10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 2
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
64,633 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2011 Kia Sportage engine problems

engine problem

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2011 Kia Sportage Owner Comments (Page 1 of 4)

problem #75

Apr 082024

Sportage

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

My vehicle had a an illuminated oil lamp on the cluster and an oil leak. On [xxx] I took my 2011 Kia of downtown los angeles to inspect my vehicle under safety campaign 174 (SC174 sl theta 2 - 2.4 L mpi engine oil pan)- when Kia of downtown returned my vehicle to me the invoice stated "oil pan was found not leaking, oil pressure switch was replaced" over the next few days I noticed I still had an oil leak so I made another appointment at Kia of downtown la to ask them to look at the oil pan again under SC174 I brought it back to downtown la Kia on [xxx] - this time I got a text message from them stating "verified customers concern upon inspection found oil pan to be leaking from seal" and an estimate of $845.84 to repair it --- I called and spoke to my service advisor and she said my 'warranty was voided because of outside influences" which they said are small scratches on bottom the oil pan - I told them I dont think they can "void" a saftey recall -- I next called Kia corporate office and opened a case -#[xxxxxxx] - supervisor named 'richard"of customer care told me on recorded call that Kia corportate made agrees with the decision not to replace my oil pan due to the scratches at the bottom of my pan that are no where near the main seal. Did Kia violate any federal law by acknowledging the leak at the main seal and denying to replace the oil pan and returning the vehicle to me with a known safety defect - recall - SC174 does not mention any exemptions for the recall such as age, damage, negligence etc. Information redacted pursuant to the Freedom Of Information Act (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

- Los Angeles, CA, USA

problem #74

Jan 302024

Sportage

  • miles
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.

- Richmond, VA, USA

problem #73

Nov 302023

Sportage

  • miles
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.

- Beaverton, OR, USA

problem #72

Nov 232023

Sportage

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Drive the car for a certain amount of time (20 mins) park and then drive it again 20 mins back home when it-??s already parked smell to burn. What I do? I need the car to drive to work and back home.

- Ontario , CA, USA

problem #71

Aug 072023

Sportage

  • miles
2011 Kia Sportage engine stalling/failure. Has been having oil pressure/heating/oil feed line/consumption issues. Taken to a Kia dealership on multiple occasions for all routine maintenance, including every 3000 oil changes. Owner was told that a catalytic converter was needed in 2021 due to engine stalling/ failure while driving 55-60mph on highway to a rapid deceleration and vehicle would go >20mph. Owner had car towed to Kia dealership and had a new catalytic converter put on in 2021 by dealership. Then in 2022 same engine stalling occurred again. Taken back to dealership and was told car needed waste gate actuator replaced. Owner agreed to cost/repairs. Then during repair was told that another catalytic converter was needed due to sludge/clogging, when one was put on less than 1.5 years prior. With less than 20k miles on new one. Car engine continues failing and will not accelerate above 20-25 mph. Check engine light has come on and been diagnosed numerous times from 2018, when oil issues started to 2023. Both dealership and manufacture are aware of recurrent issues.

- Ashburn, VA, USA

problem #70

Aug 082023

Sportage

  • miles
The engine light came on and it started making loud noise, then the car started pulling on its own and it stop in the middle of the road. My safety Issue was I had to keep my driver hood open so other visible drivers could know my car had an issue. later on, that day I took my car to the mechanic and the mechanic said I have an oil leak and that's why my car started acting like that. The mechanic told me my car was ready to go, so I paid him and left thinking my car was fine. I drive 6 miles away from the car shop and my car broke down in the middle of the road. so, I had to call the tow truck people to tow my car until I could really find out what's wrong with my car.

- Miami, FL, USA

problem #69

Oct 282022

Sportage

  • 55,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The contact owns a 2011 Kia Sportage. The contact received notification of the NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V101000 (Engine). The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled without warning. The contact was unsure if there were any warning lights illuminated. The dealer was notified of the failure and of the recall notification. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to the dealer to be repaired. The vehicle was towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that the oil pressure switch, oil pan, and engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle remained at the dealer unrepaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was informed that a follow-up call would follow; however, the contact had not received a response. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000.

- Philadelphia, PA, USA

problem #68

Apr 062023

Sportage

  • miles
No check engine light on. Driving down highway when car jerked hard, coasted to side of the road. Lights, radio, dashboard lights, window controls all work. Towed to mechanic was told engine needs to be replace.

- Marshall, MO, USA

problem #67

Oct 012022

Sportage

  • miles
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.

- Belington, WV, USA

problem #66

Mar 082022

Sportage

  • miles
Was driving home when car had it-??s check engine light start flashing and car wouldn-??t come up to speed. Went by local auto zone to check code given and it was associated with the KSDS recall update and the car is now in limp mode. Towed car to Peak Kia where it-??s been for almost two months. They wanted me to tow it to Arapahoe Kia since they had previously replaced the engine (see complaint from 2019) and it now needs replacement again but it-??s not covered under warranty again according to them since it-??s a 2011 Kia. Not putting another cent into this car after paying over 7500 to replace the first MPI engine if Kia won-??t cover replacement of faulty engine someone can have the car to investigate the engine issues and hold them accountable, be it the NHTSA or a lawyer. Kia even did the software update that put the engine in limp mode and still won-??t do anything to cover a known defect.

