FaultScore

2023 KIA Sportage driver assist problems

60 of the 310 complaints about the 2023 KIA Sportage are about the driver-assist systems — 19% of everything reported for this model year. Half of the failures with a mileage on record happened before 14,150 miles.

F

60

Complaints

17

Crashes

0

Fires

10

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Warnings 18 30.0%
Automatic Emergency Braking 13 21.7%
Rearview System Braking 7 11.7%
Assist 5 8.3%
Blind Spot Detection 4 6.7%
Adaptive Cruise Control 4 6.7%
Warnings 4 6.7%
Warning 2 3.3%
Back Over Prevention 1 1.7%
Forward Collision Avoidance 1 1.7%

Driver Assist & Collision Avoidance across every KIA Sportage year

2020 10 10.3%
2023 60 61.9%
2024 13 13.4%
2025 14 14.4%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

Owensboro, KY Crash

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

This is a statement from my daughter: I was driving and noticed a vehicle stopped in front of me. When I attempted to brake, I could feel my brakes sink all the way to the floor. I also didn't receive an alert from the Front Collision Avoidance system or any assistance from the Automatic Emergency Braking system. The vehicle was a CPO that had always been serviced at the dealership. Because of various surgeries I have had, depending on the severity of the crash, I could have been paralyzed for life.

NHTSA complaint #11740925 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Owensboro, KY Crash

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

This is a statement from my daughter: I was driving and noticed a vehicle stopped in front of me. When I attempted to brake, I could feel my brakes sink all the way to the floor. I also didn't receive an alert from the Front Collision Avoidance system or any assistance from the Automatic Emergency Braking system. The vehicle was a CPO that had always been serviced at the dealership. Because of various surgeries I have had, depending on the severity of the crash, I could have been paralyzed for life.

NHTSA complaint #11740925 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Austin, TX Crash

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

While actively parking, my car accelerated and slammed into a wall an arm's length away. The collision was impactful enough to cause my seatbelt to engage and slam into my sternum. While attempting to turn off the car, the computer system glitched, engaging all three different drive modes (N, R, D). The breaking command I gave the vehicle was ignored, and the vehicle accelerated into the parking garage wall. No front collision assist or safety feature engaged. The vehicle is currently at a repair shop with the damage cost totalling $17K. The MFR recently inspected the car in Decemeber when the lease expired and I purchased the vehicle. Prior to that in October, the car came to a full stop and turned off on the highway.

NHTSA complaint #11721553 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Austin, TX Crash

BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS

While actively parking, my car accelerated and slammed into a wall an arm's length away. The collision was impactful enough to cause my seatbelt to engage and slam into my sternum. While attempting to turn off the car, the computer system glitched, engaging all three different drive modes (N, R, D). The breaking command I gave the vehicle was ignored, and the vehicle accelerated into the parking garage wall. No front collision assist or safety feature engaged. The vehicle is currently at a repair shop with the damage cost totalling $17K. The MFR recently inspected the car in Decemeber when the lease expired and I purchased the vehicle. Prior to that in October, the car came to a full stop and turned off on the highway.

NHTSA complaint #11721553 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Austin, TX Crash

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

While actively parking, my car accelerated and slammed into a wall an arm's length away. The collision was impactful enough to cause my seatbelt to engage and slam into my sternum. While attempting to turn off the car, the computer system glitched, engaging all three different drive modes (N, R, D). The breaking command I gave the vehicle was ignored, and the vehicle accelerated into the parking garage wall. No front collision assist or safety feature engaged. The vehicle is currently at a repair shop with the damage cost totalling $17K. The MFR recently inspected the car in Decemeber when the lease expired and I purchased the vehicle. Prior to that in October, the car came to a full stop and turned off on the highway.

NHTSA complaint #11721553 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

West Bloomfield, MI Crash

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

I was involved in a motor vehicle collision where my vehicle sustained significant front-end damage and was later declared a total loss by my insurance company. Despite the severity of the impact, the front airbags did not deploy. The impact was primarily to the front of the vehicle, and the damage required extensive repairs, exceeding the threshold for a total loss. I was wearing my seatbelt at the time of the crash. The failure of the airbag system to deploy raised serious safety concerns, as airbags are intended to provide occupant protection in frontal crashes of this nature. I experienced physical discomfort after the incident and believe the lack of airbag deployment increased the risk of injury. There were no warning lights or messages related to the airbag or restraint system prior to the crash. The vehicle had not shown any prior airbag or safety system faults. The vehicle is currently available for inspection and has been reviewed by the insurance company. I am reporting this incident to request investigation into a potential airbag system malfunction that could pose a safety risk to other drivers

NHTSA complaint #11713494 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Abington, PA Crash 1 injured

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

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.

