There are few automakers which offer a range quite so versatile as that of Kia's. Currently, Kia boasts options for those on a budget, such as with the $20,490 Soul, spacious family-friendly choices like the Sportage and Telluride, in addition to hybridized and electrified choices. This is encouraging, as there is pretty much a model for everyone, besides perhaps a work-ready truck and a dedicated sports car.
However, it doesn't matter how complete Kia's range is, or how tempting the prices are, if the cars themselves cannot be relied upon. When Kia first tried entering European and North American markets some decades ago now, the cars were cheap, but they felt it too, and it took some years for Kia to get over its reputation of building cheap cars which didn't last. Fortunately, the tide has very much turned on this reputation, as evidenced by recent reports from Consumer Reports (CR), who clearly show that — while Kia isn't leading the industry in terms of reliability — it is steadily climbing the ranks.
Big names such as Toyota, Lexus, and Subaru vie for the top spot, but Kia isn't too far behind, and firmly finds itself within the top 10 for new car reliability, and it's not too far behind in terms of maintenance costs and customer satisfaction either. In terms of used car reliability, the Korean brand does sit a little lower down in the rankings, but for a brand that's been improving year-on-year, this is what you'd expect to see. As the current crop of models age, it's likely that used car reliability will improve.
As trustworthy as the data from Consumer Reports (CR) is, buying a new car is a big decision, and so it's always wise to consult a number of different and dependable sources before making a choice. We've done just that, and fortunately the data sits in Kia's favor, with most seemingly agreeing with CR that Kia's latest models are the best yet. For instance, J.D. Power has awarded a variety of popular 2025 Kia models with quality and reliability scores, which should fill prospective buyers with plenty of confidence. Among them is the Kia K4 — which is so cheap it makes us wonder why other cars are so expensive. The compact sedan is new to the market this year, and scores a mighty 89 out of 100, while other models like the Sportage and Carnival sit slightly behind, but still north of 80, which sees them sit within the 'Great' category.
Elsewhere, RepairPal provides Kia with a four out of a five-star rating when it comes to reliability, seeing it rank as 3rd overall out of 32 car brands — impressive. What's more, it estimates the average Kia repair bill to be $474, $178 less than the calculated industry average. It's clear to see that Consumer Reports and other industry experts are more than happy to agree that Kia is in fact producing reliable cars, and that the newest models are some of the best produced yet.
