Our research found that faulty brakes, malfunctioning engines and forward clearance avoidance issues are the top complaints
The Kia Sportage has changed dramatically since it was first launched by its Korean manufacturer in 1993. Since 2004, when the second generation Sportage was launched, it has been categorized as a compact crossover SUV. The fifth generation Kia Sportage was unveiled in 2021, and a year later, the first U.S.-made model rolled off the line in Georgia. The 2023 model has undergone a total transformation, with the automaker stating it offers “Movement that inspires.” But complaints indicate that the plethora of problems facing owners is quite the opposite of inspirational. From complete hybrid systems and engines being faulty to brakes failing and cruise control malfunctions, their concerns are very real.
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Complaints filed with NHTSA about the 2023 Kia Sportage are varied, with evidence of an alarming number of components and systems exhibiting serious problems. Those categories with the largest number of complaints are the brakes (22%), electrical system and engine (both 18%), and forward collision avoidance (15%). But there are also a substantial number of complaints about vehicle speed control and the powertrain. Exploding sunroofs and cracking windshields are of great concern as are warning systems that repeatedly malfunction.
Other affected components include airbags, backover prevention, equipment, exterior lighting, fuel/propulsion system, lane departure, latches/locks/linkages, seat belts, seats, steering, structure, suspension, tires, vehicle speed control, and wheels.
Incredibly, there are relatively few manufacturer communications about Kia Sportage problems compared with the large number of complaints — with a difference of nearly 70%!
Between August 29, 2022 and January 18, 2024, Kia issued six recalls that affect the 2023 Kia Sportage. Of these, two relate to the electrical system, and one each to the airbags, power train, hydraulic brakes, and structure of the vehicle
| Complaint Category | Number of Complaints |
|---|---|
| Unknown Or Other | |
| Engine | |
| Electrical System | |
| Service Brakes | |
| Vehicle Speed Control | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Automatic Emergency Braking | |
| Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings | |
| Power Train | |
| Fuel/propulsion System | |
| Air Bags |
Complaints highlight several different issues with the brakes including those that feel stiff or spongy, those that appear to grind, and others that simply fail. They relate to emergency brakes, parking brakes, and hydraulic service brakes. An alarming number of complaints report crashes.
Brake boosters, the subject of a June 2023 recall, are another cause of complaints, some of which involve crashes. Some report that even though their vehicles were manufactured with the faulty part, months later, new parts were on backorder. A Georgia owner who experienced this problem writes, “I do not feel safe driving the vehicle. I hear unsafe sounds coming from the brake booster and pressing the brakes already feel different. No-one is taking responsibility and I am not feeling safe driving said vehicle. Someone needs to take accountability. I just purchased this vehicle brand new and have no other way to get to and from.”
An owner from Michigan was injured and treated in hospital for whiplash and back pain after his brakes failed while driving at 15 mph. While “attempting to merge onto the roadway, and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to decelerate. As a result, the vehicle crashed into a semi-truck on the driver’s side. The airbags did not deploy.” This crash appeared to be related to the hydraulic brake recall, but the VIN was not included.
An owner from Virginia had parked in Reverse before shifting into Park. “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.”
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While driving at 45 mph, another owner from Georgia depressed the brake pedal to slow down, but the brakes didn’t work. “The vehicle started spinning and landed in a ditch and struck a wooden fence.” Fortunately, nobody was injured.
Another incident involved a driver who was turning when the vehicle accelerated when he was trying to brake. “I was projected into a stone wall and knew I was going to crash, and crashed into the wall. All my airbags were deployed and the car smelled like smoke.” He was pulled out by “a Good Samaritan” who was able to open the door from the outside. Luckily the Sportage didn’t catch alight and he was able to crawl under the airbags to get out.
Anowner from New York states that the brakes were spongy and it seemed to take forever to finally stop the vehicle. “Due to this issue I ended up hitting a curb and damaging my car/ tires. I was very scared to drive back home like that.”
