Table 1 shows one common seats related problems of the 2023 Kia Motor Sportage.
| Problem Category | Number of Problems |
|---|---|
| Seats problems |
Vehicle caught fire while idling unattended with seat warmers activated. The driver seat ignited and fire spread across the seats to the headrest in the backseats and sunroof area. No one was inside the vehicle at the time. Multiple eyewitnesses confirm no one was near the vehicle. Surveillance footage captured the incident. Police report confirms no arson or external cause. A campus officer noted the fire may be related to the seat heater system. Vehicle is currently undrivable due to severe interior fire damage.
I purchased this car from a dealership. After getting home, I realized the rear safety head restraints were missing. After multiple attempts to contact and ask for this to be fixed, I don't get returned calls and have not received the replacement head restraints. I was not notified at the time of purchase these were missing. I will not let passengers sit in my rear seat without these safety headrests.
Within just two years of normal use, the front driver-side leather seat in my vehicle has developed multiple cracks. I contacted the dealer and was dismissively told this obvious defect is considered “normal wear and tear” and therefore not covered under warranty. I then contacted kia customer service, only to be told they “do not handle warranty issues” and that everything is the dealer’s responsibility. This complete lack of accountability is unacceptable. If kia’s so-called “leather” seats cannot last more than two years, then the product is clearly substandard. Had I known the materials were this poor and customer support would be this unhelpful, I would never have purchased a kia—let alone paid extra for a leather interior. Between the low-quality materials and the ineffective customer service, this has been an extremely disappointing ownership experience.
We purchased a new 2023 kia Sportage a month ago (January). There are several issues we’ve encountered. One week after purchase, the doors on the vehicle would lock on it’s own and we weren’t able to unlock them. The key fob nor trying to unlock the doors manually would not work. At times, we weren’t able to lock or unlock the doors and had to do it remotely from the kia app on the phone. I spoke with the salesperson and manager from the dealership on two separate occasions. I was told to change the batteries in the key fobs, but the problem continues. The second issue is that we noticed the back seat on the driver’s side popped forward. At one point, the seatbelt warning would alarm when no one’s sitting there. The third problem is the airbag warning sign illuminating which started today. This is a major concern. The kia service depart where we purchased the vehicle said it could be 3 months or more before they could check the vehicle. I called another dealership and they’re going to see service the vehicle next week.