2024 Kia Sportage Hybrid Owner Complaints

While navigating the highly dangerous downhill descent of the Tejon Pass, LEBEC, CA , the vehicle experienced a complete throttle disengagement. The accelerator pedal became entirely unresponsive, leaving the vehicle without power on a steep, high-speed highway descent. I was traveling with my young daughter inside the vehicle. Due to the sudden loss of propulsion, I was forced to make an emergency maneuver and pull over onto the shoulder on the left side, right next to the high-speed passing lane. This situation put our lives in immediate danger of a catastrophic high-speed rear-end collision. A highway patrol that drove by within 5 mins was able to assist by blocking the downhill highway cars so I can drive down on Neutral Gear until a safe spot ( which it was a very stressful life endangering maneuver). Only Warning light I got was the Yellow engine light but no text indication of failure. Car was tolled to the dealership today for scanning. This is the first time that an event like this occured. Car has around 35 K miles and under warranty. All services have been performed ( last was 2 months ago)

NHTSA ID

11745626

Incident

Jun 20, 2026

In January 2026, my wife was driving our 2024 Kia Sportage Hybrid EX downhill in traffic when the hybrid system failed without warning. Cabin filled with smoke, lost steering control, and explosion shook the vehicle. She was surrounded by other vehicles and could have been killed or caused multi-car crash. COMPONENT FAILURE: Dealership diagnosed hybrid system failure after 2.5 weeks. Vehicle at dealership awaiting repair. Failed components available for inspection. SAFETY RISK: Zero steering control downhill surrounded by traffic. Smoke impaired visibility. Explosion posed fire risk. Life-threatening danger to occupants and other motorists. DEALER CONFIRMATION: Yes, confirmed by dealership. Repair pending. WARNING SYMPTOMS: None. Instantaneous catastrophic failure. CRITICAL ISSUE: I discovered Kia issued service campaigns for 2024 Sportage Hybrids directly related to this failure: Service Campaign SC322 (January 2025) - Hybrid Control Unit software failure affecting 2023-2025 Sportage Hybrids built Feb 2022-Jul 2024 12V Battery Overcharge Campaign - Battery Management System overcharging causing loss of motive power and "Check Hybrid System Stop Safely" warnings SC319 (NHTSA 24V-422) - Motor-Driven Power Steering contaminated circuit board causing loss of power steering Never notified of campaigns despite being owner since May 2024. NHTSA shows zero recalls, falsely indicating safety. By classifying defects as "voluntary service campaigns" instead of safety recalls, Kia avoided mandatory federal notifications. My wife drove with multiple known defects Kia failed to disclose. Vehicle under 2 years old, within warranty. This catastrophic failure and notification failure warrants NHTSA investigation. There was smoke and we called 911 and the fire department came out.

NHTSA ID

11716349

Incident

Jan 15, 2026

While driving, the vehicle experienced a sudden loss of propulsion and significantly reduced acceleration. At the same time, the climate control system stopped producing heat. A red warning message appeared instructing me to stop safely. The vehicle would barely accelerate, creating a dangerous situation while driving. This issue has occurred three separate times, including twice in the same day. Each occurrence happened while the vehicle was in motion. The condition resolved only after turning the vehicle off and restarting it. The issue is intermittent and cannot be predicted. The reduced acceleration and loss of propulsion placed my safety at risk, especially at highway speeds, as the vehicle could not respond normally to traffic conditions. The vehicle was taken to a Kia dealership and inspected. A manufacturer tech line case was opened, and testing was performed, including a smoke test. The dealership stated they were unable to duplicate the issue. No repair was made, and the manufacturer closed the tech line case despite the reported loss of propulsion events. The vehicle is currently being retained at the dealership because I do not feel it is safe to operate. The problem was not resolved.

NHTSA ID

11711940

Incident

Jan 12, 2026

While driving my 2024 Kia Sportage Hybrid, the vehicle displayed the warning message “Check Hybrid System – Stop Safely.” Immediately after this message appeared, the vehicle lost propulsion and entered a reduced power/limp condition. This creates a dangerous situation because the vehicle can suddenly lose power while driving in traffic. The dealership informed me that this condition is related to a known hybrid system defect but refused to repair it, stating it was “not under warranty.” This is a safety-related high-voltage hybrid failure involving the propulsion system and can result in unexpected loss of power while driving, increasing the risk of a crash. This defect makes the vehicle unsafe to operate.

