general problems of the 2020 Kia Motor Sportage - part 2

I own 2020 kia Sportage under 50,000 miles. I have been dealing with oil consumption problem since December 2024. My car will burn all it's oil before next oil change. I have been to h&h kia in papillion nebraska and had several oil consumption tests. One in January 2025 and another in June 2025. They tell me that the car is burning oil but according to kia not enough to to replace the engine. My last oil change was June 2025 and my milage is 49650 and my car is out of oil and my next oil change is not until 54933 miles. By the vehicle consuming oil at an undetermined rate it is impossible to tell when the oil will run dry causing the vehicle to cease to run. If this happens on the interstate or highway this could cause accidents or engine fires. It is also a safety issue leaving drivers stranded on the roadside in extreme cold or heat. Yes my problem has been confirmed by a kia dealership but unable to get kia to make repairs and honor the warranty yes it has been inspected by a kia dealership and they confirmed problem with oil consumption and that other kia Sportages are having same problems yes the oil light comes out when the car is empty - since it burns at a fast rate there is no way of knowing if you can get the car and yourself to somewhere safe before the car shuts down.

On 12/1/24 I was driving my kia Sportageto my home around 3pm. The car seemed completely fine and out of no where there was a large knocking noise and the car shut off and would not restart. I was in the middle of a main road and put me in a position of danger as oncoming cars were unable to see my hazards and I was almost hit several times till it was safe to get out of the vehicle. As of right now I was denied warranty work and I am still working with the dealer for a solution. What bothers me is I just spent $3000 less than 2 months ago to replace a cam actuator and timing chain and never once was a blown engine mentioned to me or that I should be concerned about one.

The contact owns a 2020 kia Sportage. The contact stated that weeks after having an oil change, the oil warning light became illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the independent mechanic where the oil change was performed, and the contact was informed that the failure was common for the model vehicle. The contact was advised to have the oil topped off every 6 weeks due to the failure. The contact then stated that while driving 45 mph, there was an abnormal rumbling sound coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that three unknown warning lights were illuminated, and the vehicle started to lose motive power. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to a dealer and remained for several days before the vehicle could be diagnosed. The dealer asked for receipts of the oil changes and the contact provided the receipts available. The contact was later informed that since there were missing receipts, the engine would not be repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle remained in the possession of dealer unrepaired. The failure mileage was unknown.

Dear NHTSA, I am writing to update you regarding a prior concern I raised about the premature engine failure on my 2020 kia Sportage at just over 66,000 miles. While I was not covered under kia’s powertrain warranty due to being the second owner, the dealership—kia cornerstone in elk river, mn—has now agreed to submit a goodwill reimbursement request to kia America on my behalf for the $7,500 engine replacement. At this time, I have not yet received reimbursement, and there is no set timeline for when the funds will be issued. However, the dealership has acknowledged responsibility to submit the request and follow through with kia corporate. I wanted to provide this update as a matter of record and to ensure that this case remains visible should further follow-up be needed. I continue to hope kia will do the right thing and take responsibility for a major failure that occurred well below industry expectations for engine longevity.

On October 27th my 5 year old daughter and I were driving home just after leaving tiresplus getting four brand new tires and an oil change. On the way home out of no where my vehicle caught fire. Driving down the highway, once noticing the car was on fire, no warning no nothing- until I hit the breaks which did not work cause they were completely burnt. Within moments of thinking how I am going to get to my child in her car seat and save myself I went into the median of the highway thinking grass would slow me down. Once the car was going about 30 mph I opened my driver door fearing we would be locked in the burning vehicle. As soon as I opened my door my legs were burning, I unbuckled my seat belt and jumped out of the car. Only to get up and chase the vehicle to get my 5 year old out. The car was fully engolfed in flames when approaching the vehicle thinking my daughter was dead. By the grace of god she unbuckled her self, climbed through the center counsel out the driver door and jumped into my arms! we were down to seconds of dying. Breaks didn’t work, nothing told me the car was hot, the trauma we endured. No one has taken responsibility for this and it’s frustrating that I owe money on the vehicle with full coverage and gap insurance still.

I have a 2020 kia Sportage and the engine failed at 48,000 mi. Car has two attempted thefts as well as one actual theft. Car also has software upgrade required hello, car was still stolen after software upgrade was implemented as well as steering wheel lock. Car damage windows bus. Cars steering wheel locks stolen damaged door handles scratches to vehicle. I have not had this car for almost 47 days. I am behind in payments as well as still receiving premium insurance increases. This car is still able to be stolen although the software upgrades from kia promise have not exactly worked. I am wishing for any resolution to this situation. Asking for help.

