"I Love My 2021 Kia Stinger, But I Have Had Nothing But Problems, And Now, It's Jerking Like Crazy"

Car ownership can be blissful or painful, and there is no shortage of both. While browsing through the Kia Stinger Owners Group on Facebook, I stumbled upon a very colorful post by a group member who goes by Haley Zeilmann. She bought a used 2021 Kia Stinger GT Line and shares her two-year ownership experience in a rather colorful manner, which for the sake of being politically correct, I have edited. 

I decided to try to find a solution to the problems she is reporting and whether Kia has issued service recalls for any of these issues. Here's the edited version of what Haley says about her ownership experience (you can also find the unedited version here): 

"I love my car, but I have had nothing but issues with this car since I bought it.  2021 Stinger Gt Line. Brake issues, and now it’s jerking like crazy when I step on the gas, can’t even drive it. Also, a weird creaking sound when I turn, and it shakes and jumps when it’s in idle. It has been one thing right after another with this car, but also the only thing I’ve done with this car is oil changes. I’ve had it for two years and put about 70,000 miles on it."

Lack of maintenance or a classic case of dealing with a lemon?

A few things stand out from Haley’s post. First, she does not specify how many miles the Stinger had before the purchase. Secondly, after 70,000 miles, some maintenance would be in order, aside from the usual engine oil change. Kia says you should change the fluid of the eight-speed automatic every 60,000 miles. While not extremely common, this could be a cause for jerking. 

Other group members suggest the spark plugs may be a cause for the jerking as they need to be changed every 42,000 miles according to the owner’s manual. Being a 2021 G Line, this means Haley’s Stinger has the 2.5-liter turbo-four engine, so you only need to change four spark plugs instead of six like on the 3.3-liter unit. Another recommendation is to inspect and change the coils as they can also cause stuttering and /or jerking. 

In a Reddit discussion, one member explains that it is a design feature of the transmission, which enhances performance by minimizing the lag between stepping off the brake and stepping on the accelerator. According to another forum member, who experienced the “issue”, a TCU remap solves it.

As for the creaking noise from the steering wheel, other Kia Stinger owners have also reported this. According to another owner who posted in the Kia Stinger forum, the problem went away after the dealership replaced the rear control arms, the sound of which was "reverberating around to sound like the front”. That said, it can just as well be a front control arm on its way out, so I always recommend checking all four corners. 

I think Kia is doing a lot of things right, and the Stinger is one of them, despite not being a sales success. I think it sucks that the Kia Stinger is among the performance cars discontinued in 2024, and while the mildly-spicy Kia K4 hatchback is all the car most people would need, it pays for rising brands like Kia to feature halo models like the Stinger.

My advice for Haley is change the spark plugs and/ or coils, do a transmission oil change, and check your suspension. According to different outlets like Cars.com, and forums, most owners are extremely satisfied with the Stinger, often giving it a maximum score. Do you agree? If you own a Stinger, I would be happy to read about your experience in the comment section below.

About the author

Dimitar Angelov's automotive interests made him an expert in a wide variety of vehicles. Japanese brands like Toyota and Nissan are closest to his heart, although performance cars in general are his favorite segment, which is why he is constantly on the lookout for the best deals on the market. Dimitar Angelov's car passion and knack for the written word led him to complete a Master of Arts in Media and Communications, and classic car restoration. Dim is happy to get behind the wheel of any car and share his impressions. You can follow Dimitar on X, Linked-in, Instagram, and Facebook.

Image source: 2021 Kia Stinger press release