Kia Sportage engine failure problems

Filed Nov 3, 2026 · Engine · KS

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 Engine Litigation Class Action Settlement, claiming that the "VIN shows clean with no open issues." This is a fundamental misinterpretation of Kia's internal database. The VIN shows "clean" because the mandatory Product Improvement Campaign PI1806 (Knock Sensor Detection System / KSDS) was successfully completed on my vehicle on November 13, 2019. I hold physical, printed proof of this completed campaign from a certified Kia dealership. Under the terms of the court-approved settlement and Kia's own Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs): 1. Completion of the KSDS update (PI1806) qualifies the vehicle for a Lifetime Short-Block Warranty Extension against connecting rod bearing failure. 2. An active or history P1326 fault code mandates that the dealership perform a digital Bearing Clearance Test (BCT) and submit a Prior Authorization (PA) package to corporate for an engine replacement. By refusing to look at the historical campaign completion data and denying my claim based on a "closed/clean" status, Kia is actively violating the court-mandated terms of the settlement.

Filed Nov 3, 2026 · Engine · MA

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 did

Filed Oct 28, 2026 · Engine, Fuel system · OR

"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 capabilities, and narrowly avoided an accident while coasting blindly across traffic to safety. The vehicle has had a chronic, active P0420 Catalytic Converter efficiency code caused by a known Kia manufacturing defect of massive, excessive oil consumption (requiring constant oil additions to maintain operation). The excessive oil burning directly fouled the exhaust and caused this sudden, life-threatening engine failure on a public roadway."

Filed Oct 23, 2026 · Engine · 103,343 miles · NC

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 needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 103,343.

Filed Oct 13, 2026 · Engine · FL

My 2016 Kia Sportage LX experienced a catastrophic engine seizure on September 9, 2026, at 91,249 miles. My son was returning home on I-95 South in Florida. After exiting at Sample Road and traveling west near Seabra Foods at approximately 40 mph, he first noticed unusual engine noises at an estimated 91,245 miles. He pulled over, immediately called me, and sent a video recording of the noise. I advised him to proceed to Bisbee Auto & Tires, an independent repair facility. The engine completely seized directly in front of its service entrance at 91,249 miles. Most concerning, my son reported NO dashboard warning lights, including the check engine light, before the engine seized, despite Kia's service records confirming that the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) update had been completed before the failure. KSDS is intended to detect certain vibrations associated with connecting rod bearing damage. I request investigation into why no warning appeared, whether KSDS operated correctly, whether diagnostic code P1326 was recorded, and the actual engine failure mechanism. My son regularly drives on I-95 at 65 mph. Had the engine seized in highway traffic, sudden loss of propulsion could have caused a serious collision, injuries, or death. Bisbee Auto & Tires informed us about potential lifetime engine warranty coverage and directed us to Kia rather than charging approximately $6,000 for an engine replacement. Kia replaced the engine under warranty in September 2026. On October 13, 2026, Kia Corporate confirmed that the replacement was the same engine type but could not identify engineering improvements, revised bearings, or whether it was new or remanufactured. I request the federal safety agency investigate this engine seizure, the absence of KSDS warnings despite the completed update, similar incidents, and whether additional safety measures are warranted. Service records and video evidence are available upon request.

Filed Oct 2, 2026 · Engine · FL

I have a 2016 Kia Sportage Ex with under 71k miles. I’ve reach out the Kia headquarters about my engine in July because my engine has a blow by. My vehicle has never been in an accident and I always keep my engine clean. I always change my oil on time and now I’m having engine failure with under 71k miles??!! I’ve only done local driving and now Kia told me there’s nothing they could do for me because my warranty just expired. This is my Kia and last time buying a Kia!

Filed Sep 27, 2026 · Engine · KS

My daughter's 2020 Kia Sportage S was purchased September 22, 2025 from a Nissan Dealership with 96,574 miles on it. It dove great. She used it less than 20 miles per day on residential streets to get to and from work and to church on Sunday. It was not used for interstate or freeway driving. By June of 2026, we noticed that it was requiring more oil between oil changes. The oil level was checked at least once every other week to see if more oil needed to be added. We were adding about a quart of oil every two to three weeks although there was no evidence of excess smoke coming from the exhaust. Then on my daughter's way to work on August 13, 2026 she experienced a sudden shaking of the car and the engine light came on. She immediately pulled over and turned off the engine. We were out of town at the time so my son came to see what was wrong with the car. He checked the engine oil first and it was within the right level. The car was limped to the local Kia dealership to trouble shoot it and they said that there was evidence of rod/bearing failure in one cylinder that was causing the shaking. There is no fix for it other than to replace the engine at a dealer discounted price of $6,600. Kia corporate is offering a $1,000 credit toward the repair and the dealership is contributing $4,040 to the engine replacement. The car has 103,510 miles on it now. The Theta II 2.4 engine had an engine settlement that covered model years through 2019. Ours is a 2020 that was built in May 2019 and has the same engine that failed under the engine settlement. But ours is not covered. We are still in the process of working with the local Kia Dealership and Kia Corporate to make it right on an engine that clearly has known problems causing premature engine failures. I have owned or recommended to family members to buy Kia/Hyundai vehicles and between all of us we have had 13 Kia/Hyundai vehicles. This may be the last Kia/Hyundai vehicle that we own...

Filed Sep 26, 2026 · Engine · AR

The Kia never showed an engine light error or gave a code stating there was a problem. We Change the oil every 3000 miles. There was no oil on the dip stick and the oil was extremely low. The engine seized up today.

Filed Sep 25, 2026 · Acceleration, Engine · TX

While traveling at highway speeds on the freeway, the engine experienced a sudden, catastrophic failure, causing the vehicle to lose power and violently force itself into an emergency low-speed "limp mode." This created an immediate, severe collision hazard with surrounding high-speed traffic. The vehicle is a 2017 Kia Sportage with a 2.4L Theta II engine, which had previously received the mandated KSDS safety software flash. The authorized dealership (Southwest Kia) refused to honor the safety recall and lifetime warranty parameters for this engine failure, instead classifying the issue as a "burnt valve" to deny coverage and forcing an out-of-pocket retail customer charge of $6,864.49 for a full engine assembly replacement.

Filed Sep 19, 2026 · Engine · VA

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 Park (P), the engine aggressively revs on its own without any operator input on the gas pedal. This malfunction caused the vehicle to violently surge and physically lurch forward several inches while in Park. This un-metered acceleration is an active, unpredictable driving hazard both in parking environments and in traffic, posing an immediate risk of a collision or pedestrian injury. The manufacturer has been notified but has failed to transmit a diagnostic pre-authorization to an alternative service center to safely inspect this powertrain hazard.