general problems of the 2017 Kia Motor Sportage - part 1

My vehicle engine caught fire after getting gas. It started smoking then went up in flames.

The contact’s mother owns a 2017 kia Sportage. While the contact's mother was driving at an undisclosed speed, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact's mother noticed an abnormal odor and an abnormal ticking sound coming from the vehicle. Additionally, the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the auto zone and connected to a diagnostic machine, and dtc: p0128, p1326, and p0014 were retrieved. The contact's mother received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 22v703000 (trailer hitches). The contact was unsure if the failure was associated with the unrepaired recall. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 141,000.

The contact owns a 2017 kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving on the highway at approximately 60 mph, the vehicle suddenly shut off and stalled. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where the battery was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The independent mechanic diagnosed the vehicle and found metal shavings inside the oil filter. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 143,111.

Car has 84000 miles on it for last 15-20 thousand miles there is a smell of gas in the oil. I took to dealership they charged me to replace a catalytic converter. Not even a year later the cars engine blew up. Now needs a whole new motor there is loud knocking and car will not accelerate.

I am reporting a dangerous engine failure involving sudden loss of power and complete engine shutdown. While traveling uphill on I-90 in massachusetts, my 2017 kia Sportage suddenly lost engine power and rapidly became unable to maintain speed. I first moved into the right lane due to the power loss, but then had to cross traffic at approximately 20 mph to reach a small emergency shoulder area on the left side of the highway, where the vehicle completely died. This created a serious highway safety hazard for me and other drivers. We were stranded in a highly dangerous location and required assistance from multiple massachusetts state troopers due to the unsafe roadside conditions. The vehicle was towed to a kia dealership, where they diagnosed: spark plugs covered in oil, multiple cylinder misfires, compression loss in cylinder 3, burnt valve causing failure likely worn valve seals causing oil consumption. The dealership stated the engine had been burning/consuming oil and that the burnt valve caused the loss of compression and sudden breakdown. This vehicle uses the 2. 4l theta ii gdi engine, which has a long history of engine failures, oil consumption complaints, stalling, and class-action litigation involving sudden engine failure and loss of power. Kia denied coverage by claiming only rod-bearing failures qualify for warranty extension, even though excessive oil consumption and compression loss appear closely related to the same broader engine defect pattern. Other owners have also reported 2017 Sportage excessive oil consumption leading to compression loss and engine failure. I believe this is a serious safety defect because the engine can fail suddenly while driving at highway speed, drivers may have little warning before loss of power, oil consumption may not trigger adequate warning before catastrophic failure. This creates crash risk, roadside hazard exposure, and potential fire risk.

Car started making noise, slowed down. I stopped the vehicle immediately and parked on shoulder. Towed it to a mechanic shop and they said the engine stopped. It needs an engine replacement.

My safety is put at risk. My car has stalled two different times on the highway. I was able to get it off the road after restarting the vehicle and coasting out. The engine was worked out by kia of mission viejo. They stated it was not due to rod bearing, although I was told on a separate occasion that there was metal in my oil in the same scenario then when they submitted the video to kia, they said they only saw the burnt valve my check engine light has went on a total of three times I’ve had the same exact work done three additional times as well as the knock sensor having to be replaced because it went off and burned out due to what happened on the highway. My car is part of the theta engine issue with kia.

On 1/10 about 1. 5 hour driving out of town later engine started idling low. Pulled over, replaced spark plugs and engine coil and still idling rough. Took vehicle for diagnostics of a broken head in the valve. I drive a 2. 4l engine 2017 kia Sportage lx awd. Only 114k miles. Quoted thousands and thousands, more than care worth to repair.

My 2017 kia Sportage with approximately 98,000 miles suddenly started using oil at times. It would go for several trips with everything fine and then it would be a quart low. I continued to drive it and check the oil before every trip. At approximately 106,000 miles, I suddenly lost engine power, a small puff of black smoke from the exhaust, and the check engine light came on. I crippled it home after checking all fluids - they were fine. I trailered the car to my mechanic and after diagnosing it, he stated the #1 cylinder had no compression. I brought it home and checked online to find out that this seemed to be a common occurrence with the Sportage. To double check, I took the car to a second mechanic to get the same results except he provided more detail. Compression on #1 cylinder 0, #2 was 140, #3 145, #4 140. He stated the compression should be above 175. My safety issue was I could have been stranded on i49 and if this had happened at night, I may not have been able to get it home. I took the vehicle to crain kia, fayetteville, ar. When the first check engine light came on and they stated it was shown as low engine oil even though it had oil in the engine and that it showed low compression on cylinder 4. I now have a vehicle with 106,048 miles that without major engine repairs is worthless to me.

