Equipment Problems of Kia Motor Sportage - part 1

Driving, just left my house and turned on to the road. Sunroof shattered for no apparent reason. Owned vehicle for a year and half, no previous issues. No prior damage. No other vehicle around, clear skies and it shattered. The moving part, not the stationary part.

See all problems of the 2024 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.

Sunroof unexpectedly shattered at highway speed with no vehicles or obstructions present.

Driving at a speed of 45 mph the sunroof spontaneously exploded. No other cars to kick rocks in the indicate vicinity. No passing traffic. We heard a very loud boom and the sound of shattering and skittering glass. Sunroof and sunroof cover were closed. All windows were closed. Pulled to the side of the road, called husband, called kia to start warranty claim. Our safety was called into jeopardy as we had to drive over 150 miles to the kia service center, not knowing if any glass would work itself through or of the sunroof shade would handle the wind of driving. The kia dealership had only seen 1 Sportage and 1 telluride incur this damage. We also had to find our own way home, they could not offer us a loaner vehicle. Incurred expense of having to fly back home and will incur expenses of having to make the 275 mile journey back to get it once repaired.

See all problems of the 2023 Kia Motor Sportage 🔎.

Top clear coat started peeling on handles, mirrors and above the trunk.

See all problems of the 2020 Kia Motor Sportage 🔎.

Passenger outside rear view mirror the paint is peeling. It’s the original rear view mirror. Vehicle looks brand new except for that mirror.

See all problems of the 2018 Kia Motor Sportage 🔎.

The vehicle was being driven southbound on i135, near mcpherson, KS, at highway speeds in good weather when the rear panel of the panoramic sunroof glass exploded/shattered for no apparent reason. The interior sunscreen was closed at the time or glass would have potentially fallen on the driver, thus distracting or potentially injuring the driver while traveling at highway speeds. The vehicle has not been inspected by the police as no criminal conduct is believed to have caused the glass to break. The local dealer claims no responsibility and doesn't even complete the repairs - send to a local auto glass repair company, which will inspect the glass when the new glass arrives. This appears to be a material defect or design issue as there have been multiple other kia owners who have experienced similar sunroof glass failures, including a previous class action suit against Kia Motors for a similar issue.

The panoramic sunroof glass spontaneously shattered upon entry in to the vehicle and closing the driver door. If the privacy cover closed, my daughter would have been showered with glass. I have tried reaching out to a kia dealer directly but have not received a response. I did notify my insurance so there would be a record and I am waiting for an adjuster to come out to look at the vehicle and document it. No warnings.

Fixed glass panel between the windshield and sunroof spontaneously shattered. There was no impact, debris, or outside force involved. The break occurred with a perfectly straight fracture line, which is characteristic of a manufacture defect stress-related failure rather than an external object strike.

I drove from work to home, which is less than 5 miles. I used my wireless charger for the first time since we bought it 4 days ago. When I got home, I turned the engine off and picked my phone from the wireless charger pad. The phone was extremely hot and so was the charger pad. It was scary that I thought it could start fire. I searched for this same problem online for kia Sportage owners (kia forum) and found out that many of them have the same problem. I emailed the dealership and the response was “…I have seen many articles that a year or older phone do get warm/hot which is why the newest one have built in cooling systems”. I don’t think the phone is the problem. When I touched the charging pad, it was so hot.

Horn stopped working.

Paint issue this vehicle has less than 4,000 miles on it and the paint (glacial white) is peeling. I took it to the dealer (I'm waiting for a final determination from them) and their thoughts are that it looks like someone chipped the paint and tried to fix it. They described it as looking like they'd used "white out". After researching other paint problems with kia vehicles, I have discovered other owners have had the same issue with their white kia and their pictures look the same as mine. . . The plan white undercoat is what appears like white out.

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 new car I just bought started to vibrate on the highway when the speed exceeded 50. The interior panel on the left side of the driver's seat and the interior panel on the right side of the center console began to vibrate. The vibrating sensation became very intense at a speed of 60. During continuous high-speed driving, I couldn't feel the speed of the accelerator because my foot was numb due to the vibrating I took it to the island kia store for repair, but they told me it couldn't be fixed and it was a normal situation.

