While traveling approximately 45 mph on a paved road, there was a sudden loud bang and the vehicle abruptly went to the right and left the roadway. A person who stopped at the accident scene also stated that he heard the bang. The vehicle entered the ditch and rolled multiple times. After the accident, I observed that the left rear wheel had an extreme abnormal camber angle, with the top of the wheel tilted substantially outward. Photographs taken after the accident also show significant corrosion of rear suspension components. The right rear wheel did not have the same extreme appearance. I do not know whether a rear suspension component or mounting point failed before the vehicle left the roadway or whether the suspension damage occurred during the ditch entry and rollover. I am reporting the incident because a sudden rear suspension or wheel geometry failure is a possible cause and could represent a safety concern if similar incidents have occurred on other vehicles. The vehicle had approximately 166,000 miles. The engine subsequently cranked normally, although the vehicle would not start because electrical components were damaged in the crash. I have preserved photographs of the vehicle, rear suspension, roadway tire marks, ditch path and final resting location. The vehicle was sold as salvage following the crash and is being transferred to a salvage yard.
Kia Sportage won't start problems
113 of the 4,730 owner complaints about the Kia Sportage describe won't start, most of them for the 2012 model year.
- owner complaints
- 113
- worst model year
- 2012
- typical repair cost reported
- $1,200
- typical mileage
- 94,120
By model year
Often reported together
Engine failure 22Check engine light 22Stalling 20Loss of power 13Knocking 13Jerking 6Fuel pump 5Warning lights 3
Trouble codes mentioned
P1326 1P0017 1P0014 1
What owners say
I was driving on the highway around 50 mph when my car sudden if turned off. The dash said something about loss of power and to pull over. It would not start again and I had to call a tow truck.
October 2, 2025 no oil in engine. car has always had regular oil maintenance. Dealer put almost four quarts of oil in car to start an Oil Consumption Test of 1,000 miles. November 22, 2025 driving about 70 miles an hour, on the 241 Toll Road car loses powder, speed dropped to about 20 miles an hour. I was able to make it to the highway shoulder where the engine struggled to stay running. I cut the engine off and it would not start again. Had to be towed to Covina Kia. Still had over three hundred miles before the 1,000 mile test. Last oil change July 9, 2025 at Covina Kia. I bought my 2017 Kia Sportage in October 2016 brand new. I'm the only one to drive it. I have always taken it back to dealer for servicing. All my oil changes were done with the dealer and on time. I understand there is a class action lawsuit against kia for oil starvation and engines seizing, (theta II sc147). All indications suggests my engine also suffered the same manufacturer defect as claimed in the lawsuit. AND I WANT TO BE COMPENSATED KIA Manufacturer is aware of there engine problems and should be more proactive, before someone is killed
While driving on the parkway with my child and younger cousin in the vehicle, the car unexpectedly began to decelerate without warning. I safely pulled over to the side of the road and turned the vehicle off. When attempting to restart it, the engine would not crank or turn on. Moments later, smoke began to appear from under the hood. Additionally, the engine, battery, and oil warning lights illuminated on the dashboard. This incident created a dangerous situation and raised serious safety concerns regarding the reliability of the vehicle.
I have documented oil consumption issue since 65,000 miles. Every time I got an oil change after that, I would have very low oil. When I told Kia, they told me that the engine would have to "blow up" for anything to be done. This all occurred before my 100,000 mile powertrain was expired. On July 2, 2025, my car began shaking and jumping while I was driving and any time I had the brake on at a red light. I took it to Midas for a diagnostic test and they said that 3 out of the 4 cylinders were misfiring. They told me to take it immediately to Kia. When I took it, they said they would do a diagnostic test. They said that one of the cylinders were misfiring and that I would need a new engine. At this time I was at approximately 113,;000 miles. I opened a claim with Kia and for a month, the only correpondence I had with them was when I called either Kia Corporate or Kia service where my car was. They never helped me, only told me I could get a new car and they would give me "a deal". I finally got in touch with a local mechanic and he said he wanted to look at the car. When I went to Kia to pick it up, it would not start, even when one of their mechanics jumped it. The local mechanic towed it for me, but not before Kia made me pay over $400 to take a car that did not run. They would not give me the keys until I paid. The local mechanic found that I had a cracked spark plug and had my car running in a day. I am appalled at how I was treated and how Kia would not stand by their car and then tried to get me to buy a new one. My car was well taken care of and it should not have needed a new engine, had oil consumption problems or should have been sitting in service for a month. Something needs to be done so that this does not happen again. There is a Facebook page dedicated to Kia engines and the stories are very similar to mine. This is not right.
The car just quit running as I was driving. It would not turn over using jumper cables. I had it towed to a local mechanic where they replaced the starter and the battery. Upon picking it up, it was making noises that it did not make previously.
