Reliability & cost of ownership
Kia Cadenza Reliability & Common Problems
How reliable is the Kia Cadenza? Compare every model year side by side — NHTSA recalls, owner complaints, and crash-test stars — then open the year you're shopping for a full reliability and repair-cost forecast.
Kia Cadenza problems by model year
11 recall entries and 210 owner complaints on file across 6 model years, sourced from the federal NHTSA database.
| Year | Recalls | Complaints | NCAP stars | Full report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 Cadenza | 1 | 2 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2018 Cadenza | 1 | 6 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2017 Cadenza | 2 | 31 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2016 Cadenza | 2 | 14 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2015 Cadenza | 2 | 48 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
| 2014 Cadenza | 3 | 109 | No NCAP test | Reliability forecast → |
Most-complained-about components
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA against the Kia Cadenza, grouped by the component each complaint names — the fastest read on where this model gives trouble.
- engine59 complaints
- service brakes35 complaints
- electrical system33 complaints
- unknown or other31 complaints
- visibility25 complaints
- hydraulic23 complaints
- steering17 complaints
- structure12 complaints