Model year guide

2025 Kia K4

Recalls, most-reported problems, crash-test ratings, fuel economy and what a 2025 Kia K4 is worth — from official NHTSA and EPA data. 2 on record.

2025 Kia K4 — representative photo
Representative photo

2025 Kia K4 at a glance

Safety recalls2
Owner complaints47
Overall safety5 / 5 ★
Combined29–34 mpg

Included: that car's specs and build sheet, model-year recall campaigns and a fair price.

2025 Kia K4 recalls 2

Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/panel NHTSA Campaign #26V046000 · manufacturer #SC361 · 26/01/2026

Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2025 Kia K4, 2025-2026 Sorento, Sorento Hybrid, Sorento Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV), 2026 Sportage, Sportage Hybrid, Sportage PHEV, K5, EV9, Carnival, and Carnival Hybrid vehicles. Due to a software error, the instrument panel display may fail. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 101, "Co…

Fix: The instrument panel display software will be updated over-the-air (OTA) or by a dealer, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed March 26, 2026. Owners may contact Kia Customer Service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC361. Vehicle Identification Numb…

Engine And Engine Cooling:critical Fasteners NHTSA Campaign #25V548000 · manufacturer #SC349 · 25/08/2025

Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2025 K4 and Sorento vehicles. The connecting rod bolts in the engine may have been improperly tightened, which can cause a loss of drive power.

Fix: Dealers will replace the sub engine assembly, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 12, 2025. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC349.

Source: U.S. NHTSA, checked 4 Nov 2026. A campaign covers the model year; to see whether a particular car still needs the repair, check its VIN on NHTSA.gov or ask a franchised dealer.

2025 Kia K4 common problems

The most-reported problem areas across all 47 owner complaints filed with NHTSA — and what to check before you buy.

Electrical System
Test every electrical feature: windows, locks, infotainment, charging and all lights. Watch for flickering, dead accessories or warning lights.
Power Train
Drive through every gear: watch for slipping, hard or delayed shifts, and shudder. Check for transmission/driveline leaks and noises.
Air Bags
Confirm the airbag light turns on then off at startup — if it stays lit there's a fault (costly, and a safety risk). Check for signs of prior deployment.
Forward Collision Avoidance
Have a trusted mechanic inspect this system as part of a pre-purchase inspection.
Lane Departure
Have a trusted mechanic inspect this system as part of a pre-purchase inspection.
Engine
Listen for knocks or ticking, check for leaks and blue/white exhaust smoke, and make sure it doesn't overheat. No check-engine light should be on.

2025 Kia K4 safety ratings

Overall★★★★★
Frontal crash★★★★★
Side crash★★★★★
Rollover★★★★★
Frontal — driver★★★★★
Frontal — passenger★★★★★
Side — front seat★★★★★
Side — rear seat★★★★★
Side pole★★★★★

Rollover risk: 9.9% — NHTSA's estimated chance of rollover in a single-vehicle crash (dynamic test: no tip).

Frontal crash test — 2025 KIA K4 4 DR  FWDFrontal crash test
Side barrier test — 2025 KIA K4 4 DR  FWDSide barrier test
Side pole test — 2025 KIA K4 4 DR  FWDSide pole test

Source: NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP), tested as the 2025 KIA K4 4 DR FWD. Ratings can differ by body style and drivetrain.

2025 Kia K4 MPG & running costs

Combined29–34 mpg
City28 mpg
Highway38 mpg
Est. annual fuel cost$2,100
EPA size classMidsize Cars
TransmissionAutomatic (AV-S1) or Automatic (S8)
Forced inductionTurbocharged
Passenger volume99 cu ft
Cargo volume14 cu ft
5-yr fuel cost vs average new car$1,500 less

Source: U.S. EPA / DOE fueleconomy.gov. The EPA lists 3 versions of this model year; combined is shown as a range and the other figures are averages.

Estimated 5-year cost to own

A rough guide to what running a 2025 Kia K4 costs over five years and 75,000 miles.

Fuel (5 yrs)$10,500
Fuel only$10,500
Per mile$0.14

How this is estimated: fuel is the U.S. EPA annual cost at 15,000 miles a year. There aren't enough comparable listings to estimate depreciation for this model, so it is left out. Not included: insurance, maintenance, repairs, taxes, registration and finance costs. Treat it as a comparison guide, not a quote.

Dimensions & weight

Length
185.4 in
Width
72.8 in
Height
55.9 in
Wheelbase
107.1 in
Curb weight
2,954 lb
Front track
62.2 in
Rear track
62.6 in

Manufacturer-reported figures for the 2025 Kia K4. Source: Transport Canada vehicle specifications via NHTSA.

Investigations & service bulletins

Manufacturer service bulletins 19

Technical notes the manufacturer sent to dealers about known issues and fixes. Useful to mention to a mechanic — they are not recalls and repairs may not be covered. Showing the 10 most recent of 19.

