2023 KIA Sportage acceleration problems

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

I am reporting a recurring and unresolved acceleration issue with my 2023 Kia Sportage. The vehicle intermittently continues to accelerate or maintains elevated RPMs even after I release the accelerator pedal. This has occurred multiple times and creates a serious safety concern because the vehicle does not decelerate as expected. The vehicle has been taken to an authorized Kia dealership multiple times for the same concern. Several components have been replaced, including the throttle body, but the acceleration problem continues to occur. The issue has also been observed during a dealership visit. Because the problem continues despite repeated repair attempts, I would like to formally document and investigate this safety concern and provide a permanent resolution. I am increasingly concerned about the safety and reliability of the vehicle.

NHTSA complaint #11763894 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

I was driving down the highway at the posted 70mph limit in medium traffic. The car started to sputter and wouldn't accelerate. The car started to decelerate and cars coming from behind had to quickly swerve to avoid me. The cab then filled with the strong smell of gasoline and I became light headed. The car reduced to around 10mph and I pulled off the highway into a gas station and waited for a tow truck. We towed the vehicle to a Kia dealership and they claimed to have fixed it. A similar circumstance has occured 3 more times since that first issue. After each time, Kia has claimed to have fixed the issue.

NHTSA complaint #11712744 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

I had my vehicle take to Coughlin Kia in Dublin Ohio on [XXX] and got my vehicle back on [XXX]. The service center at Coughlin claimed I had bad gas, they took it upon themselves to approve services I did not approve of. When I got my vehicle back on [XXX] I found wires under my hood and caps left under my hood as well. Then on 4/26/24 my vehicle started having problems, my vehicle would have the RPMS jumping from 500 to 1,000 while sitting in park and driving. Not once did I ever mess with my vehicle under the hood. I notice this problem getting worse as the days went on. On 4/23 my vehicle wasn't getting any better, the engine was shaking while sitting in park and it was shaking the whole car. On [XXX] on my way back from a lunch break my car stalled out and stopped in the middle of traffic. I called Great Lakes dealership in Columbus Ohio, and have my vehicle taken there. My vehicle declined in speed while moving on a high speed highway. Putting my safety and my families safety at risk. Kia won't own up to any mistakes, they claim this as bad fuel and I have been putting high octane gas in my vehicle. I do believe my vehicle was messed with by someone at the Coughlin Dealership and now I'm facing safety issues I can't drive my vehicle because its unsafe and my vehicle has only 23,600 miles on it. I'm highly disappointed I reached out to the director of operations Michele Cameron and she refuses to respond back to me and return my phone calls. I can't get anyone from Kia Corporation to respond back to me. I was told by Kia Connect that they wouldn't provide me a tow truck last night when my vehicle was on the side of a busy highway. I have warranty on my vehicle and I get free tows and was told they couldn't provide one. No safety vehicle would sit with us on the highway to make sure we were safe. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11585412 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The vehicle speed control failed to accelerate above 50 MPH. Pushing down on the accelerator would continue to increase RPMs, but instead the car would coast. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? This malfunction made it impossible to reach highway speeds, which meant I was traveling 20-25 MPH slower than the rest of traffic. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? The problem persisted for the entire driving session; however, after turning off the car and turning it back on, the problem has not reproduced. A passenger recorded a video of the issue occurring, and the dealer reviewed the video and confirmed that it is definitely a safety hazard, but since the issue was not reproducible, they stated they could not take any action based on Kia's service policies. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? The vehicle has been inspected by a Kia dealer, but not by any other parties. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Before this problem occurred, the engine Auto-Stop icon appeared amber - which means engine Auto-Stop vehicle conditions were not met so the engine wouldn't automatically shut off at stoplights. This is the only time I've observed this icon appear amber instead of white.

NHTSA complaint #11567418 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

Car wouldn’t accelerate, could be problem if turning left into traffic. Trip to Florida, 1000 miles, the Engine accelerated by itself, one time the mph was into the 90’s before I got it under control. This happened 3 times on my drive Florida from Indiana

NHTSA complaint #11563052 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

The contact owns a 2023 Kia Sportage. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle independently accelerated and then decelerated. The contact also stated that the back over prevention camera was inoperable and displayed a black screen. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact stated that she had previously experienced the failure with the vehicle before and the dealer was unable to duplicate the failure; however, the dealer replaced the aftermarket floor mat with the original Kia Sportage floor mat. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 12,800.

NHTSA complaint #11552696 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL

The car is currently in the shop at Jim Shorkey Gainesville Kia and is available for inspection. They have contacted me to tell me the transmission/engine failed. I was driving on interstate when I suddenly lost the ability to accelerate and was forced to get off of the highway. After coming to a complete stop I pressed on the gas pedal but the car would still not accelerate. I tried putting into park and back into drive and that did not work. I tried putting it into manual mode and it did go forward but every gear change was loud, jerky, and rough. I was able to make to my next complete stop in a left turning lane to cross a two lane busy highway that is coming downhill towards me at an intersection that does not have a traffic signal. However the car was stuck in gear 5. I was the first car in line. At this point I put other cars in danger as they swerved back into the high way to get around me into the intersection to make that left turn across busy highway. I turned the car completely off and after a minute turned it back on. I put in drive, waited until I couldn't see any cars coming down the hill and I pressed the gas pedal to test. It jerked forward and I managed to get across the highway as it shifted into the second gear it jerked violently and made a loud popping noise and there after every single gear change was loud and jerky. Thank God I did not lose the ability to accelerate in that left turn because those cars are coming at 70+ miles per hour Down that hill or my family would have been t-boned on their passenger side. I am also lucky that I was able to get off the nearest exit when they problem originally happened as I was going downhill on the interstate and the next exit was very close so my momentum got me there. I lost the ability to control the vehicle as I ordinarily would putting myself, my family, and other motorists in danger had we not been able to get off on the exit or make it through that left turn.

NHTSA complaint #11511112 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.