I purchased a 2020 Sportage in 2022 from st. Cloud Honda in st. Cloud, mn. Recently my engine locked up after no oil. I was over in mileage, but had an oil change in April. I would receive warning lights for tire pressures but never received an indication that my oil was low until my engine seized. I don't understand why a critical component for the car, the oil, would not issue an indication that it was low until it was empty (too late). During my recent problem, my oil light came on as did the battery light, but the car stalled at that moment. During my last oil change in April, I let the advisor know that my engine light was on (not oil nor battery). The mechanic said it was from a previous repair, but there wasn't anything detected. They had the light turned off and then as soon as I left the dealership it turned back on. When I called back to let them know, they said it wasn't anything. That was a relief because I didn't want anything to be wrong with my engine. My vehicle is currently at cornerstone kia in elk river, mn should you have anything to discuss with the advisors.

The contact owned a 2020 kia Sportage. The contact stated while driving at approximately 35 mph, the contact discovered smoke coming from the engine compartment and from out of the a/c unit; the contact pulled to the side of the road as she discovered that the engine compartment, the front driver side and passenger side of the vehicle, and underneath the vehicle had caught on fire. No warning lights were illuminated. The origin of the fire was unknown. The vehicle was occupied during the fire. The contact's spouse sustained burns from attempting to extinguish the fire that he discovered had spread onto him and the contact's clothes while they were still driving. Once all of the passengers safely exited the vehicle, the vehicle exploded. Medical attention was sought. A fire department and police report was filed. A dealer was not contacted however, the vehicle was pronounced totaled at the scene. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 11,000.

My 2020 kia Sportage ex has been experiencing pre-ignition problems for a while since I got the car I’ve heard this rattling noise and my vehicle has been running hot every time I am driving or even if I’m in stall mode it’s ready hot. I am requesting something be done about these faulty engine problems.

When driving slow or creeping through an intersection to turn, when you hit the gas there is a significant pause or sometimes you will have to pump the gas pedal before the engine responds. This has been an ongoing problem since about September 2020.

The engine has excessive engine oil consumption. Frequent oil changes and payment for oil. Vehicle also is not indicating when it is low on oil. This has been ongoing since the purchase of the vehicle in 2021.

My 2020 kia Sportage continues to consume too much oil. There is not a leak detected where I park my car during work, nor in my garage. I need to add oil to the vehicle every other week.

On 4/19/24 had oil change at kia of orangeburg,SC. On 4/20/24 travelled to summerville,SC on I-26 east. Exited at the 199-b exit and stopped at the traffic light. Observed smoke coming from under the hood. Pulled over at gas station on right. My daughter opened the hood and there was fire under the hood. Dropped hood and called 911. Fire department arrived and put the fire out. There were no warning lights in dash board or unpleasant odors observed while driving.

Driving on highway going 75 mph oil lamp came on. Had to safely get to right shoulder. Had towed to kia. Oil plug had fallen out. Oil everywhere. Kia will not cover cost of new engine because oil change was not done at dealership. Still under warranty. Only 65800 miles. Fought for 2 months with kia cooperate and they would not help us either. This is a known problem for this car so why should I be out the money for a new engine. It was still a running car when I had it towed. Kia technician checked and saw no oil. He then started car and it started knocking and died. They are the ones that seized up the engine. They should be held accountable. Make sure to get your oil changed at the dealership even if you have to sit and wait 4 to 5 hours. Then and then only maybe they would have covered the engine.

The contact owns a 2020 kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the front of the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the knock sensor had failed. The knock sensors were replaced. The contact stated that on a separate occasion, two months after the knock sensors were replaced, the contact heard an abnormal knocking sound coming from the vehicle. The vehicle failed to accelerate as intended while depressing the accelerator pedal and failed to move forward. The caution warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to pull over to the side of the road. The contact called an independent mechanic, who arrived at the location where the contact had pulled over. The independent mechanic used a handheld code reader, and an unknown code showed that the problem was due to the oil and engine. The independent mechanic checked the oil, and the oil level was low. The contact stated that the oil had been changed a week prior to the failure. The independent mechanic added oil, and the vehicle restarted, and the warning lights disappeared. The contact was able to continue driving the vehicle. However, the vehicle failed to accelerate above 40 mph. The vehicle was taken to another independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the knock sensor had failed, and the engine was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The vehicle was not repaired. However, the oil was changed. The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, who confirmed that the knock sensor had failed, and that the engine was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil, causing damage to the engine. The vehicle was not repaired due to the cost. The contact was adding oil to the engine two or three times per week, and the oil was changed every two weeks. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.