Problems related to the electrical system include display screens being blank (a problem that relates to another of the recalls), multifunctioning lights and warning signals, and hybrid system errors. More than 20% of electrical system complaints are also listed as being related to engine issues.
The 2023 Kia Sportage boasts a hybrid system that combines a traditional gasoline-powered internal combustion engine with an electric motor and battery. This allows the vehicle to switch between or combine both power sources, improving fuel efficiency, reducing emissions to provide better acceleration. However, an increasing number of drivers are reporting hybrid system failures. Most complaints are categorized as electrical and/or engine problems by owners.
While driving, a Georgia owner’s Sportage “came to an abrupt stop. Lights and alarms flashed stating ‘Do not drive, hybrid system malfunction’.” He was unable to continue driving. “Had I been on the highway, which I just exited, I could have been dead with how suddenly the car stopped without prior warning. The warning came when the car was shutting down. It has now been at the dealership for 3 weeks and they are unable to pinpoint the problem. Apparently they are selling hybrids with no one to work on them!”
An owner from California was driving a 2023 KIA Sportage SX Prestige at more than 70 mph on a highway when “Hybrid System Failure” displayed on the dash along with all the other malfunction and warning lights. “I lost power and steering and only by the grace of God was able to safely get to the side of the road and stop. The car was at (the) KIA dealership for 4 weeks. I was told it only needed a software upgrade and nothing was wrong with the car! This is very dangerous and could get someone in a major car accident.”
A Virginia owner reported in September 2022 that warning lights came one a week after buying a 2023 Kia Sportage. This time, there were 6 of them, including Check the Forward System, Check the Blind Spot System, and 4 other safety features. The Check Engine light also turned on and several other warning signs were “highlighted in orange.” Then, to make matters worse, “when trying to move the car, I was not able to get the gear out of Park. This happened multiple times over 12 hours.”
An Arizona owner experienced a similar problem while driving between 30 and 40 mph. Most of the Advanced Driver Assistance System warning lights came on as well as the Check Engine and service lights. “There was a notice that kept flashing, Do Not Drive Vehicle. This has happened on three occasions. There were zero issues prior to this. On one occasion I was driving on a two-lane mountain highway and had to continue driving the vehicle because there wasn’t an emergency lane or pull-off. Having all the warning lamps flashing was extremely nerve-racking and frightening. The vehicle has been at the dealership for two weeks. I’m told that a national ticket has been opened but there are no updates available.”
Concern is that this issue does not appear to have been resolved over the years. In May 2024, an owner from Florida was driving at about 35 mph when the forward collision avoidance, lane assist, seat belt, and several other warning lights illuminated. However, while the dealer acknowledged the problem, he was unable to duplicate the failure and so the vehicle was not repaired. The owner went to a second dealer who was also unable to duplicate the failure and therefore unable to repair the Sportage.
An owner from Nebraska was the first consumer to complain to the NHTSA about the 2023 Kia Sportage. In a complaint filed in April 2022, he said that the airbag light had been on from the time he got the SUV. The dealership diagnosed that the front side impact sensor was failing. “If I were to get into an accident my front airbag would not deploy. The dealership has seen the light and confirmed the problem.”
An owner from Florida took the 2023 Kia Sportage EX back to the dealership when the airbag light came on one week after purchase. The dealer said the vehicle was “unfit to drive” and kept it for 12 days. Two days after getting the SUV back and being told the issue had been resolved, the light came on again. “I do not feel safe in this vehicle and have requested both the dealership and KIA to buy back the vehicle since it is brand new, but both have refused.”
The most common issues affecting the engine are stalling, shutting off, and completely failing.
While cars usually shut off when they display a hybrid system error, this is not always the case. For instance, one complaint tells how after stopping at a red light, before it turned green the car shut off for no apparent reason. “There were no brake lights, flashers would not operate, the horn did not work, and I could not move the car. The car was dead. After a few minutes stranded the car decided to start again. This has happened no less than 6x since I have owned this vehicle. I have taken it to the Kia dealership where I purchased it and it has been inspected and kept for days multiple times with the result always being “nothing is wrong.”
