Equipment Problems of Kia Motor Sportage - part 1

Main 12v electrical system failed completely. The engine stalled, the entire dashboard blacked out, and all auxiliary safety power was lost. The vehicle is currently located at parkway family kia and is fully available for inspection. At rush hour freeway speeds, the engine stalled and total electrical failure occurred. Navigating across active lanes without engine power or power steering was extremely difficult. The total blackout killed my hazard lights, preventing me from warning other high-speed drivers. The dead car blocked an active lane on the feeder road, and an inattentive driver nearly struck my stalled, unlit vehicle. With zero hazards, I had to abandon the car and flee to the roadside to avoid a rear-end collision. Additionally, all passenger doors permanently locked, creating a severe entrapment hazard. Not yet. The vehicle was towed to parkway family kia on Tuesday and is currently awaiting an official manufacturer diagnostic inspection by their service technicians. No advance symptoms prior to the day of the incident. At the moment of failure, the dash suddenly lit up with multiple warning lights. Within a tight 1 to 2-minute window, I completely lost power steering, making the vehicle extremely heavy and difficult to maneuver off the highway. Immediately after those 2 minutes, the dashboard and all electrical components went completely dark.

See all problems of the 2023 Kia Motor Sportage 🔎.

Occurred on 8/3/2026: 1. I parked my car in my driveway 2. My car is sitting in the driver door storage area and my phone with digital key is sitting on the front passenger seat. 3. Vehicle is turned off; I exit the vehicle and close the door. 4. My toddler is the back seat (not on the driver side), so I start to walk over to take her out. 5. In the meantime, the car locks itself. 6. I walk back to driver door and it is locked as well. This was serious and immediate issue as the ambient temperature was 92 degrees f and car at this point has no circulation. Luckily I was at home so was able to hurry and grab my second key from home to unlock the car. It all took about 5 min and by the time I was able to get her out, she was sweating.

I’ve had to replace my front windshield twice every year due to it cracking straight down the middle.

See all problems of the 2024 Kia Motor Sportage 🔎.

My 2020 kia Sportage spontaneously caught fire. It started smoking about 1/3 mile from my destination. There were no dash lights on and the temperature gauge was not elevated and was below half so it wasn’t the engine overheating. I pulled into the parking lot and shut off the car and the smoke then increased and turned darker rapidly and the car caught fire and was quickly engulfed and then there were several explosions. The car was a complete loss. Had I taken any more time to figure out the smoke I would have been a casualty.

See all problems of the 2020 Kia Motor Sportage 🔎.

Car does not unlock with keyless key fob. This is too often an issues to overlook. Car will just keep locking and eventually nothing. I have been stuck outside in thunderstorms, a huge safety concern, rain, snow and uncomfortable situations. This causes me to be more soaked, wetting the car and fishing out my keys getting items inside wet. Key is mostly in pocket because its a keyless entry car, or in backpack. 2023 was superior.

Vehicle suddenly entered recall limp-mode due to the ongoing engine campaign. Prior to this, the vehicle had immaculate maintenance records and zero driveability issues. The franchise dealership performed a short-block engine replacement under the safety recall, rushing the complete powertrain swap in less than a single afternoon. The dealership subsequently returned the vehicle in a dangerously malfunctioning and incomplete repair state. At delivery, the check engine light was actively illuminated, and the car exhibited severe acceleration stumbles, power loss under load, and engine misfires (driving "punchy"). Because I am a non-mechanic, I gave the vehicle one week to settle, but the life-threatening acceleration stumbles persisted. Upon immediate return to the service center, the technician (nathaniel) formally diagnosed failing intake manifold "butterfly" valves (variable charge motion assembly). Nathaniel explicitly admitted to me that this auxiliary component failure was directly caused by the mechanical extraction and engine replacement process. Despite admitting their labor caused this defect, the dealership refused to complete the safety repair, demanding a fraudulent $900 out-of-pocket payment to correct it. Management then falsely claimed a simple manifold service would take two full days—directly contradicting their rushed afternoon engine swap. The dealership released the vehicle back to me with no confirmation of safety or roadworthiness. I escalated this to kia corporate customer care, but they officially responded via email refusing to intervene or facilitate any auxiliary repairs. Out of absolute necessity as a single mother working 12-hour shifts, I am forced to drive this vehicle short distances. It remains a major safety hazard due to unpredictable stumbling, chronic cylinder misfires, and high risk of sudden stalling in active traffic, leaving a federal safety recall completely incomplete. I have invoices and emails if needed.

