2024 Kia Sportage Problems
Owner-reported complaints filed with NHTSA, grouped by component
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What this page shows
Everything below is an owner-reported complaint submitted to NHTSA about the 2024 Kia Sportage, grouped by the component NHTSA recorded on the report. These are not confirmed defects, and they are not recalls. NHTSA does not verify most reports before publishing them, and a category with more reports in it is not evidence that a part is defective.
Complaints are reports submitted by owners and drivers to NHTSA. They are not verified and do not establish that a defect exists.
Reports by component
Ranked by how many owner reports name each component category
- Electrical1216.9%
- Driver assistance1115.5%
- Visibility1014.1%
- Engine912.7%
- Brakes79.9%
- Body & structure68.5%
- Steering45.6%
- Fuel system34.2%
- Airbags34.2%
- Powertrain (other)34.2%
- Exterior lighting22.8%
- Other / unspecified11.4%
Percentages are of component mentions. A single complaint can name more than one component, so these do not sum to the total complaint count.
Each component in detail
What the reports in each category say, in the owners' own words
Electrical
Reports naming the electrical system — wiring, battery, charging, control modules, infotainment and electrical accessories.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2024 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, or while the vehicle was parked, the engine intermittently hesitated and the vehicle almost shut off. The contact stated that the START/STOP button was depressed to shut off the vehicle; however, the button became inoperable. The vehicle was turned off and restarted to resume normal operation. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, but the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 18,700.
Sudden Unintended Acceleration – 2024 Kia Sportage – Safety Hazard. Incident Date: April 18, 2026. Location: Parking lot. While pulling into a parking space at low speed, I brought the vehicle to a complete stop with my foot on the brake. Immediately after stopping, the vehicle suddenly and forcefully accelerated forward on its own without my foot on the accelerator. I was actively pressing the brake pedal, but the vehicle did not respond as expected and continued to accelerate. The acceleration was strong enough that the vehicle jumped over the parking bumper with both front tires and struck a fixed post. Even after impact with the post, the vehicle continued to push forward as if still accelerating, until it hit another barrier and finally came to a stop. At no time did I press the accelerator pedal. The vehicle’s behavior felt completely uncontrolled and unsafe. This incident could have resulted in serious injury or death if it had occurred in traffic or with pedestrians in front of the vehicle. The vehicle has been towed to KIA dealership and is pending inspection. I am reporting this as a serious safety defect. No injuries. Front-end damage after collision with post. This event was sudden, unexpected, and not driver-induced.
Driver assistance
Reports naming forward-collision avoidance, lane keeping, back-over prevention, cruise control and related electronic driver-assistance systems.
From owner reports, verbatim
Sudden Unintended Acceleration – 2024 Kia Sportage – Safety Hazard. Incident Date: April 18, 2026. Location: Parking lot. While pulling into a parking space at low speed, I brought the vehicle to a complete stop with my foot on the brake. Immediately after stopping, the vehicle suddenly and forcefully accelerated forward on its own without my foot on the accelerator. I was actively pressing the brake pedal, but the vehicle did not respond as expected and continued to accelerate. The acceleration was strong enough that the vehicle jumped over the parking bumper with both front tires and struck a fixed post. Even after impact with the post, the vehicle continued to push forward as if still accelerating, until it hit another barrier and finally came to a stop. At no time did I press the accelerator pedal. The vehicle’s behavior felt completely uncontrolled and unsafe. This incident could have resulted in serious injury or death if it had occurred in traffic or with pedestrians in front of the vehicle. The vehicle has been towed to KIA dealership and is pending inspection. I am reporting this as a serious safety defect. No injuries. Front-end damage after collision with post. This event was sudden, unexpected, and not driver-induced.
Forward collision warning systems check error light hard braking occurred and scared the pee out of me. Camera blockage obstruction error
Visibility
Reports naming windshields, glass, wipers, defrosters and mirrors.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2024 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the sunroof exploded. The contact stated that there was no evidence of an impact on the sunroof glass. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to a Collision Center for assistance. The vehicle was taken to the Collision Center, and the contact was informed that the failure was a known failure with similar vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The contact was advised to contact the NHTSA Hotline and the manufacturer to report the failure. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 28,525.
