2019 Kia Stinger problems & reliability
43 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2019 Kia Stinger, alongside 3 safety recall campaigns. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
Federal crash records (FARS 2020–2023): 2019 Kia Stinger vehicles were involved in 14 fatal crashes with 8 occupant deaths. Involvement counts are not adjusted for how many are on the road and do not imply fault or a vehicle defect.
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine → | 12 | 28% |
| Electrical System | 9 | 21% |
| Service Brakes | 6 | 14% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 5 | 12% |
| Unknown OR Other | 5 | 12% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 4 | 9% |
| Power Train | 3 | 7% |
| Visibility/wiper | 3 | 7% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 5% |
| Structure | 2 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 13 reported components →Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“I was driving on the highway & my sunroof exploded. At first i thought someone had dropped something off a bridge , but i realized from the damages. Sunroof exploded. The glass caused damage to my paint !”
Visibility/wiper · filed Jul 20, 2026
“Oil pressure sensor failure on the engine, there is an open TSB for this same issue/same engine on other Kia models but not the Stinger. Dealer verified that the oil pressure is fine and that it is the sensor, independently verified by a third party shop. Dealer charge is over $3k for the repair and third party is…”
Engine · filed Jun 10, 2026
“My 2019 Kia Stinger GT2 with approximately 25,000 miles has been out of service since February 12, 2026 for diagnosis and repair of a system issue. The vehicle has remained at the dealership for over two months. Multiple repair attempts have been made, including escalation to Kia corporate engineering. Despite these…”
Power Train · filed Apr 20, 2026
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- Hyundai and Kia ABS Module Fires
Audit Query AQ23002 · opened Nov 17, 2023 · open
Technical service bulletins
45 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2019 Kia Stinger. The 10 most recent:
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: INFOTAINMENT SOFTWARE UPDATE PROCEDURE - This bulletin provides information on the process for downloading infotainment software updates and preparing USB for installation on applicable Kia…
TSB_ELE417 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 14, 2026
PITSTOP: TECHNICAL OPERATIONS: EXTERNAL DAMAGE TO ULTRASONIC SENSOR: This Pitstop provides information related to Parking Distance Warning (PDW) alerts and repairs involving ultrasonic sensors. The PDW system alerts the…
PS797 · Other · issued Dec 9, 2025
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SUBSEQUENT REPAIR ACTION: HIGH-PRESSURE FUEL PUMP REPLACEMENT INSTRUCTIONS FOR DTC P0088 (SC281Y) - This bulletin provides information related to the Technical Service Bulletin previously…
SC281Y_TSB · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Oct 2, 2025
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: TRANSMISSION FLUID APPLICATION GUIDE - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area…
TSB_TRA046_R5 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 17, 2025
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION NU/GAMMA/THETA/KAPPA ENGINES - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar…
TSB_ENG222_R8 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 3, 2025
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: EXCESSIVE OIL CONSUMPTION NU/GAMMA/THETA/KAPPA ENGINES - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar…
TSB_ENG222_R7 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Feb 28, 2025
This bulletin provides information relating to the correct transmission fluid type and fill quantity requirement for each Kia model. A flush is required ONLY when a transmission is replaced.
TSB_TRA046_R4 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued May 16, 2024
VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN: OWNER NOTIFICATION - This document is the owner notification advising that Kia is conducting a Voluntary Emissions Service Campaign on certain 2018-2021 MY Kia Stinger vehicles…
SC279_OWNR · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 20, 2023
VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN: THETA 2.0L T-GDI ECM SOFTWARE LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (SC279) - This bulletin provides information to upgrade the software logic of the engine control module (ECM) with an improved…
SC279_TSB · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 20, 2023
VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN: QUESTION AND ANSWER - This document is the Question and Answer Guide containing the most frequently asked questions regarding the Voluntary Emissions Service Campaign (SC279).
SC279_QA · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 18, 2023
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 2019 Kia Stinger has 3 NHTSA recall campaigns — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2019 Kia Stinger?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.