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2026 Kia K4

Gas

Midsize Cars
5 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-09-11

Safety Signal

92 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

RecallsNHTSA campaigns1

Complaintsowner reports to NHTSA8

Crash ratingNHTSA overall5★

Fuel economybest combined, EPA33 mpg

2026 2025

The 2026 Kia K4 is sold in the U.S. as a gas midsize car with 5 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the K4 4DR w/ DMS, is EPA-rated at 33 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of A. Owners have filed 8 complaints, most often about the lane departure. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov

Configuration	Powertrain	Drive	Engine / motor	City	Hwy	Comb	Annual fuel*
K4 4DR w/ DMS	Gas	FWD	2.0L 4-cyl	29	39	33	$1,900
K4 without DMS	Gas	FWD	2.0L 4-cyl	29	39	33	$1,900
K4 Hatchback	Gas	FWD	2.0L 4-cyl	28	34	30	$2,100
K4	Gas	FWD	1.6L 4-cyl turbo	26	33	28	$2,250
K4 Hatchback	Gas	FWD	1.6L 4-cyl turbo	26	33	28	$2,250

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 50057, 50058, 50072, 50059, 50073.

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Recalls (1)

Source: NHTSA recall database

▲high

Seat Belts

SC364

14,870 vehicles

ProblemKia America, Inc (Kia) is recalling certain 2027 Kia Telluride and 2026 Kia K4 vehicles. The rear center seat belt anchor buckle in the 2026 K4 and the third-row center seat belt anchor buckle in the 2027 Telluride may not latch properly.RiskA seat belt buckle that is not latched properly can fail to restrain an occupant in a crash, increasing the risk of injury.FixDealers will inspect and replace the anchor buckle assembly, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 5, 2026. Owners may contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC364. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning March 20, 2026.

NHTSA campaign 26V135000reported Mar 6, 2026Kia America, Inc.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database

8complaints filed

4 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 1 injuries · 0 deaths reported

Filed per year: 2026: 8

Most-cited components

Lane Departure5

Steering3

Unspecified3

Forward Collision Avoidance2

Vehicle Speed Control1

Tires1

What owners describe

“Was in a side impact collision on july 17, 2026, vehicle was totaled but no air bags deployed nor did any collision sensors go off”Sep 7, 2026 · Air Bags · NHTSA owner report

“The vehicle issues began 3 weeks after purchasing a 2026 Kia K4 with 89 miles on it. *"Key fob not recognized", black screen, car not starting and cascading into many other infotainment problems. ** Revving far higher (1.4 - 4.4) with the slightest acceleration ***Hesitating, them engaging so suddenly that steering is …”Aug 9, 2026 · Steering · NHTSA owner report

“The contact owns a 2026 Kia K4. The contact stated that on several occasions while driving at various speeds with the smart cruise control activated, the brake was applied inadvertently and the steering wheel steered to the right, overcorrecting his steering efforts. The contact state that the inadvertent braking and s…”Jun 1, 2026 · Forward Collision Avoidance · NHTSA owner report

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

Configuration	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
4 DR FWD	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★★	10%
5 HB FWD	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★★	10%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking.

Compare the 2026 K4 with

2026 Honda Civic →

Other K4 model years

2025 Kia K4

2 recalls · 45 complaints

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). Floor 35. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Complaint counts and NHTSA crash ratings are shown separately and are not blended into the grade.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed weekly.

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