The 2018 Kia Cadenza has 1 NHTSA recall campaign affecting an estimated 379,931 vehicles. Recall repairs are always free at any authorized dealer. Owners have filed 8 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the engine. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Recall campaigns
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC21V1370002021-03-04379,931 affected
Defect
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
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…
Complaints by component
ENGINE
5
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
2
AIR BAGS
1
Total complaints8
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“The airbag light randomly came on 2 weeks ago and stayed on , indicating that the airbags would not deploy in the event of an accident. I called my mechanic, who confirmed it was not a warranty item. My car only has about 45,000 miles on it and is well maintained. It has never been in an accident.…”
“No prior issues/light on dashboard as the car was just serviced for coolant hose replacement. On my way home from work, the car stalled and loss power at the light. The signs were giving engine failure due to losing power then a clicking/ticking noise. After pulling over and giving the car a break…”
“Complete engine failure due to rods and bearings (same as all other kia engine recalls currently active). Ironically my car wasn’t included in the recall. Also i’ve noticed that hyundai has extended the warranty for this same engine in the 2018 santa fe basically acknowledging it has a problem…”
“Vehicle has been properly maintained and at 78k miles, while at a stop sign, the engine seized. No warning signs from vehicle appeared.”
“Failure of oil pressure sensor resulting in oil leaking into wiring harness, this is the same problem with 3.3l engines in other models that kia has extended coverage. I contacted kia customer care and was told they tracked vin and not enough cadenzas had reported the same repair. If the problem…”
“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…”
“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…”
“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…”
Defect investigations
InvestigationAQ23002 Opened 2023-11-17 · open
Hyundai and Kia ABS Module Fires
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…
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL,
FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2018 Kia Cadenza as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.