Complaint volume
156 consumer-submitted complaints are matched to this model year. Treat the count as a research signal, then read the actual summaries for repeated symptoms.
Complaint records
2018 Kia Sportage Complaints
156 consumer-submitted complaints on record for the 2018 Kia Sportage, grouped by component category.
156 Total complaints
7 Crash reports
11 Fire reports
4 Injury reports
Complaint data reflects consumer-submitted reports. A complaint is not proof
of a defect, recall, or manufacturer fault. Enriched severity fields come
from official bulk records when the complaint can be matched by ODI number.
Buyer interpretation
How to use these complaints before buying
Complaint records are most useful when they turn into inspection points, seller questions, and comparison checks against nearby model years.
Pattern to inspect
The most common categories are engine, electrical system, unknown or other. Use those categories as a test-drive checklist instead of judging the vehicle from the total count alone.
Severity flags
Enriched records include 7 crash reports, 11 fire reports, 4 injury reports, and 0 fatality reports. These fields come from complaint records and should be read in context.
Mileage clue
Mileage is available on 49 complaints, with an average reported failure mileage of 41,544 miles. Compare that with the mileage on the listing.
Questions to ask the seller
- Have you had any problems related to engine, electrical system, unknown or other?
- Can I see recent maintenance and repair records?
- Has the vehicle ever been towed, involved in a crash, or repaired for the same issue twice?
- Can we also check the recall record for this 2018 Kia Sportage?
Used-car checklist
Use these complaints before the test drive.
Build a buyer checklist to turn these issues into questions and inspection points.
2018 Kia Sportage
Build buyer checklist Compare with other years Sends year, make, and model to pre-fill your checklist.
How severe are the 2018 Kia Sportage complaints?
7 Crash
11 Fire
4 Injury
0 Fatality
12 Towed
3 Medical attention
What are the most common 2018 Kia Sportage complaint categories?
ENGINE 54
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 11
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 11
ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 5
POWER TRAIN 5
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE 4
SEATS 4
SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC 4
STRUCTURE 4
VISIBILITY/WIPER 4
156 total complaints on record
Latest complaints
| Date | Component | Summary | Severity | Mileage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 2023 | ENGINE | Engine failed while driving on busy highway at high speeds. Engine suddenly stopped, forcing us to coast to a stop on a narrow shoulder. Safety was impacted by the risk of impact by oncoming vehicles. Check engine lamp illuminated shortly before failure, giving little warning of a problem. Upon inspection of the engine, engine oil could be seen sprayed out from the front of the engine under the intake manifold area. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Apr 2023 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | After an oil change on Jan 4, 2023, I have driven approximately 3500 miles. On April 12 I had to brake a little harder on a hill turn & the dash oil light came on & off. Took it to the garage to be checked. Analyzer said nothing was wrong. On April 13, it happened again at a stop light, immediately took it back to the garage to be checked. The mechanic discovered there was ZERO OIL in the engine, even though there was no sign of any leakage. I've seen no visible sign of burning oil and no off odor. Had garage do a complete oil change, (even though it should go 5k between changes), and will check after 1k miles. Mileage at oil change was 72078 and today 4/14/23 is approximately 72100 Were no accident and is not running (but I'm watching) but if the engine had seized I was in the middle of the road, if on the Interstate it would have been bad. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2023 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Anti-theft security software update fix. I have not received a recall or any information from Kia to have this repaired. I wish to have this repaired ASAP. Thank you. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Feb 2023 | TRAILER HITCHES | The contact owns a 2018 Kia Sportage. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V703000 (Trailer Hitches) however, the part to do the recall repair was not available. The contact stated that the manufacturer was made aware of the issue however, no timeframe for part availability was available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The contact had not experienced a failure. The contact was concerned that he had to park the vehicle outside after hearing reports of vehicles being stolen using a USB cord. Parts distribution disconnect. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2023 | ENGINE | Driving check engine light came on, reduced power. I purchased a warranty through dealer I purchased vehicle from took it there they ran code and it was P1326 knock sensor detection program. Had to go to Kia dealer. Had it towed and waiting to hear. