Electrical System Problems of Kia Motor Sportage - part 2

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).

See all problems of the 2020 Kia Motor Sportage 🔎.

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.

Initially in may 25, my Sportage started accelerating on its own, unprompted, up to 4500 rpms many times and also hesitated. In 6/25 the info screen, (whole dash) went black 4-5 x’s for about 3minutes while driving 60 mph on bypass. Beginning of July, siri didn’t work and said it was inaccessible, and also the navigation said it was not updated however, when I pulled into the dealer, all of a sudden it worked? on 7/23 I was turning into apt complex and had no brakes! I had slowed to about 20mph, car behind me, and couldn’t make that turn so I coasted up to next entrance and was able to turn in. Fortunately, I was able to stop in my handicap pkg spot. I had already made appt for the initial issues at the dealer, moyer kia in lebanon, for first week of August, but immediately called them on 724 and explained the absence of breaks! they told me to get car there right away, so I did. I gave a list of all above info, they were able to give me a loaner, kia g6. This was very inconvenient for me as most of my back is fused and I provide transport for my [xxx] /o mom w/walker, but I can’t go w/o a car! moyer has had my car since 7/24,. With the exception of need for miles on the loaner communication was poor. I tried to reach kia corp multiple x’s to no avail. I was told by brian at dealer that my case had been escalated to the national safety board and they were advised not to touch my car pending investigation. So it sat there for months I got a message from kia connect that my battery was dead, more communication than I had received throughout this whole experience! last week, Thursday I had called corp who said they sent me an email on 1023 to tell me nothing is wrong with my car, they also emailed the dealer. I hadn’t checked email, nor did they call, so I didn’t know, dealer called me on Friday to come and get my car, but first they had to grind the rust off of rotors, recharge the battery and would I like them to inspect it?, nothing is wrong? this car is not safe!!!! information redacted pursuant to the freedom.

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.

See all problems of the 2021 Kia Motor Sportage 🔎.

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].

See all problems of the 2025 Kia Motor Sportage 🔎.

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.

The instrument cluster software on this 2023 Sportage hybrid ex awd was never updated prior to sale. Software version USA. S5w_m. V008. 001. 220504 (dated may 2022) was confirmed via the vehicle system information screen on March 17, 2026. A kia consumer affairs supervisor confirmed on a recorded call the same date that this version predates recall sc270 by approximately one year, and that the vehicle is missing all software updates from fall 2022 through 2024. The supervisor further confirmed the ota system cannot bridge this gap and dealer intervention is required. The vehicle was purchased from the selling dealer on June 13, 2025 — over two years after sc270 was issued in may 2023. The dealer had software update capability since spring 2024 per kia's own records. The recall has not been completed as of the date of this filing. Safety risk: instrument cluster may fail to display tire pressure, warning lights, and critical safety indicators upon startup per the recall description.

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 🔎.

I have had this truck to kia in clearwater 4 x for panel going black. No lights, air comes on and off by itself. No back up camera. This has been happening on this truck since I bought it. The mgr. Wade thinks I am crazy. There is a recall for the panel but not for my truck, why? no one will fix this truck. I am very disapointed with kia. I had a soul and traded up for these same reasons. 3 batteies in 4 months. Is there any recourse? [xxx] [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact owns a 2025 kia Sportage. The contact stated that the rear-view camera had become inoperable. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who was initially unable to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was later diagnosed, and it was determined that the failure was with the radio and the camera. The vehicle was repaired, but the failure recurred. The manufacturer was contacted, and a case was opened. The manufacturer denied the buyback request. The failure mileage was approximately 10.

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.

Phev vehicle: charging interrupted in the middle of the night. When attempting to reconnect the charger, a "charging unsuccessful" message was given. A warning with "check hybrid system" appeared, as well as the check engine light. I cannot charge the car anymore and had to leave it at the dealership.

The contact owns a 2023 kia Sportage. The contact stated while driving approximately 35 mph, the instrument cluster went black, and the vehicle stalled. The contact stated that before being able to pull over, the vehicle restarted. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a local dealer who diagnosed the vehicle and replaced the instrument cluster and wiring harness. The vehicle was repaired; however, the contact stated that the vehicle started stalling while stopped for traffic lights. The contact stated that when the vehicle stalled, the instrument cluster showed several unknown warning lights. The contact had taken the vehicle back to the same dealer. The dealer was not able to duplicate the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 23,000.

The doors won't lock. The button on the handle won't work sometimes. It's just random. This has happened 4 times in the last 2 years I have owned the car. I have to use app to lock and unlock the car. Once I drive it again everything is fine.

All the dash lights come on randomly has happened 3 separate times the 4th time they came on I also couldn’t shift out of park.

Vehicle dash reset and cruise control was set. When dash came back up car surged nearly causing a wreck reported to dealership and they could not replicate so not sure what to do as they can never replicate the issues and won't do anything to help.

Multiple times I have reported all of my cluster lights come on randomly while driving. They are distracting and it's difficult to tell if the systems are actually working. The dealership claims it's a rear sensor however they refuse to fix it due to my car appears to have been hit. There's no damage to my vehicle any where. Now I have to wait for the lights to come on again before I can take it to another dealership and have it reassessed.