Power Train Problems of Kia Motor Sportage - part 1

We were getting in our car to drive home from a restaurant. We attempted to start our car like any other day, and the car started. However, our car was stuck in gear, it was in parking but also not in parking. The car was not moving, the gear was in “park”, the dot light for park was not showing, and then we had several warnings appear on our dashboard. At first it was three, then it went to six (after turning off the car and restarting again)!! the car told us to put it in park, but we literally could not move the gear shift at all. We had: check speed limit system, check high beam assist, check driver attention warning, check blind spot safety system, check forward safety system, check rear cross-traffic safety system appear in 20 seconds of car being on. This car just hit ~15,500 miles on it. To add to the strangeness, we open the kia access app and tried “lock” and “unlock” (while being in the car”, then turn the car off. We started the car again and it worked as if this never happened (no immediate warnings like above). Yet we did recieve a check engine light and a vehicle diagnostic on the instrument (dashboard) saying “follow-up check required: 2 (engine management system and transmission control system. )” the car allowed itself to recognize it in park gear and drive off. The kia access app said we experienced a uoo01f0 code tied to the engine control system. We never seen anything like that before. We did, however, experience a problem with the driver seat powertrain at 11,000 miles where the seat wouldn’t move. The seat was fixed by the dealership though. We are going to take the car in to the dealership to see what they say.

See all problems of the 2025 Kia Motor Sportage 🔎.

I was driving eastbound in my 2012 kia Sportage on I-82 just past benton city mp97 at about 11am on Monday June 22, 2026, when my engine knocked twice, the red check engine light came on, and I lost power. I pulled over off the road next to a concrete barrier that was beside a rock roadcut. My flashers would not operate, I put it into park, turned off the ignition and immediately noticed the smell of burning oil or rubber. I had 2 half gallon containers of water on my front seat, so I popped the switch, lifted the hood, used the prop rod to hold the hood up as I started dowsing the flames that were popping up on the passenger side of my engine compartment near the firewall. After using both half gallons, I ran to the rear of the vehicle, opened the hatchback, and grabbed a gallon spray bottle of water and brought that back around to the front of the vehicle. By this point the prop rod holding the hood was bending and the flames were popping back up, I pumped the sprayer and directed a stream of water with my left hand and used my right to hold up the hood as the prop rod was not working. After the fire was completely out, I returned to the rear of the vehicle, donned my reflective vest, put a portable flasher on my vehicle, and at this point a benton county fireman in a pickup arrived - he was called by a motorist that saw me pulling over with smoke trailing my vehicle. The fireman was followed by a large firetruck and crew. They propped up the hood with a bar and inspected the motor to verify the fire was completely extinguished. They took my information and left. A washington state patrol arrived, assessed the scene and offered assistance, but I already had called my wife so he left me to wait for her. He told me I had 24 hours to get the car off the interstate. I had the car towed to my driveway by a&e towing at about 2:30pm. I just realized this morning that I ought to report it to you. I haven't tried to start it, but I'm sure it won't.

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While exiting the john c. Lodge freeway in detroit at approximately 40 mph, the brake pedal became stuck halfway during braking and the vehicle did not stop properly on the first brake application. I had to remove my foot from the brake pedal and press it again before the brakes engaged and the vehicle stopped. This has occurred approximately seven times intermittently. The issue creates a serious safety hazard and risk of collision. In addition, the “d” gear indicator intermittently blinks while driving and the “p” indicator intermittently blinks while the vehicle is in park. Vehicle was previously brought to dealership and issue was reported, but the condition continues intermittently.

