2020 Kia Sportage Problems

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 63,000 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

My vehicle experienced a catastrophic engine failure, losing power on the roadway. The vehicle is currently located at the Kia dealership, and I have been provided a formal Repair Order showing an active Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) P1326. Kia Corporate and the dealership are currently denying coverage under the In re: Hyundai and Kia…Owner complaint, filed 2026

car and Jen was replaced October 2025 for engine failure 10 months later the engine begin stalling and not accelerating on the highway or on any road so we brought it to our dealership to get it looked at a code came up, which said the engine was in failure . no oke will cover the engine and kia wont stand behind the work that they didOwner complaint, filed 2026

Half of the owners who gave a mileage had the problem by about 12,000 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 2020 Kia Sportage. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of the purchase, the mileage was 25,881, and while trying to trade the vehicle with another dealer, it was discovered through the Carfax report that the odometer was rolled back…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 29,881 miles

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2020 Kia Sportage. The contact discovered a mileage discrepancy after the purchase. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 70,000. It was later discovered that the mileage on the Title was 107,000 while having a routine oil change. The service records…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 107,000 miles

Parts named most: Body (11).

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

Factory Defect: paint and clear coat delamination on 2020 Kia Sportage with less than 10,000 miles and has never been in an accident. Car is bright silver color. Paint/clear coat has started to bubble and peel on the rear spoiler and side mirrors. This is a know issue. • Poor Factory Bonding: The issue typically stems from a failure of…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Clear coat began peeling from side mirrors about a year ago. It is now peeling aggressively on the rear liftgate cover/spoiler. This seems common and is very unsightly. Only impacts the plastic parts.Owner complaint, filed 2025

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

Brakes, yes When the issue is happening, we loose the ability to stop promptly and with ease. The entire vehicle shakes, and it metal on metal. Yes, we've taken our car to a Kia, as well as 2 other companies. Kia did an inspection and told us that it was rust. There are no warning sounds or alarms. We average needing to take the car in…Owner complaint, filed 2024

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, he would experience uneven braking upon depression of the brake pedal, without warning. The contact stated that the brakes was pulling to the left and then to the right, before coming to a complete stop. The contact had performed several brake…Owner complaint, filed 2023, at 91,000 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

Oxt 2021 check engine light illuminated on my 2020 Kia Sportage. Code P242200 was pulled. service technician replaced the Canister Close Valve due to sticking open. Nov 2, 2021 the check engine illuminated again during a trip out of state. During the trip the engine light would go from illuminated to off a number of times. The car was…Owner complaint, filed 2021

"While driving to work and actively attempting to pass another vehicle, the battery light suddenly illuminated out of nowhere. A short time later, while slowing down at a stoplight coming into town, the engine completely stalled out and died in the middle of a busy, active intersection. I lost all acceleration and power steering…Owner complaint, filed 2026

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

When turning the steering wheel, it makes a squeaky/grinding noise. I called into Kia to inquire about this and they said they would call me back after investigating about a recall on this but never received a call back.Owner complaint, filed 2024

I had my 2020 Kia Sportage in for the anti-theft recall. They installed the necessary information. My concern is I would also like the steering wheel lock harness free of charge to me. How do I go about receiving one of these? Also my SUV insurance has gone up because of this and I would like it to go down next year with me having this…Owner complaint, filed 2023

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

I was driving my 2020 Kia Sportage recently and experienced a safety issue 3 times within 30 minutes. I was driving on a highway (Pennsylvania Turnpike/I-76) at night. Prior to the issue occurring, I drove through an area where snow was falling, there was fresh salt on the road, and I had been behind salt trucks briefly at different…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Vehicle has excessive wandering, that is intermittent, during traffic, surrounding traffic on freeways and on slight wind and rain. The vehicle exhibits behavior that is very very unstable.. I’ve had the vehicle for about three years and it’s been doing this for about two years now intermittently I recently took it into the Kia…Owner complaint, filed 2025

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

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Sportage. The contact stated while driving 65 MPH, the contact heard a loud popping sound, and the sunroof glass shattered. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 54,000.Owner complaint, filed 2024, at 54,000 miles

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while his wife was driving at an undisclosed speed at night, she became aware that the headlamps failed to provide adequate illumination, severely compromising vehicle safety while driving at night. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, who determined that the headlamps were…Owner complaint, filed 2023, at 6,000 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

When pulling out of a parking area the vehicle accelerated without me pressing the gas pedal. Attempts to stop the vehicle by pressing the brake were unsuccessful. The vehicle stopped when we struck a building.Owner complaint, filed 2024

On Sunday I was getting on the expressway and my car accelerated on its own. I hit the brake and the car was ok. That was May 22, 2020, On Wednesday, May.25,2020 I was pulling into a parking spot at Kroger Store and my car accelerated on its own and I hit a pole. Over $4000.00 damaged to my car but I was not hurt. I took my car to the…Owner complaint, filed 2022

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 2020 Kia Sportage. The contact stated while driving 50 MPH, the vehicle stalled and would not accelerate as needed. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer to be diagnosed; however, no cause for the failure was found. The manufacturer was not contacted. The failure mileage was 19,019.Owner complaint, filed 2023, at 19,019 miles

While driving, the vehicle suddenly lost power and stalled. I was able to safely pull to the side of the road. The engine would not restart. Upon inspection, the engine was found to be completely out of oil despite being maintained according to recommended oil change intervals and not being overdue for service. There were no visible oil…Owner complaint, filed 2026

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 2020 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving at 10 MPH, another vehicle crashed into his rear driver's side door and wheel well. None of the air bags deployed upon impact. The contact's head hit the seat belt anchor ring upon impact. The contact later received medical attention for a tear in his shoulder…Owner complaint, filed 2022, at 30,000 miles

My car has the same issues as the Kia Soul and Kia Sorento. Kia has issued recalls for certain Soul and Sorento models due to various issues. A significant recall involves the 2020-2021 Soul and 2021 Seltos with 2.0L Nu MPI engines, where the piston oil rings may not have been properly heat-treated, potentially leading to engine damage…Owner complaint, filed 2025

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

COMPONENTS FAILED & EVIDENCE: 4 dry-rotted Kumho Crugen Premium tires, size 225/60R17, DOT 272A YANH 1319. Replaced due to hazard. High-definition photo proof of the severe dry rot defects, deep tread cracking, and the 2019 date stamps discovered upon removal is fully preserved and available.SAFETY RISK & CONCEALMENT: Operating on…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

On [XXX], I had a scheduled repair appointment for my 2020 Kia Sportage, which is experiencing swaying and instability, and unable to keep the vehicle straight at highway speeds in the front end, and ABS/brake issue on the driver-side front wheel. During the service appointment, my service advisor, informed me that a metal undershield…Owner complaint, filed 2026