See all problems of the 2019 Kia Motor Sportage 🔎.

I was driving on the freeway, when all of a sudden my car felt like it was driving on its own. It began jerking, rapidly accelerating causing the rpm to go up on its own, and causing the engine to rev. It alternated between accelerating and braking. I pulled off to the side and had it towed to the dealership I lease it from. The dealership drove it and the same thing happened. They said it was stuck in 2nd gear, so they have to completely replace the transmission. There were absolutely no warning lights or messages prior to this occurrence. It happened during rush hour so there were a lot of cars out, and I felt as if I lost control of my car. I also had to pull off to the side of an off ramp as I was attempting to get off at an exit to go to work.

The contact's mother owned a 2017 kia Sportage. The contact stated that while her brother was driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. The contact's brother parked the vehicle, rolled down the window, and became aware that there was smoke coming from under the hood before the vehicle caught on fire. The contact's brother exited the vehicle and ran away from the vehicle. The contact's brother called the contact and the police about the fire. The police, bomb squad, and firefighters arrived at the scene. The firefighters extinguished the fire. The police, bomb squad, and fire department reports were filed. The contact's brother received medical treatment for a severe asthma attack. The vehicle was towed to a tow yard, but the insurance company had not yet declared the vehicle a total loss because the vehicle only had liability coverage. Upon investigation, the contact's brother discovered that the VIN was included in NHTSA campaign number: 22v703000 (trailer hitches); however, the contact's mother had not received a recall notification. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 75,000.

See all problems of the 2017 Kia Motor Sportage 🔎.

Twice since I purchased my car, once in 2025 and two weeks ago in 2026, I turned my car off in the garage and the engine kept running. I had to start the car up and turn it off again in order for it to shut down. I mentioned that to arapaho kia at my last visit in November 2025 and they just said that they didn’t find anything on the computer.

See all problems of the 2025 Kia Motor Sportage 🔎.

I was driving to work and there was a sound like an explosion or a gun shot and then my sun roof was shattered.

Sunroof exploded while driving. No rocks or anything hit it. Glass is pointing upward.

Sunroof on the vehicle shattered without being struck by projectile or road debris. The area where we were driving had no other cars near us at the time of the incident. There was no sound of something hitting then shattering, it just exploded. Examination of the sunroof did not reveal any points of impact, research done online has shown multiple other kia Sportage owners with the same issue. Spontaneous shattering of the panoramic sunroof.

We have lost instrument panel info while driving twice in less than a year, it reboots while driving. We took the vehicle to the dealer and were informed there was no tow hitch as stated in the recall letter. My concern is that my car is doing what is described in the recall letter, (during rebooting the control cluster will not show info such as speedometer or warning lights), we have a blank panel while driving. So it seems kias diagnosed solution is not at least the entire problem. When I told the service tech at kia we were experiencing the same issued described in the recall letter he said there was nothing he could do about it. There seems there is no way to reproduce the problem because it happens randomly and takes about 20 minutes for the system to reboot and get instrumentation back on line. I think kia needs to be accountable to resolve this life safety situation.

I was driving on the highway around 50 mph when my car sudden if turned off. The dash said something about loss of power and to pull over. It would not start again and I had to call a tow truck.

Our Sportage has the panoramic roof. The back half of the roof chattered all of a sudden while nobody was in or around the vehicle. It exploded outwards.

As I was driving to work this morning, I heard a loud bang. The sun roof blew up. Based on how the glass is raised, it looks like it blew from the inside out.

Component failure: independent inspection confirmed a broken brake master cylinder mounting bracket and a missing ac compressor mounting bolt. Safety risk: the broken brake bracket compromises the structural integrity of the braking system, posing a risk of brake failure while driving. The missing ac bolt creates a risk of the compressor becoming unseated, which could damage the serpentine belt and cause a sudden loss of power steering or engine cooling. Dealer interaction: the selling dealer (orr Nissan west) advertised the vehicle as "vetted" but has since ignored multiple formal requests for the pre-sale inspection records after these defects were discovered.

Have a 2017 kia Sportage and there is something unusual in the airbag compartment on the console in front of the front passenger seat. Although there are no apparent signs of damage or impact, it seems that the airbag has been partially deployed. After seeking input from multiple individuals, they all agreed that this is probably a manufacturing defect. Unfortunately, when I contacted kia, they let me know that they are unable to help me because the vehicle's warranty has expired. I have been a dedicated kia customer for more than 15 years, having owned five different models throughout that period. I've never come across a manufacturing defect like this in any of my kia vehicles before.

