2026 Kia Sportage Owner Complaints

My 2026 Kia Sportage X-Line was involved in a multi-vehicle rear-and-frontal collision. While stationary waiting to turn from a highway to a secondary road, my vehicle was struck from behind and pushed forward into an oncoming vehicle then continued into guard railing. There were no tire marks from the rear at fault vehicle to indicate any attempt to brake prior to impact. The resulting frontal impact caused severe crush damage extending all the way back to the radiator and significantly bent the hood. Despite the severity of the frontal collision—which caused enough structural damage for the at fault insurance company to declare the vehicle a total loss—none of the vehicle's airbags (front driver, passenger, side, or curtain) deployed during either impact. Prior to the crash, no airbag or Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) warning light was illuminated on the dashboard (note: this vehicle model year is subject to Kia Recall SC361 / NHTSA 26V-046 regarding instrument panel display failures that can omit warning lights). The driver sustained minor injuries in the collision. The vehicle is currently declared a total loss and stored at an insurance salvage facility pending title transfer, and the Event Data Recorder (EDR) has not yet been downloaded.

NHTSA ID

11777189

Incident

Nov 4, 2026

When driving into the sun, thousands of tiny dust like sparkles illuminate in the windshield. These dust like sparkles can and do obstruct vision through the windshield. This has been a problem since the day I putchased my new 2026 KIA Sportage SX Prestige Hybrid from KIA of Portland on July 30, 2026. I took attached photo with my cell phone and you will need to zoom in a bit to see sparkles.

NHTSA ID

11775177

Incident

Jul 30, 2026

Windshield is cracking easily when small rocks have hit it driving past vehicles on the road. Bought a brand new car that has not been owened for a year. Windshield seems to have a defect or cheaply made. 3 cracks in it in less than one year.

NHTSA ID

11774822

Incident

Oct 22, 2026

The vehicle has developed a persistent, severe rattling noise coming from the engine bay and front chassis area. The noise becomes significantly worse and amplifies at highway speeds, raising severe concerns about high-speed mechanical instability. The vehicle has undergone multiple repair attempts at an authorized dealership, but mechanics have been unable to identify or resolve the root cause of the noise. The vehicle is currently considered unfit for road use and has remained restricted to the dealership repair facility for 29 consecutive days since October 2, 2026. Because the source of this heavy mechanical rattle cannot be identified by factory technicians and worsens at speed, it presents an immediate safety risk. An unresolved, unknown mechanical defect in the front end or engine compartment raises serious concerns regarding potential sudden component failure, steering/suspension compromise, or structural detachment while operating at high speeds, which could result in a catastrophic loss of vehicle control.

NHTSA ID

11774622

Incident

Sep 25, 2026

A deer ran out on the parkway when I was coming home from work and it totaled my vehicle. The ambulance had to pry the door open to get me out. The airbag never deployed and the seatbelt popped open.

NHTSA ID

11773890

Incident

Oct 27, 2026

I am writing to formally report a severe and life-threatening safety defect regarding my 2026 Kia Sportage Hybrid. On September 28, 2026 around 8 am, I experienced a terrifying Sudden Unintended Acceleration (SUA) event while operating the vehicle. I was completely stopped at an intersection, waiting to make a left turn. The vehicle was stationary with the AUTO HOLD function engaged. When it was time to proceed, I lightly pressed the accelerator pedal to begin moving. Instead of accelerating normally, the vehicle dangerously surged and accelerated on its own. I immediately removed my foot from the accelerator pedal and attempted to stop the vehicle by repeatedly pressing the brake pedal. However, the vehicle did not slow down as expected and continued moving at a high speed. At this time, my foot was completely off the accelerator. The unexpected acceleration lasted for approximately 10 seconds. While repeatedly applying the brake pedal and trying to maintain control, I managed to steer the vehicle into a nearby side street/alley, where the vehicle eventually came to a stop. Fortunately, there was no collision, injury, or property damage. However, this was an extremely frightening and dangerous event. No warning lights or error messages were displayed on the instrument cluster during or after the incident. I requested the Kia Tustin dealer for Inspection and Data Preservation. I also reported to Kia Amerca.

