What 392 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 Kia Sportage Hybrid Hev

I was driving eastbound in my 2012 Kia Sportage on I-82 just past Benton City MP97 at about 11AM on Monday June 22, 2026, when my engine knocked twice, the red check engine light came on, and I lost power. I pulled over off the road next to a concrete barrier that was beside a rock roadcut. My flashers would not operate, I put it into park, turned off the ignition and immediately noticed the smell of burning oil or rubber. I had 2 half gallon containers of water on my front seat, so I popped the switch, lifted the hood, used the prop rod to hold the hood up as I started dowsing the flames that were popping up on the passenger side of my engine compartment near the firewall. After using both half gallons, I ran to the rear of the vehicle, opened the hatchback, and grabbed a gallon spray bottle of water and brought that back around to the front of the vehicle. By this point the prop rod holding the hood was bending and the flames were popping back up, I pumped the sprayer and directed a stream of water with my left hand and used my right to hold up the hood as the prop rod was not working. After the fire was completely out, I returned to the rear of the vehicle, donned my reflective vest, put a portable flasher on my vehicle, and at this point a Benton County fireman in a pickup arrived - he was called by a motorist that saw me pulling over with smoke trailing my vehicle. The fireman was followed by a large firetruck and crew. They propped up the hood with a bar and inspected the motor to verify the fire was completely extinguished. They took my information and left. A Washington State Patrol arrived, assessed the scene and offered assistance, but I already had called my wife so he left me to wait for her. He told me I had 24 hours to get the car off the interstate. I had the car towed to my driveway by A&E towing at about 2:30PM. I just realized this morning that I ought to report it to you. I haven't tried to start it, but I'm sure it won't.

NHTSA ODI 11746708

The car has been giving off a burning smell each time that I begin to drive especially if the heat is being utilized. The smell worsens as I drive a further distance.

NHTSA ODI 11655352

I am writing about a recall notice that was issued last fall (2023) and has not yet been repaired by KIA, this vehicle's manufacturer. The HECU unit has a bad fuse that can cause a fire while driving or when parked. The relevant data is: Manufacturer Recall NumberSC284SL NHTSA Recall Number23V652 Recall StatusRecall Incomplete, remedy not yet available This waiting period has been excessive. KIA needs to get this done!

NHTSA ODI 11588236

See attached letter

NHTSA ODI 11584513

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sportage. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the check engine warning light and several unknown warning lights illuminated, and the vehicle started to stall. The contact depressed the brake pedal, stopped, and parked the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to restart. The contact shifted into neutral and pushed the vehicle to the side of the road. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to restart upon attempting to jumpstart vehicle with the assistance of a friend. The vehicle was towed to the Mazda dealer where it was purchased. The dealer diagnosed that the engine, the starter, the battery, and unknown parts needed to be replaced. The Kia dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 127,000.

NHTSA ODI 11506228

The day I drove the car off the lot after purchasing (roughly 4 years ago) the low tire pressure sensor came on and I was unable to get it to go off. Mentioned it to the dealership whenever I went back for my first oil change and they told me they were able to “wake it up” whenever they checked the tire pressure. It continues to not accurately read if the tire pressure is low or not. A couple of months ago (summertime) my sunroof would not close. I finally got it to close completely after having to turn the car on and off multiple times and I have not risked trying it again since. The biggest issue I’m having now is about a month ago (November) I went to start my car and not only would the engine not turn over, but all the lights kept flickering as if the alternator was going out. I not only replaced the alternator, but also have to get a brand new battery because it was completely drained and would not jump within a day. Now, a couple days ago, I went to start it again and it did something similar - though after doing some troubleshooting I think it might be a bad starter this time that has now killed my battery. Both of these times my car did not show any type of warning lights. My concern comes from the fact that several recalls for the exact same make/model/year of the vehicle I’m driving have been coming out and one of them includes the engine just “freezing up” or “dies for no reason” including while people are driving at highway speeds. No recall has been posted for my specific VIN number yet, but I’m concerned it’s just a matter of time based on these continued issues I’ve been having.

