KIA Sportage body problems

STRUCTURE:BODY

The roof strip above the driver side of the car is no longer attached and flew off somewhere. Unknown of the date it may have happened.

NHTSA complaint #11752097 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY

I am reporting two separate safety-related failures on this low-mileage vehicle. The first occurred at 2,431 miles while driving on the highway. The vehicle suddenly lost propulsion and coasted with no throttle response, and multiple warning lights and messages appeared simultaneously, including braking, electronic parking brake, and driver-assistance warnings. A sudden, unexpected loss of power at highway speed creates a serious crash risk, including rear-end collision, particularly with faster or following traffic. The vehicle was taken to an authorized Kia dealer on 3/9/26 and returned on 3/19/26 after wiring/connector-related work. The second failure occurred at 4,658 miles when the panoramic sunroof glass suddenly shattered while the vehicle was in motion. A spontaneous glass failure while driving is a safety hazard: had the interior sunshade been open, falling glass could have struck rear-seat passengers, and shattering glass while driving can cause driver distraction and loss of vehicle control, as well as a road hazard to surrounding vehicles. The vehicle was taken to the same authorized Kia dealer on 4/1/26 and remained there until 5/21/26. The sunroof was not repaired. The dealer's repair order states that it "cannot identify a specific outside object or cause" and that "no damage was found clearly identifying an external object as the cause," which is consistent with a spontaneous glass failure rather than external impact. Despite this, warranty assistance was denied on the basis that an outside impact "could not be ruled out." I am concerned these represent defects involving the panoramic sunroof glass and/or the vehicle's electrical and safety systems. Both failures occurred well under 5,000 miles and within months of each other. Across the two repair visits, the vehicle was out of service for approximately 60 total calendar days, including roughly 50 days for the sunroof issue, which remains unrepaired.

NHTSA complaint #11748017 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY

The glass piece that sits between the front windshield and the sunroof cracked from side to side of the car. When I called the dealership to get it repaired they said this has happened to a few models with this same type of glass between the windshield and the sunroof.

NHTSA complaint #11738800 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY

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

NHTSA complaint #11735724 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY

A door lock malfunction occurred involving the front driver-side door. The vehicle would not unlock or open using the key fob. Multiple attempts were made to unlock the vehicle, but the driver door remained locked and unresponsive. At the time of the incident, a child was secured inside the vehicle in a child safety seat. Access to the vehicle through the driver-side door was not possible. Access was ultimately gained by going to the passenger side, where a window was open, allowing entry to unlock the vehicle from the inside. If the window had been closed, access would not have been possible. Safety Concern This issue presents a serious safety risk because it can prevent immediate access to an occupant inside the vehicle. In emergency situations (such as extreme weather or medical distress), this type of failure could result in injury or worse.

NHTSA complaint #11732670 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY

I was driving and heard a loud pop like a gunshot and then the sound of glass breaking. When I inspected, the sunroof had just shattered for no reason. All the edges of the sunroof have a shatter line along them with no damage in the middle of the glass

NHTSA complaint #11730818 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY

Driver side door will not open from the outside. Handle no longer operates.

NHTSA complaint #11728871 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY

I bought the car with 9 miles on it, and when I tried to use the windshield washer, it didn't work! I took it to the dealer, and they refused to fix it! They said the car was infested with mice and that it was my problem!!! The car is made with defective materials! All hoses and foam in the car are made from soy beans!! That is rat and mouse food!!!