6” Snow ice storm & negative degree temps 12/13/25 used heated windshield deicer. On 12/15 driving to work on a country road no other traffic, heard pop cracking noise above my head checked sunroof snow ice melting no visible cracks thought noise from thawing ice. Parked vehicle in my home garage while I went out of town. Returned home 12/22 found large crack origination point in front windshield originating in glass down the middle of rear view mirror sensor housing black box mounted on inner windshield the crack spans from top middle to bottom of black box glass over to right center half of windshield. Believe this is a manufacture defect design flaw low quality integrity of glass weaker than standard glass making it more susceptible to temperature changes or minor impact. Entire crack feels smooth interior exterior glass as if the crack is in the inner layers of glass windshield. Due to multi complaints & prior class action lawsuit regarding manufacture defect of KIA windshields I am reporting my complaint as it is quite similar to others complaints, issues & lawsuits. The massive crack in windshield is a driving safety hazard & a manufacture defect that needs recalled & resolved before injury or death occurs. KIA must acknowledge, issue recall &/or post a bulletin, accept responsibility this is a manufactures defect, notify the public and replace the windshields under Good Faith Customer Relations Warranty
Engine
Reports naming the engine itself — including stalling, misfires, oil consumption, cooling and internal engine components.
From owner reports, verbatim
The contact owns a 2024 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, or while the vehicle was parked, the engine intermittently hesitated and the vehicle almost shut off. The contact stated that the START/STOP button was depressed to shut off the vehicle; however, the button became inoperable. The vehicle was turned off and restarted to resume normal operation. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, but the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 18,700.
On December 24, 2025, while driving in traffic, my Kia Sportage experienced severe lurching, bucking, and jerking, causing the engine to shut down. All dashboard warning lights illuminated, including a message prompting me to "turn engine back on." The vehicle would not restart, necessitating a tow to Horne Kia. After several days of diagnostics, it was determined that a blown ignition fuse and a bad fuel pump relay were the issues, along with a battery replacement. However, just 19 days later, while attempting to merge onto the freeway, the vehicle again bucked violently, and the engine shut down with all warning lights flashing. The police had to assist in moving my vehicle out of traffic, and it was towed to Courtesy Kia in Mesa, AZ. Once again, no error codes were found. After further diagnostics, it was discovered that the same ignition fuse had blown and that the catalytic converter had "shattered." The catalytic converter was replaced. Upon picking up the vehicle from the dealership, and driving less then 5 miles on freeway, the vehicle was bucking and hard shifting once again resulting in a third tow to dealership just 48 hours later after the previous service. The dealership ran several diagnostics under Kia's tech line, which revealed that the engine pistons are slipping and not functioning properly, resulting in loss of compression. Per Kia's tech line, a new engine long block was ordered and replaced.
Brakes
Reports naming service brakes, the antilock braking system, brake hoses, master cylinders or the parking brake.
From owner reports, verbatim
•12,000 Miles: Front rotors required complete replacement. •21,000 Miles: Front rotors failed and required replacement a second time. •28,000 Miles: Front seat cushion required repair due to material separation. •34,000 Miles: Front rotors failed and required replacement a third time. •51,000 Miles: Front rotors failed and required replacement a fourth time. •51,000 Miles: Complete transmission replacement required due to severe shifting difficulties.
Sudden Unintended Acceleration – 2024 Kia Sportage – Safety Hazard. Incident Date: April 18, 2026. Location: Parking lot. While pulling into a parking space at low speed, I brought the vehicle to a complete stop with my foot on the brake. Immediately after stopping, the vehicle suddenly and forcefully accelerated forward on its own without my foot on the accelerator. I was actively pressing the brake pedal, but the vehicle did not respond as expected and continued to accelerate. The acceleration was strong enough that the vehicle jumped over the parking bumper with both front tires and struck a fixed post. Even after impact with the post, the vehicle continued to push forward as if still accelerating, until it hit another barrier and finally came to a stop. At no time did I press the accelerator pedal. The vehicle’s behavior felt completely uncontrolled and unsafe. This incident could have resulted in serious injury or death if it had occurred in traffic or with pedestrians in front of the vehicle. The vehicle has been towed to KIA dealership and is pending inspection. I am reporting this as a serious safety defect. No injuries. Front-end damage after collision with post. This event was sudden, unexpected, and not driver-induced.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Body & structure
Reports naming the vehicle structure, frame, body panels, doors, hood and trim.
