FaultScore

2023 KIA Sportage other reported problems

46 of the 310 complaints about the 2023 KIA Sportage are about the other systems — 15% of everything reported for this model year.

C

46

Complaints

3

Crashes

0

Fires

0

Injuries

Exactly what failed

Unknown OR Other 46 100.0%

Other & Unspecified across every KIA Sportage year

1997 16 3.7%
1998 24 5.6%
1999 14 3.3%
2000 11 2.6%
2011 23 5.4%
2012 23 5.4%
2013 27 6.3%
2014 14 3.3%
2015 25 5.9%
2016 18 4.2%
2017 68 15.9%
2018 19 4.4%
2019 14 3.3%
2020 31 7.3%
2021 14 3.3%
2023 46 10.8%
2024 20 4.7%
2025 20 4.7%

What owners said

Filed with NHTSA, in their own words.

New Caney, TX

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

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.

NHTSA complaint #11756745 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Port Huron, MI

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

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

NHTSA complaint #11739573 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Rhinelander, WI

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

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.

NHTSA complaint #11732089 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Mc Donald, PA

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The roof molding blew off. It is the exact same issue as this recall 24V025000 but me vin isn't included.

NHTSA complaint #11726500 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Mc Donald, PA

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

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

NHTSA complaint #11726501 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Hialeah, FL

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

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.

NHTSA complaint #11721255 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Cape Coral, FL

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

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

NHTSA complaint #11710506 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Yucca Valley, CA

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

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.

Sidney, MT

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

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.

NHTSA complaint #11684893 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Alameda, CA

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

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.

NHTSA complaint #11681575 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Omaha, NE Crash

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

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

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

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.

Jackson, NJ

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

While driving on a highway at approximately 5:00 p.m., a loud explosion occurred. My husband said it sounded like we were shot. Once we pulled over, we discovered the panoramic sunroof had exploded. We immediately pulled off on the nearest exit and drove the car right back to the dealer. While my husband drove the car, I researched sunroof explosions and found several complaints of other Kia cars with panoramic sunroofs that had exploded. Upon arrival at the dealership, the service department was closed, but we were able to bring the car inside the garage since it was raining. There was no impact to the sunroof and no bridge where something could have fallen from it. The broken glass looked like it had exploded outward like a volcano. Shattered pieces of glass were scattered on top of the cloth covering but most pieces must have flown off the roof during driving. A saleswoman made a ridiculous claim that the explosion could have been caused by hail. It was 55 degrees out. Another salesman made a comment that it could have been some kind of combustion or that something fell on top of the sunroof (like a meteorite fell from the sky while driving?). Now, the following morning, Kia (a man named Walt) is claiming something hit the sunroof, "pictures don't lie", and they will not do any work on the car until my insurance company is contacted and an appraiser comes to look at the damage. We also took pictures and do not see that an impact occurred. No other cars on the highway at the time the sunroof exploded were impacted with their driving or even pulled off the road, so I cannot imagine Kia's claim that "something hit the sunroof." No other cars were impacted.

NHTSA complaint #11645514 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Warrenton, GA

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

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

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

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.

Plano, TX

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Dear NHTSA Defects and Recall Team, My name is [XXX] , and I am writing this email along with my wife, [XXX] , to report a serious safety issue with our 2023 Kia Sportage. I am writing to bring a serious, ongoing vehicle safety issue involving a Kia Sportage to your attention. My family and I are facing repeated, hazardous malfunctions with our vehicle that have led us to fear for our lives, as well as the safety of others on the road. Since mid-September, our 2023 Kia Sportage has experienced sudden, unanticipated shut-offs both while parked and, most dangerously, while driving. During these incidents, the brake pedal becomes completely unresponsive, hazard lights fail to activate, and the vehicle is left stranded and inoperable. Most recently, while driving in traffic, the car shut off without warning, leaving us in an extremely vulnerable position. These repeated failures could lead to a catastrophic accident, especially considering we often travel with our [XXX] child in the vehicle. Despite notifying Kia and seeking assistance from their customer service team, the issue remains unresolved, and their response has been unacceptably slow. Given the severity of these malfunctions and their direct impact on public safety, we respectfully request your support in addressing this matter. We believe Kia has a responsibility to ensure the safety of its vehicles and to take immediate action when serious safety risks arise. We request that the NHTSA investigate the issue and consider any necessary recalls or further action to ensure public safety. We would appreciate any guidance or assistance your office could provide in helping us resolve this life-threatening issue. Sincerely, [XXX] and [XXX] [XXX] | [XXX] Kia Sportage X Line AWD [XXX] Purchased date: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA complaint #11622208 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Oakdale, LA

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

My sun roof just exploded and shattered everywhere! It could’ve caused me to wreck with my 4 month old I thought someone shot at us! There was no reason at all for this to happen.

NHTSA complaint #11617041 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Warrenton, GA

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The engine shut completely off after stopping at a traffic light with a message “auto stop not working.” There was another message, but I wasn’t able to capture it due to trying to restart the vehicle in the midst of traffic. The engine restarted after two attempts.

NHTSA complaint #11615876 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Warrenton, GA

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

There were two incidents where the engine sounded sluggish and was difficult to start over the past two weeks (7/22/24 & 7/30/24). After speaking with Kia Service Rep three days ago, an appointment was made to check the battery. On yesterday and today (8/1/24), the engine would not start at all or even make a sound although the air conditioner and radio would work. I had to get the vehicle jumped off to drive it to the service department. After the Service Rep checked the battery, they couldn’t find anything wrong and stated the battery was o.k.

