Electrical System Problems of Kia Motor Sportage - part 1

I have a hybrid and 4 times now since we've owned it I experienced a lag during the transition from electric to gas power when I am stopped and try to move again (example at a stop sign or traffic light), which followed by a sudden, lurching acceleration when the gas does finally kick in. It's almost caused me to hit a car infront of me once and side swipe a car that was passing as I was making a turn because I wasn't expecting it to do that the 1st time it happened. It doesn't do it consistently just randomly as I said its only happened to me 4 times and I'm the only one that drives the car and we've had it since July 2025 I believe and it has under 4000 miles on it at this point.

My kia Sportage was stolen, however a couple of years ago I had the kia anti theft logic software updated on the car. I’ve been told that although it does not prevent anyone from breaking in, they should not have been able to move the car. Prior to this, the engine is running on 3 cylinders instead of 4 which has caused major issues with the car burning oil rapidly.

See all problems of the 2020 Kia Motor Sportage 🔎.

The contact owns a 2021 kia Sportage. The contact stated that her mother was driving at an undisclosed speed on the freeway and had stopped on the shoulder of the road to access the navigation system. The contact stated that after the driver shifted to park(p), the driver noticed smoke. The contact's grand-mother who was also occupying the vehicle advised the driver that the smoke was coming from underneath the hood. The driver then noticed that smoke and flames were coming from underneath the hood of the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle burned to the ground. The fire department was called to the scene and extinguished the fire. It was unknown whether a fire department report and a police report were filed. The vehicle was towed to an unknown location and was in the process of being inspected by the insurance company adjuster. Both the contact's mother and grand-mother later received medical assistance for smoke inhalation. The cause of the fire was not determined. The manufacturer and local dealer were not yet contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.

See all problems of the 2021 Kia Motor Sportage 🔎.

As I am driving, does not matter speed or weather, the instrument cluster screen will do a "system check" as if the vehicle is being started. The screen will go blank for about 5 seconds and then will reappear. If the vehicle is in cruise control, that will disengage and the vehicle will slow down and I have to catch it and keep speed up. This does not happen every day and has happened at different intervals of 6 days between incidents and up to 15 days. Occurred June 9, 2025; June 17, 2025; (vehicle in shop to be looked at June 23rd through August 5th); August 9, 2025, August 14, 2025; September 6, 2025, September 18, 2025; and October 2, 2025.

This vehicle has a safety issue with the headlights. Basically, the low beams for both, driver and passenger sides are not functioning at all. Several diagnostic have been done to repair the existing issue such as replacing new light bulbs, new oem turn signal switch, replacing whole new headlight assembly for both driver/ passenger sides, checking the relay, replacing new fuses, though, the issue still exists to date and the vehicle is undrivable in the dark. On a side not, only high beam works and turn signals, that is basically it. Several auto service centers have advised me to submit a report as a safety issues since all options have been exhausted. With that said, this safety issue concerning headlight should be addressed with the manufacturer. Thank you for taking this matter seriously!.

See all problems of the 2018 Kia Motor Sportage 🔎.

My 2018 kia Sportage (VIN [xxx] ) experienced complete engine failure due to low compression/internal combustion chamber failure. The vehicle lost power while driving on sept 30, 2025, and had to be towed to [xxx] kia in dayton, OH. This same dealership previously performed an oil retention test in Aug 2024 which failed, identifying a defective engine. Kia was aware of the issue but declined to replace the engine at that time. The failure pattern matches kia’s known engine defect. Kia consumer affairs (case #25572677) has denied goodwill assistance despite this safety-related engine failure and prior diagnostic documentation. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact owns a 2026 kia Sportage. The contact stated that the instrument panel intermittently flashed on and off while driving at various speeds. In addition, the contact stated that while at a complete stop, the speedometer indicated erroneous speeds. The vehicle had been taken to the dealer on several occasions; however, the dealer failed to duplicate or diagnose the cause of the failure. The contact also stated that while driving at 25 mph, the vehicle jerked while depressing the accelerator pedal. The contact continued driving, and the headlights turned off with an unknown message flashing on the instrument panel. The contact had taken several pictures and installed a camera in the vehicle to document the failures. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was eventually provided a case number. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 330.