From owner reports, verbatim
While traveling at approx 65 mph on a clear, debris-free Alaska highway in -5°F temperatures, the panoramic sunroof of my 2024 Kia Sportage spontaneously shattered with an explosive sound. There were no vehicles in the immediate vicinity (nearest car was maybe 50 to 75 ft away) and no observation of flying debris or falling objects from overpasses. The failure appears to be a spontaneous glass breakage (SGB) incident potentially caused by thermal stress or manufacturing defect rather than external impact. Crucially, some of the remaining glass fragments and one large attached piece are displaced and flexed OUTWARD (upward toward the sky). There are also fracture lines in the remaining glass along and parallel to the sides of the vehicle as well as parallel to the front frame of the glass. They do not radiate out from a central point as one would expect from an object strike. This geometry to me indicates internal tension or cabin pressure release, as an external impact from a projectile would have forced the glass inward into the cabin. Additionally, there was very little glass in the vehicle cabin, certainly far less than one would expect given the size of the opening in the sunroof and the amount of glass missing. I have personally previously been in a vehicle whose side window was blown out from a vehicle kicked rock strike and in that case was showered with a lot of glass. Yesterdays catastrophic failure resulted in some glass intrusion into the passenger cabin at highway speeds, creating a severe distraction with sound was loud & sudden enough to potentially cause a loss of vehicle control. I am aware of similar reports regarding the 2023-2024 Sportage (and previous Kia panoramic sunroof class actions) regarding the use of ceramic glazing or assembly stresses that contribute to such failures. I request an investigation into whether the current model's panoramic roof assembly is capable of withstanding extreme thermal differentials and body flex.
The glass panel placed between the windshield and the Panoramic sunroof blew out with no external forces. Looking at other cases from online, this appears to be a problem dating back to the 2019 model. Attached are photos from the date of incident (12/31/2024) from 1/3/2025 and 1/17/2025.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Steering
Reports naming the steering system — racks, columns, power-steering assist and steering linkage.
From owner reports, verbatim
On Tuesday, July 14th I started my vehicle around 6:30 am and started to drive. Once I was driving, I had multiple warning lights on my dash showing and my power steering failed on me. I stopped the vehicle, put it in park and turned it off. I restarted the car and still had the various warning lights and no power steering. The car was driving fine with no warning lights at 4:50 am that morning and again at 6:15 am that morning. I managed to drive the 2 miles home at a low rate of speed with no power steering since there were not many cars out. I called the Kia dealership and contacted a tow truck to take the vehicle in. The tow truck driver saw the warning lights as well and had to maneuver the car with no power steering onto his truck. Once Kia did the initial inspection, they said there were no warning lights and the power steering worked. They were going to conduct a more thorough inspection on Friday to see what the issue was. I called end of day Friday and was told they would need more time to inspect since they could not find any issues with the car. The know the warning light had shown up but if they could not recreate the issue then the car would not be looked at further. This is the 3rd issue with this vehicle that the dealer could not recreate. I've had the vehicle stall on me at a light when I was stopped or at a stop sign as well as not accelerate when I was at a high rate of speed in an emergency situation. This issue puts me and my family at risk if I were to be driving during a busy period or on a highway. My car is only 2 years old and has under 32k miles, I drive it frequently to visit family 4 hours away. I am to pick up my car from the Kia dealer and I am scared to drive this car. I feel it's a deathtrap and an accident waiting to happen. Kia said I can always trade it in for a new car, but no thank you.
The car emergency brake component was faculty and kicked in at an inappropriate time. When the emergency brake occurs you are unable to move the car at all. Being unable to move put myself and my passenger seater at risk for bring hit to which we were. The vehicle was not inspected due to Kia Corporate office not answering the phone.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Fuel system
Reports naming fuel storage or delivery — tanks, pumps, lines, injectors and fuel leaks.
From owner reports, verbatim
On December 24, 2025, while driving in traffic, my Kia Sportage experienced severe lurching, bucking, and jerking, causing the engine to shut down. All dashboard warning lights illuminated, including a message prompting me to "turn engine back on." The vehicle would not restart, necessitating a tow to Horne Kia. After several days of diagnostics, it was determined that a blown ignition fuse and a bad fuel pump relay were the issues, along with a battery replacement. However, just 19 days later, while attempting to merge onto the freeway, the vehicle again bucked violently, and the engine shut down with all warning lights flashing. The police had to assist in moving my vehicle out of traffic, and it was towed to Courtesy Kia in Mesa, AZ. Once again, no error codes were found. After further diagnostics, it was discovered that the same ignition fuse had blown and that the catalytic converter had "shattered." The catalytic converter was replaced. Upon picking up the vehicle from the dealership, and driving less then 5 miles on freeway, the vehicle was bucking and hard shifting once again resulting in a third tow to dealership just 48 hours later after the previous service. The dealership ran several diagnostics under Kia's tech line, which revealed that the engine pistons are slipping and not functioning properly, resulting in loss of compression. Per Kia's tech line, a new engine long block was ordered and replaced.