An owner from Georgia reports that in September 2024, after stopping at a traffic light, the engine shut off completely. A couple of messages displayed including “auto stop not working.” Stuck in heavy traffic, it took two attempts to restart the engine.
Another Georgia owner states, “While driving on the engine turned off without warning The car stalled in the middle of traffic.”
“There have been numerous times when the gasoline engine does not come on, even at highway speeds,” states an owner from New Hampshire. Even though the dealership was able to duplicate the problem, ultimately they said they didn’t know how to fix it. After being out of service for 74 days it was released back to the owner. “Here’s the kicker: I asked if they would buy the car back from me because I didn’t want it, and they said ‘Oh no, we know there’s something wrong with it’!”
An owner from Virginia reported engine failure to the NHTSA in September 2024. Stating that the car had been in the shop for more than 30 days, he said, “The car needs a new engine.” However, the dealership said they didn’t know what was wrong with the engine. “The only thing they know is there is a defect in the engine where the engine is misfiring. I was told they can’t tell me anything yet about the engine.”
Cruise control complaints are all listed as forward collision avoidance issues. Some are also combined with vehicle speed control.
While driving 374 miles along a highway, an owner from Missouri had the collision warning, distance between car indicator, and adaptive cruise control in use. At times, while driving at 75 mph, the car would stop violently. “The car recognized there was another vehicle in the other lane. It would give the warning sign and even if I tapped the brake, it would slam on (the) brake so hard that my passenger burned herself with coffee, and the rest of us went towards the windshield. Thank goodness for seat belts.” It stopped doing this when she off cruise control. “I DO NOT feel safe.”
An owner from Massachusetts reports that the cruise control and limit control system activates itself suddenly while driving on roads, streets, highways or any road, continuously accelerating or decelerating. The complaint states that the owner’s physical integrity is endangered. However, nothing has happened even though he has reported this safety issue to the dealer more than five times as well as Kia America, the BBB Autoline, and the attorney general’s office.
An owner from Oklahoma states, “When on a cruise control it started accelerating on its own to an extremely high speed. Happened a few times to me. Clears only if you restart the vehicle. Scary.”
Similarly, another owner states that cruise control will turn off while driving, “resulting in a possible rear collision in busy traffic. The problem is intermittent and unable to be diagnosed by Kia.” The complaint states that it usually happens on longer trips greater than 50 miles. “I have been told by other dealers besides my primary dealer that this is a known issue that there is no resolution from Kia.”
Owners commonly report issues with Sportage windshields cracking spontaneously and sunroofs exploding for no apparent reason. Complaints were first posted in 2022 and have continued through 2024.
In June 2022, a Sportage owner from Los Angeles experienced the shock of a panoramic sunroof “quite literally exploding on my brand new vehicle.” They were driving on the highway with children in the car when they heard a sound they identified as “a shotgun being shot at us.” The complaint also states, “The glass is pointing outwards, NOT inwards, and absolutely NOTHING hit my vehicle.”
More than two years later, in September 2024, another Los Angeles owner wrote that, “My sunroof 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.”
An owner from Texas reports that the windshield began to crack when the Sportage had about 500 miles on the clock. Within a week there was extensive cracking that was too great for repair. It began on the driver’s side and ran all the way down to the bottom of the passenger side. The puzzle is that “The windshield does not show impact from a rock or any object.”
In 2024, owners are still complaining. For example, an owner from Michigan states that the “windshield chips and spiderwebs out very easily and without any major hits/bumps. (It has) happened on multiple occasions within one month, which included a full windshield replacement. The windshield seems extremely delicate, which poses a risk while driving. Kia has been accused of having defective windshields in other models.”
Commonly, when problems keep recurring, we can identify that a vehicle is a lemon. If it is, you may be entitled to a vehicle replacement, a total refund, and reimbursement for costs and damages. Similarly, if the dealership undertakes to fix your vehicle, you may be eligible for a loan vehicle.
If you think that you might have a lemon, call our Helpline or fill in our contact form. We will investigate and assess your claim and advise you free of charge. According to the law, Kia will have to pay the legal bill if it is a lemon.