NHTSA ID

11709962

Incident

Jan 8, 2026

The contact owns a 2024 Kia Sportage. While the contact’s daughter was driving approximately 70-75 MPH, the vehicle suddenly lost motive power. The driver was able to coast to the side of the road, where the vehicle was turned off for several minutes. The driver then activated the jump-start system of the hybrid vehicle. The driver was able to continue driving. The message "Hybrid Battery - Hybrid System Failure" was displayed. The vehicle was taken to an unknown dealer, where it was confirmed that the vehicle was included in a Voluntary Emissions Service Campaign: SC338; and the dealer completed the Service Campaign repair. No further information was available. The manufacturer was informed of the failure, and a case was filed. The failure mileage was 19,832.

NHTSA ID

11701683

Incident

Nov 25, 2025

Mileage

19,832 mi

I hear rattling coming from the rear right side of the car. There is extreme loss of control of vehicle when it hits any bump or imperfection in the road or driving service, ranging from small transition in road surface to potholes and raised patches in road surface. Must continually work to maintain control of the vehicle when driving over these surfaces. This occurs at any rate of speed. It feels very unsafe to drive.

NHTSA ID

11661422

Incident

May 16, 2025

Vehicle mpg does not match estimated mpg statement on sales sticker. This has been a consistent problem from date of purchase. Dealer and car manual claim it would improve gradually. It has not. I think they over estimated mpg and/or the milage calculator is defective. I have been to dealer 3 times, they do not make records of my concerns and tell me that 5 mpg off is normal. I have wide fluctuating numbers from the display whether running on battery or gas.

NHTSA ID

11651249

Incident

Dec 20, 2024

The contact owns a 2024 Kia Sportage Hybrid. The contact stated that while driving at 30 MPH, the vehicle came to an abrupt stop. There were no warning lights illuminated. The seat belt failed to secure her grandson, who was occupying the front passenger seat, and he flew out of the seat. The driver's seat belt failed to secure her, and she was thrust forward over the steering wheel. The contact called the local dealer, but there was no response. While driving at approximately 30 MPH, the vehicle came to an abrupt stop. There were no vehicles around. While driving at 30 MPH, the vehicle suddenly stopped, and an unknown pickup truck crashed into the rear of the vehicle. The contact was concerned about driving the vehicle. The contact sustained injuries to her neck, back, and left shoulder, which was torn, and medical attention was provided. There was no reported fire or airbag deployment. A police report was filed. The vehicle was towed to another local dealer, Raceway Kia 4044 US-9, Freehold, NJ 07728, who determined the vehicle was working as designed. There were no codes displayed during diagnosis. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted, who opened a case, but no additional assistance was provided. The failure mileage was approximately 3,200.

NHTSA ID

11646290

Incident

Dec 16, 2024

Mileage

3,200 mi

This deals with auto locks on the vehicle. The doors are supposed to lock when the vehicle is put in gear, and unlock when it is put in park. That happens most of the time, perhaps 75% of the time. When it doesn’t work properly, the doors remain locked. Passengers can get out, but unopened doors remained locked, and if you try to reopen a door from which someone just excited the vehicle, they will find that the door is locked, and they can not open the door. This is mostly an annoying situation, but it could be life threatening under the right circumstances, such as a child in the back seat needing to be removed in an emergency situation. Both the salesman and the service department told me that a lot of owners have reported this problem. When I called Kia’s 1-800 customer support, they know nothing about the problem. Additionally, a quick internet search confirmed that it is widespread. I have had the vehicle to the dealership four times for repair. The first three times, the service department said they couldn’t do any repairs because the problem did not duplicate for them. The fourth time, I drove into the service bay, got out, and all the doors were locked. Not good enough, even though it happened right there and was easily verified. They said they had to remove the door panel, hook up some piece of equipment, and then have it happen. Well, it didn’t, so they did nothing. They said that Kia will not repair it without it happening while hooked up. Obviously, their warranty is a joke, but it goes beyond that, as this is a potential safety hazard.

NHTSA ID

11630545

Incident

Dec 10, 2024

Car brakes automatically applied, for no reason. I was driving in a city street, around 20 or 30 mph. The car randomly applied the brakes (hard) then released the brakes. I was able to continue driving after. But the braking made me jerk forward to the point that it locked my seatbelt. It was raining. But the road was completely open, no obstacle.

