2011 Kia Sportage Electrical Problems

Front headlights went out also rear brake lights now I have a problem with brake light and tailgate lamp staying on when car and lights are off. The suspension has had a issue ever since I bought it it makes awful loud noises when driving and especially hitting bumps in road. Passenger front and rear windows won't roll down. Had to replace battery as well. Inside door handles fell off as well as outside rear handles.tire pressure indicator light stays on as well as the park assist and drive train lights stay on.problem with car going in drive sometimes it locks up and have to restart and slam on brakes several times to unlock

NHTSA ID

11745422

Incident

May 8, 2025

KIA issue a recall for my vehicle. Visited the dealership as instructed and the replacement part was not available. After a month and a half, they still don't know when they will receive the part. Driving a car with a safety recall (fire possible) is not ideal.

NHTSA ID

11619604

Incident

Aug 28, 2024

My 2011 kia sportage had a recall #23V65200. On [XXX] my radio started smoking and my headlights would not shut off even with car off and keys out. You had to unplug cable from battery for lights to go off and not run battery down. I called kia in bloomington indiana they said to not drive and call customer service to have towed. i called on [XXX] and talked to a lady, she was very rude and dismissive. Said they would not tow due to my kia being a 2011 it was to old and they would only tow if above 2015. She then said I had to pay and only if the lights and smoke was because of recall they would pay. But I did not know or have extra money for this and nowhere in our papers about recall does it say it had to be a certain year to tow, only to stop driving and call. So my disabled husband drove it to the dealership in bloomington on [XXX] and dropped off even though they were at risk. I did not hear anything from kia and called to make sure they received auto. They had said they found my car and did not know it was there on June 19th. My husband told a person there he dropped it off and I guess they didn't get messages. After having my car and me telling them what had happened they then said they fixed recall but would have to run a diagnostic for them to see if the other problems were because of it. Bloomington then said they could not say it was not because of the recall this happened they did not know. So they sent my car to headquarters to engineers is what bloomington told me. Did not hear from them again until July 19th stating again they were not sure. And we had to pay for diagnostic check of 195.00. On Aug 6th they messaged us and said they found issues but it was not because of recall. And we would have to pay roughly 2500.00 to fix, yet they stated my washer fluid was fine when in fact it is not hooked up, line broke. How is that? I said I was going to talk with someone and get back with them. My car is still there. Not once did they offer INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION

NHTSA ID

11608112

Incident

Jun 4, 2024

The contact owns a 2011 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the instrument panel and the radio became inoperable. The contact also stated the ignition system stopped working as intended, and the vehicle had to be started manually with the key. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the local dealer was contacted several times and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 159,000. Parts distribution disconnect.

NHTSA ID

11600223

Incident

Jun 10, 2023

Mileage

159,000 mi

My complaint is in regard to your safety recall, 23V652. I received a letter notice stating my 2011 Kia Sportage is unsafe to drive. it may start a fire in the Hydraulic Electronic control unit (HECU) whether the car is parked and not being used or while driving. I consider the time for this recall to be unacceptable and would like immediate attention to fix my car.

NHTSA ID

11582906

Incident

Nov 14, 2023

I had the check engine light come on my Kia around September 2023. It stayed on and did not flash or anything. I had a hard time accelerating in car. I took it to get fixed on December 19,2023. They said it was the electronic wastegate actuator and I got it replaced. A month after that I was on the high way and all of my car lights came on the dashboard and a cloud of black smoke came out the exhaust pipe. I pulled over and got my car towed to dealership. They told me this time it was the engine. My car was held for 1 month to fix the engine. I have spent so much money in this car and I think this recall has alot to do with my issues with it.

NHTSA ID

11582415

Incident

Jan 30, 2024

The instrument cluster lights and gages stop working, service engine light stays on. The stereo and heating lights work until you turn on the headlights, then all lights go out. There has been thousands of posts looking for a solution to this problem and yet no definite fix for it.