I leased my 2020 kia Sportage lx in August 2019 and purchased the vehicle after the lease. In April 2025, the vehicle started emitting a strong gas smell after filling. Often, the pump would stop short around 8-10 gals instead of the usual 13-14 gals. I attributed both to perhaps cheap gas and faulty pumps. On September 23, 2025, I went to the dealership to check the gas odor and possible gas leakage and ticking engine noise. I ended up having to replace the entire fuel tank. The car is now 6 years old and, of course, out of its 5-year warranty. The report indicates that the leak was from the top of the tank and in the cabin; therefore, nothing was caused by normal wear or damage. Upon searching, I found that in January of 2019, previous years were recalled to replace the fuel tank due to similar issues (gas tank recall # sc172). Some of these models had recalls for the ksds as well, and my vehicle had been recalled and repaired. My concern is that this is my 3rd kia and 6th car total in life. Never have I had to replace a gas tank. I firmly believe some of these 2020 vehicles were built at the end of 2018 with the same parts in the 2019 recall; however were missed due to recall time and manufacturing rollouts.

In 2018 my I was driving home when it just shut off and wouldn’t start. Smelled like burning and had it towed to my house and had several mechanics look at it and couldn’t find the problem then as it was parked on day it started to smoke and the engine was burning I put out the fire and then a couple months later I got the recall information the car was a total loss and could t be repaired and no compemsation was sent to me. Ive contacted the class action suit and they were very vague with the information. I waited and the car eventually disappeared in which I thought the kia company picked it up. I still have t hear word from anyone and my car is no where to be found and I would like to be reimbursed for the car since it was paid off.

See all problems of the 2009 Kia Motor Sportage 🔎.

This is an issue of nonconformity according the florida lemon law: "florida's lemon law protects consumers who buy or lease new or demonstrator vehicles with persistent, significant defects, known as nonconformities, within the first 24 months of ownership. " my March 2025 leased kia Sportage was sitting for about an hour. I turned it on and the all the dash warning lights stayed on, hot air blew (no ac), and I couldn't shift out of park. I tried turning it off/on twice, with a few minutes in between attempts, and on the second attempt only the check engine light stayed on, cold ac blew, and I could shift. I drove 3. 5 miles home. About an hour went by, I started it again and the check engine light was still on. I drove it 2. 5 miles to the dealership, turned it off, and minutes later they started it to move it but the check engine light had gone off. They said another car almost the same mileage (4040miles) had the same issue and because the light wasn't on, the scan showed nothing. They told me to return if it happens again and not to shut it off because the kia dealer could not duplicate or reproduce the concern at that time. My vehicle is available for inspection and diagnosis, but the dealer said a computer scan wouldn't show anything. Something is definitely not okay and I do not feel safe. Although this incident was while traveling 20-40mph, I travel at high speeds on the highway during the week for work, and am very concerned for my safety.

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.

See all problems of the 2017 Kia Motor Sportage 🔎.

Fails to move when going from stopped to apply gas and moving forward there is a large delay and weak power. Shakes when idles and is really forcful switching from gas to battery or battery to gas,.

See all problems of the 2023 Kia Motor Sportage 🔎.

On [xxx] the vehicle randomly went into limp mode. Wouldn't restart until it was jumped. Previous to this, the vehicle had already done this twice before. Exact dates unknown. On [xxx], the vehicle went into system check while I was driving it on 3 different occasions. The car shuts down by itself. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The dash screen went blank. You could not see the speedometer, fuel guage, etc. This has happened twice and is intermittent.