NHTSA ID

11768268

Incident

Sep 28, 2026

The contact owns a 2026 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that his wife had driven for 6.5 hours at 35-70 MPH with the seat heater activated, the seat heater overheated. Upon exiting the vehicle, the driver discovered second-degree burns on her right thigh and significant bruising extending from her left thigh to her buttocks. The contact stated that the failure had occurred while the contact and wife were traveling on a 6.5 hours trip. The contact's wife received medical treatment for the injuries. The manufacturer was contacted by phone and a case was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 14,223.

NHTSA ID

11764801

Incident

Sep 6, 2026

Mileage

14,223 mi

Wiring harness keeps getting chewed up by rodents in engine bay. Had to have Kia fix 2 times for the parking distance sensors. Have done lots of prevention things to keep from engine bay, but attracted to this vehicle. My 2 other vehicles no problems. They are not Kias. It causes loss of driver assistance systems.

NHTSA ID

11760371

Incident

Aug 1, 2026

Occurred on 8/3/2026: 1. I parked my car in my driveway 2. My car is sitting in the driver door storage area and my phone with digital key is sitting on the front passenger seat. 3. Vehicle is turned off; I exit the vehicle and close the door. 4. My toddler is the back seat (not on the driver side), so i start to walk over to take her out. 5. In the meantime, the car locks itself. 6. I walk back to driver door and it is locked as well. This was serious and immediate issue as the ambient temperature was 92 degrees F and car at this point has no circulation. Luckily I was at home so was able to hurry and grab my second key from home to unlock the car. It all took about 5 min and by the time I was able to get her out, she was sweating.

NHTSA ID

11754881

Incident

Aug 3, 2026

While adaptive cruise was engaged, the vehicle read Alabama highway 80 west state road sign and incorrectly interpreted the sign for a speed limit sign which is 55 MPH.The vehicle displayed a “80 MPH” speed limit sign on the instrument cluster and then began to accelerate. When I took it to the dealer for repair, the “turned off safety feature”.

NHTSA ID

11753359

Incident

Jul 22, 2026

The contact owns a 2026 Kia Sportage equipped with Kumho Tires, Tire Line: Crugen HP71, Tire Size: 235/60/R18, DOT Number: 1K2CMYA8E . While the contact’s daughter was driving approximately 75 MPH, the vehicle suddenly started shaking violently and vibrated abnormally, causing the driver to almost lose control of the steering wheel. The driver regained control of the steering wheel and parked the vehicle. The Police and a towing service was called to the scene. Upon inspection, it was discovered that the front passenger’s side tire had tread separation at the center of the tire, causing the center rim of the wheel to be exposed and caused damages to the wheel well and fender. The vehicle was later towed to the residence. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The vehicle manufacturer and rental car company were notified of the failure. The tire manufacturer was not yet contacted. The failure mileage was 3,900.

NHTSA ID

11752974

Incident

Jul 25, 2026

Mileage

3,900 mi

I was driving on the freeway, when all of a sudden my car felt like it was driving on its own. It began jerking, rapidly accelerating causing the rpm to go up on its own, and causing the engine to rev. It alternated between accelerating and braking. I pulled off to the side and had it towed to the dealership I lease it from. The dealership drove it and the same thing happened. They said it was stuck in 2nd gear, so they have to completely replace the transmission. There were absolutely no warning lights or messages prior to this occurrence. It happened during rush hour so there were a lot of cars out, and I felt as if I lost control of my car. I also had to pull off to the side of an off ramp as I was attempting to get off at an exit to go to work.

NHTSA ID

11750670

Incident

Jul 1, 2026

Odometer Fraud. The contact owns a 2026 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that after purchasing the vehicle, it was determined that there was a mileage discrepancy. At the time of the purchase, the mileage was 0. The vehicle was a dealer sale. The document from the dealer indicated that the mileage was 488. The vehicle was a used rental vehicle prior to the purchase. The contact determined that the actual mileage was 1,060. The contact called the attorney general and Penn DOT regarding odometer fraud.

