Kia have quite quickly become a common sight on British roads, with one of their best sellers, the Kia Sportage, seen as often as a Ford Focus or Volkswagen Golf.
One of the things that make Kia stand out as a brand is their impressive seven-year warranty. With many car manufacturers these days only offering a warranty for three-years, Kia have cemented themselves as one of the most trusted, and reliable, brands around.
But are Kia as reliable as they want us to think they are?
In this article, we look at whether Kia are really as reliable as everyone thinks they are, and compare their reliability to some of their rivals.
Are Kia reliable?
The short answer is yes, Kia are reliable. Very reliable, in fact. In the past few years, Kia have consistently appeared in dependability lists from a variety of different sources.
The Telegraph put them at number 3 out of 20 for the most reliable car brands of 2017, with just 80 problems per 100 vehicles. CNN put Kia 6th out of 10 in their table back in 2015 which isn’t as good as this years ranking but it’s still very good. So not only have Kia been consistent the past few years, but they are also improving. In fact, in 2016 Kia was ranked the number 1 brand for reliability by J.D Power. This made it the first non-luxury brand to top the list since 1989.
How reliable is the Kia Sportage?
One of Kia’s most popular and most well-known models is the Kia Sportage. Interestingly, though, the Kia Sportage isn’t as dependable as you would expect from such a reliable car brand. It scores 99 on ReliabilityIndex, which is slightly better than the industry average. J.D Power has given it three and a half stars for predicted dependability, which is in between average and better than most. The Sportage isn’t the most dependable car out there but it is reliable. Admittedly, this hasn’t always been the case and it wasn’t too long ago when Kia was at the bottom end of the table as one of the least reliable car brands. However, that seems to have all changed in recent years and Kia is now one of the most reliable brands on the market today.
Why are Kia reliable?
So what makes Kia reliable?
After taking the top spot on the J.D Power Survey, Renee Stephens of J.D Power put Kia’s success down to their focus on “cleaner” launches of new models. She also said that plants and dealers, particularly in the US, were getting better at producing the brand’s vehicles.
Michael Sprague, chief operating officer for Kia Motors America, told CNBC that Kia’s success was down to “Kia’s decade-long focus on craftsmanship and continuous improvement, and reflects the voice of our customers, which is the ultimate affirmation.”
An area Kia have improved in more than most is that of their infotainment system. Many brands have been let down by modern technology as of late. While things such as infotainment systems are appealing to buyers, they can come with their own set of problems and this can bring down the reliability.However, it seems that Kia have made some progress in that area, and there are little reports of their infotainment systems causing issues.
Kia’s seven-year warranty also shows how much faith they have in their cars. Not many brands would offer such a large warranty, but Kia’s introduction of such a long warranty shows their commitment to making reliable cars.
In conclusion, Kia have become reliable through focusing on cleaner launches of their cars, improving their infotainment systems and working on their craftsmanship. And by the looks of the reports, it’s paid off.
How reliable are consumer reports?
We are now going to defend our use of consumer reports as a way of telling how reliable a car is. This is particularly important as Kia were once a very unreliable brand, and their speedy ascent to the top could make some people rightly wary. We use things such as consumer reports and surveys as a way of measuring reliability because it is one of the most trustworthy ways of knowing how dependable a car is. This is because they ask those who own the cars. The J.D. Power Survey that put Kia on the top spot surveyed more than 80,000 consumers about problems with their vehicles during the first three months of ownership. That said, there are some issues with consumer surveys. One of these issues is that they aren’t always accurate when it comes to long term reliability for brand new cars. That’s not to say they are completely wrong, but you can’t judge the long term reliability of a car that has only been out for less than a year. Particularly if, like Kia, the reliability has drastically changed.
Generally, though, consumer reports are a good way of finding out how dependable a car is.
Kia vs. Volkswagen vs. Nissan
It’s in this part of the article that we compare the reliability of some of the car brand’s main rivals. In this case, we are looking at Volkswagen and Nissan. So, how does Kia compare to these brands?
Of course, neither Volkswagen or Nissan will be able to beat Kia in the J.D Power Survey but Nissan and Volkswagen didn’t do too badly. They tied for tenth place, with 93 problems per 100 vehicles. This is just below the industry average of 97 problems per 100 vehicles.In the Telegraph survey that put Kia 3rd, Volkswagen came an impressive 6th, with 92 problems per 100 vehicles. Unfortunately, Nissan came 10th from 4th place the year before. This is still a modest effort, with 98 problems per 100 vehicles, but it’s not as good as either Volkswagen or Kia. Nissan have consistently been pretty reliable, so it’s no surprise that they are still doing fairly well, either above or average in terms of longevity. However, Volkswagen have made a huge comeback as of late. They were once considered an unreliable brand, as were many other German car manufacturers. So it is surprising to see Volkswagen so high up on some of the lists.
However, it is still Kia that takes the top spot. So if dependability is your main priority then Kia is your best bet when it comes to the three brands.
Which Kia cars are the most reliable?
