Is Hyundai more reliable than Kia?
Hyundai and Kia are statistically close: Hyundai 3.24 vs Kia 3.32 NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 vehicles sold (model years 2015–2022), a gap under 10%.
By CarWhere Research · Updated November 2026 · Method
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA per 1,000 vehicles sold (model years 2015–2022; published U.S. sales). Not a survey, not Consumer Reports' method, and not repair frequency.
Hyundai vs Kia at a glance
| Hyundai | Kia | |
|---|---|---|
| Complaints per 1,000 sold | 3.24 | 3.32 |
| Serious-safety complaints per 1,000 | 0.20 | 0.29 |
| Rank of 19 brands | #15 | #16 |
| Models covered | 9 | 10 |
| Vehicles sold (rated model years) | 5,390,017 | 4,737,776 |
| Owner complaints | 17,455 | 15,719 |
| Share of brand U.S. sales covered | 95.4% | 91.4% |
| Top complaint areas | Engine 46% · Powertrain / transmission 14.3% · Electrical system 12.7% | Engine 52.1% · Electrical system 12.2% · Powertrain / transmission 9.9% |
| Recall campaigns (vehicles covered) | 166 (14.9 million) | 148 (13.0 million) |
Model years 2015–2022. Lower is better. Serious-safety complaints are those where the owner reported a crash, a fire or at least one injury. Recall campaigns are NHTSA campaigns filed January 2016 to September 2026; vehicles covered counts a vehicle once per campaign.
What drives the numbers
- Hyundai's count is driven most by 2016–2017 Tucson complaints about engine and powertrain / transmission (2,723, 15.6% of Hyundai's complaints). Other models with rates above Hyundai's overall 3.24: Sonata (4.26), Palisade (4.70), Santa Fe (3.48).
- Kia's count is driven most by 2016–2017 Sorento complaints about engine and powertrain / transmission (2,074, 13.2% of Kia's complaints). Other models with rates above Kia's overall 3.32: Optima (4.25), Telluride (4.56), Soul (3.80).
Hyundai vs Kia complaints per 1,000 sold, by model year
Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are still growing. Compare the two lines within a year, not one year against another.
| Model year | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hyundai | 3.11 | 4.68 | 6.51 | 2.48 | 2.08 | 2.75 | 1.84 | 2.38 |
| Kia | 5.34 | 5.39 | 4.12 | 2.04 | 1.88 | 3.18 | 2.58 | 1.75 |
What Hyundai and Kia owners complain about
Share of each brand's NHTSA complaints naming the area (a complaint can name more than one).
Hyundai
- Engine46% · 8,028
- Powertrain / transmission14.3% · 2,504
- Electrical system12.7% · 2,211
- Brakes7.2% · 1,261
- Fuel / propulsion7% · 1,217
- Body structure5% · 870
Kia
- Engine52.1% · 8,188
- Electrical system12.2% · 1,916
- Powertrain / transmission9.9% · 1,562
- Fuel / propulsion6.5% · 1,015
- Lighting6.1% · 963
- Body structure5.4% · 844
Model matchups
Each brand's best-selling model in the classes both sell, on the same per-1,000-sold measure.
Compact cars: Hyundai Elantra vs Kia Forte
The Kia Forte has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Hyundai Elantra 1.85 vs Kia Forte 1.47 complaints per 1,000 sold. Engine is the most-cited area for both (39.9% and 46.7% of complaints).
1.85 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 2,546 complaints / 1,373,756 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- None flagged
- Years to avoid:
- 2010–2013, 2017, 2020
- Top complaint areas:
- Engine 39.9% · Electrical system 13.8% · Powertrain / transmission 9.2%
Kia Forte
1.47 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 1,167 complaints / 792,731 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2020, 2022
- Years to avoid:
- 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017
- Top complaint areas:
- Engine 46.7% · Electrical system 13.7% · Powertrain / transmission 10.8%
Compact SUVs: Hyundai Tucson vs Kia Sportage
The Kia Sportage has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Hyundai Tucson 4.52 vs Kia Sportage 1.76 complaints per 1,000 sold. Engine is the most-cited area for both (42.2% and 55% of complaints).
4.52 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 4,511 complaints / 998,897 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2008–2010
- Years to avoid:
- 2016–2019, 2022, 2023, 2025
- Top complaint areas:
- Engine 42.2% · Powertrain / transmission 24.1% · Electrical system 11.4%
1.76 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 1,191 complaints / 676,704 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2010
- Years to avoid:
- 2012, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2023
- Top complaint areas:
- Engine 55% · Electrical system 14.6% · Brakes 10.7%
Midsize cars: Hyundai Sonata vs Kia Optima
They are statistically close: Hyundai Sonata 4.26 vs Kia Optima 4.25 complaints per 1,000 sold (under 10% apart). Engine is the most-cited area for both (53.2% and 61.2% of complaints).