- Elizabeth, CO, USA

problem #65

Mar 032022

Sportage

  • miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

The engine malfunction light came on and the vehicle began seizing. It would no longer go any faster than about 20 miles per hour. My vehicle is available for inspection upon request. My safety was jeopardized as I was driving 60 miles per hour on the freeway and the light came on and the vehicle immediately began to lose speed. The issue was inspected by the dealership that I had the vehicle towed to that I normally service my vehicle. There were no symptoms or warning lamps prior to this incident. The dealership said it was a "bearing clearance issue". I contacted Kia directly and they have offered $500 of goodwill assistance towards a $5k replacement of the engine.

- Vancouver , WA, USA

problem #64

Sep 112021

Sportage

  • miles
Engine failed while driving

- San Luis Obispo, CA, USA

problem #63

Apr 202021

Sportage

  • miles
I was driving 65mph on the Freeway and all of a sudden I have no power. I press acceleration to the floor and it done nothing. Code p200a Intake Manifold Code p420 Exhaust Manifold I couldn-??t go no faster than 25/30 mph on an incline. I live in West Virginia so there-??s inclines every few miles. I-??ve been looking on the internet and I-??m not the only one that is experiencing this. It needs to be fixed ASAP. And Dealership-??s charge an arm and a leg for things like this. The parts alone are expensive. I believe it is going to get worse before it gets any better. So my opinion and many others say it needs to be a Recall on the 2011 KIA SPORTAGE 2.4L I4 FI DOHC 16V. Thank you for your time.

- Chapmanville , WV, USA

problem #62

May 022021

Sportage

  • 123,000 miles
123000 miles started knocking and engine seized. Car is garbage

- Allentown, PA, USA

problem #61

Dec 212020

Sportage

  • 160,000 miles
I have a 2011 Kia Sportage ex AWD. I was driving on the interstate when the check engine light came on followed by knocking and then my engine seized. Totally locked up. My engine is a theta II but it's the mpi engine. Took it to dealership who told me it's not under recall so I'd have to pay for a new engine. I'm finding hundreds of posts online from owners with the same engine that I have having the same problem. Why is there no recall for these engines? Canada has already included them in its recall.

- Knoxville, TN, USA

problem #60

Feb 122021

Sportage

  • 0 miles
On startup smoke coming from under hood and sometimes odor of gas engine excessive oil burning..

- Howard Beach, NY, USA

problem #59

Feb 012016

Sportage

  • 105,000 miles
105,000 miles vehicle started to make lower engine noise as (metal chain noise) notified dealer about this issue. 2.4 engine recall and vehicle is not listed for the engine recall. Vehicle is still making noise 176,000

- Dallas, GA, USA

problem #58

Aug 012020

Sportage

  • 150,000 miles
I have a 2011 Kia Sportage. I received a recall letter from Kia on 2019 that my oil pan needed replaced. The letter stated that if left unfixed it could cause damage to the engine. I took it to the Kia dealer they replaced it free of charge. Several months after the car started to make a loud knocking sound from the engine. The car started to feel as if it would not fully go on excelration. I called the Kia dealer several time. They notified me of a Kia engine recall however told me the VIN number doesn't qualify. The service manager told me I could schedule a diagnostic test for the car but I would need to pay $150 service fee. I cancelled the appointment and scheduled with a private mechanic due to services manger telling me I am responsible for the fees. I was unable to take my car to my mechanic because the car stopped working the following morning. I was driving on the interstate and the engine starter bri make a loud knocking sound. The car just stopped on the interstate. When I pressed the gas to excelrate. I had the car towed to the Kia dealer who told me the engine is stuck and was not worth replacing. My husband and I decided to leave the car at the dealership and followed up with Kia Consumer Affairs. They 30 days later sent a letter that they will replace part of the engine but I would be responsible for the service fee around $2200 pretax. I don't feel this issue is handled appropriately. I believe the engine failed as part of the safety recall. The car is 2011 and had a defective oil pain until 2019. I believe this is what caused my engine to fail. I do not believe that Kia has been honest about the recall or fairly handling the issues.

- Canton, OH, USA

problem #57

May 252020

Sportage 4-cyl

  • 85,000 miles
My car stopped running while in use. My brakes worked but not my gas. I could not accelerate and was in danger of being hit. Consumer stated metal got caught in the engine and consumer ended up buying a new car.

- Glenside, PA, USA

problem #56

Mar 212019

Sportage 4-cyl

  • 109,272 miles
Engine was seized at 109272 miles. Engine number: G4keah41 is a 2.4L 16 valve DOHC I4.. car was not turning over initially, but after about 19 seconds would start. After a few days the check engine light came on and was told the code was for the camshaft position sensor and it needed replaced. Two days later and the day of the auto appointment to get it checked and fixed the car wouldn't start at all. After towing it to a repair center they said that two valves were completely blown and the engine needed replaced. Towed it to a Kia dealer (arapahoe Kia) and they said the engine also needed replaced. $7214.76 plus towing and rental car fees for approximately 1.5 months of it being in shops. Some of these engine are under recall, but I was informed mine didn't count so I moved on... recent news reports lead me to believe that my engine should be part of this recall and that's why I'm reporting now.

- Elizabeth, CO, USA

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