Engine started to consume oil. I'm now going through a quart or more of oil in a couple hundred miles. Dealerships are aware of an oil consumption issue with kids engines. This needs to be a recall because it can cause engine to sieze while driving or cause a fire.

Check engine light intermittently turned on for years. Took to dealership numerous times with no resolution. Was driving and vehicle overheated to the point I thought I was going to catch fire. Pulled over, had towed to dealership. They replaced 51 + parts and spent $15,900 on repairs just to give me back a vehicle that is a lemon. Car engine revs louder than before. Terrifying after what was experienced.

The contact owns a 2020 kia Sportage. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was unable to duplicate the failure. While driving at an unknown speed, the vehicle overheated, and the contact was able to pull over. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be rebuilt. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The contact stated that the vehicle revved up and idled rough. The manufacturer was contacted and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 12,000.

The contact owns a 2020 kia Sportage. The contact stated while driving at various speeds, the vehicle started to vibrate abnormally, with the check oil and check engine warning lights illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer where the vehicle was diagnosed and the contact was informed that the spark plugs, ignition coils, valves, and piston rings needed be replaced, and an oil consumption test needed to be performed. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure persisted. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 80,000.

Engine failure. Check engine light illuminated for the first time at 2:30pm on 2/11/23 while traveling at 65mph, light then begins flashing and speed immediately decreased to 25mph on a 2 lane bridge. There was a loud unusual knocking sound coming from the engine that had never been heard prior to the engine going into limp mode. I limped the vehicle home at 25mph to find that the oil level was critically low even after adding oil just 3 days prior due to an issue with the vehicle that began consuming an excessive amount of oil following repairs made to the engine by the dealership due to an auto accident in 2022. Information found on kias website stated that the vehicle could be driven while the light is flashing so after limping home and finding the oil had been completely consumed, oil was added to bring it back to the recommended level then it was driven a mile away to auto zone to have the code read. It threw code p1326. The vehicle was then driven back home where just 2 blocks away from home the engine completely seized and would no longer start and had to be towed home. The warranty has run out due to high miles on the vehicle. So the vehicle sits in the driveway with payments still being made and the repairs being too costly to take care of out of pocket.

About 6 weeks ago, I began to hear a clattering noise occasionally when I would accelerate. It wasn’t constant and I didn’t notice my vehicle driving any differently. So I chalked it up to being bad gas and thought maybe I should add a cleaner the next time I filled up. That seemed to work for a few days and then it was back. In addition to this not terrible noise, on Saturday February 11th around 2pm, while driving 75mph on the highway, out of nowhere, my check engine light began to flash and I lost speed. From 75mph on a 2 lane down to 25mpb with no shoulder to safely pull over to. I was 15 minutes from home so I continued to drive at the low speed, limping, my way home. Once at home my husband came outside and I explained what had happened. We dug into google and found the hundreds and hundreds of articles regarding the 2. 4gdi engines and the recalls etc. A couple of hours later I drove to auto zone to have them read the code for me. P1326 is the code that registered. So back home I went to dig around on the web for more information about what could be wrong with my car. While on my way home, only a mike from auto zone, my car completely stalled out. Lights, radio, etc still working the car would not start. My husband came and pulled me being that I had made it just 2 blocks from home. I drive a lot and have racked up the miles, I’m over mileage for my warranty as well as the extended warranty I purchased. Seeing that there have been so many claims denied I’m not sure what I should even do at this point. And if the 2020 were to ever be recalled it could be months before anything is done. I’m at a loss and very frustrated having to deal with this disaster.

- on four separate occasions, the car failed to start. On all four occasions, it was towed to the yonkers kia dealer. It is available for inspection if necessary. - failure to start jeopardizes my safety as I could be stranded in the wrong neighborhood or situation. - the problem was reproduced on the third tow to the yonkers kia dealer. - the vehicle has been inspected on for separate occasions by the entire yonkers kia service team. - there were no warning lamps, messages or symptoms prior to the failure. The first time the problem occurred was October 4, 2022.

The contact owns a 2020 kia Sportage. The contact then stated that on multiple occasions while attempting to accelerate above 25 mph, the engine revved but the vehicle failed to respond. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the starter needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was taken back to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the intake boot was torn and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that the dealer performed a brief examination. The contact stated that he was provided a case number, but no further assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 19,000.

