RoadVitals

2024 Kia Sportage PHEV

Recalls, owner-reported complaints, investigations and safety data

Data refreshed

Owner complaintsComplaints are reports submitted to NHTSA by owners and drivers. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a complaint does not establish that a defect exists. Volume is influenced by how many of a vehicle were sold, how long it has been on the road, and how much attention an issue has received.
12
Latest Jun 27, 2026
Safety recallsA safety recall is issued when a manufacturer or NHTSA determines that a vehicle has a safety-related defect or does not comply with a federal motor vehicle safety standard. Recall repairs are free. Whether a specific vehicle is covered depends on its VIN — a recall listed for a model year does not necessarily apply to every vehicle of that year.
1
Latest Dec 17, 2025
InvestigationsNHTSA opens an investigation to examine whether a safety defect may exist. An open investigation is not a determination that a defect exists, and many investigations close without a recall. Investigations can, however, lead to one.
0
Crash or fire reportedComplaints whose submitter recorded that a crash or a fire occurred. These are the reporter's own answers on the NHTSA form, not verified findings.
3

Overview

Our database contains 12 NHTSA owner-reported complaints for the 2024 Kia Sportage PHEV, most frequently naming the driver assistance, electrical and engine categories. 1 safety recall has been issued covering this model year; and 25 manufacturer communications are on file.

Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.

What owners report

Complaints grouped by the component NHTSA recorded

  • Driver assistance642.9%
  • Electrical428.6%
  • Engine214.3%
  • Body & structure17.1%
  • Powertrain (other)17.1%

Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.

Safety recalls

1 campaign cover this model year

Recalls apply to specific vehicles, not to every vehicle of a model year. Check your VIN with NHTSA or your manufacturer's dealer to confirm whether a recall affects your vehicle.

Check a VIN on NHTSA.gov

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL; TRAILER HITCHES

Dec 17, 2025
5,046 units potentially affected
The defect: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Sportage Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV) and 2024-2025 Sportage vehicles equipped with a 4.2" screen and a Genuine Kia tow hitch harness accessory. Due to a software error, the instrument panel screen may fail. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 101, "Controls and Displays."
The risk: An instrument panel screen that fails to display critical safety information, such as the speedometer or warning lights, can increase the risk of a crash.
The remedy: Dealers will replace the tow hitch harness control module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 13, 2026. Owners may contact Kia Customer Service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC359. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning December 31, 2025.
Kia America, Inc.Manufacturer number SC359View on NHTSA.gov

Recent owner complaints

Reports submitted to NHTSA, shown in the owner's own words

Filed Jun 27, 2026

The 2024 Kia Sportage PHEV has a significant design defect resulting in a personal safety and situational security hazard. I am unable to disable the door unlock chime which makes it impossible for me to enter my car without directly advertising my presence and making me feel unsafe and vulnerable at night and in unfamiliar settings.

NHTSA ID
11746941
Incident
Jun 27, 2026
Driver assistanceEnginePowertrain (other)
Filed Jan 2, 2026
Crash reported

While attempting to park the vehicle in an angled parking spot I was pressing the brake and slowing to a stop. Prior to stopping with my foot still on the brake the engine revved and the vehicle surged forward hitting the car in front of me. The emergency braking did not seem to activate nor di my foot on the brake slow the car. The car has been in the shop at least 4 times totaling nearly 30 days for electrical issues. The vehicle had a full charge prior to the drive which was about 6.5 miles. The vehicle was operating in automatic mode utilizing electric only during the trip. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? Powertrain gas and electric emergency braking. It is at repair shop can be inspected How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? Car accelerated without warning Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? Dealer has video of engine surging when switching to electric only mode. I also have many videos. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? Dealer only in service shop. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Had check engine light multiple times shorting after buying vehicle. Also has burning wire or rubber smell when charging. Engine RPM's surged when manually switching to electric only mode. Dealer service tech has video and I have multiple videos of this happening. Other items. Car dash says to place hands on steering wheel while hands are on steering wheel. Have video of this. Car has a surging sensation while driving slight gyro sensation. Automatic wipers slow to activate or reactivate during light rain. Have video. Electronics related to android auto and heat AC do not work right flicker disengage and reengage over and over. Have multiple videos of this.