Kia Sportage has had serious oil consumption issues for 3 years. And recently is loosing pressure in cylinder 2 as a result of excessive carbon build up on valves and head from oil burning in the combustion chamber.

October 2, 2025 no oil in engine. Car has always had regular oil maintenance. Dealer put almost four quarts of oil in car to start an oil consumption test of 1,000 miles. November 22, 2025 driving about 70 miles an hour, on the 241 toll road car loses powder, speed dropped to about 20 miles an hour. I was able to make it to the highway shoulder where the engine struggled to stay running. I cut the engine off and it would not start again. Had to be towed to covina kia. Still had over three hundred miles before the 1,000 mile test. Last oil change July 9, 2025 at covina kia. I bought my 2017 kia Sportage in October 2016 brand new. I'm the only one to drive it. I have always taken it back to dealer for servicing. All my oil changes were done with the dealer and on time. I understand there is a class action lawsuit against kia for oil starvation and engines seizing, (theta ii sc147). All indications suggests my engine also suffered the same manufacturer defect as claimed in the lawsuit. And I want to be compensated kia manufacturer is aware of there engine problems and should be more proactive, before someone is killed.

On 11/21/2025, while operating my vehicle, I experienced a critical engine failure. The engine failed a compression test, with readings as follows: cylinder 1: 125 psi cylinder 2: 60 psi cylinder 3: 25 psi cylinder 4: 3 psi as a result, the engine had no compression in multiple cylinders, preventing the vehicle from starting. The vehicle exhibited [smoke, stalling, or other observable symptoms]. This failure appears consistent with known issues in the theta 2 gdi engines, including risk of engine failure or fire. I had not received notification of any required software updates or recalls relevant to this issue. Despite multiple attempts to resolve this with the dealer, including [dates of service attempts], the dealer refused to cover a replacement engine under warranty. Impact on safety: the sudden engine failure rendered the vehicle inoperable and posed a significant safety risk due to the potential for stalling or fire while driving. Additional notes: I am submitting this report to request that the NHTSA investigate this potential safety defect.

The catalytic converter in the kia. We were driving to texas to take my kids out for Mini vacation and it’s cut off right in the middle of the highway. My car was running just fine everything was fix properly. Can you check in the catalytic converter and see if it safely issue.

Car shut off middle of driving. Mechanic said engine is seized, and no oil in engine. Car has always had regular oil maintenance. There is a class action lawsuit against kia for oil starvation and engines seizing, (theta ii sc147). Last oil change was ~4,500 miles ago. All indications suggests my engine also suffered the same manufacturer defect as claimed in the lawsuit. Balise kia in west springfield MA refuses to do the inspection of the engine without proof of every single oil change since I purchased the vehicle in 2016, which is an impossible request. Corporate also stated that it is the dealership's discretion to demand oil receipts, even though I offered to print credit card statements instead, and I purchased a car fax report that has them listed beginning in 2019, but unfortunately none reported before then. I provided them with receipts of no oil changes missed since 2024. Still denied the inspection. There were no warning lights prior to the engine seizing.

My kia engine has failed and kia is refusing to submit or honor my engine replacement claim under the known engine defect class action/recall. The dealer told me that the claim cannot be submitted because a prior owner did not receive the ksds (knock sensor detection system) software update. Kia then changed their reasoning and stated the engine failure was “for another reason,” but still refuses to provide documentation or allow the claim to be processed. I was left without a vehicle, charged excessive diagnostic fees, and stranded in dangerous winter weather conditions (around -30°f wind chills). The dealership refuses to send the engine claim to kia, stating the “missing ksds update” as the justification, even though the engine failure was unrelated to that software and the recall states that kia must prove the update’s absence caused the failure before denying coverage. Kia’s refusal has resulted in an unexpected repair estimate of approximately $6,000, no loaner vehicle, and severe hardship. Their actions appear to violate recall obligations and consumer safety protections, as I am being denied a known-defective engine replacement due to a prior owner’s failure to complete a software update. I am requesting investigation and intervention, as kia is not honoring the recall process or the class action settlement requirements.

While driving on the parkway with my child and younger cousin in the vehicle, the car unexpectedly began to decelerate without warning. I safely pulled over to the side of the road and turned the vehicle off. When attempting to restart it, the engine would not crank or turn on. Moments later, smoke began to appear from under the hood. Additionally, the engine, battery, and oil warning lights illuminated on the dashboard. This incident created a dangerous situation and raised serious safety concerns regarding the reliability of the vehicle.