I have a 2023 kia Sportage I purchased and I was driving one day and my entire cars power shut off & so did the engine while I was driving on the highway going 70mph + and when I’m driving on the regular roads as well I’ve almost gotten into an accident over this issue already once when I went to go take it into jeffery kia in roseville michigan and asked for it to be looked at I was immediately dismissed and they would not look at my car at all so then I called summit place kia in clinton township where I told them what was happening I then had to wait two weeks before I could even get my car in to be seen by them when it was seen by them they did ever test on it and said that everything came back good but they knew obviously something was wrong with it because it acted up for them as well they documented it then said they were going to call corporate and see what they should do next so today I got a call and a voicemail basically saying they still don’t have a diagnosis for my vehicle they’re just going to order some new parts and put them on there and hope that they work.

Driving with no other cars around us and no debris anywhere and the moonroof suddenly shattered with a loud noise.

The roof molding blew off. It is the exact same issue as this recall 24v025000 but me VIN isn't included.

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.

See all problems of the 2021 Kia Motor Sportage 🔎.

When I push on the gas pedal some times I get nothing for a short time when starting from a stop.

The fuel door will not open. Followed all instructions and the fuel door will not open.

On Thursday, February 26, 2026, at 11:48am, the rear panel of my panoramic sunroof exploded. I didn’t see or hear anything fall on top of the sunroof, or any part of the car. I didn’t hear a loud noise that sounded similar to a “boom” sound or thud. As soon as I got in my car, I heard a cracking sound coming from the sunroof panel.

I am reporting a potential safety defect involving the panoramic sunroof of my 2026 kia Sportage, purchased new in August 2025. On February 19, 2026, at approximately 4:45 pm, while driving around 65 mph, the panoramic sunroof suddenly shattered without warning. The failure was preceded by a loud, explosive sound, after which the tempered glass fractured and collapsed inward into the passenger compartment above the driver’s seat. There was no observable external impact. I did not see any debris or object strike the vehicle, and the glass had no prior damage. Weather conditions were mild (approximately 75°f), and the vehicle was operating under normal highway conditions. Glass fragments fell into the cabin, including onto the driver’s seat and interior surfaces. The sudden noise and glass intrusion created a safety hazard, including risk of injury and driver distraction while traveling at highway speed. The vehicle was taken to a kia dealership the same day. I was later informed by the dealership in san angelo, texas, that the damage would not be covered under warranty and that I would be responsible for the repair. Given the lack of observable impact and the inward failure of the glass, I am submitting this report for evaluation as a potential safety-related defect. The incident raises concerns due to the sudden failure at highway speed, inward breakage into the occupant compartment, and occurrence in a vehicle less than one year old. I can provide photos or documentation upon request. Submitted [xxx] information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

The windshield creates layers of frost if it is really cold. . While the above might be unrelated but the other day I was rolling my front passenger window up in the cold weather and the window just shattered - it just exploded, even though it stayed intact it shattered into a thousand pieces.

On Feb 1, 2026, while driving my panoramic ceiling on my 2023 Sportage just imploded . It sounded like a bomb or a gun was shot. The dealer didn't want to take ownership of the accident and had to file a claim through my insurance. There is more than 2000 cases of this just in 2025 alone. They stated something must of hit it. There was no one on the road that morning and it was right in the middle. I park in my garage at home and at my work location. Not 1 crack or any type of damage was done prior to this incident.

On Feb. 1, 2026 my 2022 kia Sportage caught fire while parked and turned off. The vehicle had been stationary and was not running at the time the fire started. There were no warning lights, no prior overheating, and no collision or external cause. The fire appears to have originated from the engine/electrical area. This incident resulted in a total loss of the vehicle and posed a serious safety risk, as the fire occurred without warning. The vehicle was properly maintained and had no known modifications. This incident is concerning due to previous reports of kia vehicles experiencing spontaneous fires related to electrical or engine components. I am requesting this incident be investigated for potential defects in electrical systems or engine components that may cause fires while the vehicle is parked and turned off.

See all problems of the 2022 Kia Motor Sportage 🔎.

