2018 Kia Sportage Problems

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 28,000 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 vehicle suffered a primary connecting rod bearing failure covered under the Theta II class action warranty campaign. A brand-new warranty engine long-block was installed by an authorized dealership. Immediately upon vehicle pickup, the brand-new engine began exhibiting an un-metered acceleration defect. While stationary and idling in…Owner complaint, filed 2026

2018 Kia Sportage (78,051 miles). Vehicle is part of the Kia Engine Class Action Settlement due to severe internal engine defects. The engine suffers from catastrophic oil consumption, running almost completely dry three times in less than six months with no external leaks, meaning it is internally burning motor oil at a dangerous…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 9,000 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

Driver power window regulator stopped working. It is available for inspection upon request. My safety is at risk because it can hinder my ability to exit the car in an emergency. In addition, it is exposing the car's interior and possibly interior electrical parts to the weather elements, and potentially leaving me vulnerable to theft or…Owner complaint, filed 2025

The plugs for the engine cooling fan and wiring harness were damaged from overheating. No fuses blew, plugs were melted and wiring was discolored from overheating. Estimate for repair was: Parts (cooling fan assembly, and wiring harness)- $2430.19 plus tax, Labor 8hrs @ $175.00/hr- $1400, Total cost to replace the cooling fan and wiring…Owner complaint, filed 2023

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 40,000 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

I was riding on the highway at about 65 mph and then the check engine light came on, the car slowed down and lost power. Now when I take off I have to barely mash the gas to pick up speed, if I mash the gas pedal hard it barely moves and it loses speed and power going up a hill. I took the car to two different part store and had a reader…Owner complaint, filed 2025

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the engine revved loudly, and the RPM was fluctuating. The contact also stated that after shifting into reverse(R), the vehicle was losing motive power. The contact shifted back into park(P) to restart the vehicle. No warning lights were…Owner complaint, filed 2023, at 37,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 16,000 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 2018 Kia Sportage. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V137000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The contact stated that while driving on several occasions over two days, at various speeds, she observed a growing loud grinding and clicking noise emanating from the front of the vehicle. The vehicle…Owner complaint, filed 2024, at 115,000 miles

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Sportage. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 21V137000 (SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact contacted two dealers who both confirmed that the parts were not yet available and would take approximately 1- 2 months to be…Owner complaint, filed 2021

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

Shortly after driving away, before reaching a highway on-ramp, I noticed smoke coming from the vehicle. I turned around and returned to the location. By the time I arrived, the vehicle was emitting black smoke, and shortly after, it was fully engulfed in fire before I could retrieve a fire extinguisher. Vehicle has a documented history…Owner complaint, filed 2026

I received a voluntary emissions update letter from kia, and although it was voluntary, the letter said failure to update could be considered lack of maintenance. The update was performed on XXX at Dorsch Ford/Kia in [XXX]. The vehicle ran poorly from that day forward. I gave it a couple of weeks to insure that the system could learn my…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 16,000 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

Windshield cracking for no reason. No chips to signify it was hit. Noticed a zigzag on Friday 9/23 approximately 12" and this evening 9/24 has gone laterally an additional 6-8"Owner complaint, filed 2022

Driving on the freeway when the glass on the driver side passenger door suddenlty shattered into little pieces. The only portion of the window that remains is a small part on the bottom edge. The window was not hit with an object. The window was intact prior to this happening (no problem with the door either).Owner complaint, filed 2022

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

While driving the wheel blocks for a while and can't control the car. Brought to the dealers and claims nothing wrong. Now happens very often and the car is not drivable. Wrote 3 times to costumer service , no answer. Should a fatal accident must occurring to take action? This happens while turning.Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 16,000 miles

This Kia Sportage's alarm system does not go off when the passenger front window is broken. My car was broken into and the youth stripped the steering column and was able to start my car without needing the key nor having the key within the vehicle. This is a security issue and allows the vehicles to be easily stolen. These safety issues…Owner complaint, filed 2022

Parts named most: Body (5).

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

I purchased a 2018 Kia Sportage and ever since the last few years the paint is starting to come off of this vehicle. I do not go through any type of car wash. I washed it at home. It is getting worse and worse than certain spots, I do not want any monetary for this I would just appreciate getting what I should have, which is fresh paint…Owner complaint, filed 2025

The contact owned a 2018 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 50 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the vehicle decelerated to approximately 45 MPH, and the contact pulled over to the side of the road and the vehicle…Owner complaint, filed 2025, at 186,000 miles

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 87,000 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

Driver experienced initial bogging down on acceleration before normal acceleration occurred. There have been two occurances thus far. Happened while one foot on brake and the other on accelerator in order to get rapid response changing lanes in traffic and other while making left turn through traffic. Very dangerous to experience bogging…Owner complaint, filed 2019, at 3,500 miles

My 2018 Kia Sportage (VIN [XXX] ) experienced complete engine failure due to low compression/internal combustion chamber failure. The vehicle lost power while driving on Sept 30, 2025, and had to be towed to [XXX] Kia in Dayton, OH. This same dealership previously performed an oil retention test in Aug 2024 which failed, identifying a…Owner complaint, filed 2025

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

Drivers seat reclines but gets sick in that position. You can toggle the control but sometimes it goes back into more of recline, and getting harder to get back up.Owner complaint, filed 2025

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Sportage. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the contact became aware that the driver's seat was inoperable. The contact stated that the driver's seat latch failed to function properly while attempting to adjust and move the seat forward. The vehicle was taken to the dealer but was not…Owner complaint, filed 2025, at 61,000 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

UNKNOWN. A warning light on dash comes on. It stays on up to 20 minutes then goes out. There doesn't seem to be any trigger causing the problem. It does this everyday at ant speed.Owner complaint, filed 2023

When pressing brake during operation, a noise comes from underneath vehicle. The warning lights goes off but come back on while driving and stays on. Kia dealer stated it was the ABS module going bad. Kia dealer recently replaced engine block due to manufacturer defect and completed two recalls. Dealer advised this was a new problem.Owner complaint, filed 2024

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 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

My kia sportage needed a steering column [VIN] and after it was replaced the car started pulling to the left and it's hard to keep straight, I have informed the dealer and tire rotation and alignment was done to the car but never changed the conditionOwner complaint, filed 2020