On November 2, while driving my 10-year-old son to a soccer game, the vehicle suffered a sudden loss of power at road speed. The vehicle's failure to provide a "limp-home mode" or any sensor warnings prior to stalling created a significant life-safety risk for my son and me as we had to coast across traffic to a safe location where the car stalled. •no warning indicators: there were no prior "check engine" lights, oil pressure warnings, or temperature fluctuations. •hazardous failure mode: the vehicle stalled completely in active traffic. I was forced to perform an emergency maneuver, coasting across lanes of traffic to reach a safe shoulder. •outcome: the vehicle was towed to ourisman kia of bethesda, where service technicians diagnosed "severe internal engine failure. ".

See attached document for complaint.

On October 16, 2025 my car lost ability to accelerate while driving on highway. Just as the car was losing motive power the engine light came on. Car was then towed to a mechanic. After looking at the car the mechanic reported that the engine had seized and I would need a new engine. The mechanic was able to get the engine moving. The week before I had put oil in the car as I noticed it was going through oil faster.

My wife was driving home from work on 10-15-2025 when the car started to lose power and started shaking, vibrating really bad. She got off the exit and at the red light and it died. She called me crying and scared. She started the car back up to try to get the car home and she said the car is vibrating and shaking really bad and I’m so scared and it died again in traffic. I told her to pull over and I would come get her and she did make it home. I look at the car and found it had a misfire on cylinder 2. Cylinder 2 had no compression. I did take it to kia and they confirmed the diagnosis. Here is where the problem lies. The technician that scanned my car purposely miss diagnosed it. He wrote it only had burnt valves and cylinder. He never said anything about the hole in my piston. He took a picture of it and it has a hole on top. He said the car was drivable; are you kidding me. When you start the car the voice comes over the speakers and says the computer has detected a major engine problem. My cars VIN # confirms that it qualifies for the class actions settlement because of the engine that is in the car. They are known to fail because of excessive oil use, starvation of oil, bad piston rings, bad rod bearings. We have been without her car since this happened. Kia said the car was drivable and I can promise you it is not. This car is not safe at all to drive. It loss all power in traffic and it kept dying.

Car started having issues with retaining oil and was blowing oil out of the oil fil cap, oil changes were being performed every 3 weeks due to continued oil loss without cause. Car started shaking while driving on the highway, check engine light started flashing and car lost all power. Car was towed from highway to kia authorized dealer where they performed a full engine replacement, replaced serpentine belt, oil filter and air filters. Picked up vehicle from dealership approx. 2 weeks later, engine was still blowing oil out of oil fill cap and entire vehicle smelled like used oil. Dealership also refilled engine with wrong type of oil upon replacement of engine. Car requires 5w-20, dealership put in 5w-30 instead of correct oil.

The contact owns a 2017 kia Sportage. The contact stated that while accelerating from a complete stop, the vehicle failed to respond as intended. The contact stated that the vehicle drove 2 mph for approximately 2 minutes and was jerking abnormally. The contact stated that the failure recurred while driving at various speeds. The check engine and the brake warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the used car dealer where it was purchased. The dealer replaced an unknown sensor; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer to be repaired. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 126,983.

The contact owned a 2017 kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving 55-60 mph on the highway, the contact noticed smoke coming from underneath the hood. The contact stated that there was a significant amount of smoke inside the vehicle. It was unknown whether a warning light illuminated. The contact exited the vehicle and noticed that there were police officers 20 ft. Away from the vehicle. The police officers advised the contact to get away from the vehicle. The contact noticed flames under the hood, by the engine compartment. The contact stated that the entire vehicle caught on fire. The contact stated that the entire vehicle was completely burned to the metal. The fire was extinguished by the fire department. A fire department report was filed, and it was reported that the fire originated from the engine. A police report was filed. A firefighter sustained an unknown injury and was taken to the nearest hospital. The contact did not sustain physical injuries but sustained mental injury, lack of sleep, anxiety, and was upset. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot and was totaled. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was filed. The manufacturer sent an investigator who inspected the vehicle and stated that the cause of the fire was undetermined. The manufacturer provided vehicle rental assistance as a settlement. The failure mileage was approximately 115,000.

2017 kia Sportage while driving on the highway, the vehical starting losing power and shaking, it lost power and several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with engine failure and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the same diagnostic test information was provided. The kia dealer said that the engine needed to be replaced, but since it was not the rod, but only the #4 cylinder it would not be under the extended warranty. The vehicle has not been repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and we were denied extended coverage. In addition to this, the electrical system has been failing and the windows would not roll up, this was fixed before the engine failure, but the drivers side door still does not unlock without the key. The failure mileage was approximately 112,000.

Car starting shaking violently while on the highway. Daughter pulled over and parked car on side of road. Had to have car towed as it would not restart. Engine failure.

Blown engine p1236 knock sensor circuit.

Engine light came on flashing on the dash. Went to o’reily auto shop to get it checked and their scanner discovered p1326 code, “knocking sensor” and oil light came on and flashing as well. The motor oil was replaced about a month ago. Checked the oil dip stick and it was below the first dot.

