2012 Kia Sportage Problems

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 100,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Ask the seller not to warm the car up, and start it cold. Listen for ticking, knocking or a rough idle in the first minute.
• Pull the oil dipstick and the oil cap. Low oil, a gasoline smell or a milky film on the cap are reasons to walk away or get an inspection.
• Plug in an OBD2 scanner. Stored or pending codes matter, and so do readiness monitors that show "not ready", which usually means the codes were cleared right before the sale.
• Ask for oil change records. A gap in the records on a model known for engine complaints is a negotiating point at minimum.

Tools that help

What owners said

On XXX, my 2012 Kia Sportage experienced a catastrophic engine failure while traveling on the interstate. The connecting rod failed, breaking through the engine block, causing sudden and sever oil leak and heavy smoke. The safety of the occupants was put at risk due to the sudden powefr loss in high-speed traffic. This vehicle has two…Owner complaint, filed 2026

The car experienced sudden engine failure, flashing check engine light. The car was towed to the nearest mechanic and knock sensor code P1326, consistent with recall 20V750, was present. Kia Corporate refuses to authorize inspection and repair under the recall because the code was cleared after the event in order to get it towed to the…Owner complaint, filed 2025

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 84,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Test every switch: windows, locks, mirrors, seat heaters, the screen, the backup camera, Bluetooth and every USB port.
• Watch the dash at startup. Every warning light should come on briefly and then go out.
• Have the battery and charging system tested. A weak alternator or battery drain shows up here.

Tools that help

What owners said

The car has been giving off a burning smell each time that I begin to drive especially if the heat is being utilized. The smell worsens as I drive a further distance.Owner complaint, filed 2025

I am writing about a recall notice that was issued last fall (2023) and has not yet been repaired by KIA, this vehicle's manufacturer. The HECU unit has a bad fuse that can cause a fire while driving or when parked. The relevant data is: Manufacturer Recall NumberSC284SL NHTSA Recall Number23V652 Recall StatusRecall Incomplete, remedy…Owner complaint, filed 2024

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 83,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Drive it from cold if you can. Shifts should be smooth in every gear, including reverse.
• Feel for slipping (revs rise without the car speeding up), shudder at low speed and a delay when you put it in gear.
• Listen for whining, which is a common CVT complaint, and clunks when you go from drive to reverse.
• If it has 4WD or AWD, engage it on the test drive and ask when the transmission and differential fluids were last changed.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2012 kia sportage. The contact stated that while attempting to move from a stop, the accelerator pedal was depressed however, the vehicle hesitated to respond before lunging forward. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was not taken to be diagnosed nor repaired. Neither the dealer nor the [VIN] were…Owner complaint, filed 2020

My 20 year old daughter was driving her 2012 kia sportage on the 30 bypass going 55 miles an hour when all of a sudden she had engine loss. Thank goodness she was able to safely get to the side of the road without getting hit or even killed. She was very scared. We had the car towed to a independent mechanic. He said the had catastrophic…Owner complaint, filed 2020, at 73,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 45,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• The pedal should feel firm and the car should stop straight without pulling, grinding or a pulsing pedal.
• The ABS and stability control lights should go out after startup and stay out.
• Look through the wheels at the rotors. A deep lip on the edge means brakes are due soon, which is a fair thing to negotiate on.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sportage. 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 contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the…Owner complaint, filed 2024

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sportage. 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 contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.…Owner complaint, filed 2024

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 90,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Smell around the engine bay and under the rear of the car for raw fuel.
• On the test drive, accelerate firmly from a stop and up a grade. Stumbling, surging or a flashing check engine light are red flags.
• Fuel pump recalls are common. Check this exact VIN for open recalls before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2012 kia sportage. While driving 20 MPH, the check engine indicator illuminated for a few moments and the vehicle stalled and completely shut off. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where the contact was informed that the fuel pump malfunctioned. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer and [VIN] were not…Owner complaint, filed 2018, at 137,005 miles

It died when we turned it on but we didn’t think it started so we started it again and it was fine. Then 1 hour later we were driving and check engine light came on and it turned off then the car was dying. When I pulled over to let it cool down the car wouldn’t turn back on and when I checked under the hood there was oil all over the…Owner complaint, filed 2022

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 52,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Turn the wheel lock to lock while parked and listen for groaning, clicking or binding.
• On a straight road the car should track straight with the wheel centered and no loose feeling.
• A power steering warning on the dash, even briefly, deserves a mechanic’s look before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

Rattling noise coming from steering column for a while and has constantly gotten worse. Took it to a kia of cherryhill first they told the noise was coming from something in the door, then they guy at the service desk took a ride with me, I pointed the noise out & he told me it was a viscous coupling, the following week I requested he…Owner complaint, filed 2017, at 60,000 miles

While traveling at highway speeds, or any speed above 30mph on a straight road vehicle requires constant correction to track vehicle in a straight line. Without constant correction, the vehicle would leave the road surface. The resistance to steering pressure in correlation to speed does not seem properly programmed for vehicle. The best…Owner complaint, filed 2012, at 1,200 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 6,000 miles.

What to check before you buy

• Check every light: headlights on low and high, fog lights, brake lights, turn signals and reverse lights.
• Run the wipers on every speed with washer fluid, and run the defroster front and back.

