Home · 2011 Kia Sportage Plug-in Hybrid · Complaints

What 181 owners told NHTSA about the 2011 Kia Sportage Plug-in Hybrid

These are the actual owner complaints behind this car’s reliability verdict, filed with the federal government, unedited. They’re unverified reports, not confirmed defects: read them as leads for your pre-purchase inspection, not a diagnosis.

All (181)Crash / fire / injury (16)Engine (77)Electrical system (38)Brakes (24)Transmission & drivetrain (23)Lights (12)Fuel system (10)Speed control (10)Steering (9)Engine & cooling (7)Body & structure (5)

1 of 181 complaints match · Fuel system · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters

Nov 13, 2019Electrical systemEngineFuel systemFire

WAS DRIVING IN CRUZE CRONTROL STEPPED ON THE GAS AND VEHICLE DIED. I PUSHED THE START BUTTON NOTHING BUT A WARNING SIGN ON DASH SCREEN THAT WOULD GO BLANK BEFORE I COULD SEE WHAT IT SAID. I LIFTED THE HOOD AND CHECK THE BATTERY CABLES THEY WERE ON TIGHT GOT BACK IN THE TRUCK PUSH THE BUTTON NOTHING SMELLED WIRES BURNING SEEN SMOKE TOP OF MY MOTORS ON FIRE. I WAS HEADING NORTH ON I-5 NEAR THE DUPONT EXIT.

NHTSA ODI 11279767

Working with the data? Download all 181 complaints as CSV · fetched from NHTSA July 19, 2026

How to use these: a complaint is one owner’s report, filed voluntarily and published unverified. Patterns matter more than any single story. If several owners describe the same failure at similar mileage, put that system at the top of your pre-purchase inspection list. Back to the full 2011 Kia Sportage Plug-in Hybrid verdict →