According to J.D Power, these are the most reliable Kia’s;
- 2017 Kia Soul
- 2017 Kia Sportage
- 2017 Kia Sorento
These cars scored either 4 or 5 out of 5 for predicted dependability.
Which Kia cars are the least reliable?
- 2017 Kia Optima Hybrid
- 2016 Kia Optima
- 2016 Kia Rio
These scored 3 out of 5 for predicted dependability which isn’t even that bad, really. But those are the ones that are ranked least reliable because they have scored the lowest. However, it says a lot when the lowest ranking cars are still considered average.
In conclusion, if you want a reliable car, then you can’t go wrong with a Kia. They have improved hugely in recent years, and are now topping tables for their longevity. They also fare pretty well when put up against some of their main rivals. Kia offer a seven year warranty and this is also transferable from owner to owner, which means you can buy a three year old Kia and still have four years left on the warranty. This makes Kia a great choice for a brand new car and a used car. Kia are one of the most dependable car brands out there today, so if reliability is your main priority then you should definitely look at a Kia.
I don’t believe that Kia is a reliable car compared with other brands such as Honda and Toyota. I had a 2011 Sorento and I had to take the car almost once a month to the workshop for suspension repairs. both side bolt joints broke 3 times in a year under regular driving conditions.
Thank you for sharing your experience, I am sure our other readers will find this helpful.
I wonder if maybe their reliability has improved in those 7-8 years since yours rolled off the assembly line?
I got a 2013 Kia Rio Sx – manual 6 almost 5 years ago. The car has 158000+ miles now and no problems. I have changed oil with mobil one synthetic ever 7500 – 10000 miles and changed the air filter every 15000…other than tires, brakes and fuel additive every now and then…that is it. I’ve been so impressed with Kia I just bought two lightly used 2016 Kia Soul+ ‘s. I was going to sell the Rio since I’m getting tried of shifting but it is hard to get a fair price for a used Kia with 158k on it…even though it’s a great car…so I may end up driving it many more miles…resale is my only complaint, but I got the soul’s at such a good price I guess it’s a wash.
Hi Will,
Really good to hear that you had a positive experience with your Kia. I know that our readers will find your comments useful when making their own decision.
Im on my second kia ceed , have covered 90000 miles
,regular service total cost so far 2 sets of wiper blades, one set of front disc pads. 3 tyres. and one tail light bulb.one running led light. the last two replaced free of charge under warranty.
Hi Alastair,
That’s fantastic feedback for the Kia and its reliability. I have no doubt that anyone looking for a new car and considering a Kia will find this interesting.
Skeptical at first, but now with 114,000 miles on it mostly under severe mountain winter driving conditions, I am impressed.
Regular oil changes every 10,000 miles and a set of brake pads and windshield. Suspension is still tight surprisingly although the paint is pretty beat up but to be expected with the buckshot they lay down on the pavement here.
Hi Bob,
Thank you for your feedback about the Kia. Recent surveys have placed them near the top when it comes to reliability over an 8 year period, and of course the 7 year warranty isn’t anything to sneeze at either. I am happy to hear that you’re having a good experience with your Kia.
I bought my 2008 KIA Spectra 5 SX brand new in May of 2009. Presently I have just over 270000 miles on it and use it as my daily driver, running 130 miles round trip to work and back. The motor is the 2.0 and is still getting around 29 miles per gallon. I use full synthetic motor oils and change my oil once per year and change my air filter twice per year. I order my belts and idler pulleys on line and have a local mechanic change them out for preventive maintenance every 80000 miles or so. The last time that I changed out the belts and idler pulleys, I also had him put in a new water pump since they were already in there. I also ordered the water pump on line as well. I recently changed out the alternator myself, which didn’t take long. I also replaced all of my brake pads only once so far, by myself, and next time will also replace the rotors. The brakes that I changed out still have half the life on them. I changed spark plugs twice and will soon again. I do use the 100000 mile spark plugs. The battery is still the original, but I can tell that it is starting to lose its’ strength and will replace it soon. The suspension and steering are still tight, which makes it hard to justify selling since the performance is still there, and running 85 mph to 90 mph accidentally and effortlessly occurs when not setting the cruise. This car always starts and I live in Minnesota; with many long wintry days and the car sitting unprotected then firing right up, as I hunker down inside of it. There is not a block heater on the car engine and yet has always started, no matter how long it has sat, even in these -40 below days. I have a small amount of rust starting to bubble up just over the driver’s rear wheel well and some of the paint on the mirrors and spoiler has started to fade. I am very impressed with this KIA and am starting to look at buying another new one. I will probably just give this one away to my daughter and her family, since the trade in value is showing just around 750.00.
Hi Jerry,
Thank you for your comment on the Kia brand. It’s wonderful to hear of people who have had such positive experiences with their cars. Kia have faith in their brand – hence the long warranty, and it’s good to know that people are getting long service from them.
I owned a 2006 Kia Sedona and drove it for 10 years and put 100,000 miles on it. I literally spent no money on repairs other than tires and battery. As the 100K drive train warrantee expired, I decided to lease a new Sedona ( got a dirt cheap $165 lease payment with $2500 down). The lease is now up and I am buying the car, as it has been every bit as reliable as the first. I was really happy with the 2006, but they have made significant improvements in handling and creature comforts in the new one, even though they are both the LX mid-level line.
