7.3

pretty bad
Typical Repair Cost:
$950
Average Mileage:
56,950 miles
Total Complaints:
3 complaints

Most Common Solutions:

  1. not sure (2 reports)
  2. intake manifold (1 reports)
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2018 Kia Sportage engine problems

engine problem

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2018 Kia Sportage Owner Comments

problem #3

May 122021

Sportage LX 4 cyl 2.4L

  • Automatic transmission
  • 47,000 miles

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

This high rpm revving with no power we started noticing well over a year ago/approximately 47k miles - usually on a highway and with or without cruise control "on". (With cruise control "on" it would simply hop out of cc otherwise the basic "fix" was to take your foot entirely off the accelerator.) Problem was/is intermittent. In mid July 2022 a P2000 DTC/Engine lite & code started registering (cancel it and it would reappear typically 75-100 miles later - I attributed this to a bad tank of expensive gas along the way; the code mentioned something downstream of the catalytic converter).

In early August 2022 while on a highway on ramp the high rev came back and with no power we became quite the hazard as we struggled up the busy on ramp. I got into the breakdown lane and took foot off accelerator and the vehicle behaved for the remaining 120 miles home. Took it to our trusted mechanic who researched the problem and determined it is a broken plastic part in the intake manifold->parts+labor ~$950!!

Part ordered thru Kia would come in 3-5days - and it DID come in: broken!! Reordered and the 2nd part also came in broken. Kia speculates that the delivery service UPS damaged these and several others on a pallet but for whatever reason cannot grab a good one off that pallet, inspect it, and expedite it to my mechanic? Stay tuned!

I do believe, struggling on that on ramp, this is a safety issue; we've been without the Kia for about a month now (as it sits without an intake manifold) awaiting a good part. We bought this Kia used because it had the same engine our Hyundai Sonata had - THAT car and engine experienced no problems at all until it had 156k miles. At this juncture we're quite disappointed with the Kia...!

Update from Oct 17, 2022: After 42 days of being without the vehicle the solution (replacing the intake manifold) seems to be working well.

Neither KIA or NTSC has been interested enough to contact me with this...? (btw the posting date on this is 2021 but should be 2022)

- Fred S., Carroll, US

problem #2

Sep 012021

Sportage EX 2.4L Gdi Theta Ii

  • Automatic transmission
  • 102,000 miles

Tried to get repaired from Kia dealer but they wanted to change timing chain, CVVT, and other parts. I told dealer to forget it as I'm looking for other repair station to get this problem fixed. I'm looking for any advice, if anyone has any?

- Jimmy R., Brooklyn, US

problem #1

Sep 012019

Sportage EX 2.4 I4

  • Automatic transmission
  • 21,748 miles

Driving along flat, even ground, engine will redline and stay there for a couple of seconds before going back down.

Update from Sep 25, 2021: TCB for Transmission Shift Flares (TSB TRA 076) fix applied at dealership.

- Jarred G., Perth, ON, Canada

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