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

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.

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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.

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.

See all problems of the 2020 Kia Motor Sportage 🔎.

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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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.

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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.

See all problems of the 2022 Kia Motor Sportage 🔎.

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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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.

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Motor is knocking.

See all problems of the 2014 Kia Motor Sportage 🔎.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 🔎.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 🔎.

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.

Engine began to knock on [xxx] on my way home from work. Drove to work and back the next day, but heard a loud clunk when I started it to head home. Stopped at auto parts store and checked oil. Completely dry dip stick (after wiping it clean). Added 2 qts of synthetic since I had an appt the next morning ([xxx]) at 7:30am at dealership where I purchased it. Knocking stopped but only drove about 12 miles total from that time until appt in the morning. Kia now tells me that engine failed and based on their records, insufficient maintenance. Kia dealer changed hands recently so not sure of the recordkeeping on their end. I've only ever had my vehicle serviced there. Also, no engine light nor oil light ever came on to warn me of low oil pressure. Service tech says he will email me video of their inspection. Not yet received. Currently requesting warranty coverage. Expect it to be denied, based on what service techs have said. I cannot believe kia didn't get their act together after the theta ii engine debaucle. My car is a 2022 kia Sportage with ~50-51k miles. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

Engine started tapping/knocking and oil light started flashing. Once home I checked the dipstick. Appeared burnt with no oil on dipstick. Waited an hour to cool and started adding oil. Added 2 quarts nothing on dipstick. Added 2 half quarts and finally a touch on the end of dipstick. Added more oil and finally got it to the bottom the range. It would take at least another quart to get to proper levels. Took to dealership where I was told I needed a new engine. Prior to the failure there was never any indicator light letting me know oil was low. Just as a car goes low on gas and the gas light comes on you would think it would do the same for 'low oil'. . . . That never happened. This is a 2020 kia Sportage with a 2. 4l theta ii engine. There is a class action lawsuit for the years 2011-2019. I unfortunately, fall oustide of the covered suit. It's still the same engine with the same faults.

The contact owns a 2020 kia Sportage. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The engine oil light was flashing and turning on and off. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who confirmed that an oil consumption test was needed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 91,000.

October 2, 2025 no oil in engine. Car has always had regular oil maintenance. Dealer put almost four quarts of oil in car to start an oil consumption test of 1,000 miles. November 22, 2025 driving about 70 miles an hour, on the 241 toll road car loses powder, speed dropped to about 20 miles an hour. I was able to make it to the highway shoulder where the engine struggled to stay running. I cut the engine off and it would not start again. Had to be towed to covina kia. Still had over three hundred miles before the 1,000 mile test. Last oil change July 9, 2025 at covina kia. I bought my 2017 kia Sportage in October 2016 brand new. I'm the only one to drive it. I have always taken it back to dealer for servicing. All my oil changes were done with the dealer and on time. I understand there is a class action lawsuit against kia for oil starvation and engines seizing, (theta ii sc147). All indications suggests my engine also suffered the same manufacturer defect as claimed in the lawsuit. And I want to be compensated kia manufacturer is aware of there engine problems and should be more proactive, before someone is killed.

The engine failed catastrophically while the vehicle was in operation. The failure involved internal engine components and resulted in the vehicle losing power. The vehicle is currently at a kia dealership and is available for inspection upon request. I was driving at highway speeds with my children in the vehicle when the engine failure occurred. The sudden loss of power created a dangerous situation where I was unable to maintain speed with traffic, increasing the risk of a rear-end collision. I had to safely maneuver the vehicle out of traffic while vehicles were passing at high speed. Yes. The kia dealership confirmed engine failure after inspection. The engine was deemed inoperable and required replacement. The vehicle has been inspected by a kia dealership, and the issue was escalated to kia America. Kia reviewed the case and denied warranty coverage. The vehicle remains available for further inspection if requested by NHTSA or the manufacturer. There were no immediate warning lights or messages prior to the failure. The engine failure occurred suddenly while driving on the highway, without sufficient warning to prevent the unsafe condition.

On 11/21/2025, while operating my vehicle, I experienced a critical engine failure. The engine failed a compression test, with readings as follows: cylinder 1: 125 psi cylinder 2: 60 psi cylinder 3: 25 psi cylinder 4: 3 psi as a result, the engine had no compression in multiple cylinders, preventing the vehicle from starting. The vehicle exhibited [smoke, stalling, or other observable symptoms]. This failure appears consistent with known issues in the theta 2 gdi engines, including risk of engine failure or fire. I had not received notification of any required software updates or recalls relevant to this issue. Despite multiple attempts to resolve this with the dealer, including [dates of service attempts], the dealer refused to cover a replacement engine under warranty. Impact on safety: the sudden engine failure rendered the vehicle inoperable and posed a significant safety risk due to the potential for stalling or fire while driving. Additional notes: I am submitting this report to request that the NHTSA investigate this potential safety defect.