The contact owns a 2020 kia Sportage. The contact stated while driving at 35 mph, the check engine and the oil pressure warning lights were illuminated, and the engine seized. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact opened the hood and noticed that there was no engine oil in the vehicle though he had completed the oil change on June 4, 2022. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine oil had leaked due the oil drain plugs missing. The dealer informed the contact that the oil drain plugs may not have been properly tightened during the last oil change. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 23,027.

My engine seized while driving. I had it immediately towed to the local kia dealership for inspection. The technician found that the oil drain plug was missing and the engine seized needing a complete engine repair for about $14,000. There was no indication from my vehicle that oil pressure was low or that maintenance was required. My vehicle only had 23,027 miles on it when it seized and I take my vehicle to be serviced as required. Warranty said that they will not cover the repair for my vehicle for (outside influence) because I did not get my oil change at a kia dealership. I have been denied by kia customer care with every attempt to get my car repaired under warranty and I continue to be denied. I had my oil changed three months prior to the drain plug falling out and I did not need an oil change for another 2000 miles. This is a brand new vehicle with very low mileage and as a kia customer I am not protected and with the oil drain plug just mysteriously falling out months after oil change. Kia warranty continues to deny this and I am suffering greatly with no resolution. The oil company assured that a serious check and cross check, in addition to other procedures, are performed on every oil change that they perform. And their certified lube technicians will never use a pneumatic/power tool to tighten oil drain plugs, and it is done manually using a torque wrench to the manufacturer's specified torque. Even with this information kia warranty has continued to deny fixing my vehicle for outside influence. I am desperately seeking a resolution.

I was involved in an accident in February 2022 in which I had auto body damage after hitting a vehicle cutting across an uncontrolled intersection through 3 lanes of traffic where I collided into it going 35mph. On March 22 I began having issues with my car idling high, jumping and running very poorly etc. The other party’s insurance approved the repairs. March 22 my car was towed to the local kia dealership where it remained until may 1 due to the parts being on back order. I am unsure of what repairs were completed at that time. The day after I picked my car up I noticed a substance splattered on both sides of my car as well as the hatchback. That same day, I stopped for an oil change at my usual place when they informed me that I have a tremendous amount of oil soaking the rocker panel under my engine. They insured me that everything was put back together all nuts and bolts were in place as they should be. Showed me where the oil measured on the dipstick. A few weeks later, I stopped in for my top off to find that I was 2 quarts low on oil. I had noticed also that there were oil spots all over our driveway where there use to never be. Due to the mileage on my vehicle and reading that this is a common occurrence in vehicles with high miles I made sure I kept a close eye on my oil levels, watched for any warning lights on my vehicle(which never appeared)and never thought much more about it. But as time passes and I get my oil changed I’m always still low on oil. I reached out to the service manager at the dealership to let him know about the leak I now had. He immediately made every attempt to make this my fault. He said that the repairs they made wouldn’t have caused a leak. He was very defensive and not really interested in the concerns I had. Never once did he mention anything about the known issues these vehicles are having which are not caused by the customer. He left me feeling helpless.

My car caught on fire in campground where I was staying. Also burned up 2 other vehicles, my RV was deemed a total loss and it also damaged 2 other campers. There was a fire investigation which was ordered by my insurance and there is another mechanical engineer investigation pending. There was a recall on my car and I had taken it to dealership last year for repair. There was no warning lights.

I was driving my Sportage home one night when about a mile away. The car suddenly dropped in power and the car barely moved. I couldn't get it to go any faster than 25 mpg. Cause unknown. It was late so I got it home but it had to be towed out to the kia dealer. When I checked on it the next week, they told me they didn't have it in their system and blamed the tow company. "the keys were given to the "big guy in the office out front. " the tow person told me. I haven't been able to get any information other than " if I want to walk the lot and find it , they would see about putting it in line. ".

The contact owns a 2020 kia Sportage. The contact stated while vehicle was parked, with the engine running, the contact noticed that the check engine warning light illuminated on the vehicle and would not turn off. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 21v137000 (service brakes, hydraulic) which the contact thought was the reason for the warning light being illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer to be repaired, however the warning light remained illuminated. The contact stated that the local dealer inspected the vehicle but was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 13,000.

My car wouldn't start twice. When I did get it to start, the engine light came on. Once on the freeway, the gears did not change until after 45 mph. This all happened before my first monthly payment and I bought the car with 56 miles on it.