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.

See all problems of the 2017 Kia Motor Sportage 🔎.

My car is burning oil like crazy. I’ve had to put 2 quarts in one week. Took it to dealership because of warranty. They ran an oil consumption test and told me pistons may be bad drive it another 1000 miles then we check it again. Why not fix problems then. So I have to check my oil every day until they want to do the work I guess.

Paint peeling off side mirrors and rear spoiler.

I have a 2025 kiasportage hybrid that I loved due to all its safety features. Yesterday I was pulling into a parking space when my car lunged forward two times making very loud sounds. I was near a brick pillar it it tore off the right front of my car. The bricks were damaged. When I came home I looked up kia Sportage lunching problems. There are many to read. They talk about “sudden acceleration’” and that is exactly what happened. It just lunged forward. Thankfully a human was not on the sidewalk. It went up over the curb and on the sidewalk. It’s called a jerking car in articles. Even if my car is fixable I won’t trust it. If this problem is fixable, why isn’t it fixed before selling the car to consumers. I’m quite distraught about this event. Warning must go out to consumers. I called a collision center this morning and they have seen this before. On the cars connect website, it tells of this event on 2020 kia Sportage. It says ‘’violent, scared the heck out of me. ” so, what is happening and why hasn’t it been fixed? I could have injured someone badly. [xxx] [xxx] arlington, texas information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

My oil consumption is approximately 1. 5 quarts every 200 miles. I get my oil changed every month and every other week I need to top off. When my oil, is low there is no indication on the dash. I have to preform inspections on my car on a daily basis. Now, my car will randomly not start. I replaced the battery and changed the spark plugs.

See all problems of the 2019 Kia Motor Sportage 🔎.

Rear liftgate window imploded.

My oil drain pan has a crack in it valvoline gave me a paper for me to fill this out, I was here at valoline on 6/8 and then on 6/10 my brother inlae told me my car was leaking oil so I had to bring it back today 6/11 to find out why and that's what I was told it has to do with having a crack on the oil drain pan.

While driving my 2025 kia Sportage on the highway with my 7-year-old son in the back seat, we experienced a sudden and dangerous malfunction that prompted this report. I was operating the vehicle as intended driving at a safe speed in normal highway conditions when an unexpected alarm sounded and the vehicles automated braking system suddenly and forcefully activated without warning. This caused the car to come to a complete and abrupt stop in the middle of active highway traffic, despite there being no obstacle or reason to brake. The product involved is the 2025 kia Sportage, specifically its driver assistance and braking systems. I was the driver, and my son was a passenger. We were using the vehicle for normal, everyday travel. As a direct result of the incident, both my son and I sustained injuries. We experienced significant whiplash from the abrupt stop. My son also suffered a twisted spine, and I sustained a torn ligament in my ankle. Beyond the physical injuries, the emotional trauma has been substantial. The fear and anxiety that followed especially for my son have had lasting effects. He remains anxious in vehicles, and ive struggled with panic and stress when driving or even thinking about being on the road again. This incident was not only physically harmful, but deeply traumatic, and it has severely impacted our sense of safety and trust in a vehicle that was supposed to protect us.

While backing up, the vehicle’s rear camera and sensors failed to alert me to a low object. There was no audible warning, and the object was below rear window visibility. This resulted in a dent to the trunk. The camera system typically provides audio warnings, but it was silent during this event. I am concerned this could indicate a defect in the backup safety system. There have been similar recalls put out for other kia models in this year which concerns me even more that I had this issue and that my car does not have a recall out.

Me and my family were on the way to the beach, as I accelerated on the interstate got to 65 mph, engine light started blinking, car instantly slowed down. Got off on next exit, to check and see what was going on, car started hesitating after acceleration. Was able to get it to an autoshop (o'reilly's) diagnosis shows knock sensor failure and they told me it has to do with the safety recall, didn't even know the car had a recall on it.

See all problems of the 2016 Kia Motor Sportage 🔎.