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2023 | ENGINE | Purchased this vehicle from CarMax on 7/2/22 with 32,888 miles. During the next 4 months, we had to add 5.5 quarts of oil as the oil light kept coming on. The car was virtually out of oil by the time the oil light came on. Researching on the internet showed that millions of Kia cars apparently have this issue due to defective engines. Took the car to Greenway Kia on November 28 with approximately 40,000 miles. They performed the required tests, which proved the engine was excessively burning oil. However, Kia denied the warranty claim due to a lack of historical oil change records, which obviously we can't produce since we aren't the original owner. Now I'm left with no recourse and a vehicle that isn't safe to drive. Given that most of the Kia engines of this vintage have this issue, they should be required to recall the vehicles rather than hide behind the small print in their warranty. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2023 | POWER TRAIN | The contact owns a 2018 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the engine revved loudly, and the RPM was fluctuating. The contact also stated that after shifting into reverse(R), the vehicle was losing motive power. The contact shifted back into park(P) to restart the vehicle. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic however, the failure could not be duplicated. The contact stated that the vehicle was taken to a local dealer for an unknown recall repair and the mechanic was made aware of the failure; however, the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 37,000. | Crash: No Fire: No | 37,000 |
| Dec 2022 | ENGINE | We own a 2018 Kia Sportage. We never had any problems with it, UNTIL NOW. I Drove it to work one morning, and was on the way home and suddenly without warning, no lights, or indicators came on, and the car started to shake, and lost full throttle response in the MIDDLE OF TRAFFIC. Immediately pulled over! Tried starting the car again, but the car was not cranking. We had to tow our car home, and was told our engine had to be replaced. We were checking out the engine, and notice there was a hole in it. Now keep in mind, we've never had any problems with our KIA until now. So it was odd. We checked the N.H.T.S.A and the KIA has 2 recalls, and we were not aware of them. We called the manufacturer to see if they called replaced the engine but they denied us. So we're stuck without a car. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Dec 2022 | ENGINE | The RPM randomly goes up and down frequently. When I took it in to the dealer they test drove it and said didn’t do it and blew me off. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Nov 2022 | TRAILER HITCHES | The contact owns a 2018 Kia Sportage. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V703000 (Trailer Hitches) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that he called the dealer and was advised to contact the manufacturer to confirm parts availability. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and a case was opened. The contact was concerned about parking the vehicle outside the garage. The contact had not experienced a failure. Parts distribution disconnect. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Oct 2022 | STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | My car was stolen from the Kia challenge | Crash: Yes Fire: No Towed | Unknown |
| Oct 2022 | POWER TRAIN | Driving at highway speeds the RPM would suddenly rev up very fast and the car would appear to be in neutral then soon go back to normal. On another occasion, taking a turn at 15 mph the car became as if in neutral, RPM would go very high, then shortly the RPM would drop and the car would be back in drive. The car was taken to the dealership, they checked it, noted that they could not duplicate the problem, and will not take any further action unless it repeats. The danger is if this occurs when driving into traffic, turning into traffic, driving on a freeway and the engine slips into the neutral mode, a collision can occur , risking injury, life and property. The only warning was the RPM going up very fast, and the car not reacting to pushing on the gas pedal. Attached is a PDF file that includes some summaries summaries of issues from web sites relating transmission problems of slipping into neutral. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2022 | POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | While the 2018 Kia Sportage is in drive proceeding forward I have noticed on numerous occasions the transmission just dies out. When stepping on the gas, you can hear the engine rev but for a few seconds, there is no reaction by the transmission and the vehicle doesn't increase in speed; the vehicle just coasts. This occurs intermittently. While on highway travel this possesses a danger as other vehicles can approach your vehicle quickly and they might not notice you're having a mechanical malfunction. I tried to make appointments with the KIA dealership. The vehicle is a 2018 and has 25,000 miles. They threaten me with big bills if the vehicle is not covered under warranty. I finally made the appointment and when I dropped the vehicle off they said it would take more than a week to diagnose the vehicle. There are no warning lamps, bells, buzzers, or any notice being given to the driver that a mechanical malfunction is occurring. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2022 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | Windshield cracking for no reason. No chips to signify it was hit. Noticed a zigzag on Friday 9/23 approximately 12" and this evening 9/24 has gone laterally an additional 6-8" | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Sep 2022 | ENGINE | 9/15 car goes in limp mode on expressway. Get to towed to dealership. Get the car back on 9/17. Only make it about 20 miles, and the same thing happens again. I’m able to make it back to the dealership the same day. On my way home. Pick up the car on 9/19. Happens again on 9/20. Now I am being told I need a full engine replacement. The dealership has no loaners to give out. They are expecting me to pay for a rental in hopes of getting reimbursed. I am a single mom. I work in sales and drive in my territory every single day I do not have the money to put out for the rental and now after researching, it could be months before I get the car back. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2022 | ENGINE | I was driving and the car and it just stopped. The oil light and engine light came on and now it’s making a clicking noise, now. I am not driving the car but I was told that my car had no oil in it and investigation was conducted by a shop that confirmed that the last oil change was conducted as expected, on July 30, 2022. A professional mechanic advised me to contact you all and inform you all of what happen and that you all have made consumers aware of the possible issues that could occur and actually happened. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2022 | ENGINE | My check engine light came on. I had the code diagnosis done and it came back P200A. When I try to accelerate, my car will not accelerate up hills or on the interstate. I’ve noticed this happening occasionally before the check engine light came on but the car wouldn’t do it when I took it to the dealer when it was still under warranty and since the check engine light wasn’t on at the time, they said there was nothing they could do. I’ve also noticed on occasion the car dashboard and radio will randomly flash when I am driving. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Aug 2022 | ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | Electrical system keeps on shortening out the brake lights. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2022 | STRUCTURE | White pearl paint chipping off on front bumper and hood. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2022 | VISIBILITY/WIPER | Driving on the freeway when the glass on the driver side passenger door suddenlty shattered into little pieces. The only portion of the window that remains is a small part on the bottom edge. The window was not hit with an object. The window was intact prior to this happening (no problem with the door either). | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2022 | ENGINE | My car engine failed due to extreme oil consumption. It ran out of oil completely after 2K miles from my last synthetic oil change and damaged my 3rd cylinder. I have maintained the car perfectly and done all recommended repairs. My car only has 66K miles and already needs a new engine. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jul 2022 | STRUCTURE | The clear coat on my 2018 KIA sportage has started to peel on side mirrors and roof. | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jun 2022 | UNKNOWN OR OTHER | Kia motors is at it again, my Disabled Husband took car in twice to Dealer, who is licensed to sell and fix your vehicles , promised loaner car, on fixed income, fighting Cancer, see attached documents, emails from KIA, been going on 7 years, first Soul now Sportage. COURTESY KIA OF BRANDON , months BACK came to our home and allegedly did the LATEST RECALL ON FUSES, thought that was done, Courtesy KIA of Brandon told my husband NO OUTSTANDING recalls, now KIA writes and states needs to be done? Who is keeping records. We had kids put on couple years ago, then car went into limp mode almost got my husband killed. Kia had our car towed, brought loaner. WE CANNOT afford rental. That was halfway repair with ext on wiring harness???, now lights on dash going on and off. See attached, KIA could care less and now, we were lied to? The person they sent didn't repair the Fuses? Kia paid the Government a fortune in fines but the Defective car owners are always in danger and always getting the run around. [XXX], Mr. [XXX], plz excuse spelling. Even [XXX] from Safety Organization says these cars need to be off the road. Our car is malfunctioning, and we were blatantly lied to is RECALL ON FUSES? REPAIR. SENATOR [XXX] HELPED WITH THIS, we need someone to step up. [XXX] and [XXX], see all documents going back to 2015. INFORMATION Redacted PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6). | Crash: No Fire: No | Unknown |
| Jan 2022 | STEERING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | This Kia Sportage's alarm system does not go off when the passenger front window is broken. My car was broken into and the youth stripped the steering column and was able to start my car without needing the key nor having the key within the vehicle. This is a security issue and allows the vehicles to be easily stolen. These safety issues should be address and fixed immediately by Kia. The federal government should also hold Kia responsible for the spike in stolen vehicles across the U.S. seeing they know about the issue but have done nothing to fix it. The vehicle was then crashed and left running by the youth. I have included the estimate from Progressive to get it fixed. | Crash: Yes Fire: No Towed | Unknown |
| Jan 2022 | ENGINE | The contact owns a 2018 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving a knocking noise was suddenly present coming from the engine and warning messages were present on the dashboard display before the vehicle stalled. Later while attempting the start the engine a burning odor and smoke were present coming from the engine compartment. The engine was turned off and the smoke dissipated. The cause of the failures was not determined. The local dealer and manufacturer were notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 86,000. | Crash: No Fire: Yes | 86,000 |