I did not have an incident yet. I was advised by my local state representative jimmy gordon's office. They stated were unable to help me get reimbursement for the $8000 I just paid my kia dealer, but that I should make a complaint on this website. What happened is that I was hearing an odd noise and it was slipping. I went in thinking it was my tires and it needed alignment- so I had them replaced , etc in April. But the sound was still there so I went back in . Then the kia st cloud dealer diagnosed that the awd transfer case was the cause (pd $4704 including $130 surcharge! ). When dealer called to say it was ready, they said bad news- your transmission is also damaged (pd $3197 including $90 surcharge ! ). This is a known failure of kia/Hyundai models and needs to be addressed. You can lose control of your car and there could be an accident, especially on busy highways! I appealed to kia corporate and also bbb auto line, but they both denied because too many miles (130k). The sound I heard /issue with transfer case & transmission happened as soon as my powertrain warranty was over! this is not right! I was someone who had given this vehicle 5 stars! I am the only owner and a multi- kia owner who only brought this vehicle to a kia dealer for all work. I have all records and that info was why kia corporate originally told me I had "justification " for a goodwill reimbursement. [I currently am unemployed so I had to put all the repairs on a credit card (which meant being charged a 2. 9% surcharge without informing me at the counter!)]. I hadn't heard so called June 2nd to kia customer care and they said it was denied after all and would not give me any info except that they had negotiated with the dealership and it came back denied! I tried to call the gm at the dealer , but no answer back from my voice mail to hector. Then bbb auto line also told me ineligible due to mileage. Well, this is still a dangerous issue and needs to be addressed!.

See all problems of the 2019 Kia Motor Sportage 🔎.

Unjustified denial of engine warranty coverage - 2015 kia Sportage "I am filing this complaint because kia is denying warranty coverage for a known engine defect (rod bearing failure in the theta ii gdi engine) on my 2015 kia Sportage. The manufacturer’s denial is based on the claim that I did not perform the ksds (knock sensor detection system) software update in previous years. However, I have officially performed this update at an authorized kia dealership (hendrick kia of cary) on April 17, 2026. Despite my vehicle now fully complying with the recall requirements, kia continues to deny the warranty claim by retroactively applying a 'missed update' penalty. This is a clear attempt to evade their obligations under the class-action settlement regarding this engine defect. The manufacturer is holding the current owner responsible for maintenance history they cannot control, even though the vehicle is now technically compliant. I request that the NHTSA investigate this practice, as it prevents consumers from accessing the safety-related warranty protections they are entitled to. " tips for your submission:.

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My vehicle stalled (104000mi) bought in 2024 looked up online was known between 2023-2024 engine recall I wasn't told or shown on car fax anything about this so [xxx] worked on engine 2. Mths no charge was to get new motor they replaced alternator. Told done engine light was on I went to drive it jerked and over dash said engine problems return to dealer ( 5 min) I did . They had it2 more weeks said transmission box lied I found diagnostics in my dash says engine control problems. Theysaid I had to return loaner and take my vehicle it's not the transmission they are lying. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2014 Kia Motor Sportage 🔎.

3 times in the last two days, and dozens of times over the last six months, while driving or while idling, the "check hybrid system" warning has flashed. When it happens the car does into limp mode, where it will go no faster than 13mph. This has happened in the left lane of a highway where there is no where to pull over except the lane, since there is no time to get over before the vehicle shuts down. The car essentially will shut down in the middle of driving, no matter where it is. Especially with my kids in the car it is terrifying hazard. I have brought the car to the kia service and since its not easily reproducible they have not been able to help and have offered no solutions.

See all problems of the 2023 Kia Motor Sportage 🔎.

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 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.

While driving the vehicle at 55 mph, it suddenly lost the ability to accelerate even when I pressed down on the accelerator. The rpms went up to 4 or 5 but I could not go over 30-35 mph. Fortunately, I was able to move into a left turn lane to get away from the flow of traffic and avoid an accident. A semi-truck was behind us when I was unable to accelerate. We had to have the vehicle towed to a local dealership in the area. I had been driving the vehicle for about 2 hours when this occurred. The service department at the dealer was able to recreate the issue. My vehicle has been out of service and remains at the dealership. They told me that a new transmission would be installed due to loss of transmission fluid. They had a difficult time identifying the issue because there were no warning lights or codes registered.

I received a voluntary emissions update letter from kia, and although it was voluntary, the letter said failure to update could be considered lack of maintenance. The update was performed on xxx at dorsch Ford/kia in [xxx]. The vehicle ran poorly from that day forward. I gave it a couple of weeks to insure that the system could learn my driving habits. I then went to the dorsch service department to report my issues. The service writer {andy} said he hadn't heard of any issues with the update. I had him log in my issues to have a record that I complained. I returned several more times and talked to other service writers who told me that if they would check the vehicle and found nothing that I would have to pay service fees. The vehicle jerks and up/downshifts frequently and almost stalls sometimes when accelerating from a stoplight. It will lung periodically when navigating a parking lot at low speeds. It frequently searches for a different gear in traffic. To be clear, my car ran perfectly before this update. I asked them to put the previous tune back into the car but they said they can't do that. The car runs fine sometimes but the uncertainty of the jerking and shifting at improper times makes it dangerous to drive. Also almost stalling at an intersection is very dangerous too. I doubt that I am the only one to have this problem. Please help in any way you can to get this fixed without me having to spend money to correct a factory/dealer initiated problem thank you for all your help. Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of information act (foia), 5 u. S. C. 552(b)(6).