NHTSA complaint #11710944 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Yucca Valley, CA

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

Purchased the vehicle 2nd hand January 29th 2025. Since then she has been in and out of multiple shops including Kia. Check engine light, loss of power on fwy, shifting/brake changes from a stop. From jerking, lunging, studder, taking off fast, not wanting to go at all. I was on these dips that I encounter almost daily and the collision warning went off. There wasnt anything in front of me. 2 weeks later I was cut off and had to swerve to avoid. Collision warning DID NOT go off. Driving on the fwy and the gas pedal pulled away from my foot as if it was accelerating. Kia has done a hard carbon, changed all fuel injectors. Last time they stated there was a factory defect with the rotors, changed all 4 rotors. Still she drives like this. Carmax, Kia and Daniels Tires NO ONE can tell me what is wrong! I have driven a 2024 same make and model and the car drove beautifully. Something is wrong with my particular vehicle. This is becoming frustrating. Please help. I drive often, I hike a lot. We are always on winding roads. I can't afford to sell it as I still owe. I love the vehicle, aside from this, like I'm just waiting for disaster to occur. Miles started at 14.5k and it's now 33k. Speeds have been anywhere from a complete stop to go and fwy speeds of 55 to 80.

NHTSA complaint #11709113 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Riviera Beach, FL

LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST

I was driving on the highway and encountered a slick spot. The lane keeping assist and braking caused the car to veer to left to try to stay in the lane, which in turn caused the car to spin around twice. The car need to turn in the direction of the spin which was not possible because the lane assist was controlling the steering wheel.

NHTSA complaint #11667074 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Riviera Beach, FL

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

I was driving on the highway and encountered a slick spot. The lane keeping assist and braking caused the car to veer to left to try to stay in the lane, which in turn caused the car to spin around twice. The car need to turn in the direction of the spin which was not possible because the lane assist was controlling the steering wheel.

NHTSA complaint #11667074 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Omaha, NE Crash

BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS

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.

NHTSA complaint #11667212 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Woodstock, GA

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

My vehicle is currently being held at a Kia Dealership in Woodstock, GA to attempt to find the problem with my car. The lateral G sensor code as well as a few others were found in diagnostic testing. They attempted to fix it with replacing the air bag module but it did not remove the problem. My problem is this: Four of my ADAS lights have come on several times over the last few months at random, but all at the same time. It turns off every single safety feature of my vehicle. One time I was driving and my ABS light came on and off quickly as if it were stuck and the car started to pull me off the road as I tried to accelerate. I was told there may be a software issue with my vehicle and that they would take months to fix it if they can. I am concerned for my safety at this point.

NHTSA complaint #11650889 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Mckinney, TX

BACK OVER PREVENTION: REARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING

I had my 2023 Kia Sportage in the Kia shop in McKinney, Tx about 3 weeks ago for an electrical issue. ALL of my lights on my dash were on. They INSISTED my battery was bad, so they made me buy a battery. (My car isn’t even 3 years old). So, once the new battery was installed, the technician stated all was good, that it was just a bad battery, that was why all the lights on my dash were there. When I started my car this morning, what do you know! All of the warning lights were on my dash AGAIN. They did nothing to fix the issue. There were unsure of what was causing the electrical issues in the first place. I am writing this to you to inform you of the electrical issues among Kia.

NHTSA complaint #11648541 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Mckinney, TX

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

I had my 2023 Kia Sportage in the Kia shop in McKinney, Tx about 3 weeks ago for an electrical issue. ALL of my lights on my dash were on. They INSISTED my battery was bad, so they made me buy a battery. (My car isn’t even 3 years old). So, once the new battery was installed, the technician stated all was good, that it was just a bad battery, that was why all the lights on my dash were there. When I started my car this morning, what do you know! All of the warning lights were on my dash AGAIN. They did nothing to fix the issue. There were unsure of what was causing the electrical issues in the first place. I am writing this to you to inform you of the electrical issues among Kia.

NHTSA complaint #11648541 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Clearwater, FL

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

Multiple times I have reported all of my cluster lights come on randomly while driving. They are distracting and it's difficult to tell if the systems are actually working. The dealership claims it's a rear sensor however they refuse to fix it due to my car appears to have been hit. There's no damage to my vehicle any where. Now I have to wait for the lights to come on again before I can take it to another dealership and have it reassessed.

NHTSA complaint #11646989 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Clearwater, FL

LANE DEPARTURE: BLIND SPOT DETECTION

Multiple times I have reported all of my cluster lights come on randomly while driving. They are distracting and it's difficult to tell if the systems are actually working. The dealership claims it's a rear sensor however they refuse to fix it due to my car appears to have been hit. There's no damage to my vehicle any where. Now I have to wait for the lights to come on again before I can take it to another dealership and have it reassessed.

NHTSA complaint #11646989 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Warrenton, GA

BACK OVER PREVENTION: REARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING

which disables the backup camera, Tge The entire infotainment screen is blank, therefore, I am unable to view objects on camera in reverse. This has been an ongoing issue since purchasing the vehicle. Last week, Kia's service department said the blank screen was due to a dead battery which was replaced, but the issue persists. This is a safety concern that needs to be taken seriously and investigated properly besides blaming it on the battery or test driving the vehicle for a couple of minutes and stating they’re unable to duplicate the problem.

