10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
2 / 17
Injuries / Deaths:
1 / 0
Average Mileage:
78,828 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.

2013 Kia Sportage engine problems

engine problem

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2013 Kia Sportage Owner Comments (Page 1 of 15)

problem #285

Oct 142023

Sportage

  • miles

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

The contact owns a 2013 Kia Sportage. The contact stated while starting the vehicle, the vehicle made an abnormal ticking sound. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact stated that he had parked the vehicle. The contact stated that upon attempting to start the vehicle, the vehicle failed to start, and the vehicle became undrivable. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. 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 unknown. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

- Surry, VA, USA

problem #284

Jan 192024

Sportage

  • miles
I had my vehicle in for a recall from Kia PI2103 for Kia to update the software in my Kia Sportage. Which was to install software that could help my engine from failing. This was performed on January 19th 2024. Along with this recall they were supposed to extend my warranty to 15 yrs 150,000 miles. Shortly after aout 500 miles later and a few weeks my engine developed a knocking noise. I took back to the dealer that performed the recall to have it diagnosed. They advised that it needs and engine and is part of the campaign but they needed to get prior authorization. After a month went by Kia determined because I never took the key tag out of the car that I would not be getting a new engine for not meeting the requirements. How they determined this is when a service advisor is making a repair order they use window tags to locate cars. Well, the advisor rather than using a new window tag used the one that was sitting on my seat. I would like Kia to honor their extended coverage and replace my engine at no charge. Attached is proof I had KSDS and also a copy of the Kia techline that the service manager gave me to show the reason.

- White Oak, PA, USA

problem #283

Mar 012024

Sportage

  • miles
the engine on my 2013 kia sportage is under recall and the dealer is refusing to replace the engine after it locked up due to issues that kia was having with their engine i bought the suv brand new and this should be covered

- White Oak , PA, USA

problem #282

Feb 012024

Sportage

  • miles

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

My daughter has a 2013 Kia Sporage. Last week she was driving and the engine kept cutting off on the highway. She has had the recalled engine replaced last year and has 33,000 miles on it. When we took it to be checked out the guy said it could be the timing chain. The dealership said that was unlikely. It sounds like it-??s not getting gas, so we put fuel injector cleaner in and it still isn-??t running.

- Elizabethtown, KY, USA

problem #281

Jan 012024

Sportage

  • 83,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Sportage. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine made a tapping sound, and then the vehicle lost motive power. No warning light was illuminated. Additionally, there was engine oil leaking onto the ground while driving, with smoke coming from underneath the hood. The vehicle was towed to the residence and then towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the lower bearing, push rod, and engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that a Product Improvement Campaign to update the Engine Control Unit (ECU) software had previously been performed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The manufacturer denied the engine replacement due to the vehicle have a Salvage Title. The failure mileage was approximately 83,000.

- Pittsburgh, PA, USA

problem #280

Nov 042023

Sportage

  • miles
I have a Kia Sportage Ex 2013 and this motor vehicle has a fire and explotion in the road.

- Gurabo, PR, USA

problem #279

Dec 132023

Sportage

  • miles

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

On December 13, 2023, at 7:30am I noticed that the check engine light was on in my vehicle. I recently received an Important Safety Recall letter notice on November 14, 2023, regarding a defect with the safety of kia motor vehicles that were manufactured between 2011-2013, in which the defect can result in an engine compartment fire. I currently have a 2013 Kia Sportage so once I saw the check engine light, I was concerned due to the notice I received. I decided to take my vehicle to my nearest kia dealership per the WARNING that states that if you experience illumination of Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) take the vehicle to the nearest dealership as soon as possible. I took my vehicle to the 7050 Ogden Ave Berwyn, IL 60402 location. I informed Rep that my check engine light was turned on. The Rep then stated that diagnostic testing can be done on the vehicle, but it would be $175. I stated to the Rep -??NO-??, I then informed rep that I have a Recall on my vehicle regarding the engine and I have a warranty due to the defect on the engine. I was then informed that I do have a warranty and that I would be good to go in which the car was covered. After it was confirmed that there was a Safety Recall and Warranty along with a statement from the Rep confirming that everything would be taken care of. I provided rep the keys to my vehicle around 8:00am and was informed that the mechanic would have to keep my car overnight to sufficiently diagnose the problem. I later talked to the service manager that stated the previous rep was out and it would cost $655 for the vehicle to be fixed. I informed him that I have a warranty that should cover the cost. I was later informed that the part is not covered under the warranty. I informed him that I do not want the service and he then stated that I would have to pay for the diagnostic testing for the car in the amount of $155. I was then told I would have to wait another day until the worker came in. I had to pay $100

- Forest Park, IL, USA

problem #278

Oct 152023

Sportage

  • 55,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Sportage. The contact stated while driving 5 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, the contact became aware of an abnormal burning odor. The contact stated that the failure had been occurring intermittently while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where an unknown sensor was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. 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 55,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.

