2017 Kia Sportage Problems

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 71,000 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

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving at 50 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power. The vehicle was unable to be restarted and needed to be towed. The vehicle was towed to a service center, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine had seized. The contact was informed that the engine…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 103,343 miles

Driving home noticed smoke from under the hood, pulled over noticed smoke coming through the vents inside the car. Shut it off and got out called 911, they're were no warning lights or messages, the car was a total loss as I only carried liability, when fire trucks arrived, the whole front of the car was engagedOwner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 60,000 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

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2017 Kia Sportage. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 131,600. The Carfax report listed the mileage as 140,000 in 2024. The contact stated that the vehicle was insured but not yet registered. The…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 174,000 miles

The car has had issues starting even with a brand new battery and will randomly not start. The driver side window does not go down, and the driver side door gets stuck and will not open from the outside. It’s been an ongoing issue for three years. The car will replace the batteries is dead, even though the battery we tested and fine and…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 37,000 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

Transmission stops drive ability at various times when pulling out into traffic it stops accelerating and the engine just revs high rpm’s until it slams itself back into a power gear. I have stalled several times recently pulling into traffic and was nearly involved in a wreck because a momentary lack of acceleration. This problem also…Owner complaint, filed 2025

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sportage. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed. The vehicle then went into LIMP Mode with the check engine warning light blinking. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic who stated that the vehicle could not be diagnosed because the vehicle was under…Owner complaint, filed 2022, at 64,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 61,000 miles. Parts named most: Body (22).

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 2017 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while attempting to enter the vehicle through the rear doors, the rear doors were inoperable. The contact was unable to open the rear doors from inside or outside the vehicle. The dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not made…Owner complaint, filed 2025

I need a recall on the paint for the 2017 Sportage Burnished Copper KIA. I've seen many others this color with the same paint fading issue. I contacted KIA and was basically told warranty expired.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

• 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

My vehicle's brakes are making a strange, unusual noise that I don't notice around other vehicles when I have the opportunity to access them (service vehicle or renter car).Owner complaint, filed 2025

ABS system failing on my 2017 kia sportage Vin # [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)Owner complaint, filed 2024

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 43,000 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 2017 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that after starting the vehicle, there was an abnormally strong gasoline odor coming from the vehicle. The contact stated that after refueling the vehicle, after 15 minutes of driving, a quarter tank of fuel had been consumed. There was no warning light illuminated. The dealer was…Owner complaint, filed 2024, at 168,000 miles

My check engine light came on several monthsago. I replaced the gas cap three times! This did not seem to remedy the problem. The check engine light would come on shortly thereafter. I've been parking my car away from buildings and home and I have noticed that the grassy area where I park has died on the left hand side (the driver side)…Owner complaint, filed 2023

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 15,000 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

The contact's daughter owns a 2017 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving approximately 45 MPH, the panoramic sunroof exploded without impact. The glass shattered into pieces onto the driver. The driver sustained some minor cuts to her head. The glass was picked out of her hair by her colleagues, but medical…Owner complaint, filed 2024, at 40,000 miles

The sunroof spontaneously exploded. Sunroof was closed at the time. AC on. Driving on the highway. Loud band and glass pieces rained down. Made it to the next exit to assess damage. No warning that this would happen. No debris hit the car. I have contacted my insurance about this, USAA. Kia said that they won’t cover this or repair for…Owner complaint, filed 2024

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 19,000 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

For the last 2-3 months my car has been randomly accelerating on its own, due to this I was recently (aug 14, 2018) in an at fault accident. I have called my dealership multiple times inquiring if there have been any recalls and there haven't been. I am currently in the service department (aug 18, 2018) having the problem looked at but…Owner complaint, filed 2018, at 22,226 miles

When starting to accelerate from the vehicle will start to move and then the engine rpms will drop to idle. At that time the car will not respond to the throttle. It seems to take from three to five seconds before the engine will respond to the accelerator being pushed. This seems it could happen in any location usually from a stop…Owner complaint, filed 2018, at 35,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 48,000 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

The contact owns a 2017 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving at 20 MPH, during which he fell asleep as he was returning home from a Dialysis appointment, he rear-ended another vehicle that was at the stop light, and the air bag did not deploy. The contact was taken to the hospital and diagnosed with a fractured chest. The…Owner complaint, filed 2023, at 80,495 miles

Airbag light came on. Was inspected by dealership. They informed me that the front side airbag needs to be replaced, as it is not grounded properly, and it could randomly deploy, or not deploy if accident occurs.Owner complaint, filed 2023

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 1,000 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

The contact owns a 2017 kia sportage. While driving 55 MPH and making a right turn, the steering wheel seized and the vehicle traveled to the left instead. There were no warning indicators illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer (kia of duluth, 1701 w michigan st, duluth, mn 55806, (866) 722-4542), but the failure could…Owner complaint, filed 2018, at 16,000 miles

While driving , especially on the highway, the vehicle veers slightly to left or right and takes constant corrections to keep it driving straight. The steering requires constant over corrections and the steering also feels very loose. It feels like driving on ice. I brought it to the dealer and the alignment and other factors have been…Owner complaint, filed 2016, at 500 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

Though sold as "all season" m+s rated tires, the milestar ms932xp+ has dangerously poor traction on even minor snow accumulations. While driving on a flat paved state road that had 1/4 inch or less fresh snow and minimal/no treatment, in a late model AWD crossover suv with 245/45r-19 tires, the milestar tires had dangerously poor…Owner complaint, filed 2019

I have had my car for 30 days & after driving for about 5 miles this morning my tire warning light said the psi was at 19 for my rear driver side, seconds later it was a 0. I pulled into a gas station where we discovered a huge tear in the side wall of my tire. This is definitely a defect as I have not been in an accident or scrapped any…Owner complaint, filed 2017, at 1,774 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

The contact owns a 2017 kia sportage. The contact stated that the front passenger seat was too low and could not be adjusted. The vehicle was taken to three different dealers, including chino hills ford (909-203-5700, located at 4480 chino hills pkwy, chino, ca 91710), but they stated that nothing could be done. The [VIN] was contacted…Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 34,000 miles

I own a 2017 Kia Sportage EX with the factory Snow White Pearl paint finish. The vehicle has been well maintained and has not been involved in an accident or collision. The factory paint on the trunk is peeling and delaminating from the vehicle. The white paint is separating completely from the surface, exposing the silver/gray layer…Owner complaint, filed 2026

What to check before you buy

• Drive over a few bumps and potholes slowly with the radio off and listen for clunks or rattles.
• Check the tires for uneven wear on the inside or outside edges, a sign of alignment or suspension trouble.
• Look behind the wheels for oily, wet shocks or struts.

Tools that help

What owners said

I took my car to the Kia dealer because I burn I was smelling burn oil. They told me that it wasn’t burn oil. It was the rubber burning I replace the inner and I’m still smelling the oil burning. I’m putting in oil four times a week, and they still not tell me why I’m putting so much oil then I want to say because I do too much highway…Owner complaint, filed 2024