Update: after second opinion from another auto shop they said my car entered limp mode to prevent fire. Again, I had no warning! kia tried to tell me the engine light must have came on and cleared itself (engine lights don’t clear themselves) and they refuse to check the recall fix of the hecu. They tell me the recall has been fixed so it can’t be the problem. Myself and my kids were put at risk as this problem causes risk of wrecks or even fires and kia is not wanting to take any responsibility for it. These are the same issues as other kia’s but because of my VIN number they won’t even speak to me (literally, called kia clarksville and left a message with a woman for service to call me back for repairs and they won’t even call me back to schedule the repair - they are charging me over $6000).

I will be driving 70mph on the freeway and suddenly the "check hybrid system" alert flashes and I have about 20 seconds to safely pullover. Once stopped it will not drive over 5-10 mph for about a half a mile, then completely dies. If I jump start it, it will start, but the car is limited to ~40mph and may not start again once turned off. Has been to the kia dealership three times in the past month and they say there are no codes to fix regarding the hybrid battery or system and keep returning it to us. It is exceedingly dangerous to drive and we are afraid to drive on the highway now.

After driving for roughly 7 hours upon activating my cruise control, after using the entire drive with no issues, it went up to 110 mph as soon as I hit the button and would not allow me to adjust the speed down. It would turn off upon pressing pause, cruise control, or brakes but would rise to 110 mph everytime. I searched for recalls for this and could find none. But I did find posts of other people with the same issue. The only thing I could find was an emissions campaign that seems like it may be related. This appears to me to be much more of a safety issue especially if the driver is not paying attention. Or for example let's say you're driving behind someone and turn cruise control on you could very easily rearend someone at a high rate of speed. I will be trying to get my car into the dealership to try and resolve the issue, but my main point for filing a report is to see if this rises to the level of a safety recall versus a TSB or emissions campaign. My vehicle is available for inspection if needed. No warning lights came on or anything of the sort. I do have a video of this but does not appear I can upload it. Any assistance is greatly appreciated thank you and have a great day.

I bought my car and then I received a letter stating that it had 1 recall. I called kia to schedule the recall and they said there are 4 in total. I told them to get them all done because the closes kia is about 45 min from my house. I took it in kia called me said everything was done that I could go pick up my car. Then on 7/19/25 I am driving in the highway and my car stops accelerating I pull over turn off my car let it cool off and turn it back on. It moves and the moment I try to accelerate it the car stops again. Thank god I was able to arrive to a gas satiation at an exit and not have someone crash into me. I tried jump starting it and nothing. I tried turning it on again and smoke stated coming out from the engine. I had to tow the car to my house. I called my mechanic to check it and 3 codes showed up (c1611, c1612, c1613). I called kia to let them know the codes and that I needed them to tow my car to their dealership. They proceed to inform me that 1 of the recalls were not fixed (the fuse) had to ordered and was not done. No one had informed me that when I picked up my car. They are not wanting to give me a solution and I have called 3 days straight.

See all problems of the 2013 Kia Motor Sportage 🔎.

The car alarm keeps going off randomly and from googling it. Several people have reported an issue with the 2021 kia Sportage it’s a known issue.

Car shuts off as alert start flashing and beeping. Get a red flashing screen and a hazard message that states "check hybrid system. Stop safely". So far this has only happened while I was at a stop, but I have read in forums where it has happened to people while they are driver.

I recently paid out of pocket for replacement of hydraulic electronic control unit and I see that it was a recall on my make model and year, but my VIN number was not included in the recall.