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: BODY DOMAIN CONTROLLER (BDC) REPLACEMENT (CA2515 Revision 1) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin pr…

Bulletin TSB_ELE414_R1 · Electrical System · Jul 2026

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM SOFTWARE UPDATE USING UPDATE.KIA.COM - This bulletin provides information and service procedures for updating the infotainment systems on applicable Kia vehicles using the Kia Navigation Updater available at upda…

Bulletin TSB_ELE422 · Electrical System · May 2026

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: BODY DOMAIN CONTROLLER (BDC) REPLACEMENT (CA2515) - This bulletin provides information regarding the Body Domain Control unit (“BDC”) on certain 2025MY and 2026MY K4 (CL4) vehicles manufactured from May 1, 2025, through Feb 9, 2026.…

Bulletin TSB_ELE414 · Electrical System · Apr 2026

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: INFOTAINMENT SOFTWARE UPDATE PROCEDURE - This bulletin provides information on the process for downloading infotainment software updates and preparing USB for installation on applicable Kia vehicles. The software downloads and USB p…

Bulletin TSB_ELE417 · Electrical System · Apr 2026

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: DCU COMMUNICATION LOGIC IMPROVEMENT - This bulletin provides the procedure to upgrade the Data Connectivity Unit (DCU) system software on some 2025–2026MY vehicles listed in the table below. Kia has identified that Connected Car Ser…

Bulletin TSB_ELE413 · Electrical System · Mar 2026

PITSTOP: TECHNICAL OPERATIONS: EXTERNAL DAMAGE TO ULTRASONIC SENSOR: This Pitstop provides information related to Parking Distance Warning (PDW) alerts and repairs involving ultrasonic sensors. The PDW system alerts the driver while parking, by calculating dis…

Bulletin PS797 · Back Over Prevention · Dec 2025

RELEASE NOTES: OVER-THE-AIR: SERVICE ACTION SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR WARNING LIGHTS (SA621) - This Over-the-Air (OTA) software update is designed to update the Engine Control Unit (ECU) logic of certain 2025 K4 vehicles. This update improves the processing logic of…

Bulletin OTA_SA621 · Electrical System, Engine · Dec 2025

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SERVICE ACTION: ECM JUDGEMENT LOGIC IMPROVEMENT FOR DTC P218100 (SA621) - This bulletin provides information to upgrade the Engine Control Module (ECM) system software on certain 2025MY K4 (CL4m) vehicles produced from July 03, 2024…

Bulletin TSB_ENG258 · Engine · Sep 2025

RELEASE NOTES: OVER-THE-AIR: SERVICE ACTION: SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR RCM (SA620) - This Over-the-Air (OTA) software update is designed to update the Roof Control Module (RCM) of certain 2025 K4 vehicles. This update is designed to improve software logic for a smoo…

Bulletin OTA_SA620 · Electrical System · Sep 2025

PITSTOP: TECHNICAL OPERATIONS: DCU IDENTIFICATION AND DAIGNOSTIC AID - This Pitstop provides information on identifying the Data Connectivity Unit (DCU) in Kia vehicles equipped with Connected Car Navigation Cockpit (ccNC) and ccNC Lite head units, as well as…

Bulletin PS791 · Electrical System · Aug 2025

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation, listed for the K4 FWD. Model-year data, not specific to one car.

Canadian recalls 1

Transport Canada recall campaigns for the 2025 Kia K4. Relevant if the car was first sold in, or imported from, Canada.

Lights And Instruments

Issue: On certain vehicles, a software problem could cause the instrument cluster display to go blank while driving. As a result, you may not be able to see certain information about the vehicle, including the speedometer, fuel gauge, tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS), warning lights and malfunction tell-tales. Note: This recall only affects certain vehicles equipped with…

Transport Canada #2026032 · Jan 2026

Source: Transport Canada Motor Vehicle Safety Recalls Database.

About the Kia K4

The Kia K4 is a compact car (C-segment) manufactured by South Korean automaker Kia since 2024. It is a replacement for the Kia Forte/K3/Cerato, while the K3 nameplate was transferred to a subcompact car.

From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Describes the model line in general, not this model year specifically.

2025 Kia K4 vehicles on record

2025 Kia K4 — frequently asked questions

Does the 2025 Kia K4 have any safety recalls?

NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2025 Kia K4. Whether an individual car still needs a recall repair depends on its VIN — check it on NHTSA.gov or ask a franchised dealer. Recall repairs are done at no charge.

What are the most common problems with the 2025 Kia K4?

Across all 47 owner complaints filed with NHTSA, the most-reported problem areas are electrical system, power train, air bags.

What is the 2025 Kia K4 safety rating?

NHTSA gives the 2025 Kia K4 an overall crash-test rating of 5 out of 5 stars (frontal 4★, side 5★, rollover 5★).

What gas mileage does the 2025 Kia K4 get?

The 2025 Kia K4 has U.S. EPA estimates of 29–34 mpg combined, depending on engine and trim (3 versions).

Sources: NHTSA (recalls, complaints, crash tests), U.S. EPA (fuel economy). Vehicle data only — CarLogs never shows owner information.