The 2019 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 7 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
1
EXTERIOR LIGHTING
1
LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION
1
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC
1
STEERING
1
TIRES:PRESSURE MONITORING AND REGULATING SYSTEMS
1
UNKNOWN OR OTHER
1
Total complaints7
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal
information removed.
“I picked up my cadenza from the repair shop. They were repairing the sunroof controls because the sunroof was not operating properly. I was 24 miles away from the shop headed home from temple, tx to waxahachie, tx on [xxx]. It sounded like a shotgun was fired right above my head and scared me. I…”
“The contact owns a 2019 kia cadenza. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, several unknown warning lights illuminated. Additionally, upon starting the vehicle later, the contact noticed that there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from under the hood. The vehicle was…”
“The contact owns a 2019 kia cadenza. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, several unknown warning lights illuminated. Additionally, upon starting the vehicle later, the contact noticed that there was an abnormal ticking sound coming from under the hood. The vehicle was…”
“Hello, I wasn't notified of the recall on my vehicle. The steering wheel is extremely hard to turn and all of the system lights are on.”
“Hello, I wasn't notified of the recall on my vehicle. The steering wheel is extremely hard to turn and all of the system lights are on.”
“Hello, I wasn't notified of the recall on my vehicle. The steering wheel is extremely hard to turn and all of the system lights are on.”
“Tl* the contact owns a 2019 kia cadenza. The contact received notification of nhtsa campaign number: 21v137000 (service brakes, hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the…”
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 2019 Kia Cadenza as of
July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page
contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.