Tools that help

What owners said

When the headlights are on they randomly flicker/shut off and flash back on. When using turn signal the headlights flash off and back on.Owner complaint, filed 2021

Driving to work in july 2013 I heard a loud pop sound and looked around and noticed nothing out of the ordinary about 10 seconds later my panoramic sunroof shattered. I thought maybe something was kicked up from a truck in front of me and hit the roof so I filed a claim with my insurance company. Luckily it was taken care of. Now its…Owner complaint, filed 2014, at 29,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• The air bag (SRS) light should come on at startup and go out within a few seconds. If it stays on, the system may not work in a crash.
• Air bag recalls are some of the most serious. Check this exact VIN for open recalls and get proof any recall work was done.

Tools that help

What owners said

I was exiting the highway onto a median divided street that runs east/west. I was stopped at the light, in a double turn lane, once the light turned green I proceeded to turn west going about 5 MPH, immediately I was hit by a woman to the left of me in the parallel turn lane in my front driver side quarter panel. Her car hit at nearly a…Owner complaint, filed 2014, at 21,000 miles

I was pulling out into traffic and did not see a car due their headlights were not on. We hit and none of my air back deployed the whole front of my car was smashed and I hit my head on the door jam and my vehicle has side air bags also. I have contacted kia and initially got a case # and stuff. The case # is [xxx]. I did received one…Owner complaint, filed 2014, at 36,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• Look underneath with a flashlight. Utah road salt is hard on frames, brake lines and the bottoms of doors.
• Open and close every door, the hood and the liftgate, and lock and unlock each one.
• Use a paint thickness gauge and compare panels. A panel that reads very differently from the rest has likely been repaired.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sportage. The contact stated while attempting to open to the front driver's side door from the inside of the vehicle, the contact heard an unknown part inside the door fall, and the door required to be opened manually by pulling on the exterior door handle. A dealer was contacted. The vehicle was taken to the…Owner complaint, filed 2025, at 103,841 miles

My car was parked at my residence. All doors were unlocked. I proceeded to pull the right rear passenger door handle and it came off of the door. This small pulling action and the detachment of the door handle caused me to fall on my rear end. The fall caused bruising to my buttocks and back.Owner complaint, filed 2018, at 92,200 miles

What to check before you buy

• On the test drive, press the gas gently and firmly. The response should be smooth with no lag or surge.
• Set the cruise control, then use resume and cancel to make sure each one works.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2012 kia sportage. While the accelerator pedal was depressed, the vehicle inadvertently [VIN] at a rapid speed. The vehicle was taken to fox kia (4141 28th st se, grand rapids, mi 49512 (616) 524-4008), but was not diagnosed. The vehicle was not repaired. The [VIN] was notified of the failure and confirmed that there…Owner complaint, filed 2017, at 69,000 miles

While driving down interstate the vehicle started making a awful knocking noise. Then the dash lit up with oil pressure light check engine light. I slowed down and pulled to side of interstate with my children in the car. I had to call someone to come get us.Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 112,000 miles

What to check before you buy

• Pull out and latch every seat belt, and let each one retract on its own.
• Try every seat adjuster, and watch for a passenger air bag "off" light when an adult is in the seat.

Tools that help

What owners said

2 months ago my daughters kia died at a stop sign, it would start but not idle or drive. Had it towed to midtown kia here in tulsa where all, and lots of problems, have been repaired. Gave them the issues and paid them to diagnose the problem. We bought the car new from a dealer in colorado but all repairs were done at local dealer. Took…Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 180,000 miles

I own a 2012 kia sportage that I purchased from riverhead auto mall, that experience was wonderful. I originally purchased a kia for a few reasons, the affordability but mainly the 5 year/10 year warranty. Since I have purchased this vehicle, I have had a few issues that I have visited various service [VIN] to rectify which have still…Owner complaint, filed 2017, at 41,416 miles

What to check before you buy

• Read the four-digit DOT date on each tire. Tires older than about six years should be replaced, whatever the tread looks like.
• Check tread depth on all four. On AWD vehicles all four tires should match.
• The tire pressure light should go out after startup.

Tools that help

What owners said

The day I drove the car off the lot after purchasing (roughly 4 years ago) the low tire pressure sensor came on and I was unable to get it to go off. Mentioned it to the dealership whenever I went back for my first oil change and they told me they were able to “wake it up” whenever they checked the tire pressure. It continues to not…Owner complaint, filed 2022

Brake pedal grip padding falls off, leaving a slippery surface and a fallen grip padding blocking brake pedal. While driving in freeway at 65 MPH. Driver lost control of vehicle, swerving into two toll lanes & crashing into several rubber dividers. After this incident the brake pedal grip padding has continued to fall off while driving…Owner complaint, filed 2011, at 3,600 miles

What to check before you buy

• Where it is safe, try the adaptive cruise and lane keeping on the test drive and watch for sudden braking or warnings with nothing there.
• Check the windshield in front of the camera and the bumper sensors for cracks, chips or poor repairs.
• Ask whether the windshield has been replaced. The camera has to be recalibrated afterward, and many shops skip it.

Tools that help

What owners said

The day I drove the car off the lot after purchasing (roughly 4 years ago) the low tire pressure sensor came on and I was unable to get it to go off. Mentioned it to the dealership whenever I went back for my first oil change and they told me they were able to “wake it up” whenever they checked the tire pressure. It continues to not…Owner complaint, filed 2022