The contact owned a 2017 kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving 75 mph, she observed black smoke emanating from the engine compartment. The contact was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway and switch the vehicle off. After a visual inspection, she observed flames within the engine compartment emanating from a source unknown to the contact. Local emergency service arrived and were able to extinguish the fire, later attributing the fire to an unspecified equipment failure. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard and deemed a total lose by the contacts insurance provider. A fire report was filed. A police report was not filed and no injuries were reported. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 149,000.

The contact owns a 2017 kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving 70 mph, the vehicle stalled and then lost motive power with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with engine failure and the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where the same diagnostic test information was provided. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 101,000. The VIN was not available.

The contact owns a 2017 kia Sportage. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled and illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, however the contact was advised to tow the vehicle to the dealer. The cotnact stated that the failure occurred while traveling across two states. The vehicle was towed to the contact's brother's residence while waiting for a scheduled appointment with the dealer. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer where the contact was informed that an unknown software update was needed. The vehicle was repaired. In addition, the contact was informed that the second unknown software update was part of an unknown special program. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 97,000.

Burning oil. Having to put a quart of oil every 1-2weeks with less then 500 miles used. Local dealer won’t do anything about it.

We had to take the car to a mechanic to have the engine replaced because it started making a loud noise and then stopped running. They advised us that because it has less than 150,000 miles, it should be covered by kia. We spoke to kia and they told us that because we missed 2 recalls that we were never notified about it would not be covered. If the recalls would have been done, they would cover the damages. We purchased the car a couple of years ago from my sister in law who got it when my father in law passed away in 2019. I checked with her and she never received the recalls and we never received them. Therefore, since neither of us knew about the recalls they were not done. I spoke to someone at NHTSA and they advised me to file a complaint. They don't have records of where the recalls were mailed. We are having to pay $4500 out of pocket due to this issue. Please advise if there is something that you can do to help get kia to reimburse us or the damages that should be covered by them. My cell # is [xxx] . Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

I have documented oil consumption issue since 65,000 miles. Every time I got an oil change after that, I would have very low oil. When I told kia, they told me that the engine would have to "blow up" for anything to be done. This all occurred before my 100,000 mile powertrain was expired. On July 2, 2025, my car began shaking and jumping while I was driving and any time I had the brake on at a red light. I took it to midas for a diagnostic test and they said that 3 out of the 4 cylinders were misfiring. They told me to take it immediately to kia. When I took it, they said they would do a diagnostic test. They said that one of the cylinders were misfiring and that I would need a new engine. At this time I was at approximately 113,;000 miles. I opened a claim with kia and for a month, the only correpondence I had with them was when I called either kia corporate or kia service where my car was. They never helped me, only told me I could get a new car and they would give me "a deal". I finally got in touch with a local mechanic and he said he wanted to look at the car. When I went to kia to pick it up, it would not start, even when one of their mechanics jumped it. The local mechanic towed it for me, but not before kia made me pay over $400 to take a car that did not run. They would not give me the keys until I paid. The local mechanic found that I had a cracked spark plug and had my car running in a day. I am appalled at how I was treated and how kia would not stand by their car and then tried to get me to buy a new one. My car was well taken care of and it should not have needed a new engine, had oil consumption problems or should have been sitting in service for a month. Something needs to be done so that this does not happen again. There is a facebook page dedicated to kia engines and the stories are very similar to mine. This is not right.

I was sold a kia Sportage 2017 in February. I was told this vehicle has no after market parts. After my vehicle catching fire and seizing on me June 26th of this year so 4 months after buying the vehicle. It was discovered that an after market starter is indeed in this vehicle with loose wiring. I could have lost my life on my way home. The dealership has been nothing but a pain since this experience I have encountered. My insurance was involved but was told I need to bring this issue to kia. Contacted demontround kia multiple times was never helped once. Contacted kia customer care. I have a claims agent who has been no help whatsoever. I was told to get my car towed to west side kia, which they have been rude from the start and have been no help. They actually want me to come out out of pocket for engine related damages that was not my fault given that I’ve only had the car for four months before the engine seized on me and caught fire on my way home from work. When I told a server worker at westside that I don’t believe that I should be paying out of pocket he had somebody else contact me. They emailed me that same day to call them as soon as I can. I called them immediately after I got the email and didn’t even receive an answer. Nora call back and I called multiple times for the next consecutive days and I finally get an email saying sorry they were moving buildings that is very unprofessional. There was no point to email me originally to tell me to contact you then.

Oil change completed on 6/19/2025 noticed oil leaking 3-4 days after change. Performance plus, came to my work and inspected oil leakage. They stated the leak was coming from the oil pressure switch. I had the engine recall completed less than a year ago. Is this something that's still under warranty?.