Engine And Engine Cooling Problems of Kia Motor Sportage - part 1

Kia Motor Sportage owners have reported 1,020 problems related to engine and engine cooling (under the engine and engine cooling category). The most recently reported issues are listed below. Also please check out the statistics and reliability analysis of Kia Motor Sportage based on all problems reported for the Sportage.

1 Engine And Engine Cooling problem of the 2020 Kia Motor Sportage

Failure Date: 03/20/2026

Consumes more than 1 liter of oil per 1000 miles.

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2 Engine And Engine Cooling problem of the 2022 Kia Motor Sportage

Failure Date: 03/17/2026

Had my oil changed less about 3k miles ago and my oil like flashed on and then off. I check my oil and I have no oil. I should be able to go 5k miles. Took it to goodyear and he check for leaks and other things and it's an oil consumption issue and said there should be a recall on my engine. I will be taking it to the dealership. My car has about 70k miles on it. It should not be burning through oil like this.

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3 Engine And Engine Cooling problem of the 2021 Kia Motor Sportage

Failure Date: 03/16/2026

Smoke coming from the engine.

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4 Engine And Engine Cooling problem of the 2021 Kia Motor Sportage

Failure Date: 03/16/2026

The oil is mixing with the gas and their was smoke coming from the engine after that the engine has seized and the car stopped working. Also at the body shop I was told some wires were cut.

5 Engine And Engine Cooling problem of the 2017 Kia Motor Sportage

Failure Date: 03/13/2026

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.

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6 Engine And Engine Cooling problem of the 2016 Kia Motor Sportage

Failure Date: 02/27/2026

Engine failure. The engine completely seized up.

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7 Engine And Engine Cooling problem of the 2020 Kia Motor Sportage

Failure Date: 02/25/2026

The contact owns a 2020 kia Sportage. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, the engine made an abnormal knocking sound. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was diagnosed with a cylinder #4 misfire, a knock sensor, and bearing clearance measurement failure. The dealer informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under warranty because the warranty was on the vehicle with the previous owner. The dealer contacted the manufacturer and was advised that the repair could not be covered under warranty because the failure was considered the consumer’s negligence. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 82,000.

8 Engine And Engine Cooling problem of the 2018 Kia Motor Sportage

Failure Date: 02/22/2026

My vehicle broke down on my family 2 hours away. The SUV started engine failure with the engine light coming on then the rpm’s reved up to 4000 and started chugging. We stoped at the gas station shut the vehicle off and got it towed home to a local shop. I have the 2. 4 engine and less then 130,000 miles on it and the shop said my piston is gone and my engine is bad.

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9 Engine And Engine Cooling problem of the 2020 Kia Motor Sportage

Failure Date: 02/08/2026

Car was driving, stopped at a stoplight, never moved again. 3 lights came on, check engine, check oil (which had been serviced previously by a month and a half), and check battery. Bob sight kia has stated engine issues associated with the rods failing and the starter not functioning due the the manifold, I am uncertain to the technical terms. It was late at night, the area only semi lit up and I had to wait for a tow in unsafe conditions as I was stuck in a turn lane. Prior to the failure, no issues. This is my only means of transport as a waitress, I had recently moved into this area and plan to move again at the end of year, so my car is much needed. From the theft issues of this car to the mechanical issues over the last year, I can honestly say I will not be buying a kia again. What I need to know now is has the threshold been met by the standards you have set through complaints by consumers like myself and the manufacturer information that a recall or a means of financially assisting this situation exist yet? the repairs quoted are literally almost half of what I owe on the car left and I do not know what to do, but am hoping to hear from you.

10 Engine And Engine Cooling problem of the 2016 Kia Motor Sportage

Failure Date: 02/05/2026

The contact owns a 2016 kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving at 55 mph, the transmission failed to properly change gears. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated and there was smoke coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle was towed to the residence. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 180,000.

11 Engine And Engine Cooling problem of the 2016 Kia Motor Sportage

Failure Date: 02/03/2026

The contact owns a 2016 kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, several warning lights illuminated, and the engine seized. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 116,124.

12 Engine And Engine Cooling problem of the 2018 Kia Motor Sportage

Failure Date: 01/31/2026

At 113,000 my engine failed. It was determined that low compression occurred due to the first cylinder failing. I’ve been having excessive oil consumption since about 60k.

13 Engine And Engine Cooling problem of the 2020 Kia Motor Sportage

Failure Date: 01/30/2026

In April of 2025, it was noticed that my Sportage was consuming oil. There were no leaks or smoke just having to put oil in. Two mechanics stated that’s just kia. On the night of 1/30/2026 my Sportage had an engine light come on. After the winter storm, I was able to get the code read and it came back as a cylinder 1 misfire. In may of 2025 I replaced all coil packs and spark plugs. On 2/1/26 we replaced the coil packs and spark plug. On 2/4/2026, kia told me I have to replace the engine. I am still paying the vehicle off. This does seem to be an issue with kia engines 2. 4 from what I’m reading.