See all problems of the 2018 Kia Motor Sportage 🔎.

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.

See all problems of the 2022 Kia Motor Sportage 🔎.

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.

The contact owns a 2025 kia Sportage. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the engine experienced difficulty cranking. Additionally, the contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission failed to properly shift gear. The contact stated that the engine revved up, but the transmission failed to properly shift gear. The auto start/stop light was orange. The contact was concerned about a possible disintegration of the transmission after a friend alerted him of a similar failure. The contact called the local dealer and left a message. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 18,000.

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.

While driving, the vehicle suddenly lost power and stalled. I was able to safely pull to the side of the road. The engine would not restart. Upon inspection, the engine was found to be completely out of oil despite being maintained according to recommended oil change intervals and not being overdue for service. There were no visible oil leaks under the vehicle and no prior low oil warning light or oil pressure warning light was observed before the failure. The vehicle had previously been serviced by a kia dealership for turbocharger-related concerns, including turbocharger boost control and wastegate actuator issues. The dealership later diagnosed the vehicle with a burnt valve in cylinder #1 and recommended complete engine replacement. I am concerned because this vehicle experienced excessive oil consumption without sufficient warning to prevent engine failure. The vehicle stalled while being driven, creating a potential safety hazard due to sudden loss of power in traffic. The vehicle is available for inspection. The failure has been confirmed by a kia dealership service department.

See all problems of the 2020 Kia Motor Sportage 🔎.

Awd lock engaged but not functioning and no error lights indicating the such. This made the vehicle slip aggressively on lightly snowed roads. Once parked it needed to be winched out as only the front wheels spun, not engaging the rear tires.

See all problems of the 2017 Kia Motor Sportage 🔎.

Transmission stops drive ability at various times when pulling out into traffic it stops accelerating and the engine just revs high rpm’s until it slams itself back into a power gear. I have stalled several times recently pulling into traffic and was nearly involved in a wreck because a momentary lack of acceleration. This problem also hapoens when driving a steady speed it all of a sudden stops accelerating a d just revs the engine very high until it catches itself and regains the ability to have power.

The contact owns a 2023 kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power and failed to accelerate as intended. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was pulled over to the side of the road and restarted. However, the failure reoccurred on five separate occasions. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, but the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 27,776.

Frequently while driving my 2023 kia shortage hybrid will accelerate on its own. This happens randomly while driving straight as well as making turns. My SUV also has a vary hard time driving uphill. If im driving at 25 mph when approaching the hill, my car then gradually drops down to 10-15 mph. This is extremely scary especially when driving with my children in the car. I haven’t owned the vehicle for a year and don’t know why it’s performing this way.

While driving the vehicle and selecting ev only mode the engine rpms surge to about 3000. This happens frequently and I have it on video. Kia has had the car multiple times for electrical may electrical related repairs but say the vehicle is normal. The tech line person even had the dealer drive a similar car for a baseline. I would expect they had a baseline prior to manufacturing the car. This is an ongoing unrepaired issue. Date below is first reported date of electrical concerns.

See all problems of the 2024 Kia Motor Sportage 🔎.