NHTSA complaint #11630625 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Warrenton, GA

BACK OVER PREVENTION: REARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING

After starting the vehicle, backup camera and infotainment screen would not work. Car shut off and would not restart with “check system” message. Vehicle had to be towed.

NHTSA complaint #11628990 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Warrenton, GA

BACK OVER PREVENTION: REARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING

The infotainment screen remained blank while in reverse. I wasn’t able to detect pedestrians or objects while backing up. After driving less than a mile, the infotainment screen started to work. After stopping at a stop sign, an “air flap warning” light appeared, then the vehicle stalled shutting completely off while in drive. It cranked after the 3rd attempt. We returned home and parked. Around thirty minutes later, the car would not start and my brother had to boost the vehicle, but we decided not to drive it. The vehicle stalled last week while making a left turn into oncoming traffic, but the dealership stated that they could not duplicate the problem!

NHTSA complaint #11628718 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Warrenton, GA

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

On November 25, 2024, the dash and infotainment screen went blank while at the traffic light. A few seconds later the car stalled shutting completely off while making a left turn onto Cox Rd in Evans, GA. We were able to coast out of traffic and came to a complete stop on the side of the road. We attempted to restart the vehicle and multiple warnings appeared on the dash such as check forward safety system, two cars colliding, check blind spot safety system, traction?, ABS, lane departure, seat belts, Auto Hold, and other symbols not understood. On the second attempt, the vehicle restarted and more warning symbols appeared as soon as it was put in drive. The vehicle was shut off and restarted again with no warnings. We proceeded and drove it to Kia of Evans for service. The service Rep reported that the vehicle was driven 5 miles and they were not able to duplicate this issues. The infotainment screen has blanked out several times since purchase and this is the second time the vehicle has stalled at a traffic light. On this incident, this could have been a traffic situation turning left and losing power into oncoming traffic.

NHTSA complaint #11627855 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Warrenton, GA

BACK OVER PREVENTION: REARVIEW SYSTEM BRAKING

The rear cross traffic system does not alert driver when objects are approaching or when backing close to objects. There is no flashing warnings on the camera or alarms to notify driver.

NHTSA complaint #11616471 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Cincinnati, OH

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: AUTOMATIC EMERGENCY BRAKING

At startup or during driving, all safety features will go into warning mode and disable, including lane following assist, forward collision avoidance, electrical parking brake malfunction, electronic stability control malfunction, automatic braking, and downhill brake indicator. All warning lights illuminate on dash until car is stopped and turned off. And even then they may come on again upon restart. This has happened intermittently since I purchased the vehicle and Kia says they don't know the source nor can fix it. Most recently, the car engine stopped while stopped at a traffic light when the warning lights started to cycle on.

NHTSA complaint #11609102 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Cincinnati, OH

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

At startup or during driving, all safety features will go into warning mode and disable, including lane following assist, forward collision avoidance, electrical parking brake malfunction, electronic stability control malfunction, automatic braking, and downhill brake indicator. All warning lights illuminate on dash until car is stopped and turned off. And even then they may come on again upon restart. This has happened intermittently since I purchased the vehicle and Kia says they don't know the source nor can fix it. Most recently, the car engine stopped while stopped at a traffic light when the warning lights started to cycle on.

NHTSA complaint #11609102 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Cincinnati, OH

LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST

At startup or during driving, all safety features will go into warning mode and disable, including lane following assist, forward collision avoidance, electrical parking brake malfunction, electronic stability control malfunction, automatic braking, and downhill brake indicator. All warning lights illuminate on dash until car is stopped and turned off. And even then they may come on again upon restart. This has happened intermittently since I purchased the vehicle and Kia says they don't know the source nor can fix it. Most recently, the car engine stopped while stopped at a traffic light when the warning lights started to cycle on.

NHTSA complaint #11609102 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

North Port, FL

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: ADAPTIVE CRUISE 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.

Richmond, VA Crash

BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS

I parked my car. It reversed slowly and hit a wall made of metal net. I started my car, drove a little forward, and parked it again. The car is now parked as normal. I took my car to the dealer and informed them about a brake problem. They verified that it was a brake booster problem. The repair process took 21 days. I am currently attempting to claim the accident, but the Kia company is providing various reasons for potential denial.

NHTSA complaint #11554455 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 12,800 miles Warrenton, GA

BACK OVER PREVENTION

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.

at 12,800 miles Warrenton, GA

BACK OVER PREVENTION: SENSING SYSTEM: CAMERA

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.

at 136,423 miles Bloomington, IN Crash 1 injured

LANE DEPARTURE: WARNING

driving on the highway in the left lane with driver assist engaged. crashed into car driving in the right lane when the kia driver assist turned off without warning.

NHTSA complaint #11549129 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

at 136,423 miles Bloomington, IN Crash 1 injured

LANE DEPARTURE: ASSIST

driving on the highway in the left lane with driver assist engaged. crashed into car driving in the right lane when the kia driver assist turned off without warning.

NHTSA complaint #11549129 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 2023 KIA Sportage problems

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