What breaks most · 2018 to 2023 model years
Kia Stinger problems by year
Owners have filed 166 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Kia Stinger across model years 2018 to 2023. Three years stand out: 2018 for engine complaints, 2019 for engine complaints and 2021 for engine complaints. The quietest years are 2020.
- Years to check closely: 2018, 2019, 2021
- Fewest complaints: 2020
- Complaints on file
- 1662018 to 2023, all trims
- Worst year
- 201867 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 68 fires · 2 injuries · 1 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 22kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 20Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 67 | 2 | 4 | Engine (22) | |
| 44 | 1 | 3 | Engine (12) | |
| 16 | 1 | 6 | Electrical system (6) | |
| 17 | 1 | 5 | Unknown or other (5) | |
| 17 | 0 | 1 | Electrical system (6) | |
| 5 | 1 | 1 | Body and structure (3) |
What fails on the 2018 Kia Stinger
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EngineEngine gaskets and seals | 33% |
22 | 0 | Shop engine parts for the 2018 Kia Stinger |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 16% |
11 | 2 | Shop electrical system parts for the 2018 Kia Stinger |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 15% |
10 | 0 | Shop all fuel system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| BrakesBrake pads, rotors and calipers | 10% |
7 | 0 | Shop brakes parts for the 2018 Kia Stinger |
| Exterior lightingHeadlights, tail lights and bulbs | 10% |
7 | 0 | Shop exterior lighting parts for the 2018 Kia Stinger |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 9% |
6 | 0 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Fuel systemFuel pumps and injectors | 7% |
5 | 0 | Shop all fuel system parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Unknown or other | 7% |
5 | 0 | — |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
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My oil light came on around 91,000 miles. Kia is known for this issue being an oil pressure sensor issue. Happens around 80,000-100,000 miles. Its a pretty common issue and the labor for a $80 part costs up to $2,000.
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Wiring harness has been severed, chewed through, or burnt. Multiple times. If my phone listed down below does not work call [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
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I was driving on hwy 73 when I heard a sound like a shotgun went off. Glass started falling in the car and on me as the sunroof had shattered. There was no other vehicle in the area and the sunroof was closed.
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 6, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Kia Stinger years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 2018, 2019, 2021 carry the most filings on the Kia Stinger. The 2018 alone has 67 complaints, led by engine.
What is the most common Kia Stinger problem?
On the 2018 model year, the most-reported component is engine with 22 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Kia Stinger problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Kia Stinger complaints that include mileage is about 22,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.