Hi Dave,
It sounds as though you’ve had a great deal of fortune when it comes to your Kia vehicles. I hope that it continues and I am sure that our readers will find this information helpful when they look at purchasing or leasing a new Kia.
We have a 2015 Kia soul and on june 3rd it was recalled because of pistons and on are way on vacation a piston went through are motor. But since it had a hundred and eight thousand miles kia doesn’t want to fix it at larry stovesand kia and so we have to pay the car off still with no motor and have to pay one hundred and twenty dollars for dynastic done onit to tell us the motor was blown but since we didn’t do the oil changes there because they start out at $50 and my husband can do them cheaper and we didn’t keep the receipt to it’s are fault even though there was a recall and all they did was on the computer I don’t see how fixing a computer would help the pistons even there rep said that. But he said thats how kia wants it done now im out of a car this is are second kia and right now I don’t think I will own another
We are sorry to hear that James. What manufacturer do you think you will consider next? If you are in the UK, we would be more than happy to help you source a new vehicle.
My grandmothers Kia Soul has had no problems and she had it for two year’s. It’s a great car!
Hi Cooper,
It’s always good to hear from people who’ve had a positive experience with a specific brand. Kia has just been awarded the Car Maker of the Year 2019 in the UK, so it’s being recognised.
What about the engine seizures and engine fires?
According to the BBC, reported on the 19th April ‘The US safety regulator said that while previous recalls of Kia and Hyundai vehicles primarily related to engine fires, the fresh investigation “is not limited to engine components and may cover additional vehicle systems or components.”‘ You can read more here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-47782247. However, this article does relate to the US.
Sorry. Do not agree that Kia is a reliable brand. I own an 2012 model Kia Sorento, purchased as an ex demo model from a Kia yard, and have been experiencing consistent “limp mode” problems over the last 3 years. Kia, nobody can find a solution. Maybe it’s this??? $200 thank you. Nope, wasn’t that. Then lets replace this???? $500. Nope, not that either…. Google “Kia Sorento Limp Mode”. It appears to have been a problem dating back as far as 2006 models, yet here we are 2019 and still no solution. It is dangerous. Imagine picking up your kids from school, pulling into a round-about when there is a gap, only to have your car suddenly limp across. Brown pants time I can tell you…..
Hi Marianne,
Thank you for your comment. We use a number of UK consumer reports in order to gather data from those who drive the cars in the UK. We also obtain information from warranty companies and manufacturers though the vehicles looked at are only up to 8 years old and sold for the UK market.
We would recommend that you check forums such as this one: https://www.kia-forums.com/threads/2014-sorento-ex-limp-mode.100066/ where they appear to have been able to get some answers.
7 yr warranty is essential and you still have to tolerate car going to garage every few months for different minor annoying problems. I persisted 5 years and gave up. My wife’s kia was better with 1 major issue in 7 yrs. Luck of the draw. Dont buy new is my advice as no guarantee of any better
Hi Roger,
Thank you for your comment on the Kia. Though they have a good track record when it comes to reliability, we acknowledge that sometimes things happen. If you are looking for a new vehicle and are considering a lease, please get in touch with Amanda on 01903 223391 and she will be able to help you.
I purchased a Kia venga this year 2018 model 14cc it goes fine only thing I found is that it rattles in the boot area. The jingling noise from the dashboard is very iratating took it in as this problem was like this on purchase they tried to solve the problem in the boot without success I insisted I wanted to change it the salesman said they would but they kept stalling so I got fed up waiting they never even kept in touch or rang me so iv have to put up with this constant noise
Hi Colin,
Thank you for your comment on the reliability of Kia, and in particular your model. Tracking down a rattle in a car can be incredibly difficult to pinpoint, especially if it is in the vicinity of the dashboard. However, we were disappointed to hear that your Kia representative did not come back to you with any feedback.
Should you, in the future, require a new car, please get in touch with Amanda on 01903 223391. At OSV customer satisfaction is the core of our business and we work hard to ensure that all our clients are happy with the service we provide and the vehicles they purchase or lease through us.
I have a 6.5 year old Kia Rio and it only failed to start a couple of times when the battery was over 5 years old and needed to be replaced. Since the battery was replaced no problems have been noticed.
Hi Pajaro,
Thank you for your comment on our Kia reliability article. We try and make the information we have as unbiased and balanced as possible to inform our readers and point them in the direction of the vehicle that best suits their needs.
hi, i owned a KIA Carens model 2014 for six years now and still find and good no head ached, just only for the battery replacement which normal. i got also a major accident and i amaze that only a bumper had a major impact and replaced it with KIA. But got only 4 year warranty (2 years in KIA and 2 years in Show room) instead of seven?.
Hi Jimbo,
Thank you for your comment on the reliability of your Kia model. Looking at information for Bahrain, it appears that Kia don’t offer a 7 year warranty in your country.
I agree with you 100%. This is a really important issue.