14 Engine And Engine Cooling problem of the 2023 Kia Motor Sportage

Failure Date: 01/26/2026

The vehicle frequently fails to engage gas engine when depressing gas pedal to any degree. A full push of the gas pedal does not result in gas engine engagement. This has happened over 15 ties since the recall computer update last summer (2025). This creates extreme danger because the operator expects the full power of the engine to engage when pulling out of intersections or crossing oncoming traffic, but the engine does not engage causing a slow, creeping acceleration from the electric motor only. I took it into the kia dealer and they found nothing wrong. No warning lights occur when the malfunction happens. And no check engine lights occur either. The only correction is to fully turn the vehicle off and back on. Doing that resets everything back to normal. This malfunction usually occurs within the first 25-30 minutes of vehicle operation.

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15 Engine And Engine Cooling problem of the 2018 Kia Motor Sportage

Failure Date: 01/24/2026

Took my car for the theft recall and had it performed, my vehicle was stolen last night and the theft used a usb charging cable to steal it, the recall did not fix this.

16 Engine And Engine Cooling problem of the 2022 Kia Motor Sportage

Failure Date: 01/16/2026

Intake camshaft position actuator circuit alert went off I have had the engine replaced 3 times in this car in the past year now, the first time in February of 2025 then in August of 2025 and again in October of 2025 and I am now having further engine troubles with this vehicle. All replacement engines have been re-manufactured and I have been told be the kia dealership that the first 2 were sent with faulty parts. They claimed they switched to another company for the 3rd replacement but this engine is having issues as well.

17 Engine And Engine Cooling problem of the 2024 Kia Motor Sportage

Failure Date: 01/15/2026

In January 2026, my wife was driving our 2024 kia Sportage hybrid ex downhill in traffic when the hybrid system failed without warning. Cabin filled with smoke, lost steering control, and explosion shook the vehicle. She was surrounded by other vehicles and could have been killed or caused multi-car crash. Component failure: dealership diagnosed hybrid system failure after 2. 5 weeks. Vehicle at dealership awaiting repair. Failed components available for inspection. Safety risk: zero steering control downhill surrounded by traffic. Smoke impaired visibility. Explosion posed fire risk. Life-threatening danger to occupants and other motorists. Dealer confirmation: yes, confirmed by dealership. Repair pending. Warning symptoms: none. Instantaneous catastrophic failure. Critical issue: I discovered kia issued service campaigns for 2024 Sportage hybrids directly related to this failure: service campaign sc322 (January 2025) - hybrid control unit software failure affecting 2023-2025 Sportage hybrids built Feb 2022-Jul 2024 12v battery overcharge campaign - battery management system overcharging causing loss of motive power and "check hybrid system stop safely" warnings sc319 (NHTSA 24v-422) - motor-driven power steering contaminated circuit board causing loss of power steering never notified of campaigns despite being owner since may 2024. Nhtsa shows zero recalls, falsely indicating safety. By classifying defects as "voluntary service campaigns" instead of safety recalls, kia avoided mandatory federal notifications. My wife drove with multiple known defects kia failed to disclose. Vehicle under 2 years old, within warranty. This catastrophic failure and notification failure warrants NHTSA investigation. There was smoke and we called 911 and the fire department came out.

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18 Engine And Engine Cooling problem of the 2020 Kia Motor Sportage

Failure Date: 01/14/2026

I came home from vacation and found my car completely dead. We took the battery in and ended up changing this. Soon later my cars power steering and dashboard would go in and out. I took it to mark kia who believed it to be the alternator, so they replace this. I picked the car up and not even 20 minutes later the same issues were occurring so I took it back where then they replaced the connector. I picked up my car and about a month went by and same thing occurred while I was driving even having my car completely die while driving it. I took it back in and now they believe it to be the engine harness.

19 Engine And Engine Cooling problem of the 2017 Kia Motor Sportage

Failure Date: 01/10/2026

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.

20 Engine And Engine Cooling problem of the 2014 Kia Motor Sportage

Failure Date: 01/06/2026

Motor is knocking.

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21 Engine And Engine Cooling problem of the 2020 Kia Motor Sportage

Failure Date: 12/29/2025

I own a 2020 kia Sportage that is currently within the 100,000-mile power-train warranty. The vehicle has been experiencing excessive oil consumption, requiring oil to be added between scheduled oil changes, despite no visible leaks or warning indicators. I have consistently maintained the vehicle according to kia's recommended maintenance schedule. Oil changes were performed regularly, including some done at home. For those oil changes, I have kept vehicle maintained with regular oil changes and more the last 9 months. There is no evidence that improper maintenance caused the oil consumption. Will be reaching out to kia customer service to see what next steps are. Maintenance dept constantly wants to fix things on car that are not needed yet will not report issues with engine. Very disappointed customer.