The panoramic sunroof exploded. We were driving down the hwy. Going roughly 55mph when there was a loud bang and glass started falling down on us. Glass fell down onto our heads and our child. The sunroof glass was pushed up and outward so nothing had hit the car to make the glass cave in. Two small peices had fallen from the sunroof mechanism one containing a rubber gasket and one lacking one.

On may 19, 2025 I was driving down the highway at approximately 70mph and experienced a loud explosion sound and my panoramic sunroof exploded. I did have the sunshade closed so I was not hit with any debris. I did swerve and narrowly avoided an accident. There were no warnings before this happened. I was not passing under any bridges or immediately behind any vehicles (there were vehicles to the side and behind me). I took the automobile to the kia dealership and they filed a claim with kia consumer affairs and a representative came out and told them they needed to file with kia tech line. They did that weeks ago, to no response. The dealership actually called me today and told me to try to contact kia consumer affairs ourselves to see if they would respond to us. I did see that there have been reports of this previously and class-action lawsuits for this issue. The kia dealership guy said they had a customer that this had also happened to and when we went to get a rental car enterprise told us that they also had a customer with a kia in the last two weeks that had the same thing happen to them. My kia is still at the dealership and is available for inspection as it has not been repaired yet because they were waiting for kia.

Driving home from work on 5/16/2025 and my sunroof exploded. It sounded like a gun shot then there was glass falling into my car. I had hlass in my hair and tiny cuts in my arms.

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.

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.

Update to NHTSA (odi #11679186) subject: update to odi complaint #11679186 – kia America written response body: dear NHTSA office of defects investigation, I am writing to provide an update to my odi complaint #11679186 regarding my 2011 kia Sportage sx (VIN: [xxx] ), which caught fire while I was driving on [xxx]. On August 27, 2025, kia America issued me a written response (attached). In this letter, kia explicitly acknowledged: “preliminary evaluation results show… the fire originated within the engine compartment area. ” “the cause was unknown engine oil leaks allowing motor oil to contact hot exhaust surfaces of the engine that led to ignition. ” despite admitting the fire’s cause, kia refused restitution, stating that the vehicle was “9 years and 163,000 miles outside of warranty. ” I request that this letter be added to odi complaint #11679186 and considered in your analysis of kia vehicle fire trends. I believe this documentation is significant in establishing that kia recognizes the fire hazard but denies responsibility due to warranty expiration, which does not address the broader safety risk. Thank you for your review and for your ongoing work to protect vehicle safety. Respectfully, daniel mcadams information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2011 Kia Motor Sportage 🔎.

On [xxx], my 2011 kia Sportage sx (VIN: [xxx] ) caught fire while I was driving. The vehicle rapidly filled with smoke, causing throat and eye irritation from smoke inhalation. My insurance company declared the vehicle a total loss. Kia America (case #[xxx]) acknowledged the incident and confirmed that a fire inspection would be conducted. The inspection was completed, but kia has refused to release the findings or determine the cause. On [insert date], kia denied my claim without explanation, despite the vehicle being a complete loss due to fire. This is a critical safety issue that could have caused severe injury or death. I am requesting NHTSA investigate the cause of the fire and kia’s handling of post-incident safety reporting. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The contact owned a 2018 kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 50 mph, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the vehicle decelerated to approximately 45 mph, and the contact pulled over to the side of the road and the vehicle caught on fire. The contact and her daughter who was inside the vehicle was able to exit the vehicle safely. The contact stated that the fire had started under the hood of the vehicle and totally engulfed the entire vehicle. The fire department was contacted and arrived on the scene and extinguished the fire. A fire department report was filed. The contact and her daughter sustained smoke inhalation and sought medical assistance. The vehicle was towed and was deemed a total loss. The contact inquired about possible recalls on the vehicle and was informed that the VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 22v703000 (trailer hitches); however, the vehicle had not been repaired under the recall because the contact was unaware of the recall. The dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 186,000.

Oil has been leaking for years. Always got regular oil changes and engine died while driving.

See all problems of the 2015 Kia Motor Sportage 🔎.