Brian Jones spent more than 30 years working as an ASE Certified Master Tech and Parts Specialist at multiple dealerships. Brian has become an authority in the industry, traveling across the country to consult for car dealerships and contributing his expertise as a writer for several major automotive publications. In his spare time, Brian enjoys working on pickup trucks, muscle cars, Jeeps and anything related to motorsports.
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My 2023 kia sportage backup sensor failed causing me to hit a telephone pole. Kia has done had a few recalls already. A piece on top of my car has done flew off. My breaks on it are not the best.
Our company’s 2023 Kia Sportage and the windshield spontaneously cracked while I was driving. No debris impacted the windshield and the crack can not be felt on the inside or outside of the windshield.
I have a Kia Sportage Prestige model hybrid and it has been in the shop for 6 weeks now and they are saying it s a battery issue. They don’t know when one will be coming in.
Bought 2023 Kia Sportage in Dec 2022. It has 9000 miles on it. Recently I went to turn the car on and at least 12 warning lights came on at the same time. They wouldn’t go off so I scheduled service. The dealership, Horne Kia (gilbert AZ), has had the car for 3 weeks and are saying it will take 2 months to get a part that “might” fix it. They gave me a rental but it’s smaller and smells really bad like smoke.
I just bought a 2023 KIA Sportage that is apparently a mix between an SX & EX [Infotainment system is 8″ and that is from the SX line] but, the other features are from the EX line.
The problem is, if I come to a standstill and need to pull out of anywhere the car revs loudly delays long enough for the car to get hit by an oncoming vehicle; then, kicks off with a drag which, could allow it to hit the rear of any vehicle that may be in close proximity.
The engine sometime revs loud [I have test driven new vehicles and never hear such a loud sound from a new vehicle engine], and it automatically drags off sometimes giving a jerk like an old mazda.
There is just a real safety concern with this vehicle because pulling out of somewhere and vehicle should not rev out then, hesitate to move. So, I understand what others are saying about this vehicle not being safe to drive with kids because it could cause an accident.
The Technician came to pick it up but, honestly if they bring it back in a couple days and it is the same, they have to take it back because it only has 1600mile on it and only 3mths off the lot and, I have brought it back once already last month and they claim they can’t find the problem. But, if they can’t, I can’t either and I am not driving around a new car with issues because when the warranty is up, I will be screwed.
Purchased my 23 Sportage X-Line in April of 22! So far it’s been back for 2 recalls and now needs to go in for an airbag recall. I’ve had to take it in for a bad window motor and the check engine light is currently on. Waiting to hear back from service about bringing it in!! I had my Optima for 3yrs without a single problem, totally regretting my decision on this Sportage!! Once the warranty is up I bet it’s gonna drain my pockets!!! May wanna trade it back in before it causes me a headache.
My 23 Kia sportage hybrid with 25k miles left me sit a mile from my house a couple days ago- similar to others all the warning lights started flashing like crazy and car wouldn’t move- no battery no nothing- it’s sitting at Kia waiting to be looked at – what a nightmare- NEVER will I buy a Kia again / crap reliability plan on getting an older Lexus 450h –
Our 2023 Sportage emits a grinding sound consistently upon acceleration from low to higher speed especially when going up hill. Intermittently the car skips usually at low speeds when first starting out in the morning. I have reported to Kia dealer twice. Took the car in for an evaluation and dealer stated the technician found nothing wrong that could be noted. The grinding noise could not be missed if a person was listening. The skipping is very intermittent and doesn’t usually happen after the car heats up.
Bought a Sportage back in 2022 of April, almost had it for a full year and it just broke down completely, currently it’s at a dealership in the Central Texas area where it had to be towed into that is going to take 4 weeks to look at it. All I know is when you go to turn the car on everything but the engine turns on, all warning lights pop up in the dash, tells you to shift into Park when it’s in park already. Will not shift into Neutral at all. Love the car but hate the experience, might have a lemon not sure yet.