22 Engine And Engine Cooling problem of the 2020 Kia Motor Sportage

Failure Date: 12/27/2025

Driving to grandmas christmas weekend on the highway all of a sudden my car couldn’t keep speed was shaking the check engine light came on. Now my cylinder one psi is only 50. I have noticed over 100 complaints with very similar car issues. I just bought this car 5 months ago from a dealership. I have barely put 4,000 miles on the car myself.

23 Engine And Engine Cooling problem of the 2022 Kia Motor Sportage

Failure Date: 12/26/2025

Vehicle developed a cylinder 3 misfire that progressed to engine failure. The engine began running rough and lost power during normal operation. Dealer diagnosed internal engine damage and advised that a complete engine replacement is required. Prior to failure, the vehicle experienced significant oil loss, with oil leaking and rapidly depleting despite proper maintenance. Oil levels dropped abnormally between services. No adequate warning was provided before the engine condition worsened. Failure resulted in loss of engine performance and required towing. Vehicle was properly maintained. Repair cost exceeds reasonable expectations for vehicle age and mileage. Dealer advised that required engine parts are on backorder, leaving the vehicle inoperable for an extended period.

24 Engine And Engine Cooling problem of the 2023 Kia Motor Sportage

Failure Date: 12/24/2025

1. Hybrid system failure and check engine light on . 2. Car jerk while driving and gone to limp mode and my speed was reduced to 10 mph at traffic putting my self and other in danger . 3. My vehicle is currently at the dealership getting inspected this is the second time my hybrid warning light came on and the first time they told me nothing was wrong with my vehicle. 4. All of these symptoms happened at the same time while driving.

25 Engine And Engine Cooling problem of the 2024 Kia Motor Sportage

Failure Date: 12/24/2025

On December 24, 2025, while driving in traffic, my kia Sportage experienced severe lurching, bucking, and jerking, causing the engine to shut down. All dashboard warning lights illuminated, including a message prompting me to "turn engine back on. " the vehicle would not restart, necessitating a tow to horne kia. After several days of diagnostics, it was determined that a blown ignition fuse and a bad fuel pump relay were the issues, along with a battery replacement. However, just 19 days later, while attempting to merge onto the freeway, the vehicle again bucked violently, and the engine shut down with all warning lights flashing. The police had to assist in moving my vehicle out of traffic, and it was towed to courtesy kia in mesa, az. Once again, no error codes were found. After further diagnostics, it was discovered that the same ignition fuse had blown and that the catalytic converter had "shattered. " the catalytic converter was replaced. Upon picking up the vehicle from the dealership, and driving less then 5 miles on freeway, the vehicle was bucking and hard shifting once again resulting in a third tow to dealership just 48 hours later after the previous service. The dealership ran several diagnostics under kia's tech line, which revealed that the engine pistons are slipping and not functioning properly, resulting in loss of compression. Per kia's tech line, a new engine long block was ordered and replaced.

26 Engine And Engine Cooling problem of the 2019 Kia Motor Sportage

Failure Date: 12/23/2025

This complaint is in reference to my vehicle which is involved with federal class action lawsuits and the fact that my engine was defective from the day it was built. My engine was consuming oil at a rate of 1 quart every 361. 1 miles driven. I was advised to not put oil in it and drive it until it blows up. This would have put myself, my family, friends, or any other passengers or bystanders at risk. Kia is denying my claim solely on a non rod bearing failure.

See all problems of the 2019 Kia Motor Sportage 🔎.

27 Engine And Engine Cooling problem of the 2020 Kia Motor Sportage

Failure Date: 12/22/2025

I own a 2020 kia Sportage that is currently within the 100,000-mile powertrain warranty. The vehicle has been experiencing excessive oil consumption, requiring oil to be added between scheduled oil changes, despite no visible leaks or warning indicators. I have consistently maintained the vehicle according to kia's recommended maintenance schedule. Oil changes were performed regularly, including some done at home. For those oil changes, I have provided bank statements showing the purchases of oil and filters from autozone, which is a valid form of maintenance. There is no evidence that improper maintenance caused the oil consumption. The vehicle was kept by the kia dealership for 18 days during their evaluation. Despite providing documentation and cooperation throughout the process, kia denied my warranty claim. Denying warranty coverage solely due to oil changes performed at home is not consistent with the magnuson-moss warranty act, which requires proof that improper maintenance directly caused the failure.

28 Engine And Engine Cooling problem of the 2020 Kia Motor Sportage

Failure Date: 12/17/2025

The contact owns a 2020 kia Sportage. The contact stated that while taking the vehicle in for an oil change, the contact was informed that the engine was not consuming oil, which caused concern because the vehicle had previously been fueled by the contact. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was contacted; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by the dealer. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 114,000.