NHTSA ID

11576958

Incident

Mar 11, 2024

Kia still doesn't have a remedy for the recall. It is 2024. I am still at risk

NHTSA ID

11566721

Incident

Jan 20, 2024

A combination of the risk of fire with the electrical component and lack of resolution to repair said recall and a faulty engine has left me in a bind. Due to the recall and its lack of resolution I am unable to get the engine repaired because the recall has left the repair shops unwilling to take the risk of fire while repairing the vehicle.

NHTSA ID

11563657

Incident

Nov 30, 2023

My A/C didn't work, then I noticed that none of the interior lights worked either when I took it to the repair shop. After many tests, they sent my car to a KIA dealership where they diagnosed the problem as the main wiring assembly needed to be replaced.

NHTSA ID

11540716

Incident

Aug 7, 2023

the check engine light blinked and i lost power as i was driving. they replaced my engine and now i have 6 lights on my dash.

NHTSA ID

11505492

Incident

Oct 1, 2022

The contact owns a 2011 Kia Sportage. The contact stated while driving approximately 60 MPH, the cabin started filling up with white smoke and she could smell a burning plastic odor. The contact continued driving to her destination. The contact stated there was no warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact attempted to place the vehicle into park(P) and the shift knob failed to move to park(P). The contact was able to shift to drive (D), neutral(N), and reverse(R). The contact drove the vehicle to an independent mechanic who took the console apart and was able to get the knob from being stuck. The vehicle had not been taken to a dealer to be diagnosed for the burning odor. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had not been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 155,000.

NHTSA ID

11495776

Incident

Nov 14, 2022

Mileage

155,000 mi

Something is wrong with the output on the ECU/ECM. At first, my car would just randomly turn off and not start. This happened in the street at a red light, in parking lots and pulling into gas stations. Now the car does not turn on at all. I have a push to start so it clicks and tries to turn on. I took it to a mechanic and was first told it was the fuel pump, that was replaced but wasn't the issue. The vehicle was taken to a kia dealership who ran a test and showed the ecu/ecm was not giving enough output to tell the car to engage and start.

NHTSA ID

11451274

Incident

May 22, 2021

ON INTERSTATE THE CRUISE COMES ON BY ITSELF AND HITTING THE BRAKES, TURNING TO CRUISE OFF DOES NOT SHUT IT OFF. IT KEEPS EXCELERATING 10 MILES AT A TIME. HAPPENED 4 TIMES. TRAVELING 72 MPH, TURN ONTO EXIT CAR WILL NOT SLOW DOWN, KEEPS EXCELERATING. . CAR IS DANGEROUS DEALER SAYS NEVER HAPPENED AS THE COMPUTER SAYS CRUISE AND BRAKE NEVER USED.

NHTSA ID

11407014

Incident

Apr 2, 2021

Mileage

148,000 mi

MY KNOB THAT TURNS THE FAN ON OR OFF QUIT WORKING AND IT TURNS OUT THAT IT WAS MELTED ALL THE WAY INSIDE AND IT WAS MELTED FROM THE SPARKS THAT WERE OCCURRING INSIDE WHERE THEY COULDN'T BE SEEN

NHTSA ID

11364780

Incident

Oct 16, 2020

PURCHASED VEHICLE AT A REPUTABLE DEALERSHIP IN MARCH 2019. ON JUNE 12,2020, VEHICLE WOULD NOT START WHILE STATIONARY IN THE DRIVEWAY OF MY RESIDENCE. ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE DIAGNOSED DEAD BATTERY. TOOK VEHICLE TO THE KIA DEALERSHIP WHERE I PURCHASED THE CAR TO REQUEST NEW BATTERY. THEY ARE STATING THAT THE CAR NOW NEEDS A NEW BATTERY AND A FUEL PUMP. I HAD NO ELECTRICAL OR FUEL RELATED BEFORE JUNE 12, 2020.