- Easton, PA, USA

problem #277

Oct 022023

Sportage

  • miles
I was driving to my destination on the local highway when my car began to make a noise like a knocking sound, I kept driving so I can get over and get to a street where I can pull over safely. The car started smoking, I can see it through my rear view mirrors, I begin to panic because my car seem to be slowing down and cars are going around me. At this point I was able to pull over, as I was pulling over the car came to stop on its own and completely shutdown. I contacted my insurance and had it towed to my mechanic who determined the engine needed to be replaced. I take good care of my car, there were no warning signs, no lights on in my car indicating that the car was in distress. I contacted Kia and explained what happened, I had to pay out of pocket to have it towed to Kia. I-??m currently waiting for them to inspect it.

- Summit, NJ, USA

problem #276

Jul 192023

Sportage

  • 163,463 miles
The contact owns a 2019 Kia Sportage. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle started to hesitate intermittently. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact continued driving to her destination and after parking the vehicle, the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V224000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 163,463.

- Staunton, VA, USA

problem #275

Jun 062023

Sportage

  • 151,000 miles

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

The contact owns a 2013 Kia Sportage. The contact stated while driving approximately 100 MPH, there was a loud banging sound coming from the front of the vehicle, with white smoke coming from the engine compartment. The vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The contact stated that while inspecting the vehicle, a huge hole was discovered under the engine which caused all the engine oil to leak out of the engine. The vehicle was later towed to the residence. The cause of the failure was not yet determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were not contacted regarding the failure. The failure mileage was 151,000.

- Bedford, TX, USA

problem #274

May 052023

Sportage

  • miles
I was stopped at a red light, once the light turned green I was accelerating when I lost power and the engine stalled, pumping the gas did nothing. I was able to coast to the side of the road but my car never did start back. There is only 125278 miles on the car and I have only had it 2 months.

- Knoxville, TN, USA

problem #273

Apr 272023

Sportage

  • miles
Engine failure told short-block assembly related issues. Told by mechanic it was pistons and related engine failure.

- Buckeye, AZ, USA

problem #272

Dec 042022

Sportage

  • miles
While driving on the highway there was a 'pop' sound and then the smell of smoke. After pulling over to the side of the highway, roughly 20 seconds later, smoke was pouring out of the front of the vehicle and within a minute it was engulfed in flames.

- Takoma Park, MD, USA

problem #271

Apr 232023

Sportage

  • miles
Was driving on the interstate at approximately 80 MPH went to slow down for a slow car in the fast lane and lost power in the middle of traffic. Check engine light began flashing. Upon a check of the check engine code it gave a known recall with a number of kias in this model and year range covered with lifetime engine replacement. Error code P-1326 glow relay stuck on. Considering my fuel combustion engine does not have a glow relay this should fall under the already known covered issues and be extended to my vehicle

- Ammon, ID, USA

problem #270

Mar 292023

Sportage

  • miles
On April 29,2023 I was driving my son's Kia Sportage on the interstate after dropping him off at the airport and the car started knocking as soon as I heard that I pulled over on the side of the road. I got out of the car opened the hood checked the oil and there wasn't a drop of oil on the dipstick. I put some oil and Lucas in and tried to start the car and the motor was seized. My son had just got the oil changed at a oil lube center and the car does not leak oil so where did all of the oil go to. There was no warning of anything no lights on the dash came on just less than 5min of knocking engine and then seized.

- North Port, FL, USA

problem #269

Dec 312022

Sportage

  • miles
My car caught on fire on the highway due to a kia recall and kia isn't willing to fix my car because i was unaware of the recall. I was on the highway driving my 9 month old baby to her fathers home and then i heard a rattling under the hood. all of a sudden my car stopped driving and it caught on fire thankfully I had my partner with me so he put out the fire. At the moment the KIA dealership has been brutally rude to the point that they've raised their voices at me and threaten to charge me more fees for my car being there because I was waiting to hear back from KIA. On top of everything i called the dealership that i bought the car from and has cursed me and sent me to hell because they did not go over the car fax with me or even advise me this vehicle had an open recall. he practically took my money, charged me and at the end of the service threw papers on the desk said here is your car fax and told me to have a nice day. I am getting no sympathy for my daughter being in the car and i don't know much about cars so thankfully i had someone with me who notice the fire, on top of my financial hardships right now because of my car being at KIA. I waited 3 weeks for KIA corp to tell me my engine has no warranty and there is nothing they can do to help please tell me you can help me with this if not a referral to someone who can.

- Chicago, IL, USA

problem #268

Dec 312022

Sportage

  • miles
At first i heard a knocking noise as if something fell from under the hood then my car stopped accelerating then the engine light went off oil light as well. Mind you I'm in the car with my 9 month old baby in the middle of the highway i stop my car where it was smoking i lifted my hood and there was a fire i had to put out because if i didn't my car would have blew up then the car never turned back on other then the urgency of my situation i dropped my car off to a kia dealership completely rude and unsympathetic and still haven't heard a word back about my car or even trying to get me into a rental worse experience of my life I almost die and kia fails to act like they give a damn.

- Chicago, IL, USA

problem #267

Dec 082022

Sportage

  • miles
At an instant i though i herd a pop come from the front under the hood then i looked all the gauges lite up and the engine lite also Damon on and i noticed the RPM dropped to Zero and it would not restart

- Pahrump, NV, USA

problem #266

Nov 072022

Sportage

  • 100,000 miles
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle made an abnormal knocking sound. The contact pulled over and had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was then towed to the dealer; however, the vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

- Desert Hot Springs, CA, USA

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