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2019 Kia Stinger problems: engine and transmission complaints and recalls

ELEVATED COMPLAINT SIGNAL
37%
16 of 44 relevant owner complaints are about the engine, transmission or fuel system

37% of relevant owner complaints on the 2019 Kia Stinger are about the engine, transmission or fuel system. That is elevated. Worth an independent inspection before you commit to one.

Better than 58% of the 1,789 model years we track (2010–2023).

NHTSA data checked October 3, 2026
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Does the 2019 Kia Stinger have engine problems?

More than most. The pattern is elevated rather than severe. 16 of 44 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2019 Kia Stinger concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (37%), and the largest group is filed under engine (12). For comparison, the 2018 scores 54%. On a test drive, check for stalling, loss of power, rough idle, oil consumption or a check-engine light. This describes the model year, not any one car: a well-maintained or already-repaired example can be fine, and a clean model year can still have a bad car in it.

Drivetrain complaints
16
engine, transmission, fuel
Total complaints
44
this model year
Fires reported
3
owner-reported
Recall campaigns
3
1 crashes · 0 injuries

Complaints by component

ENGINE12 · 27%
SERVICE BRAKES11 · 25%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM9 · 20%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM5 · 11%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER5 · 11%
HYDRAULIC5 · 11%

The years either side

2010
no data
2011
no data
2012
no data
2013
no data
2014
no data
2015
no data
2016
no data
2017
no data
2018
54%
33 of 69
2019
37%
16 of 44
2020
too few complaints
2021
too few complaints
2022
too few complaints
2023
too few complaints

Manufacturers fix things mid-generation. A bad year next to a clean one is common; the fix usually arrived in between.

Cleaner alternatives

Other luxury sedans with no elevated signal

The percentage is each model year's drivetrain complaint share. No elevated signal describes the model year, not any one car; a well-kept example of a flagged model can still be the right buy, and any of these still needs an inspection.

What owners reported

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM08/28/2026
My 2019 Kia Stinger 2.0T, VIN [XXX], suffered catastrophic engine failure at 32,000 miles due to a replacement fuel injector installed by an authorized Kia dealership. On XXX, Galeana Kia of [XXX], replaced the fuel injector on cylinder 3 under fault codes P0300 and P0303 and returned vehicle as "operating as designed.…
ENGINE06/10/2026
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 just…
POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE04/20/2026
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 e…

Three of 16 drivetrain complaints. The full report shows more, with quotes about the engine in the car you are looking at first.

Recall campaigns on the 2019 Kia Stinger (3)

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE
Kia Motors America (Kia) recalled certain 2019 Stinger vehicles equipped with 3.3L T-GDI engines on August 27, 2020. On December 30, 2020, Kia expanded the recall popula…
FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:FUEL PUMP
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2018-2021 Stinger vehicles. The fuel control valve plunger may stick inside the high pressure fuel pump, causing over-pressu…
ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:ENGINE:GASOLINE:TURBO/SUPERCHARGER:HOSES/PLUMBING
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2019-2020 K900, and 2018-2023 Stinger vehicles equipped with a 3.3-liter turbo gasoline direct injection engine. The left tu…

This does not say whether a particular car has an open, unrepaired recall. That depends on the VIN.

Before you buy a 2019 Kia Stinger

Questions people ask about the 2019 Kia Stinger

Does the 2019 Kia Stinger have engine problems?

More than most; the pattern is elevated rather than severe. 16 of 44 relevant complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2019 Kia Stinger concern the engine, transmission or fuel system (37%). Before buying one, have an independent mechanic check the engine and ask the seller whether it has been repaired or replaced.

Are there engine or transmission recalls on the 2019 Kia Stinger?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns on the 2019 Kia Stinger. Whether a specific car still has one open depends on its VIN.

Which Kia Stinger years are better?

The 2019 has the lowest engine and transmission complaint share of the Kia Stinger years we track (37%). The other years run higher.

Should I buy a 2019 Kia Stinger?

That depends on the car in front of you, not just the model year. The 2019 Kia Stinger has an elevated engine complaint pattern, so treat it as a car that needs proof: service records showing engine work, a cold-start test drive, and an independent pre-purchase inspection focused on the engine. A well-kept or already-repaired example can be a fine car; an unknown one is a gamble.

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Experimental model-level information. This is not a vehicle inspection, vehicle-history report, financial advice or purchase recommendation. It describes patterns across a model year, not the condition of any individual vehicle.