Have approx 101000 miles on car. It had 54202 when i bought it from A Kia dealer in Gastonia NC who was forced out of ownership because of fraud. The car has been serviced regularly and engine oil changed between 3-5ooo miles. I have put approximately 57000 miles since 2017. I have never had an issue with car until Christmas Eve 2024 when after leaving stop sigh and a turn around panel oil light came on and as i was looking for place to pull over all lights started Flashing and car completely went dead. Had to struggle to steer off road. Dead checked oil level good had it changed less than month temperature was normal Car dead and would not crank. Had to pay 200 on Christmas Eve to get towed to my son’s house which was approximately 15 miles. I had driven over 200+ miles averaging 60-70 mph. Diagnostic code P0014 - B camshaft position timing over - advanced or system performance bank 1. Troubling shooting told Me to replace sensor that might fix problem. I put the $89 sensor in and the car actually started but sounded like it was gonna blow up. Mechanic looked at it and said timing belt loose but he was afraid damage was done to engine and might need new one Am working on getting it towed over 200 miles away to a mechanic that i trust to look at timing system. I’m gonna have approximately $600 dollars spent and really nothing has been done but sensor replaced. After reading these complaints it seems around 100000 miles this has happened to quite a few 2016 Kia Sportages. It looks like people are having no luck with help from dealers. We need help on this. I was lucky it did not completely shut down when i was drivin 70 mph or i could have been killed. Please advise where to go from here
As we were driving my niece home from school about a block from her house, the car started loosing power and when we pulled over to let her out, the car shut off on its own and would not start back on. We waited a while and tried to turn it back on, but it did not do anything. There were no messages or anything saying something was wrong
The infotainment screen remained blank while in reverse. I wasn’t able to detect pedestrians or objects while backing up. After driving less than a mile, the infotainment screen started to work. After stopping at a stop sign, an “air flap warning” light appeared, then the vehicle stalled shutting completely off while in drive. It cranked after the 3rd attempt. We returned home and parked. Around thirty minutes later, the car would not start and my brother had to boost the vehicle, but we decided not to drive it. The vehicle stalled last week while making a left turn into oncoming traffic, but the dealership stated that they could not duplicate the problem!
There were two incidents where the engine sounded sluggish and was difficult to start over the past two weeks (7/22/24 & 7/30/24). After speaking with Kia Service Rep three days ago, an appointment was made to check the battery. On yesterday and today (8/1/24), the engine would not start at all or even make a sound although the air conditioner and radio would work. I had to get the vehicle jumped off to drive it to the service department. After the Service Rep checked the battery, they couldn’t find anything wrong and stated the battery was o.k.
Related recalls
Engine
- What is wrong
- Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2012-2013 Sorento, 2012-2015 Forte and Forte Koup, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, 2014-2015 Soul, and 2012 Sportage vehicles. An engine compartment fire can occur while driving.
- Risk
- An engine compartment fire increases the risk of injury.
- Remedy
- Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine compartment for fuel and/or engine oil leaks, perform an engine test and make any repairs, including engine replacement, as necessary, free of charge. In addition, Kia dealers will update the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) software, free of charge. The recall began January 27, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1‑800‑333‑4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC200.
Recall number 20V750000 · Recall details
Engine
- What is wrong
- Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2011-2012 Kia Sportage vehicles. The engine oil pan may leak and, if not addressed, the loss of oil may result in engine damage.
- Risk
- A damaged engine can increase the risk of a fire or it can cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Kia has notified owners, and dealers will replace the oil pressure switch with an improved one, free of charge. In addition, dealers will inspect the oil pan for any oil leaks, replacing it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began July 3, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1‑800‑333‑4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC174.
Recall number 19V101000 · Recall details
Engine
- 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
Engine and engine cooling: engine
- What is wrong
- Kia Motor Company (Kia) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Optima, 2012-2014 Sorento and 2011-2013 Sportage vehicles. Machining errors during the engine manufacturing process may cause premature bearing wear within the engine.
- Risk
- Bearing wear may result in the engine seizing, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine assembly, and replace the engine if necessary, free of charge. The recall began June 20, 2017. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1‑800‑333‑4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC147.
Recall number 17V224000 · Recall details
Engine and engine cooling: cooling system: fan
- What is wrong
- On certain vehicles, the heat generated by the engine causes repeated bending deformation of the polypropylene cooling fan including its retaining ring, which stresses the polypropylene thereby initiating cracking of the blades. The centrifugal forces generated by the rotation of the blades can cause the cracks to propagate until complete separation occurs.
- Risk
- Separation of the fan blade(s) can create a risk of personal injury.
- Remedy
- Dealers will replace the engine cooling fan with a fan made of improved material. The recall began on june 11, 2007. Owners may contact kia at 1‑800‑333‑4542.
Recall number 07V161000 · Recall details
Questions about the Kia Sportage won't start
Which Kia Sportage years have won't start problems?
The model years with the most reports are 2012 (31 complaints), 2013 (11 complaints) and 1999 (9 complaints).
How much does it cost to fix won't start on the Kia Sportage?
Owners who mentioned a price put the repair at about $1,200 (median of 13 complaints that include a dollar amount). Costs vary with mileage, warranty and where the work is done.
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