NHTSA ID
11708271
Incident
Dec 31, 2025
Filed Sep 26, 2025

Sunroof unexpectedly shattered at highway speed with no vehicles or obstructions present.

NHTSA ID
11690016
Incident
Sep 9, 2025
Driver assistanceElectrical
Filed Sep 9, 2025

The dash on my sportage will go black while driving, and then the system reboots showing "system check" the cruise control also goes out when this happens. This happens about once a month. Dealer has checked it more than 3 times and has found no issues except the first time I brought it in.

NHTSA ID
11685920
Incident
May 14, 2025
Electrical
Filed Aug 6, 2025

While driving my 2024 Kia Sportage PHEV X-Line AWD the instrument panel went black for 3-5 seconds and appeared to be "re-booting/resetting". The first time this occurred was approximately March 2025 (odometer reading approximately 6000 miles) and the issue has re-occurred numerous times (30+) since then (current odometer reading is 12,410). There was no warning prior to this happening and there were no warning lamps, messages, or other symptoms of any problems with the vehicle. I took the car into my local Kia dealer to have them check the instrument panel issue under warranty and to perform the recommended 8000 mile service. During the service visit they addressed the SC322 - Hybrid Control Unit Software upgrade recall. With regards to the instrument panel issue, the Service department told me that they could not fix the issue under warranty unless they could reproduce the issue. Therefore any work that they would perform to address the issue would have to be paid for by me. They suggested that I try to capture the issue on video as evidence of the issue. Given that the event only happens over a 3-5 second period, there is no way for me to safely videotape the issue while I am driving the vehicle and I have no idea when it will happen again. This issue has continued to occur randomly multiple times since that service visit with the last event happening three days ago. When the instrument panel goes black it is very distracting to the driver and draws your attention from the road to the instrument screen which puts the occupants of the vehicle at risk as well as others driving/walking around your vehicle. I have read online of others having this same issue with no clear consistent resolution from Kia. I strongly believe that this is a serious safety issue for many Kia drivers and needs to be addressed via a recall or voluntary dealer campaign to avoid unnecessary crashes/injuries.

NHTSA ID
11678731
Incident
Mar 1, 2025
Body & structure
Filed Mar 17, 2025

My sunroof shattered without anything hitting it.

NHTSA ID
11648622
Incident
Mar 16, 2025
ElectricalEngine
Filed Dec 15, 2024

We had ~2100 miles on our vehicle. We had been driving on the highway for an hour when engine temperature warning light came on. We pulled over and turned off the car. We waited 30 minutes then opened the hood to inspect the coolant level. The coolant level was at "min." We looked under the car to see if any coolant was leaking and no coolant was visible under the car. We turned the car back on and sat in park for ~1 min. The engine temperature warning light came back on. We turned the car off and waited one hour. We turned the car back on, stayed in park, and the engine temperature warning light came back on. We called Kia and were towed to the nearest dealer. They inspected the car the next day and found no issues. Looking online, it appears that others have experienced similar issues with Kias and I am writing this in case it is a systemic issue that can help myself and others.

NHTSA ID
11630848
Incident
Oct 27, 2024
Driver assistance
Filed Dec 9, 2024

I bought the car in July 2024. After approximately 2 months after taking possession I took the car on a trip. While driving on the highway I engaged the cruise control. The vehicle immediately set to 110mph. I immediately turned it off and didn't drive that fast. I tried to reengage the cruise control multiple times and the speed still went to 110mph. I've taken the vehicle to a Kia dealership the car was there for 2 months. There is no fix at this time. Just told not to use the cruise control. The dealership told me it's a known problem.

