The Kia K5 is a full-size car built from 2021 to 2026. Most were assembled in the United States — 87.7% of those on record. Engines offered: 4-cyl. Worth buying? It holds up well, with the usual caveat about model years at 4.0/5 — and the year you pick matters far more than the badge (best and worst years →).
What the K5 is
The Kia K5 is a full-size car that Kia built from 2021 to 2026 — 6 model years. It has been offered with 4-cyl power. Its closest siblings in the Kia range: K900, Cadenza, Amanti.
Where the K5 is built
A badge says where the company is registered; the VIN says where the car was bolted together. We counted the first three characters — the manufacturer identifier — across 470 K5s on record.
| Assembled in | Share | VIN starts with | Years seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| the United States | 5XX | 2021-2024 | |
| South Korea | KNA | 2025-2026 |
Check your own: the first three characters of a Kia VIN decide which of these 1 lines your K5 belongs to. What every character in a K5 VIN means →
Got the full 17 characters? A free VIN check on a Kia K5 adds what the decoder can't see: open recalls, theft and total-loss records, and the safety ratings for that exact build.
Kia K5 tire size, oil type & owner specs
The fitment K5 owners look up most — tires, wheels, oil and batteries. Exact wheel and tire sizes decode from your VIN or the driver's door-jamb placard; the universal items are listed below.
Exact tire, wheel, oil grade, capacity and battery group are added per trim and model year — decode your VIN above for the factory fitment. Universal items shown as-is.
What engines does the Kia K5 have? Power & range
The Kia K5 is offered with 1 powertrain — 2.5L 4-cyl. Here's the lineup by engine, transmission and drivetrain — 1 for the Kia K5, against one or two on most rivals.
| Engine | Displacement | Transmission | Drive | Fuel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4-cyl | 2.5L · 4-cyl | Automatic (S8) | FWD | Regular |
Horsepower, torque and fuel-tank size decode from your VIN — exact figures vary by engine and trim.
Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov (engines, drivetrain, range, charge time). Horsepower & torque from NHTSA vPIC on VIN decode.
The K5 by the numbers
What the federal and market records say about the Kia K5. Each line opens the full breakdown by year.
| Topic | K5 | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| Recalls | 16 campaigns | NHTSA, all years |
| Owner complaints | 474 filed | What breaks and when |
| Reliability | 4.0 / 5 | Best and worst years |
| Crash safety | ★★★★★ NHTSA | Frontal, side, rollover |
| Insurance | $2,045/yr | Estimated full coverage |
| Used value | 241 listings | What it sells for now |
Frequently asked questions
What kind of car is the Kia K5?
The K5 is a full-size car, built from 2021 to 2026. Engines offered: 4-cyl.
Where is the Kia K5 made?
Across 470 cars in our records the split is: the United States (87.7%), South Korea (12.3%). The first three characters of a VIN identify the plant's manufacturer and country — that is where these shares come from, not from a press release.
What is the Kia K5 warranty?
New models carry 5 years / 60,000 miles basic cover and 10 years / 100,000 miles on the powertrain. Worth knowing: across our complaint records the typical car reaches the halfway point of its faults at five years, so most repairs land after the basic warranty ends.
Is the K5 reliable?
It scores 4.0/5 in our data. The honest answer depends on the year far more than the model — see the best and worst years, and when this car starts to break.
How do I check a specific K5?
This page describes the model; it cannot tell you whether that car has an open recall or a branded title. Run its VIN against the records — free, and matched to the exact production run.
More in Kia
| Model | Years | Recalls | Best MPG | ForCar score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kia Telluride | 2020–2026 | 33 | 35 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Kia Sorento | 2001–2026 | 88 | 37 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Kia Soul | 2010–2026 | 39 | 114 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Kia Carnival | 2022–2026 | 6 | 33 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Kia Sportage | 1995–2026 | 101 | 43 mpg | 4.5/5 |
| Kia Stinger | 2018–2023 | 22 | 25 mpg | 4.5/5 |