NHTSA ID

11329897

Incident

Jun 12, 2020

THE VEHICLE MUST BE JUMPED IN ORDER TO START IF IT HAS BEEN OFF FOR MORE THAN 2 HOURS. THIS BEGAN IN NOVEMBER 2019. THE BATTERY AND ALTERNATOR BOTH TEST FINE. IT WILL START IF IT'S BEEN DRIVEN MORE RECENTLY. ALSO, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT COMES ON PERIODICALLY, AS DOES THE TIRE PRESSURE LIGHT, EVEN THOUGH NO ISSUES ARE DETECTED. *TR

NHTSA ID

11324279

Incident

Nov 1, 2019

Mileage

140,000 mi

WAS DRIVING IN CRUZE CRONTROL STEPPED ON THE GAS AND VEHICLE DIED. I PUSHED THE START BUTTON NOTHING BUT A WARNING SIGN ON DASH SCREEN THAT WOULD GO BLANK BEFORE I COULD SEE WHAT IT SAID. I LIFTED THE HOOD AND CHECK THE BATTERY CABLES THEY WERE ON TIGHT GOT BACK IN THE TRUCK PUSH THE BUTTON NOTHING SMELLED WIRES BURNING SEEN SMOKE TOP OF MY MOTORS ON FIRE. I WAS HEADING NORTH ON I-5 NEAR THE DUPONT EXIT.

NHTSA ID

11279767

Incident

May 30, 2019

Mileage

117,785 mi

EVERYONE I KNOW THERE BLUETOOTH WILL NOT WORK. MOST IMPORTANT THE CHECK ENGINE HAS BEEN ON EVERY TIME AND IT SAIDS THAT IS OXYGEN SENSOR IT GETS FIX WITH IN 7 MONTHS COMES BACK AGAIN WITH THE SAME ISSUE.

NHTSA ID

11266108

Incident

Aug 17, 2016

AS TIME WAIT ON ENGINE DETERIORATED THE CAR WOULD STOP AND NOT MOVE , EVEN WHILE DRIVING. BREAK LIGHTS GO OUT EVERY 3 MONTHS GOT A TICKET BECAUSE OF IT. THEN RADIO BURNT OUT , AFTER THOSE ISSUE . I GOT THE CAR BRAND NEW , ALL WAYS GOT OIL CHANGES AS WELL AS THE TUNE UPS. TOOK ISSUE TO KIA AND THEY KEPT SAYING EVERYTHING WAS FINE . AFTER THEY WORKED ON ISSUES THE BILL WAS OVER 1000 . AFTER ALL THE WORK DONE THERE IS STILL PROBLEMS WITH THE CAR. SEE ON CREDIT KARMA MY CAR HAS 5 RECALLS . I NEED A LETTER STATING THE RECALLS ON MY VEHICLE, BECAUSE KIA HAS NOT HELPED WITH THE PROBLEMS ON THE CAR AND I CAN'T AFFORD GETTING MORE WORK DONE ON THE CAR. AFTER SHOWING THEM THIS APP THEY STILL WON'T WORK ON IT WITH OUT A LETTER. REALLY NEED HELP THANKS YOU.

NHTSA ID

11245049

Incident

Apr 12, 2016

THE REAR LIGHTS ARE TURNED ON FOR NIGHT DRIVING THEY ALL BLINK RANDOMLY AS WELL AS REAR LICENSE PLATE LIGHT

NHTSA ID

11221336

Incident

May 1, 2019

Mileage

105,500 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA SPORTAGE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE TRANSMISSION GEAR SHIFT WAS STUCK AND WOULD NOT MOVE. THE CONTACT HAD TO HIT THE GEAR SHIFT BUTTON IN ORDER FOR IT TO OPERATE. IN ADDITION, THE RADIO MALFUNCTIONED AND WOULD NOT WORK AND THE KEY WAS STUCK IN THE IGNITION. THE CONTACT HAD TO HIT THE KEY WITH A SCREWDRIVER IN ORDER FOR IT TO LOOSEN UP. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT NOTIFIED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 168,128.