Kia America has rejected my appeal for an engine replacement through the recall , I had the ksds, knock sensor installed by north town kia 3900 sheridan drive amherst NY , may 7 2021. The warranty I received mentioned to keep oil and filter changed every 7500 miles with 5 w 20 oil . The oil was changed by myself and I have receipts every 5k miles or less. I was turned down for what kia tech line said insufficient maintenance . As in they are calling me a liar . I bought 5w 20 full synthetic oil and filters on 12 occasions from walmart that fit my 2013 Kia Motor the weight was recommended by kia and the filters rated at 10k miles . Have worked on my cars since I was [xxx] old have thousands of dollars in tools. I do what ever maintenance that is still possible to do on newer cars . Brakes , filters fluid changes tire rotations ect . If kia would have mentioned in the warrenty you need to take videos I would have . Why are not receipts enough? also the way the oil looks rite now ?? clean on the dipstick. Have talked to 3 different car service technicians. And they said the same thing. If that motor was not maintained the oil would not look that good. I asked the dealer for the video that the technician does when they told me what I already knew. I paid 230 dollars for the diagnostic, they sent the video to kia tech line. Kia told me I have to get a subpoena . To get a copy. . Does that tell you they may be hiding something?? so I have brought this to the attention of 3 different kia dealers. They said hands are tied to to kia tech line . My 2013 kia Sportage looks as good if not better then some cars 3 years old . Everything works except the 2. 4 liter motor with bad rod bearings. The car died while my wife was driving it while at a stop light at a busy intersection. No light on dash no warning. What if it quit when she was at a high speed. No power steering, no power brakes??that is dangerous . This happened on September 4 2025, towed straight to the kia dealer . Information redacted pursuant to the freedom of I.

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I started my car and it started shaking violently, and would jolt back and forth, I would be on the highway and the speed would decrease rapidly and overheat slightly to pick up speed.

I am writing to formally raise a safety concern regarding my vehicle’s brake and rotor system, which has experienced premature failure on two separate occasions. First occurrence: the issue was first identified prior to reaching 11,000 miles and was addressed by the dealership after surpassing 11,000 miles. The repair involved replacement of the rotors and bolts, but notably, the brake components themselves were not replaced. Second occurrence: around 23,000 miles, I began to notice progressively worsening shaking and a disturbing sensation of the brakes skipping or slipping—particularly during highway downgrades. By 24,500 miles, the issue had become significantly more pronounced. I returned the vehicle to kia of stockton at 25,248 miles. During my visit, ricardo from the kia of stockton service department attributed the issue to “driver error,” citing hot spots on the rotors. However, he also acknowledged that during the initial repair, only the rotors and bolts were replaced—not the brakes. Ricardo further stated that kia could not offer any additional support beyond a 10% discount on repairs, per his manager’s directive. I explained that I live and work locally, and my driving habits do not involve long commutes or frequent stop-and-go traffic. Given this, I strongly believe the repeated brake system failure points to a potential manufacturing defect rather than user error. Ricardo agreed that if this were his own vehicle, he would be concerned as well. This issue poses a serious safety risk—not only to myself and my family, but to other drivers on the road. In addition my vehicle has also experienced powertrain issues, where it feels as if the vehicle is stuck in 1st gear. I am therefore requesting a full investigation into this matter. If necessary, I would like to initiate the process of reporting this vehicle as a potential lemon under applicable consumer protection laws. Thank you for your attention to this urgent safety concern.

Fails to move when going from stopped to apply gas and moving forward there is a large delay and weak power. Shakes when idles and is really forcful switching from gas to battery or battery to gas,.

The contact owns a 2017 kia Sportage. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled and illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, however the contact was advised to tow the vehicle to the dealer. The cotnact stated that the failure occurred while traveling across two states. The vehicle was towed to the contact's brother's residence while waiting for a scheduled appointment with the dealer. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer where the contact was informed that an unknown software update was needed. The vehicle was repaired. In addition, the contact was informed that the second unknown software update was part of an unknown special program. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure but provided no assistance. The failure mileage was approximately 97,000.

While driving on the highway at 80 mph, the accelerator suddenly stopped working and was completely unresponsive. The dashboard displayed the message "check hybrid system. Stop safely" and a warning ding sounded. The gas engine was still operating and showing rpms on the dashboard, but all acceleration and/or engagement with the engine was lost. I was able to coast and safely pull over to the side of the road. After pulling over, I turned off the engine and pushed the 12v battery reset button. The car restarted, and I was able to continue driving. The issue repeated about 20 miles later and again on a different drive four days later. Each time, there is no early warning or noticeable issue with the vehicle before the sudden warning and loss of power.