NHTSA ID

11750534

Incident

Jan 26, 2026

Mileage

1,060 mi

Car does not unlock with keyless key fob. This is too often an issues to overlook. Car will just keep locking and eventually nothing. I have been stuck outside in thunderstorms, a huge safety concern, rain, snow and uncomfortable situations. This causes me to be more soaked, wetting the car and fishing out my keys getting items inside wet. Key is mostly in pocket because its a keyless entry car, or in backpack. 2023 was superior.

NHTSA ID

11749748

Incident

Jul 11, 2026

My car had begun to accelerate when pressing the brake pedal. The first time it happened the car kinda stuttered as it fought itself, but the car stopped. That was also the only time it stuttered and corrected itself. The next few times it happened, the car was not as easy to control but was able to stop safely. I took the car in to the dealer to have it checked, but the problem could not be replicated. I even told the dealer the date and time of one of the events and they weren't able to do anything with that information. Just hours after I picked up the car from the dealer, it happened again. Only my daughter was driving and the car just took off as she was braking. She wasn't able to stop it, and the fail-safes that are supposed to avoid accidents and force the car to stop never kicked in. We rear-ended someone not going very fast since she was far away from them when she began to brake. But since the car started accelerating, it was enough force to have both airbags deploy and wreck the car. Kia Corporate requested that we send the ACU to them, but when no one was available who could do that, they said their hands were tied and wished me well. The insurance company offered to have them send someone qualified to pick it up, but they just washed their hands of the entire case. My case # with Kia is 26150176. Had this been the only car affected, I would be less concerned... but my husband's 2025 Sportage SX-Prestige has also been having the same issue and also has an open case with Kia Corporate. He's just had better luck in stopping the car once it takes off. And the dealer looked over it and tried replicating the issue in his car too with no luck. His case # with Kia is 26150395. The strange thing though is that this issue started happening to both cars very suddenly. I had had my car for 9 months before it was totaled, and it only started happening to both cars less than a month before the accident.

NHTSA ID

11748759

Incident

May 29, 2026

I am reporting two separate safety-related failures on this low-mileage vehicle. The first occurred at 2,431 miles while driving on the highway. The vehicle suddenly lost propulsion and coasted with no throttle response, and multiple warning lights and messages appeared simultaneously, including braking, electronic parking brake, and driver-assistance warnings. A sudden, unexpected loss of power at highway speed creates a serious crash risk, including rear-end collision, particularly with faster or following traffic. The vehicle was taken to an authorized Kia dealer on 3/9/26 and returned on 3/19/26 after wiring/connector-related work. The second failure occurred at 4,658 miles when the panoramic sunroof glass suddenly shattered while the vehicle was in motion. A spontaneous glass failure while driving is a safety hazard: had the interior sunshade been open, falling glass could have struck rear-seat passengers, and shattering glass while driving can cause driver distraction and loss of vehicle control, as well as a road hazard to surrounding vehicles. The vehicle was taken to the same authorized Kia dealer on 4/1/26 and remained there until 5/21/26. The sunroof was not repaired. The dealer's repair order states that it "cannot identify a specific outside object or cause" and that "no damage was found clearly identifying an external object as the cause," which is consistent with a spontaneous glass failure rather than external impact. Despite this, warranty assistance was denied on the basis that an outside impact "could not be ruled out." I am concerned these represent defects involving the panoramic sunroof glass and/or the vehicle's electrical and safety systems. Both failures occurred well under 5,000 miles and within months of each other. Across the two repair visits, the vehicle was out of service for approximately 60 total calendar days, including roughly 50 days for the sunroof issue, which remains unrepaired.

NHTSA ID

11748017

Incident

Mar 31, 2026

When attempting to disengage the cruise control, I must apply sufficient force as to actually apply the brakes. My expectation is that a simple tap on the brake pedal would release the cruise control and begin a coasting mode. This is not the case; the SUV continues at the same forward speed until I press the brake pedal the second time a little harder.

NHTSA ID

11743733

Incident

Jun 10, 2026

The glass piece that sits between the front windshield and the sunroof cracked from side to side of the car. When I called the dealership to get it repaired they said this has happened to a few models with this same type of glass between the windshield and the sunroof.