Got a 2023 Kia Sportage gt line s hybrid in Jan 2023. I noticed the hybrid battery does not fully charge only goes to max 3 quarter charge. When the car is locked with indicators flashing showing locked the door mirrors of car retract to open position with no one near car or operating remote. No indicators flash confirmed by my cctv on car on driveway however Kia connect message alerts me saying alarm check battery! Any advise? thank u….
On my 2023 Sportage hybrid plug-in, After 950 miles, blinker warning came on and blinkers blinked rapidly. After stopping and restarting car, issue went away. Odemeter trip setting are now resetting themselves at random and auto parking brake works sometimes but never consistently… very disappointing
On Aug 25th 2022 my 2023 Kia Sportage SX Prestige AWD that had less than 7000 thousand miles on it, I got into a wreck in which I hit the car in front of me, but at the time and before my safety features the warning when a cars too close, nor the two braking features it has to help just in case, also didn’t work, I have a screen shot of my app that shows that night after the accident it was showing an issue with that part of the system but it hadn’t updated since that morning at 10 am, so the whole day they weren’t working, but the inside of the car gave me no lights to tell me there was anything wrong and I didn’t check the app as I was driving back from ny, when I took it to get a quote through insurance, they told me that they have no idea how long it would take to get the parts, but the car was safe and that the only thing not working was cruise control, so I decided till I could afford a rental, I would wait because it could take along time, well, on Dec 5 I was in another accident, which this time was way worse, the truck had no lights on and was at the top of a downward slight hill, so I couldn’t tell he was stopped till it was me slamming on my brakes, had my safety features worked in the first place neither accident would have happened, my car has been in the shop since Dec 5 2022 and today is 3/7/23 and it’s still there, the bumper only came in 2 weeks ago so if I would have put it there before it would of been the same amount of time. Kia called me, I sent them everything I have, but it’s been almost 2 weeks since I talked to them, I’m currently without a vehicle, it’s been hard and I have kids who was in the vehicle both times. First it was all three of them and the last just my daughter. I honestly don’t feel comfortable paying money once it’s done and drive it, it’s cost me a 20000 dollar loss, and my safety and family’s was jeopardized. And not to forget I was going to trade it in on a 2023 Kia Carnival sx prestige Aug 26th 2022 because I needed a bigger car and that was the goal when I bought it, because I couldn’t find a Carnival, so now I’m stuck with a vehicle that isn’t safe and is too small for my family of 6. I feel defeated and like no one really cares. I don’t know what to do.
Update…..After leaving my 2023 Sportage at dealership for 2 weeks they were unable to diagnose the issue. The technician heard the noise when I brought it in but couldn’t replicate later. He thought it was transfer case or transmission. Car has 10,000 miles on it. Since they couldn’t replicate Kia Tech line said they need to release car back to me with no repairs. I have felt unsafe in This car since I bought it. When I applied the brakes on the Highway it shimmied so bad it scared me. It has also blown out two sets of shocks. It is unacceptable to release this vehicle without diagnosis. I traded and got into a different one at no cost. But….they put it out on their lot and sold it!!!!! Wow… sorry to who ever bought that lemon!
My 2023 Kia Sportage protege x has had rear shocks replace twice. This started less than 3 months after purchase. Now it’s back in service and I have a loaner car because another noise is happening in the right rear of the car. They thought it could be transmission or maybe the axle. Will report later after diagnosis
2023 Kia Sportage x line. Both dash screens shut off , no radio or speedometer. Gas tank cover sometimes doesn’t release so we don’t run the fuel less than half tank. Knocking sound in the rear passenger side. Checked underneath, exhaust shield, etc. Maybe in the trunk lid, can’t diagnose. Kia claims better reliability than Toyota, lol. Don’t buy a Kia, as ten new Kia’s aren’t as reliable as any Toyota with 600,000 kms. And our 2023 Sportage as only 10,000 kms. Junk. Bought it at Go Kia South, Edmonton, Alberta. Service sucks here as well.
Cracked windshield
rotor wear within 10k miles
multiple recalls