The hybrid powertrain system failed. Specifically, the vehicle remains stuck in ev mode and does not switch to the gasoline engine under acceleration, leading to complete loss of power while driving. Yes, the vehicle is available for inspection upon request. This malfunction caused the vehicle to lose all forward power in traffic. I had to pull over into emergency lanes and restart the vehicle multiple times. This is extremely dangerous and could lead to a crash, especially on highways or during merging. It puts both myself and others on the road at risk. The kia authorized service center was able to reset the adaptive system, and the hybrid warning light turned off temporarily. However, the issue reappeared the same day. The dealer claims they cannot reproduce it and refuses further diagnosis without replication. The vehicle was only inspected by a kia-authorized dealership. Kia consumer affairs has not yet conducted a manufacturer-level inspection or assigned a field technician. Yes. A “check hybrid system. Stop safely” warning message appears before the failure occurs. Then check engine light was on. It first appeared immediately after a routine service (oil change, tire rotation, multi-point inspection) on 26th June 2025, just 2 days after my regular service. The warning disappears after restarting but returns intermittently, typically after the ev battery is fully drained and the car fails to switch to gas mode.

I was riding on the highway at about 65 mph and then the check engine light came on, the car slowed down and lost power. Now when I take off I have to barely mash the gas to pick up speed, if I mash the gas pedal hard it barely moves and it loses speed and power going up a hill. I took the car to two different part store and had a reader hooked up and it said the power powertrain control module needs a reprogramming.

The contact owns a 2025 kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 60 mph, the transmission unexpectedly shifted gears, causing a slight jerk before accelerating. The instrument panel frequently displayed codes advising the driver to "turn off the engine. " while driving approximately 45-50 mph, the vehicle suddenly stalled. The instrument panel displayed a message advising the contact to "check your surroundings". When the contact attempted to depress the accelerator, the vehicle failed to respond. Upon releasing the accelerator pedal, the vehicle coasted, and the failure reoccurred several times. The contact safely coasted to the side of the road, restarted the vehicle, and the failure was temporarily resolved. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who was unable to determine the cause of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was informed of the issue and opened a case. The failure mileage was approximately 3,500.

My kia Sportage hybrid sx prestige, bought brand new on 4/29/2025 and had 250 miles when I had transmission problem on weekend after 3 days of ownership. The car, when slowed down to about 30 miles/hr, transmission suddenly shifted to neutral and the engine became dead. This happened 3 times within half an hour on freeway during the time of high traffic. I had to pull over and restarted the engine. I brought the car to the dealership on Monday, may 5 of 2025 and it took them 3 days to reproduced the problem to send to kia service headquarter and today is may 29 (3 weeks and 3 days later) the car is still in the shop waiting for a new transmission replacement.

Started vehicle and was driving, isg (auto start stop) light went amber and transmission refused to shift to allow uphill travel. Had to pull over and turn engine off and on again for the transmission to start working. Have had to dealer, however yet again they cannot replicate in their test drive so they can't do anything about it.

When I pulled up at home and parked the vehicle, I pressed the brake pedal, stopping the vehicle, and then pressed the park button and took my foot off the brake. The vehicle was not in park and rolled forward hitting my trailer with two jet skis on it in my driveway damaging the front of my vehicle, and one of the 2 jet skis. This is the first time this has happened, and there was no warning at all. Luckily it was in my driveway with no one around. If it had happened in a store parking lot or on a street, it could injure or kill someone easily.

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

The issue appears to involve the cvt (continuously variable transmission) system or the transmission fluid/lubricant pump. The vehicle jerks or hesitates when accelerating from a stop, as if struggling to shift properly. The check engine light comes on repeatedly. This issue is ongoing, and the vehicle is available for inspection upon request. The jerking and hesitation when trying to drive, especially from a stop or when merging into traffic, poses a safety risk to myself and others. The delayed or unpredictable response could easily lead to an accident in high-traffic areas, intersections, or when making turns. Yes. The issue has been observed multiple times. The check engine light has returned even after replacing the O2 sensors, and a trusted mechanic believes the problem may be transmission-related. However, the kia dealership claims there are no active recalls tied to my VIN, even though publicly available information lists powertrain- and fluid pump-related recalls for my vehicle's year and model. The vehicle has not yet been inspected by kia corporate. I reached out to the local dealer, who denied any applicable recall. I am submitting this complaint in hopes of an official review and inspection by the manufacturer or NHTSA to determine if the issue qualifies for safety recall intervention. Yes. The check engine light first appeared months ago, which led to replacement of the O2 sensors. Shortly after the replacement, the light returned, and the car began jerking while trying to drive or accelerate from a stop. These symptoms have persisted and appear to be worsening.