2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid problems

Filed Nov 3, 2026 · Electrical · AL

Driving on hwy, hybrid battery light comes on. Car basically dies you have to pull over, shut car off, hit battery reset and start . Very dangerous It's been happening off and on for a while. Started about 28000 miles , now have 42000. Dealership is 1 1/2 hrs away, very heavy traffic. Plus our only car and have to work various hrs. No rental car avail. Can happen 6-7 times one day then a month goes by nothing.

Filed Oct 29, 2026 · Electrical · MA

I was driving on the highway going about 70mph and the car completely shut off. When off I couldn’t accelerate or brake. I put my hazards on and pulled over. The car continued to turn off and on. It couldn’t stay on. Still don’t know what’s wrong with it but a HUGE safety concern.

Filed Oct 20, 2026 · Fuel system · MO

In the newer Kia's, the gas lid is completely electronic. There is no emergency release for the gas lid. The Lee's Summit Kia dealership is claims that Kia has designed their newer cars with no emergency latch to open my gas lid so I can put gas in my car. I have a working car that I cannot put gas in. Then the Lee's Summit Kia dealership states the part takes 5-7 days to get there and I still have no vehicle. I randomly attempted to get gas Monday 10/11/2026 and the gas lid wouldn't open. Sometimes it gets stuck (which is also an issue), and went on my way. The next day, the same thing happened. When it happened, I went to the dealership, who graciously told me that they could charge me $500 for the privilege to access my gas tank to put gas in my car. This is not a safety issue. This is a scam by Kia and probably Hyundai too.

Filed Sep 29, 2026 · Electrical · CA

Was driving my child to school when the Hybrid System alert came on, I only had a few seconds to try and pull over before the car completely shut down, we lost all motive power. I was on a downward incline right in front of an uncontrolled intersection with very little shoulder as I live in a rural mountain town. Since the parking brake is part of the integrated system I did not feel I had full control of the car while pulled to the side and even moved a bit while trying to wait to restart the system via the 12volt re-set button. This was a very serious safety issue, the difference of less than a minute could have led to my child and I being helpless in the middle of a highway intersection. This is a reoccurrence of a previously documented problem from April of 2026. We took it to an authorized dealership for repair who stated it was due to two battery cells reading higher (diagnotic codes P1B200 and P0A1B), they performed a BMS cell balance and reset the values. Despite the repair the same situation occurred again in a significantly more dangerous situation. I was able to drive the car home with no reoccurrence but due to the unpredictable nature and severity of the issue the car Kia provided a tow back to the dealership as it was deemed unsafe to drive. Allstar Kia in San Bernadino has stated it could be 7-10 days before they can look at the car, they have declined to provide alternative driving assistance while they determine if this is covered by warranty, even though the previous issue was.

Filed Sep 16, 2026 · Brakes · 43,000 miles · NJ

The contact owns a 2023 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving 30 MPH, the message "Brake Carefully" was displayed. The contact slightly depressed the brake pedal to test the brakes and continued driving; however, the vehicle lost motive power. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, where the contact was informed that the failure was an electrical issue. The vehicle was then towed to a dealer, where it was diagnosed and DTC: P1BB200 was retrieved. The contact was informed that the hybrid braking system had failed and needed to be replaced. The vehicle was repaired. The contact associated the failure with the federal safety agency Campaign Number: 23V410000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic). The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 43,000.

Filed Aug 27, 2026 · Electrical · NV

I was driving my 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid when the vehicle displayed a "Check Hybrid System"/ "Stop Safely" warning and suddenly lost motive power/acceleration. I was unable to accelerate normally. I had luckily pulled of the road that I was going 55 mph into a parking lot prior to the lass of power or I would have stopped right on the roadway with cars going the same speed directly behind me. This created a serious safety concern because if this had occurred while traveling at highway speed or in heavy traffic, the sudden loss of power could have resulted in a collision. There had been no indication to me that the vehicle was about to lose motive power before the hybrid-system warning appeared. The vehicle is currently at an authorized Kia dealership for inspection and diagnosis. The cause has not yet been provided to me. The vehicle is available for inspection. I am reporting this because a sudden loss of motive power associated with a broad-system warning presents a significant safety risk. I have also learned that other Kia Sportgage Hybrid owners have reported similar hybrid-system warning and loss-of-ower incidents.

Filed Aug 21, 2026 · Acceleration, Electrical · CA

2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid. Drop in power/acceleration! Upsetting, stressful & unsafe. Purchased brand new, Nov 2023. When this occurred approx. 35695 miles. I left work, got on the freeway, (only maybe 1-2 miles away) and was trying to accelerate to merge with traffic flow and could only go approx. 52-54 MPH. I tried to "floor" the pedal, but with no further acceleration. No check engine light turned on, only display message noting depleted battery/drained warning. Since power was limited, and unsure of safety of driving further or if the car would literally stop, I pulled to the shoulder of the freeway. It is a miracle that I was in the slow lane already! Unsettling! It was towed to a Kia Dealership. They had it for 2 days. The technician said there were two error codes (P017100 - System Too Lean, and P019100 Fuel Rail Pressure Sensor Circuit Range/Performance). They were unsure how/why this incident occurred. They said some kind of glitch in the system. I asked if they have had other cars with this similar issue brought in, and the technician said he did not know of any. The issue was not replicated upon initial diagnostics. Technician cleared codes, reset the engine adaptive values and road tested, and deemed the vehicle "safe to drive". But said if it occurs again, try turning off the engine, wait a bit and try driving! WHAT?! Also if it occurs again to bring it back and a technical ticket should be opened to investigate further. I have read online forums of this SAME issue, and it is a KNOWN ISSUE "especially early-production 2023-2024 models, and hard for dealers to reproduce issue after a reset". It is also noted that "many cases resolve with the free BMS software update or related module/control unit work under warranty. Some report reoccurrence even after updates". I found this information AFTER the fact, otherwise I would have pushed for the software update or related work to be done. I plan to seek that out next!

Filed Aug 11, 2026 · Brakes · CA

Electronic parking brake switch has failed. Yes the switch is available for inspection. Electronic parking brake can no longer be manually activated. Failure of the electronic parking brake switch has been confirmed by a dealer (Citrus Kia, Ontario, CA). Electronic parking brake switch has not yet been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others. No warnings have been given regarding function of the electronic parking brake switch.

Filed Aug 4, 2026 · Engine, Fuel system · MA

My 2023 Kia Sportage EX Hybrid has experienced repeated engine-related failures since October 2022, requiring multiple dealer repairs. The safety issue escalated in 2026 when the vehicle experienced sudden loss of acceleration while driving on highways. In April/May 2026, the vehicle lost acceleration twice within approximately 10–15 minutes. Warning messages appeared, including Check Engine Light and "Check Hybrid System – Stop Safely." The accelerator became unresponsive, requiring the vehicle to be moved to the shoulder. The dealer diagnosed P0030 and P1120 and replaced the Bank 1 Sensor 1 oxygen sensor and valve cover assembly with manufacturer technical support involved. Several months later, another highway loss-of-acceleration event occurred. The vehicle would not respond to the accelerator, RPM remained around 1,000, and it had to be safely moved off the road. The dealer diagnosed P2138 and replaced the accelerator pedal assembly. The repeated unexpected loss of acceleration creates a serious safety risk. The root cause remains unknown despite multiple repairs.

Filed Jul 31, 2026 · Electrical, Engine · 104,000 miles · NY

The contact owns a 2023 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was smoke coming from the engine compartment and the vehicle stalled. The check engine and battery warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to a dealer to be diagnosed; however, the diagnostic result was unknown. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 104,000.