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2015 Kia Sportage: engine stalls while driving

15 of the 146 complaints about the 2015 Kia Sportage describe engine stalls while driving.

owner complaints
15
of this car's complaints
10%
typical mileage
60,000
recalls
1
Is there a fix? There is 1 recall and 53 service bulletins for this area of the car. See below

Engine stalls while driving by model year

What owners say

Filed May 12, 2025 · Engine · OH

Oil has been leaking for years. Always got regular oil changes and engine died while driving.

Filed Jun 21, 2024 · Electrical, Engine · TN

I was driving my car and it stalled out and stopped and never cranked back up so I had it pulled in and my mechanic said it was a burnt starter and motor locked up

Filed Oct 11, 2022 · Transmission · NY

The contact owns a 2015 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 40 MPH, the vehicle was stalling and was not accelerating despite depressing the accelerator pedal. The check engine warning light, along with two other unknown warning lights were illuminated. The contact managed to pull over and stated that the vehicle had not lost motive power, however, the vehicle was inoperable. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was not diagnosed or repaired and the contact was advised to have the vehicle towed to a local dealer for further diagnosis and repair. The vehicle was then towed to a local dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine would need to be removed for further diagnosis. The vehicle remained at the dealer awaiting repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The approximate failure mileage was unknown.

Filed Sep 19, 2022 · Engine · WI

2015 Kia Sportage I purchased on September 6th stalled on the highway on September 9th. No warning lights, no smoke, no indication of any problems up until it stalled. Since it was on the highway and difficult to get to the side of the road, this could definitely pose a safety risk. The place I purchased the vehicle from could not detect the malfunction. It was towed to Gerald Kia of North Aurora where after a week of waiting, they informed me the engine would need to be replaced and was not covered under warranty or the current recall regarding the engine.

Filed Sep 15, 2022 · Engine · WI

Vehicle stalled on the highway 4 days after purchasing from The Car Store in Aurora, IL. No warning, no indicator lights. Steering wheel was hard to control while attempting to safely pull over to the side of the road. All dash lights came on as the car stalled. At my expense, had it towed to The Car Store where they were not able to diagnose cause. Had it towed to Gerald Kia of Aurora. Stated engine will have to be replaced. Not covered under any current recalls. I’m reporting this as a safety issue since there was problems pulling off the highway. Hopefully Kia will look into this issue. Not just for safety, but I’m obviously kinda screwed buying a vehicle on the 6th of September that died on the 9th of September with a huge investment into getting it running again.

Filed Jul 2, 2022 · Engine · KY

We had just had our 2015 Kia Sportage in a repair shop about a week prior due to a compressor issue. They had run a check on the engine due to the check engine light and excessive oil consumption. They said that it was only showing an issue with an O2 sensor. About a week later, on Saturday, June 25, 2022, I was driving down a steep hill (Hands Pike in Covington, KY) with my son in the back seat. I depressed the brakes and the call stalled out and would not restart. I was able to coast down the hill to a safe point. I was able to turn around and by revving the engine while turning the key, I was able to get the car to start to get it back home (only about a mile). Each time I had to stop, the car stalled again, and I had to repeat the process. We called a tow truck to get the vehicle and the repair shop (Bob Sumeral Tire in Ft. Wright, KY) told us the issue was an internal issue related to the engine and it would have to go to Kia. Kia currently has the vehicle and has confirmed the engine needs replaced, but they are fighting us on doing the necessary repairs and are demanding we provide our maintenance records.

Filed Apr 25, 2022 · Engine · FL · fire

Engine stalled at a stop sign. Smoke started coming from the front of the vehicle and engine burst into flames. No warning lights, no sign of something going wrong. My safety and that of my husband was out at risk due to risk of burning to death, being badly burned, others being injured from being in the vicinity etc.

Filed Apr 22, 2022 · Engine · NJ

The engine of my kia sportage 2015 has stalled. Apparently there was two other recalls for the car before I bought it used at the dealership at Autoland that I was not notified of. Being the second owner the Kia dealership told me that they couldn't replace the engine for free due to that fact that there was some type of time limit and it would cost $10,000. However, in the kelly blue book website Its stated that if its within 8 years of the purchase date they still have to fix the recall even if I'm the second owner so now I'm trying to get a lawyer just incase.

Filed Jun 3, 2021 · Engine · NJ

Engine stalled, misfired while driving resulting in unrepairable engine damage. The engine stalled in the mid of the highway and could have led to an accident. The check engine light started to flash while i was driving. After the engine stalled, i had the car inspected by a repair shop called national tires and batteries in Zanesville Ohio and they informed me of a bulletin that was placed on the car that mentions the issue. I had the car towed to the nearest dealer and they inspected the car and confirmed that it was the same issue mentioned in the bulletin and began to replace the engine because it was still under warranty.

Filed Nov 21, 2020 · Electrical, Engine · 47,513 miles · PA

Randomly shuts off while driving

Filed Sep 15, 2020 · Acceleration, Transmission · 70,000 miles · GA

When I accelerate sometimes the car will jerk and the engine will try to stall. The car will still go but starts to sputter and start to lose power. You have to pull over and shut the engine off and set there for a bit and restart the engine and it may do it again 2 or 3 more times and it might not do it for awhile. But very dangerous when pulling out into traffic. It will also do it when you try to speed up to pass or just gain speed

Filed May 28, 2020 · Engine · 70,000 miles · UT

My car stalled and emit a large cloud of exhaust when stopped at a stop light with no prior indication of any kind of problem. Kia has now told me I need a full engine replacement.

Service bulletins that may apply

Related recalls

EngineReported December 19, 2018 · 71,653 vehicles affected
What is wrong
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2011-2017 Optima, 2012-2017 Sorento and 2011-2018 Sportage vehicles that previously received an engine replacement under recall number 17V‑224, warranty, or the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) Product Improvement Campaign. The high pressure fuel pipe that connects to the fuel pump outlet may have been damaged, misaligned or improperly torqued during the engine replacement procedure, possibly causing a fuel leak.
Risk
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy
Kia has notified owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the fuel pipe, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 17, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1‑800‑333‑4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC172.

Recall number 18V907000 · Recall details

Questions about the 2015 Kia Sportage stalling

Is engine stalls while driving a common problem on the 2015 Kia Sportage?

15 of 146 owner complaints about the 2015 Kia Sportage (10%) mention engine stalls while driving. The model year with the most reports is 2013.

Is there a recall or service bulletin for this on the 2015 Kia Sportage?

There is 1 recall and 53 service bulletins for the same area of the car. Check them below with your VIN.

Other symptoms on the 2015 Kia Sportage

Engine failure 27Check engine light 26Knocking 19Fire or smoke 13Loss of power 10

All model years of the Kia Sportage

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