4.26 complaints per 1,000 sold
Kia Optima
4.25 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 2,711 complaints / 637,247 sold, MY 2015–2020 NHTSA
- Too few sold to rate:
- 2021
- Better years:
- 2009, 2010
- Years to avoid:
- 2011–2016
- Top complaint areas:
- Engine 61.2% · Electrical system 13.2% · Powertrain / transmission 8.1%
Subcompact SUVs: Hyundai Kona vs Kia Soul
The Hyundai Kona has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Hyundai Kona 2.26 vs Kia Soul 3.80 complaints per 1,000 sold. Engine is the most-cited area for both (54.3% and 72% of complaints).
Hyundai Kona
2.26 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 794 complaints / 350,732 sold, MY 2018–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- None flagged
- Years to avoid:
- None flagged
- Top complaint areas:
- Engine 54.3% · Electrical system 19.9% · Powertrain / transmission 12%
Kia Soul
3.80 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 3,132 complaints / 825,073 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2019
- Years to avoid:
- 2012–2016, 2020, 2021
- Top complaint areas:
- Engine 72% · Powertrain / transmission 10.2% · Electrical system 8.1%
Three-row SUVs: Hyundai Palisade vs Kia Sorento
The Hyundai Palisade has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Hyundai Palisade 4.70 vs Kia Sorento 5.35 complaints per 1,000 sold. Engine is the most-cited area for both (19.8% and 47.7% of complaints).
4.70 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 1,314 complaints / 279,868 sold, MY 2019–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- None flagged
- Years to avoid:
- 2023, 2024
- Top complaint areas:
- Engine 19.8% · Visibility / wipers 18.8% · Seat belts 18%
5.35 complaints per 1,000 sold
- Basis:
- 4,168 complaints / 778,652 sold, MY 2015–2022 NHTSA
- Better years:
- 2009, 2020
- Years to avoid:
- 2011–2017
- Top complaint areas:
- Engine 47.7% · Powertrain / transmission 12.2% · Electrical system 11.6%
How these numbers are calculated
complaints per 1,000 sold = NHTSA owner complaints filed for model years 2015–2022 ÷ U.S. vehicles sold in calendar years 2015–2022 × 1,000
Complaints come from NHTSA's public owner-complaint database (NHTSA data), counted once per complaint and matched across NHTSA's trim and body-style names. Vehicles sold are published U.S. calendar-year sales per nameplate. Model years with fewer than 5,000 sold are too few to rate and are left out. A brand gets a score only when its covered models number at least 3 and make up at least 70% of its U.S. sales; rates under 10% apart are called close.
This is the federal complaint rate, not an owner survey or repair-frequency figure. Consumer Reports publishes a survey-based ranking that measures something different. Full method and brand ranking.
Questions
Is Hyundai more reliable than Kia?
Hyundai and Kia are statistically close: Hyundai 3.24 vs Kia 3.32 NHTSA owner complaints per 1,000 vehicles sold (model years 2015–2022), a gap under 10%.
Which has more serious complaints, Hyundai or Kia?
Counting only complaints that report a crash, fire or injury, Hyundai logs 0.20 per 1,000 sold and Kia 0.29. Those are 6% of Hyundai's complaints and 9% of Kia's.
Where do Hyundai and Kia rank overall?
Hyundai ranks #15 and Kia #16 of the 19 brands with enough sales data, ranked by NHTSA complaints per 1,000 sold for model years 2015–2022.
What do Hyundai and Kia owners complain about most?
Hyundai: engine (46%), powertrain / transmission (14.3%), electrical system (12.7%). Kia: engine (52.1%), electrical system (12.2%), powertrain / transmission (9.9%). Shares are of each brand's complaints for model years 2015–2022; one complaint can name more than one area.
Which has more recalls, Hyundai or Kia?
From January 2016 to September 2026, NHTSA lists 166 Hyundai recall campaigns covering 14,938,849 vehicles and 148 Kia campaigns covering 13,045,671. Vehicles covered counts each vehicle once per campaign, so one car in three recalls counts three times. Recalls are fixes the maker files, a different signal from owner complaints.
Is the Hyundai Elantra more reliable than the Kia Forte?
The Kia Forte has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Hyundai Elantra 1.85 vs Kia Forte 1.47 complaints per 1,000 sold. Based on 1,373,756 and 792,731 vehicles sold. Years to avoid on the Elantra: 2010–2013, 2017, 2020. Years to avoid on the Forte: 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017.
Is the Hyundai Tucson more reliable than the Kia Sportage?
The Kia Sportage has fewer complaints per vehicle sold: Hyundai Tucson 4.52 vs Kia Sportage 1.76 complaints per 1,000 sold. Based on 998,897 and 676,704 vehicles sold. Years to avoid on the Tucson: 2016–2019, 2022, 2023, 2025. Years to avoid on the Sportage: 2012, 2013, 2017, 2018, 2020, 2023.