The hybrid powertrain system failed. Specifically, the vehicle remains stuck in ev mode and does not switch to the gasoline engine under acceleration, leading to complete loss of power while driving. Yes, the vehicle is available for inspection upon request. This malfunction caused the vehicle to lose all forward power in traffic. I had to pull over into emergency lanes and restart the vehicle multiple times. This is extremely dangerous and could lead to a crash, especially on highways or during merging. It puts both myself and others on the road at risk. The kia authorized service center was able to reset the adaptive system, and the hybrid warning light turned off temporarily. However, the issue reappeared the same day. The dealer claims they cannot reproduce it and refuses further diagnosis without replication. The vehicle was only inspected by a kia-authorized dealership. Kia consumer affairs has not yet conducted a manufacturer-level inspection or assigned a field technician. Yes. A “check hybrid system. Stop safely” warning message appears before the failure occurs. Then check engine light was on. It first appeared immediately after a routine service (oil change, tire rotation, multi-point inspection) on 26th June 2025, just 2 days after my regular service. The warning disappears after restarting but returns intermittently, typically after the ev battery is fully drained and the car fails to switch to gas mode.

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.

My four month old kia Sportage suddenly lunged forward two times. Sudden acceleration incident. [xxx].

The car started making a knocking noise. I got it checked out and nothing showed up on the diagnostic. Today I was driving and it wouldn’t go over 65 and the engine light keeps blinking.

While driving at random times, no specific speed limit, the screen behind the wheel which shows speed and tachometer, will go into a system check mode. This is similar to when you start up the vehicle. The screen will come back after 5 to 10 seconds but during that time no information is displayed. If you have the vehicle in cruise control, it will disconnect cruise control, and you must catch it, so it does not decelerate to much while in traffic. When it comes back up it may reengage the cruise and it may not. This is a safety issue while driving for both no screen as well as disconnection of cruise control as you can not tell your speed and it slows vehicle down with no brake indication for those behind you which could result in a crash. Vehicle went to dealership and they could not recreate, but were told to replace the cluster which they did, but the issue is still happening on the vehicle. I have a case open with the automobile manufacturer to have the vehicle purchased back as they are not sure what the issue is.

The contact owns a 2023 kia Sportage. The contact stated while driving 70 mph, the instrument panel failed to display pertinent information. The contact stated that a dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not diagnosed. However, the contact was informed that the vehicle could not be repaired unless the VIN was under recall. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact related the failure to NHTSA campaign number: 23v298000 (electrical system); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was notified of the failure but offered no assistance. The contact was referred to the NHTSA hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 68,585.

The dash on my Sportage will go black while driving, and then the system reboots showing "system check" the cruise control also goes out when this happens. This happens about once a month. Dealer has checked it more than 3 times and has found no issues except the first time I brought it in.

See all problems of the 2024 Kia Motor Sportage 🔎.

Was driving at 40mph and vehicle turned off engine. Auto start stop was beeping and flashing. Steering and braking was hindered (was manual) for a few seconds until the auto start stop turned the engine on again. Had car to dealer with other issues (dash resets) and they couldn't duplicate the issue and stated there was nothing they could do.

The car just quit running as I was driving. It would not turn over using jumper cables. I had it towed to a local mechanic where they replaced the starter and the battery. Upon picking it up, it was making noises that it did not make previously.

See all problems of the 2015 Kia Motor Sportage 🔎.

When we were entering a major intersection, car strolled and rolled forward and stopped 3/4 thru the intersection. It would not restart immediately while cars were speeding by on both sides. It finally started. This is the second occurrence we took the car into the kia dealership. [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Started vehicle and was driving, isg (auto start stop) light went amber and transmission refused to shift to allow uphill travel. Had to pull over and turn engine off and on again for the transmission to start working. Have had to dealer, however yet again they cannot replicate in their test drive so they can't do anything about it.

The car has been giving off a burning smell each time that I begin to drive especially if the heat is being utilized. The smell worsens as I drive a further distance.

See all problems of the 2012 Kia Motor Sportage 🔎.

On 3/9/25, the infotainment panel and media system blanked out. After pulling the vehicle over, the infotainment panel cluster buffered after restarting.

The infotainment screen continues to blank out. The backup camera, media, navigation, or radio won’t work when the infotainment system is blank.