NHTSA ID

11186623

Incident

Mar 12, 2019

Mileage

168,128 mi

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2011 KIA SPORTAGE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE FAILURE OCCURRED TWICE. DURING EACH FAILURE, THE CONTACT SMELLED A BURNING ODOR THROUGH THE VENTILATION SYSTEM. THE CONTACT RECEIVED ASSISTANCE FROM BYSTANDERS AND PUSHED THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO SCOTT KIA OF SPRINGFIELD (321 BALTIMORE PIKE, SPRINGFIELD, PENNSYLVANIA 19064, (610) 544-0100) WHERE IT WAS INITIALLY DIAGNOSED THAT THE BATTERY NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. UPON A SECOND ASSESSMENT, THE DEALER STATED THAT THE WIRES WERE LOOSE IN THE VEHICLE, AND THAT IT WAS PROBABLE THAT ANIMALS/RODENTS HAD EATEN AWAY AT THE WIRING OF THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT INSPECTED THE VEHICLE AND NOTICED THAT THE WIRES WERE BURNT. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND PROVIDED THE CONTACT WITH CASE NUMBER: 12749312. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS APPROXIMATELY 116,000.

NHTSA ID

11123298

Incident

Jul 11, 2018

Mileage

116,000 mi

MY CAR'S SHIFT BUTTON SUDDENLY BECAME STUCK IN THE HANDLE AND I CANNOT "PARK" MY CAR OR TURN OFF THE KEY. I DROVE IT TO COLLEGE, AS I WAS STOPPED IN THE PARKING LOT, WITH MY FOOT ON THE BRAKE, AND PRESSED THE BUTTON TO PUT THE CAR IN PARK. THE BUTTON PUSHED IN AND BECAME "STUCK OR LOCKED" IN THE HANDLE. THE CAR WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING BUT GO INTO N OR D BUT NOTHING ELSE. AFTER PUSHING THE SHIFT LOCK BUTTON, I WAS ABLE TO GET THE CAR INTO PARK "KINDA". THE KEY WON'T TURN PAST AXL MODE, THEREFORE THE KEYS ARE STUCK IN THE IGNITION AND THE BATTERY BECOMES DRAINED. BECAUSE I DON'T BELIEVE THE CAR IS FULLY IN P, I SET THE PARK BREAK AND UNHOOK THE BATTERY.

NHTSA ID

11089924

Incident

Apr 23, 2018

Mileage

100,000 mi

WHILE DRIVING CAR JUST DIES IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC GOING LIKE 45MPH COAST OFF THE ROAD. NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHT HAS FUEL ENGINE WILL TURN OVER BUT NOT START. HAD IT TOWED TO THE KIA DEALER JULY 17,2017 WAS TOLD IT COULD BE ONE OF TWO THINGS THE FACTORY SECURITY SYSTEM OR THE ECM SO THE DEALER CHANGED OUT THE SECURITY SYSTEM THE PROBLEM STILL EXIST SO ECM IS NEXT WAS TOLD SORRY THERE ARE NO ECM,S FOR YOUR VEHICLE IN THE US. WILL HAVE TO CHECK WITH THE MANUFACTURE COUPLE DAYS LATER THEY TELL ME IT HAS TO BE BUILT THERE ARE NONE IN STOCK AND THE EARLIEST WE WILL GET ONE WOULD BE AUG.23,2017. TODAY AUG.24,2017 CALLED TO CHECK ON THE STATUS OF THE PART AND GOT A NEW DATE (A PROMISE DATE) OF SEPT.2,2017 BUT THAT'S NOT GUARANTEED ????? THIS CAR JUST DYING WHILE GOING DOWN THE ROAD IN THE MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC IS A SAFETY CONCERN AND NO PARTS AVAILABLE FOR OVER A MONTH MAKES ME WONDER HOW MANY OTHER PEOPLE HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS SAME ISSUE. MY CAR HAS ONLY 63000 MILES ON IT. THANKS FOR LOOKING INTO THIS ISSUE AND ALL ISSUES HELPING THE CONSUMERS WHEN THE MANUFACTURES WON'T. THANKS AGAIN.

NHTSA ID

11019458

Incident

Jul 14, 2017

Mileage

63,000 mi