Car shut off middle of driving. Mechanic said engine is seized, and no oil in engine. Car has always had regular oil maintenance. There is a class action lawsuit against kia for oil starvation and engines seizing, (theta ii sc147). Last oil change was ~4,500 miles ago. All indications suggests my engine also suffered the same manufacturer defect as claimed in the lawsuit. Balise kia in west springfield MA refuses to do the inspection of the engine without proof of every single oil change since I purchased the vehicle in 2016, which is an impossible request. Corporate also stated that it is the dealership's discretion to demand oil receipts, even though I offered to print credit card statements instead, and I purchased a car fax report that has them listed beginning in 2019, but unfortunately none reported before then. I provided them with receipts of no oil changes missed since 2024. Still denied the inspection. There were no warning lights prior to the engine seizing.

My kia engine has failed and kia is refusing to submit or honor my engine replacement claim under the known engine defect class action/recall. The dealer told me that the claim cannot be submitted because a prior owner did not receive the ksds (knock sensor detection system) software update. Kia then changed their reasoning and stated the engine failure was “for another reason,” but still refuses to provide documentation or allow the claim to be processed. I was left without a vehicle, charged excessive diagnostic fees, and stranded in dangerous winter weather conditions (around -30°f wind chills). The dealership refuses to send the engine claim to kia, stating the “missing ksds update” as the justification, even though the engine failure was unrelated to that software and the recall states that kia must prove the update’s absence caused the failure before denying coverage. Kia’s refusal has resulted in an unexpected repair estimate of approximately $6,000, no loaner vehicle, and severe hardship. Their actions appear to violate recall obligations and consumer safety protections, as I am being denied a known-defective engine replacement due to a prior owner’s failure to complete a software update. I am requesting investigation and intervention, as kia is not honoring the recall process or the class action settlement requirements.

While driving on the parkway with my child and younger cousin in the vehicle, the car unexpectedly began to decelerate without warning. I safely pulled over to the side of the road and turned the vehicle off. When attempting to restart it, the engine would not crank or turn on. Moments later, smoke began to appear from under the hood. Additionally, the engine, battery, and oil warning lights illuminated on the dashboard. This incident created a dangerous situation and raised serious safety concerns regarding the reliability of the vehicle.

I have experienced chronic and excessive engine oil consumption in my 2021 kia Sportage s with the 2. 4 l theta ii engine. Since around 80,000 miles, I have had to add oil every 2 weeks between oil changes to prevent the engine from running low. My vehicle now requires a complete engine replacement, estimated at $10,000. Despite regular maintenance and oil changes (documented by express oil change in pinson, al, with service records at 81,520 mi, 88,215 mi, 94,153 mi, 96,970 mi, 98,902 mi, 101,522 mi, and 105,273 mi), the vehicle continues to lose oil rapidly. Kia and my dealer have confirmed there are no recalls or warranty campaigns for my VIN, even though this issue is identical to the well-documented engine defect affecting earlier kia models covered under the theta ii engine settlement. This defect creates a serious safety risk, as the engine can run dangerously low on oil between services, leading to engine failure or stalling while driving. I am currently out of work recovering from surgery and cannot afford the $10,000 repair. I am requesting that NHTSA investigate and expand the existing kia engine defect recalls to include 2021 Sportage models using this engine.

See all problems of the 2021 Kia Motor Sportage 🔎.

On November 2, while driving my 10-year-old son to a soccer game, the vehicle suffered a sudden loss of power at road speed. The vehicle's failure to provide a "limp-home mode" or any sensor warnings prior to stalling created a significant life-safety risk for my son and me as we had to coast across traffic to a safe location where the car stalled. •no warning indicators: there were no prior "check engine" lights, oil pressure warnings, or temperature fluctuations. •hazardous failure mode: the vehicle stalled completely in active traffic. I was forced to perform an emergency maneuver, coasting across lanes of traffic to reach a safe shoulder. •outcome: the vehicle was towed to ourisman kia of bethesda, where service technicians diagnosed "severe internal engine failure. ".

My check engine light started blinking and the car was stalling out. I have now parked the car in my driveway. I bought the car October, 2024.

I've had this car for a little over 3 years, after the 1st year of having the vehicle it started consuming more oil between oil changes. My low oil light would come on in-between oil changes and so I also carried extra oil with me. I just had a routine tune up with oil change and all new spark plugs and I new belt with pully motor 2 months ago. Now I need a whole new motor. It currently is only running on 3 cylinders and has exhaust coming up through the engine. All out of nowhere. Routine oil changes and tune ups, have all my receipts to prove how well kept up on it has been. Single mother without a vehicle and still 20 grand in debit over a car I can no longer drive.

The car experienced sudden engine failure, flashing check engine light. The car was towed to the nearest mechanic and knock sensor code p1326, consistent with recall 20v750, was present. Kia corporate refuses to authorize inspection and repair under the recall because the code was cleared after the event in order to get it towed to the dealer. The defect clearly matches the recall condition, but kia is declining inspection in violation of recall obligations. Car has been maintained with regular oil changes at the scheduled intervals for the duration of it's life.

See all problems of the 2012 Kia Motor Sportage 🔎.

Severe oil consumption issue at 100k miles. Same issue seen on kia class action lawsuit for gdi engines. No leaks present, after 800 miles from oil change, no oil seen on dip stick.