Immediately after delivery, the instrument/infotainment display malfunctioned, froze, and became unresponsive. Apple carplay failed, and phone calls distorted or dropped. After reporting the issue, I discovered that this VIN is subject to safety recall sc359b, with a recall date of December 17, 2025, and a status of recall incomplete / no remedy available. This recall existed prior to the sale. The recall is confirmed by the kia owner app, kia/NHTSA VIN lookup, and the dealer’s internal campaign report. Despite this, the dealer stated in writing that there were “no open recalls” and refused to unwind the sale, mischaracterizing the defect as an “audio panel” issue. I am submitting this to document a retail delivery of a new motor vehicle under an open, VIN-specific safety recall with no available remedy, which constitutes a violation of federal motor vehicle safety law (49 u. S. C. §§ 30112 and 30120). I request review by the office of defects investigation and recall management division.

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.

Catastrophic engine failure, no oil, over 3 qts low, oil light did not come on, 4 cylinder had no compression. In summary: on [xxx] oil light came on, how? I just had oil change on 7/28/25. Stopped to check oil, it was dry. Bought 5qts at walmart, put 3 qts in. Checked oil every day, started keeping 5qt jug oil in car. 9/1/25 took in to have checked for oil leak/oil change, no leak detected. Continued checking oil consumption everyday, adding oil all the time. . . Purchased 5 qts - 5 times between August & November 2025. On 11/21/25 took to auto shop my maxcare extended service plan sent me to for a few minor checks, including to check again for oil leak. There was no leak found but they did need to replace valve cover gasket - engine valve cover. Continued to check oil, added when low as needed. On [xxx] driving on highway, about 15 minutes at approx. 75-80 mph, started losing speed, had to really press on gas pedal to keep going, felt some vibration underneath engine maybe (?), engine light came on, I got off exit, went through intersection, car barely made it, pulled off on shoulder. Called for tow truck, it was cold, after waiting a while I turned car on to get some heat but the heat was not working. Auto shop car was towed to had to add 3 qts of oil to do diag test. Po304cylinder 4 misfire, po303cylinder 3 misfire. . . No compression on cylinder 4. No signs of visible oil leak(s). * had car towed to gerald kia dealer, naperville, IL their diagnostic test only indicated that spark plugs need to be replaced and recommend that I get a 3 part carbon body cleaning, at my expense. I told the service tech I would be right up there to see manager. He told me to first send him all my receipts for oil & oil changes, and he will see what he can do. Didn't hear back. Went there in person 1/9/26. Manager told me that his tech "forgot" to do one test, I waited 1/2 hour, those results did indicate engine needs to be replaced. But, kia is not paying for it. . . . . Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of informa.

The dealership repaired the vehicle free of charge however, NHTSA has not confirmed the repair for recall sc292. The vehicle got repaired on January 3rd, 2026. The recall information is uploaded to reference. Manufacturer reports recall has been completed/closed as of 01/03/2026.

My sunroof shattered. No other vehicles were near me and after hearing a very loud bang, I pulled over to check to see of something hit my car. All looked fine, but I did not look at the top of my car until about a week later due to hearing wind sounds. I then assumed something must have fell out of the sky. Dealership said that they do not fix sunroofs in-house and towed it to a body shop near them. I was then quoted $8700 to fix! a friend suggested I check for recalls and found issues noted online.

Safety complaint description vehicle: 2025 kia Sportage hybrid lx 2025 mileage: ~6,000 miles issue status: ongoing, multiple dealer visits (3 attempts), unresolved related kia case number: [xxx] problem description the vehicle demonstrates significant highway instability and unsafe handling behavior under normal driving conditions. At highway speeds (approximately 50–70 mph), the vehicle exhibits excessive lateral movement and instability, especially after hitting potholes or uneven road surfaces. The car shifts horizontally after impacts, requiring immediate steering correction to maintain lane position. On grooved concrete highways (such as interstate routes toward [xxx] [xxx] ), the vehicle feels like it is floating and swaying continuously, even without strong wind conditions. The vehicle is also highly sensitive to moderate crosswinds (around 20–25 mph). At highway speeds, this results in noticeable rear-end drift and instability, requiring frequent steering corrections and creating concern about potential loss of control. Overall, the handling behavior is beyond normal expectations for this vehicle class and creates a safety concern at highway speeds. Safety concern these conditions create a risk of loss of vehicle control, particularly: -after hitting potholes at highway speeds -during moderate crosswinds -on grooved or uneven concrete highways the instability increases driver workload and raises concern about potential accident risk if overcorrection occurs. Repair attempts the issue has been reported to the dealer and service center three times, but no permanent resolution has been achieved. The problem remains reproducible under normal driving conditions. Additional notes concern exists regarding whether proper pre-delivery inspection (pdi) or alignment verification was fully completed prior to delivery, as the issue has been present since early ownership and persists at ~6,000 miles. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).