NHTSA ID

11629660

Incident

Dec 9, 2024

Since leasing this SUV and experiencing the safety features for the first time, the method this manufacturer used for zero crashes methodology seems thought out and looks refined in its final product; however, there is a strong safety issue at hand. That safety issue revolves around the driver not having full response and other drivers reacting to that. For example, when I back out of my own driveway or a parking spot, water on my rear camera will immediately jam on my brakes. Since I didn't do that as a driver and there isn't an apparent danger, it is not only a human performance issue for the driver but also for other drivers on the road. Next, when I install a bike rack on the rear of the SUV, I have to reverse while overriding the rear parking brake at the same time which is added complications. This also isn't perfected so often it also jams on the brakes. While all of this is happening, the safety sounds and camera views on my screen are changing automatically.

NHTSA ID

11627650

Incident

Nov 27, 2024

Cruise control suddenly jumped to 110mph. Could not adjust the speed. Could only turn off cruise control. It happened several times in a row. Car would speed up until I hit the brake.

NHTSA ID

11625813

Incident

Nov 17, 2024

When I was driving the vehicle using cruise control, the vehicle suddenly reset the cruise to 110 mph and the vehicle surged forward. The brake disengaged the acceleration but when I reengaged the cruise control it surged toward 110 miles an hours again. The only fix for this was to turn the car off completely and then the cruise control acted normally once again. Then it happened a second time. After that I quit using cruise control. I brought the vehicle in to Luther Kia of Bloomington and they did not know how to fix it. They contacted Kia who said their engineers were working on a fix and they were aware of the problem but at this point they did not have one. I have engaged a buyback Request from Kia because this vehicle is unsafe and potentially fatal to drive. They have denied my buyback request. I am reporting this because I think it is a danger to not only myself but other vehicles on the road.

NHTSA ID

11625184

Incident

Sep 16, 2024

I purchased my car 10/12/24. On 11/2/24, one of the first times I had used cruise control, I was traveling between 40-45mph in a residential area and turned on my cruise control. The car immediately set the CC speed to exactly 110 mph and would not respond to the down arrow to adjust speed down. I paused CC and resumed and the setting remained at 110mph. I am not sure what caused the setting to finally clear as I was pretty frantically pressing buttons at that point. I do have a photograph of this instance and I have added it to this report. A brief google search confirmed multiple Kia drivers reporting the same issue with this line of vehicles. On 11/5/24 I took my car in to Olathe Kia's service department, asking them to investigate this issue. The service department reported that they found no error codes and had no repair to offer for the CC issue.

NHTSA ID

11624110

Incident

Nov 2, 2024

On three occasions in the last 1000 miles, my 2024 Kia Sportage Hybrid's Cruise Control has jumped to 110 mph and refused to accept user input. Turning Cruise Control off and back on again, it jumps back to 110mph immediately (got video). Only stopping the vehicle, shifting the vehicle completely off, and restarting the vehicle seems to fix this. Have read multiple forums that say others have experienced this. This is a major software and safety issue that needs to be corrected

NHTSA ID

11607741

Incident

Aug 10, 2024

The infotainment screen goes out randomly while driving and can stay off for the entirety of the trip. That includes the speedometer, check engine light, fuel gauge, etc.

NHTSA ID

11601022

Incident

Jul 10, 2024

I recently bought this vehicle and there was no spare tire. I was aware there was no spare, but I was not aware none were available for purchase! My problem is that Kia has not certified a compact spare tire for this vehicle and probably wont for two model years. I understand the manufacturers can sell vehicles without a spare tire, but consumers are UNABLE to purchase a spare on their own for two model years! I believe NHTSA should at least require them to have a certified spare available for consumers to purchase before they can sell the cars to the public. In my opinion, this is a safety issue that could leave motorists stranded on the side of a road somewhere.

NHTSA ID

11581005

Incident

Mar 26, 2024

While driving on a road with a speed of 55, the driver pressed the cruise control bottom and set the cruise speed with the steering wheel cruise setting buttons (up/down). However the car set the cruise speed at 110 MPH, the driver noticed this as the car started rapidly accelerating past expected targets for cruise control. The system clearly displayed a target of 110MPH, but it is unclear why the knob controls set the target in at this value - if for example it received a signal for “up speed” that got stuck or aimed too many increments up for the button up press for the speed control target adjustment. Turning the cruise off and on didn’t clear the cached target and restarted the 110 target. The correction was to reset the whole target manually and or manually decrement by-mile down from the 110 setting. This may be indicative of a switch or software risk, or defect in cruise and speed control systems. Unclear. It has only surfaced once but this is a brand new purchase only about 3 weeks old in use.

NHTSA ID

11577663

Incident

Mar 12, 2024