While driving, the vehicle engine shut off while making a turn. Before the engine stalled, the engine began to sputter as I made the turn. I was stranded on the roadway as I could not restart the vehicle. For my safety, I stayed in the vehicle as there was no shoulder and many vehicles including dump trucks. Several attempts to restart the engine were unsuccessful - the engine would try to turn over and then stop. I contacted roadside assistance and the car was towed to the dealership. Diagnosed as a Faulty Fuel Pump/Bad Connectors. Approximately 8950 miles. This is the second time the car stalled while driving.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Airbags
Reports naming the air-bag system — deployment behaviour, inflators, sensors and warning lights.
From owner reports, verbatim
Description of Crash: On [XXX], I was involved in a front-end collision while driving my 2024 Kia Sportage. Despite the impact, the airbags did not deploy. Additionally, the Forward Collision Assistance system did not engage or warn me prior to the crash, even though conditions were normal and the system was active. Safety Concern: •The airbags and collision assistance are federally regulated safety systems. Their failure put me and any potential passengers at serious risk. •I am very concerned this indicates a defect in the airbag and/or collision avoidance system. Damage/Injuries: My front end of my vehicle is completely destroyed, and so is my engine. As for myself I am experiencing some soreness and discomfort Requested Action: •I request that Kia and NHTSA investigate this failure as a potential safety defect. •I want confirmation that my case has been documented and reviewed for possible recall or repair action. State Farm Claim #: [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
The ECU malfunctioned and the passenger side airbag didn’t go off and should have. There were error codes and I told KIA service department about it but they weren’t to concerned and said they would look at it at my first service appointment
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Powertrain (other)
Powertrain reports that are not specifically the engine or transmission — driveshafts, axles, transfer cases and differentials.
From owner reports, verbatim
•12,000 Miles: Front rotors required complete replacement. •21,000 Miles: Front rotors failed and required replacement a second time. •28,000 Miles: Front seat cushion required repair due to material separation. •34,000 Miles: Front rotors failed and required replacement a third time. •51,000 Miles: Front rotors failed and required replacement a fourth time. •51,000 Miles: Complete transmission replacement required due to severe shifting difficulties.
While driving the vehicle and selecting EV only mode the engine RPMs surge to about 3000. This happens frequently and I have it on Video. Kia has had the car multiple times for electrical may electrical related repairs but say the vehicle is normal. The tech line person even had the dealer drive a similar car for a baseline. I would expect they had a baseline prior to manufacturing the car. This is an ongoing unrepaired issue. Date below is first reported date of electrical concerns.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Exterior lighting
Reports naming headlights, tail lights, turn signals and other exterior lighting.
From owner reports, verbatim
The design of the backup light is awful. There is a single light that is about two inches long and an inch high under the license plate. When you back up in a parking lot like at Walmart, other drivers cannot see the light and keep driving by like you are not moving. We have had several close calls because of this. Kia should be forced to change the design
The Dashboard with all the instrumentation goes blank while driving causing loss of all instrumentation gauges and headlights shut off. This has happened repeated times since the car was purchased new in June 2024 and has been in the service department since October a total of six times. They have replaced fitments, the dashboard cluster, the phone charging pad and have done multiple software updates and it continues to go blank while operating. The dash then lights back up with System Check and all the instruments lights in dash glow and it stays like that for several seconds. I am repeatedly told they cannot recreate the problem to properly diagnose so they have been cherry picking solutions to fix and it’s dangerous to drive. I have filed a complaint with the NC Attorney General, a BBB Auto Complaint, a Complaint with the Manufacturer directly and they are telling the dealer to return car to me because they can’t recreate the problem and so in their opinion nothing is wrong when I have video of this happening while driving. Please help me
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
Other / unspecified
Reports whose component NHTSA recorded as unknown, or that do not map to one of the categories above.
From owner reports, verbatim
Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) is not working correctly. It is under reporting pressure by over 3-5 PSI on Cold and Hot Tire. My vehicle is available for inspection upon request. TPMS is flagging in the system and pushing to over fill tire with air over prescribed pressure by the manufacturer. It is safety risk. I got my vehicle air pressure checked twice in 2 weeks by a national tire chain shop. It didn't happen before. it is first time. Issue first appeared 4 weeks back.
Too few reports in this category for a page of its own — they appear in the full complaint list.
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.
Elsewhere on this vehicle
Data sources
- NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation — owner-reported complaints and the components recorded on them
Data on this page last refreshed .