NHTSA complaint #11726047 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY

clear coat peeling inspected by dealer

NHTSA complaint #11707811 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY

While traveling at approx 65 mph on a clear, debris-free Alaska highway in -5°F temperatures, the panoramic sunroof of my 2024 Kia Sportage spontaneously shattered with an explosive sound. There were no vehicles in the immediate vicinity (nearest car was maybe 50 to 75 ft away) and no observation of flying debris or falling objects from overpasses. The failure appears to be a spontaneous glass breakage (SGB) incident potentially caused by thermal stress or manufacturing defect rather than external impact. Crucially, some of the remaining glass fragments and one large attached piece are displaced and flexed OUTWARD (upward toward the sky). There are also fracture lines in the remaining glass along and parallel to the sides of the vehicle as well as parallel to the front frame of the glass. They do not radiate out from a central point as one would expect from an object strike. This geometry to me indicates internal tension or cabin pressure release, as an external impact from a projectile would have forced the glass inward into the cabin. Additionally, there was very little glass in the vehicle cabin, certainly far less than one would expect given the size of the opening in the sunroof and the amount of glass missing. I have personally previously been in a vehicle whose side window was blown out from a vehicle kicked rock strike and in that case was showered with a lot of glass. Yesterdays catastrophic failure resulted in some glass intrusion into the passenger cabin at highway speeds, creating a severe distraction with sound was loud & sudden enough to potentially cause a loss of vehicle control. I am aware of similar reports regarding the 2023-2024 Sportage (and previous Kia panoramic sunroof class actions) regarding the use of ceramic glazing or assembly stresses that contribute to such failures. I request an investigation into whether the current model's panoramic roof assembly is capable of withstanding extreme thermal differentials and body flex.

NHTSA complaint #11706279 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY:DOOR:HANDLE:INTERIOR

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sportage. The contact stated while attempting to open to the front driver's side door from the inside of the vehicle, the contact heard an unknown part inside the door fall, and the door required to be opened manually by pulling on the exterior door handle. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where it was inspected, and the contact was informed that the vehicle would not be repaired unless the manufacturer contacted the dealer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 103,841.

NHTSA complaint #11701684 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY

I purchased a 2018 Kia Sportage and ever since the last few years the paint is starting to come off of this vehicle. I do not go through any type of car wash. I washed it at home. It is getting worse and worse than certain spots, I do not want any monetary for this I would just appreciate getting what I should have, which is fresh paint that last. The paint in the front bumper underneath the hood area is all coming off and it’s like white. Then on the roof of that vehicle, there’s white spots of the clearcoat actually coming off the whole vehicle. If you look also at my hood of the vehicle, you can see spots as well.

NHTSA complaint #11696946 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY

The roof trim molding, came off.

NHTSA complaint #11694629 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE

The contact owns a 2023 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that the passenger’s side roof molding was missing from the vehicle. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer where it was determined that the roof molding needed to be replaced; however, he had to pay for the repair out-of-pocket. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact researched online and related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 24V025000 (Structure); however, the VIN was not included in the recall. The manufacturer was not informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 29,000.

NHTSA complaint #11694172 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY

CLEAR COAT PAINT IS PEELING. ON TOP OF HATCHBACK. I DON'T KNOW WHEN IT STARTED, I JUST NOTICED IT TODAY 9-29-25. iT IS AVAILABLE FOR INSPECTION UPON REQUEST. NO WARNING MESSAGE PRIOR TO THE PROBLEM. I WENT TO DEALER AND THEY SAID THE PAINT WARRANTY EXPIRED IN 1922 AND THERE ARE NO RECALLS AND NOT EXTENDED WARRANTIES FOR THIS AND KIA HAS NO RESPONSIBILITY THAT'S WHY THEY ONLY GIVE A 3 YEAR, 36,000 MILE WARRANTY ON PAINT.

NHTSA complaint #11690286 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY

Top clear coat started peeling on handles, mirrors and above the trunk.

NHTSA complaint #11689369 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

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I need a recall on the paint for the 2017 Sportage Burnished Copper KIA. I've seen many others this color with the same paint fading issue. I contacted KIA and was basically told warranty expired.

NHTSA complaint #11686062 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY

There are several spots on the front grill, around lights, bumper and other front end pieces that have bubbling, flaking, peeling chrome and paint. There are at least 20 paint chips all the way to the fenders in the front. This vehicle does not travel on gravel roads.

NHTSA complaint #11684974 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY

The top molding on both the right and left side of the vehicle have blown off. Kia repairs one side by gluing it back into place but we are still waiting for the other side to be repaired. This is the same issue the Kia sportage ,2023-2024, reported and was filed for recall. I believe this is an ongoing issue with the 2025 model Kia sportage and should be added to the recall list.

NHTSA complaint #11681141 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.

STRUCTURE:BODY

My 2017 Sportage is Burnish Copper. I've seen at least 2 other cars (same color) with discoloring paint. I've tried reporting this to Kia dealer to no avail. This is a defeat in paint which is now fading in certain areas of my car and I don't think I should have to pay to have it repainted. This should be a recall issue.

NHTSA complaint #11680826 — an unverified report by a vehicle owner.