NHTSA complaint #11605994 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Orlando, FL

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I took the car to the dealership on 3/22/2024 for the recall and the car is good no repairs was needed

NHTSA complaint #11597417 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Casper, WY

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

While my niece was driving the vehicle, the sunroof shattered. No rock or other debris hit the sunroof. It simply shattered

NHTSA complaint #11589121 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Warrenton, GA

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

On May 4, 2024, a message appeared on the screen “Contacts Download Unsuccessful” while trying to make a call. The Bluetooth would not connect and I wasn’t able to make hands free calls. On May 5, 2024, the screen blanked out for several minutes while driving. This isn’t the first time this has happened.

NHTSA complaint #11587280 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Glendale, AZ

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Moonroof exploded while I was driving.

NHTSA complaint #11584423 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Richmond, VA Crash

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I had an incident happen in September 2023. As usual, I parked my car in Reverse (R), and after that, I shifted it into Park (P). Then, I released the brake, and the car unexpectedly reversed, resulting in an incident where my bumper got dented. Later, I found out that others had experienced the same problem. I'm confused whether it was due to the brake or shifting into Park. They told me there is a brake booster problem as well. However, I'm puzzled as to how it happened since there's been a recall for other models in the same family group as my KIA. Since that day, I've been following up with KIA, but they are asking for a police report and insurance information. I'm still driving the car in the same condition until they repair it, and they have only replaced the brake booster. This incident marks the second time my brake booster has needed repair. Thanks.

NHTSA complaint #11583200 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Wenonah, NJ

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

God Morning For the past several months my computer screen flickers back and forth while driving. cuts off then on off then on. We have tried to get the dealership to see the problem but while with them it doesnt happen until afterwards. Need some help before we take the next steps with Kia

NHTSA complaint #11571802 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Lee's Summit, MO

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

The front passenger window will periodically fail to operate. We took the Sportage to the dealership for repairs and they attempted to fix the problem, but failed. They tried to reproduce the problem on other 2023 Kia Sportages in the lot and duplicated the problem on them. Apparently, Kia Corporate has not addressed this issue, or has failed to find a solution with an accompanying recall. These are safety and property damageable risks. When the window is down and unable to go back up into a closed position, anyone could easily gain entry to vandalize or assault the occupants. Likewise, failures in raising the window will lead to property damage in rainy or snowy conditions. Our Kia dealership is returning the Sportage back to us at this point because they can not figure out a solution and they don't have any more alternatives to pursue at this time.

NHTSA complaint #11571093 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Mcloud, OK

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

I only had the Kia 2 months when a crack formed at the top of the driver’s windshield. Soon after the crack spread across the entire windshield surface area.

NHTSA complaint #11551340 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Chapel Hill, NC

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Engine Stalling Multiple Times while in Drive. After vehicle stalls, Engine Shuts off, multiple lights start flashing and beeping and Message States- 'Engine Off! Shift to P or N then start engine.' Engine will reengage after following display instructions. This creates a safety risk to driver and others behind driver when error occurs. 2 weeks prior to first failure, Engine light appeared, but was not flashing. Kia informed, but could not schedule for service for 14 days. Dates of Occurrence: 5/17/2023 ( 2 times), 7/28/2023 ( 3 times), 8/23/2023 (1 time) Vehicle with Kia Dealer for repair 5/17 to 5/29, 7/28 to 8/18, and 8/23 to present. No current ETA for repairs. None of the repairs has corrected issue.

NHTSA complaint #11541922 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Bernie, MO

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

Panoramic sunroof busted while driving down the highway. Wasn’t open. Wasn’t near any other vehicles.

NHTSA complaint #11541459 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Lewistown, IL

UNKNOWN OR OTHER

My sunroof just shattered in my 2023 KIA Sportage as I was driving to work. There was no one in front of me and nothing hit it. Sounded as if a bomb went off, just a big kaboom and then flapping sound as if I blew a tire, and sounded like it was raining. I pulled over, no flat and when I looked on top, my whole sunroof had exploded and the raining sound was glass falling onto my cloth cover, which I was so grateful not to have had open or I would’ve been covered and most likely wrecked. I was so shaken up. I had to drive holding the cloth cover so it didn’t rip off, so I could not drive over 25. I was afraid to put the cloth part back in fear of glass falling on me and causing more damage to vehicle. A coworker showed me several reported instances of this happening to others. I also paid extra when I purchased my brand new KIA for the extra warranty for extra coverage but the service advisor was extremely condescending and stated that this had to be due to an impact because tempered glass does not shatter this way. This happened during extreme heat index and I did have my air conditioner on. Thank goodness my screen nor sunroof was open at this time. My insurance covered the repair, this is not about money. I just want to prevent this from happening to others and possibly causing an injury. I have noticed that the reports have simply been dismissed stating that since the vehicles had either dents, or chip in windshield. There are no dings, scratches, no damage whatsoever to my vehicle. I also saw some of the reports stated there was not enough glass to test in order to explain this happening. I had the repair shop keep my glass and I have a pretty good chunk for inspection. I was almost to a stop because I was turning off of the highway to take another road to work.

NHTSA complaint #11538691 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

Other 2023 KIA Sportage problems

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