorrectly adjusted steering and pulled vehicle into the right lane. Is incorrect adjustment due to lane departure has happened numerous times. Each time this occurred I was not using copilot features. The lane departure cannot be turned off.

NHTSA ODI 11689961