29 Engine And Engine Cooling problem of the 2019 Kia Motor Sportage

Failure Date: 12/16/2025

The vehicle is experiencing excessive engine oil consumption. The engine was found by the dealership to be low by 3 quarts of oil after about 1000 miles during an oil consumption test, indicating abnormal oil loss. The suspected failure involves internal engine components, possibly piston rings, allowing oil to enter the combustion chamber and burn. This condition creates a safety risk because the engine can become critically low on oil, without warning, potentially leading to engine damage, loss of power, or engine failure while driving. The problem has been reproduced and documented by the dealership during oil consumption testing. However, there are inconsistencies in the dealership’s reporting, as later documentation stated that no oil consumption was found despite earlier records showing excessive oil loss. This vehicle has been inspected multiple times by an authorized dealership and is currently part of an open case with the manufacture. The vehicle was also held at the dealership for approximately three weeks without clear documentation of work performed. There were minimal warnings indicators prior to the issue. The vehicle showed rough engine performance, which was consistent with oil fouling the spark plugs. No clear warning light reliably indicated the severity of the oil loss before the condition was discovered during testing.

30 Engine And Engine Cooling problem of the 2018 Kia Motor Sportage

Failure Date: 12/15/2025

2018 kia Sportage had oil consumption issue but did not notify car owners, lead to complete engine failure of my car at only 117,000 this car is part of a class action lawsuit due to bad engineering , kia would not replace the engine on this even though I submitted all maintenance records, they had terrible communication when I was calling for months to file a claim with corporate, wouldnt return phone calls, supervisors not doing their jobs, car was sitting on lot for almost three months, still have loan on it, was at loss of work income etc. . They should be held liable for bad engineering of cars Sportage only had 117,00 miles when engine went out and we had oil changes, maintance and kept it in great shape this was confirmed at montrosse kia complete engine failure.

31 Engine And Engine Cooling problem of the 2017 Kia Motor Sportage

Failure Date: 12/13/2025

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.

32 Engine And Engine Cooling problem of the 2023 Kia Motor Sportage

Failure Date: 12/09/2025

I was parked in a spot outside the service department of john kennedy Ford, waiting for my son, who was getting his car serviced. I couldn't see the door of the service department, so I decided to move to a position in which I could see my son exit the department. I put the car into reverse to exit the spot and it accelerated at an uncontrollable rate of speed backwards, striking two cars parked outside the service department, pushing them into other vehicles in the parking area. I put the car into drive to pull away from the cars I impacted and the car accelerated at an uncontrollable rate of speed forwards, striking a curb in front of the showroom, causing my car to veer into two new cars on the lot, sideswiping the last car and veering my car into a lamppost along the fairway. The collision caused my car to stop, causing the driver airbag to deploy. At no time did the forward collision avoidance system cause the car to brake itself. When the car was moving, the engine was revving at maximum rpm. I wasn't able to control the vehicle. The policed officer who investigated the scene said he did not see any interference from the floor mat, which he said is a common cause. Upon reviewing the activities leading up to the crash, I recalled attempting to use the remote start feature of the vehicle, which had been operating flawlessly. However, on this day, it took 3-4 attempts to get the vehicle to start remotely, possibly indicating a computer flaw. I was injured; no one else was. The vehicle is in the state farm lot awaiting interrogation by kia.

33 Engine And Engine Cooling problem of the 2014 Kia Motor Sportage

Failure Date: 12/08/2025

My kia engine was replaced under recall. The replacement engine triggered p1326 ksds failure while I was traveling overseas, placing the vehicle in limp mode. Kia USA refuses to assist or authorize diagnosis, leaving me stranded. This is a repeat recall-related safety failure, even though there is a kia dealership near me.

34 Engine And Engine Cooling problem of the 2025 Kia Motor Sportage

Failure Date: 12/06/2025

I have documented the following issues: -84 instances of "keep hands on the wheel" when my hands were on the 10/2 or 9/3 position. This dates back to March 2025 and has continued into December. -12 instances of the er braking engaging with "collision alert" when no other vehicles/object/danger were around. The er braking is the sudden, full force stopping of the vehicle staring in April 2025 and as most recently as 12/06/2025. -3 instances of the vehicle being in "drive" but not moving forward; only the engine revving. This started in August and occurred again in October and on 12/06/2025. -1 instance of the vehicle randomly shutting off while driving very slow into the garage on 12/06/2025.

See all problems of the 2025 Kia Motor Sportage 🔎.

35 Engine And Engine Cooling problem of the 2017 Kia Motor Sportage

Failure Date: 12/04/2025

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.


Other Common Engine And Engine Cooling related problems of Kia Motor Sportage


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Sportage Defect Investigations