2023 Kia Sportage Visibility Problems

I had gotten my windshield replaced by safelite last year. On a cold day while driving to work, I went to adjust my rearview mirror and the rearview mirror came off from the windshield. It completely detached. I was adjusting it as I would any other time I adjusted the rear view mirror. This obviously left me in a lurch because I had to go to work. So I drove without a rear view mirror until I could get a replacement after the work day. This is obviously a dangerous situation to be in. I reached out to safelite because they have a lifetime warranty. They informed me that they will not cover replacement because a small piece of glass came off of the windshield which according to them means it must have been a result of force.

NHTSA ID

11740567

Incident

Mar 3, 2026

After owning our car for about a year when we started noticing abnormal pitting and chips in our windshield. I inquired to the dealership I bought it from and they said it was normal. Consequently the pits, chips and cracks got worse at an alarming rate. I took pictures from when the worst crack started and from February 2025 to August 2025 the crack has spread to 3/4 of my windshield. The windshield also rattles and whistles where the beginning of the crack is.

NHTSA ID

11684978

Incident

Sep 1, 2024

While driving on a highway at approximately 5:00 p.m., a loud explosion occurred. My husband said it sounded like we were shot. Once we pulled over, we discovered the panoramic sunroof had exploded. We immediately pulled off on the nearest exit and drove the car right back to the dealer. While my husband drove the car, I researched sunroof explosions and found several complaints of other Kia cars with panoramic sunroofs that had exploded. Upon arrival at the dealership, the service department was closed, but we were able to bring the car inside the garage since it was raining. There was no impact to the sunroof and no bridge where something could have fallen from it. The broken glass looked like it had exploded outward like a volcano. Shattered pieces of glass were scattered on top of the cloth covering but most pieces must have flown off the roof during driving. A saleswoman made a ridiculous claim that the explosion could have been caused by hail. It was 55 degrees out. Another salesman made a comment that it could have been some kind of combustion or that something fell on top of the sunroof (like a meteorite fell from the sky while driving?). Now, the following morning, Kia (a man named Walt) is claiming something hit the sunroof, "pictures don't lie", and they will not do any work on the car until my insurance company is contacted and an appraiser comes to look at the damage. We also took pictures and do not see that an impact occurred. No other cars on the highway at the time the sunroof exploded were impacted with their driving or even pulled off the road, so I cannot imagine Kia's claim that "something hit the sunroof." No other cars were impacted.

NHTSA ID

11645514

Incident

Feb 27, 2025

Engine failure problem. Also, windshield just cracked for no reason and continously spreading

NHTSA ID

11583915

Incident

Apr 18, 2024

The front windshield glass is very brittle compared to any other vehicle glass. This allows for frequent chips and cracks that are very costly to repair/replace.

NHTSA ID

11582655

Incident

Apr 12, 2024

I have had several problems with the windshield of my Kia Sportage. First off, it has a terrible glare or distortion while driving at night. I think it has to do with the elements inside the windshield. Secondly, the windshield cracks with even the slightest hit from anything on the road. I have had my car for 5 months and have received 6 chips to my windshield. Two of them happened when another vehicle was driving the opposite direction down the road. Three of them happened when I didn’t have a car or anything anywhere around me. One of them happened when an 18 wheeler was driving next to me with no other cars around. I’ve seen in the Kia Groups several other owners are complaining of the same problems. I don’t think these Windshields are safe.

NHTSA ID

11518123

Incident

Apr 20, 2023

I was driving to work and suddenly my front windshield cracked. Not only did it crack, but it scared me as it sounded like a shotgun had gone off.

NHTSA ID

11516360

Incident

Apr 10, 2023

VEHICLE HAS LESS THAN 500 MILES AND WINDSHIELD AND SURROUNDING AREA IS CRACKING AND SNAPPING. AT FIRST IT WAS ONLYWHEN WINDSHIELD GOT WARM WHEN DRIVING ON WHEN STOPPED AND THE SUN BEAT ON THE WINDSHIELD. NOW IT IS CRACKING AND SNAPPING MORE IT IS HAPPENING PARKED OR DRIVING. IT IS FRIGHTENING AND SCARY.

NHTSA ID

11515503

Incident

Mar 27, 2023

automatic wiper does not work in rain

NHTSA ID

11506471

Incident

Feb 8, 2023

My husband and I own a 2023 KIA Sportage that was purchased on May 11th, 2022. The car has barely 1700 miles on it, and in mint condition. My husband and I were at a stoplight turning left when all of a sudden we heard a loud explosion, almost like a shotgun. It was so loud my husband and I could physically feel the loud gun shot, and truly scared us to the point where we thought it might have been a drive-by shooting. We didn’t notice any damage at first until we pulled over and saw the start of the panoramic sunroof (near the front windshield) shattered completely. There currently is no recall on this issue despite the hundreds of reports. I am unable to drive my car as the front windshield can crack/explode at any moment.

NHTSA ID

11488567

Incident

Oct 9, 2022

When traveling over the mountain when the sun is coming up or going down and it hits the windshield at an angle the wires for the heated windshield creates a rainbow across the windshield making the driver unable to tell where the lanes are or if there are vehicles in front of or merging. This has happened to me on 3 different occasions. I have not noticed it after the sun is already up. Just rising and setting.

NHTSA ID

11488141

Incident

Oct 6, 2022

Windshield began to crack when the vehicle had approximately 500 miles. The windshield does not show impact from a rock or any object. The crack was noticed when getting into the vehicle, the crack did not occur while driving. Within a week the windshield showed extensive cracking within a short period of time, thereby preventing repair. The crack began on driver side and runs all the way to the bottom passenger side.

NHTSA ID

11479273

Incident

Jun 24, 2022

Driving down the highway with my two kids and little brother in the back seat leaving vacation. Nobody is in front of us and we are not under an overpass. We all hear what we thought was a shotgun being shot at us. It ended up being the panoramic sunroof, quite literally exploding on my brand new vehicle. (mileage was at 3450 when it happened). The glass is pointing outwards NOT inwards. absolutely NOTHING hit my vehicle.

NHTSA ID

11467505

Incident

Jun 3, 2022