← New search

2018 Kia Cadenza

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Limited comparison data

There is not enough comparable history to draw a useful model-year comparison.

About this comparison →

How this year compares

Owner complaints by model year

Other model years Selected year
Compare all Cadenza years →

Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.

What owners reported most

Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.

When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

Limited mileage data: 2 of 7 reports include usable mileage. There isn’t enough coverage to show a useful chart.

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Engine. Review the 5 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Air Bags. Review the 1 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

0 crash reports0 fire reports0 injury reports

Unknown Or Other complaints

2 reports
Clear category filter
9,500 miles · May 16, 2019
EngineUnknown Or Other

I PURCHASED A NEW 2018 KIA CADENZA WITH 11 MILES ON IT. I HAVE HAD THE CAR LESS THAN A YEAR AND IT RANDOMLY STALLS WHILE IN DRIVE MODE IN MOTION AND SOMETIMES WHILE SITTING IDLE. IT HAS STALLED ON THE FREEWAY, NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS, DRIVE-WAY AND ON FEEDER ROADS. THE CAR HAS BEEN IN AND OUT OF THE DEALERSHIP AT LEAST 5 TIMES. KIA…

Read full complaint

I PURCHASED A NEW 2018 KIA CADENZA WITH 11 MILES ON IT. I HAVE HAD THE CAR LESS THAN A YEAR AND IT RANDOMLY STALLS WHILE IN DRIVE MODE IN MOTION AND SOMETIMES WHILE SITTING IDLE. IT HAS STALLED ON THE FREEWAY, NEIGHBORHOOD STREETS, DRIVE-WAY AND ON FEEDER ROADS. THE CAR HAS BEEN IN AND OUT OF THE DEALERSHIP AT LEAST 5 TIMES. KIA MOTORS CANNOT FIGURE OUT WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THEY PLACED A TRACKER IN THE VEHICLE AND DETERMINED THE CRANK SENSOR WAS MALFUNCTIONING. THEY REPLACED THE CRANK SENSOR, I PICKED THE VEHICLE UP AND LESS THAN 24 HOURS LATER THE CAR STALLED AGAIN. IT STALLED 2 ADDITIONAL TIMES BEFORE RETURNING IT TO THE SHOP AGAIN THIS PAST WEEK.

NHTSA ODI #11208151

1,750 miles · Oct 13, 2018
Unknown Or Other

WE BECAME MORE CONCERNED AFTER SEEING A REPORT ABOUT FIRES INVOLVING KIAS THIS MORNING. OUR NEW 2018 KIA CADENZA HAD ABOUT 1,750 MILES ON THE ODOMETER ON OCTOBER 11, 2018, WHEN THE FOLLOWING OCCURRED: WE WERE ON A CITY STREET, STOPPED AT A STOP LIGHT, WHEN WE SAW SOME SMALL, LIGHT STRANDS OF SMOKE THAT SEEMED TO BE RISING JUS…

Read full complaint

WE BECAME MORE CONCERNED AFTER SEEING A REPORT ABOUT FIRES INVOLVING KIAS THIS MORNING. OUR NEW 2018 KIA CADENZA HAD ABOUT 1,750 MILES ON THE ODOMETER ON OCTOBER 11, 2018, WHEN THE FOLLOWING OCCURRED: WE WERE ON A CITY STREET, STOPPED AT A STOP LIGHT, WHEN WE SAW SOME SMALL, LIGHT STRANDS OF SMOKE THAT SEEMED TO BE RISING JUST OUTSIDE THE RIGHT, FRONT FENDER. WE PULLED INTO A NEARBY PARKING LOT & CHECKED UNDER THE HOOD. THERE WAS A SMELL. IT SEEMED LIKE SOMETHING HOT OR SCORCHED (RUBBER OR OIL RELATED??), BUT NO SMOKE OR LEAKS WERE NOTICEABLE. IT DID SEEM LIKE THERE WERE SMALL SPOTS, SCATTERED ON THE UPPER SURFACES TO THE RIGHT OF THE ENGINE. AFTER PARKING IN OUR GARAGE AT HOME, THE SMELL BECAME VERY STRONG & REMAINED THAT WAY IN THE CLOSED GARAGE. WE DID NOT CHECK TO SEE HOW LONG THE SMELL REMAINED STRONG, BUT IT WAS STILL VERY NOTICEABLE WHEN I RETURNED 10 OR 15 MINUTES LATER. YESTERDAY, ON 10/12/18, WE BROUGHT THE VEHICLE TO THE KIA GARAGE & REPORTED THIS. THE SERVICE ADVISER LOOKED UNDERNEATH, SAID THAT SOMETHING WAS GOING ON AND SENT IT TO THE SHOP TO CHECK. AROUND 90 MINUTES LATER, HE SAID THEY FOUND WIDESPREAD SPLASHES OF OIL, BUT HAD CLEANED THE ENGINE. HE ASKED IF WE HAD DRIVEN OVER ANYTHING LIKE THAT, BUT WE HAD NOT. THEY HAD RUN THE ENGINE & TEST DRIVEN FOR AT LEAST 40 MINUTES - BUT HAD NOT BEEN ABLE TO DETECT LEAKS OR OTHER SOURCES OF THE PROBLEM. THEY ALSO NOTED THAT THE OIL LEVEL WAS STILL FULL. HE SAID TO TAKE THE CAR, DRIVE IT FOR 100 MILES, THEN BRING IT BACK FOR FURTHER TESTING. THE SMELL IN THE GARAGE WAS STILL NOTICEABLE AFTER RETURNING HOME, BUT NOT NEARLY AS STRONG AS THE PREVIOUS DAY. WE ASSUME THIS IS BECAUSE THE GARAGE HAD CLEANED THE ENGINE. WE DO PLAN TO TAKE THE CAR BACK AFTER 100 MILES, BUT WE ARE QUITE NERVOUS DRIVING IT ANYWHERE NOW.

NHTSA ODI #11140136

Official recalls

1

21V137000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip:control Unit/module

Mar 4, 2021

Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017-2021 Sportage and Cadenza vehicles. The electrical circuit in the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) may short-circuit, which can cause a fire in the engine compartment.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: An engine compartment fire can increase the risk of injury.

Remedy: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures as a precaution until the recall repair is complete. Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace certain fuses in the electrical junction box. Vehicles equipped with an electronic parking brake (EPB) will also receive a HECU software update. Repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on April 30, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC206.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

1

AQ23002 · Hyundai And Kia Abs Module Fires

Opened Nov 17, 2023 · No close date supplied

Status: open (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip:control Unit/module

The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received eight Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) and eight Kia America, Inc. (Kia) Part 573 Recall Reports between 2016 and 2023. The combined 16 safety recalls all involve the antilock braking system (ABS) modules or Hydraulic Electronic Control Units (HECU) manufactured by the equipment supplier Mando. The Part 573 Recall Reports contain varying defect descriptions and differing remedy descriptions for the same or similar equipment supplied by Mando. Safety recalls included in this Audit Query (AQ) review include: Hyundai recalls 20V-520, 20V-543, 21V-161, 21V-160, 21V-303, 22V-056, 22V-810, and 23V-651. Kia recalls 16V-815, 20V-518, 20V-519, 21V-137, 21V-331, 22V-051, 22V-800, and 23V-652 The purpose of this AQ is to evaluate the timeliness and scoping of Hyundai and Kia’s defect decision making and adherence with reporting requirements; and understand the varying defect descriptions and remedies between these recalls.