NHTSA ID

11738800

Incident

Apr 30, 2026

5/14/2026 Turned car on and put in reverse, E brake turned on, placed vehicle in park turned off E brake and put the car in reverse. Let brake up and car began to coast back, when I attempted to slow vehicle with brake the brake went all the way to the floor and brakes were not working. Car rolled into the road it a one way, I put the car in drive and it coasted down the road. Brakes continued to go to the floor without stopping or slowing the vehicle. I threw the car in park turned it off and back on and the brakes were restored. I made a service appointment with [XXX] at vandevere for 1:20pm on 5/15/2026. 5/15/2026 Took car to vandever Kia service center to get looked at. The service advisor was Olivia. The issue was unable to be recreated by the service technician. Was instructed to return car for service if issue was to arise again. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

NHTSA ID

11738278

Incident

May 14, 2026

When driving my Kia Sportage on the highway, the screen panel goes completely dark while using the GPS. No warning lights what so ever. This is a major issue for me because I'm depending on the GPS to safely get to where I want to go. I have gotten lost 3 or 4 times in areas that I'm not familiar with because I don't know what exit to take. The moment the screen blacks out on me, it causes me to be so confused and stressed out to the point that I become terrified of causing an accident where people could die, including myself. Kia has recalled 2026 Kia Sportage cars for the same panel blackouts. My Kia Sportage was not. I had taken the vehicle twice to the dealership complaining about the problem (04/01/26 and 04/29/26) and they tell me that there is no issues with the screen panel because they can't replicate the problem at the shop. So far, only the dealership has checked the car. I don't know what else to do. These panel blackouts are happening quite often now. At this moment, I don't trust the screen panel anymore. There is something wrong with it. I have friends in my car when the screen panel blacks out. Upon request, the car will be available for inspection.

NHTSA ID

11736774

Incident

Apr 4, 2026

The contact owns a 2026 Kia Sportage HEV. The contact stated that while approaching a traffic signal light at nighttime while it was raining, the brake pedal was depressed, and when the vehicle hit a pothole, the brakes failed to respond. To avoid colliding into the vehicle in front, the contact veered the steering wheel and pumped the brakes. After a few minutes the brakes functioned as intended. The vehicle was taken to the dealer. However, no cause for the failure was found. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, and a claim was filed. The failure mileage was approximately 600.

NHTSA ID

11736306

Incident

Apr 20, 2026

Mileage

600 mi

Comparing this 2026 KIA Sportage to what I have in the garage with 2019 Lexus RX 350, 2018 MB E300, and 2021 Honda CRV, the front collison of this KIA does not work as it should. If I keep moving the vehicles toward a car, the collision avoidance should give me a warning an brakes for me, however, this 2026 KIA Sportage does not respond at all. In addition, in order for the front sensors on the bumper to work, I need to press on the brake. The dealer said that there is nothing with this system and there is no way to prove it unless I ram into another car.

NHTSA ID

11734490

Incident

Mar 25, 2026

A door lock malfunction occurred involving the front driver-side door. The vehicle would not unlock or open using the key fob. Multiple attempts were made to unlock the vehicle, but the driver door remained locked and unresponsive. At the time of the incident, a child was secured inside the vehicle in a child safety seat. Access to the vehicle through the driver-side door was not possible. Access was ultimately gained by going to the passenger side, where a window was open, allowing entry to unlock the vehicle from the inside. If the window had been closed, access would not have been possible. Safety Concern This issue presents a serious safety risk because it can prevent immediate access to an occupant inside the vehicle. In emergency situations (such as extreme weather or medical distress), this type of failure could result in injury or worse.

NHTSA ID

11732670

Incident

Apr 20, 2026

Battery health has gone down to 31% I’ve had it at a dealership three times and they don’t know what’s wrong. They can’t figure it out, but my mileage has dropped significantly.

NHTSA ID

11732624

Incident

Feb 14, 2026

Our Sportage has the panoramic roof. The back half of the roof chattered all of a sudden while nobody was in or around the vehicle. It exploded outwards.

NHTSA ID

11731920

Incident

Apr 16, 2026