NHTSA ID
11629616
Incident
Aug 10, 2024

Manufacturer communications

A bulletin sent by a manufacturer to its dealers. Not a recall, and repairs are not necessarily free.

TSB_ELE422

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM SOFTWARE UPDATE USING UPDATE.KIA.COM - This bulletin provides information and service procedures for updating the infotainment systems on applicable Kia vehicles using the Kia Navigation Updater available at update.kia.com. The software update may improve system performance, enhance existing features, and apply the latest operating software for supported vehicles (2021-2026MY All Models).

TSB_ELE417

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: INFOTAINMENT SOFTWARE UPDATE PROCEDURE - This bulletin provides information on the process for downloading infotainment software updates and preparing USB for installation on applicable Kia vehicles. The software downloads and USB preparation process is similar across all supported platforms; however, in‑vehicle installation procedures vary by head unit type.

TSB_ELE394

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: AVN5.0W DTC P17A000 DAIGNOSTIC PROCEDURE - This bulletin provides information regarding a potential illuminated Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) accompanied by DTC P17A000 on some 2022-2025MY Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEV) and Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) equipped with AVN5.0Wide head units listed below. This condition occurs when the Global Positioning System (GPS) module within the Audio Video Navigation (AVN) head unit, sends an inaccurate signal to the Hybrid Power Control Unit (HPCU), causing the DTC to set. There are no drivability symptoms associated with this condition.

PS797

BACK OVER PREVENTION: WARNINGS

PITSTOP: TECHNICAL OPERATIONS: EXTERNAL DAMAGE TO ULTRASONIC SENSOR: This Pitstop provides information related to Parking Distance Warning (PDW) alerts and repairs involving ultrasonic sensors. The PDW system alerts the driver while parking, by calculating distance based on the difference in signal transmission and reception times between the vehicle (ultrasonic sensor) and an object. The membrane film of the ultrasonic sensor is used for object detention and can be damaged by stone chips or foreign substances while driving. Damage to the cover of the ultrasonic sensor can also lead to damage to the internal circuit. As a result of this external damage, the PDW system may not receive the proper signal from the ultrasonic sensor. In some cases, the system may cause a false alarm, no alert, or phantom warnings by a “Warning Lamp’ to be displayed on the cluster. The ultrasonic sensor membrane film should be always inspected for external damage and if any part replacement should be treated as a general repair, not as a warranty claim repair for this concern. (Please note that this Pitstop only applies to models/trims that are equipped with the ultrasonic sensors.)

TSB_TRA046_R5

POWER TRAIN

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: TRANSMISSION FLUID APPLICATION GUIDE - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information relating to the correct transmission fluid type and fill quantity requirement for each Kia model. A flush is required ONLY when a transmission is replaced, and the transmission oil cooler is transferred to the new transmission.

TSB_ELE378

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SERVICE ACTION: KIA CONNECT MODEM RESET (SA611) - This bulletin outlines the procedure for resetting the modem in certain 2016-2025MY Kia vehicles listed on page 3 that are equipped with Kia Connect Services. The affected vehicles may encounter the following issues: remote Start/Climate Control function not working, vehicle Status on the Kia Access App not updating, connected routing not functioning properly.

Manufacturers file copies of the bulletins they send to dealers with NHTSA. These often describe diagnostic or repair procedures for a known condition. They are not recalls: repairs described in a bulletin are usually only free if the vehicle is still under warranty or the manufacturer has extended coverage.

Compare model years

Complaint and recall counts across every year of this model

Kia Sportage PHEV by model year
YearComplaintsRecallsInvestigationsIssue Index
2027000
2026210
2025610
2024Viewing121054.9
2023152041.4

Higher-selling and older vehicles accumulate more reports. Counts are not failure rates and are not directly comparable between vehicles that sold in very different numbers. Older model years have had longer for reports to accumulate.