NHTSA ODI 11498733

My vehicle had just recently been parked and turned off after only having driven 10 miles. Upon returning to my car less than 5 minutes later, a plume of white smoke and a small flame could be seen below the hood of the car. Within minutes the entire engine was engulfed in flames. By the time the Fire Department arrived, the blaze had already reached the rear of the vehicle. Everything was completely lost.

NHTSA ODI 11469891

The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sportage. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the engine seized. The check engine warning light illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine had seized and the starter was damaged. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine had seized and needed to be replaced. The dealer sent a diagnostic report to the manufacturer; however, the manufacturer declined to cover the repair of the vehicle. The contact became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V224000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) which he associated with the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.

NHTSA ODI 11460730

Was driving suv when sudden loss of power to engine, pulled off of highway and loss all power to electrical and to engine, I could smell something burning, upon further inspection after having suv towed to repair shop, I was informed that starter had melted and engine had seized up, I have contacted Kia dealership 3 times with no response from them, I also contacted Kia corp and no response, I also notified the BBB, I know there was a lifetime engine repair of this vehicle and some recall on bearings, I did have knock sensor done as required, I am looking for help in filing a complaint and copies of any recalls that were ever issued to this vehicle, I do not get recall notices sent to me, I own 4 cars, all Kia, other 3 not having issues yet, any help would be appreciated. Consumer stated the warranty has expired, but never received any notices of recalls.

NHTSA ODI 11458914

My vehicle ran out of fuel, before the fuel gauge came close to "empty". The light had just come on in the past five miles, which usually indicated I had about ~30+ miles before the gauge hit "empty". It is not an electronic speedometer. I have never had that issue before. Surprisingly, I had never had this issue before. I refueled it, and it was seemingly okay. That was Sunday. Friday of the following week, I had my vehicle state inspected (PA), where it did not pass. They had to fix several issues with the rear rotor (reoccurring issue). Once it was fixed, they passed the vehicle. I had asked them to investigate the fuel issue I had. Two days later, my vehicle was less than half on the fuel gauge. I was on the highway, and suddenly I couldn't accelerate anymore. The fuel, battery, and engine lights all appeared on my dashboard. I smelled burning briefly. I went to the side of the highway and waited hours for AAA to jump my car and fuel it back. None of the options worked. I towed the car from AAA to Kia Wexford, at AAA's recommendation to get the car inspected to see if this issue was related to the recall. When the dealership finally looked into the issue, they said they wouldn't even investigate the engine issue, because I had not had the software update for the engine "downloaded" in time. The car was transferred to my name after this time period. They did state the engine would need to be replaced, paid for by me, for a total of $8k. I feel taken advantage of.

NHTSA ODI 11418687

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 KIA SPORTAGE. THE CONTACT RECEIVED NOTIFICATION OF NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 20V750000 (ENGINE). THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO KIA TASCA (1660 HARTFORD AVE, JOHNSTON, RI 02919) AND THE KNOCK SENSOR DETECTION SYSTEM SOFTWARE WAS UPDATED AS PART OF THE REPAIR. THE CONTACT STATED THAT AFTER THE RECALL REPAIR, THE RADIO AMPLIFIER WAS DAMAGED AND THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL SHORT, WHICH CAUSED THE PASSENGER'S SIDE FRONT AND REAR EXTERIOR LIGHTING TO REMAIN ILLUMINATED. THE DEALER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND DIAGNOSED THAT THE TWO INPUT CONTROL PINS ON THE SWITCHES WERE BROKEN AND NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS MADE AWARE OF THE FAILURE AND OPENED A CASE. THE CONTACT WAS INFORMED THAT THE REGIONAL PARTS MANAGER WOULD BE CONTACTED HOWEVER, THE MANUFACTURER HAD NOT YET NOTIFIED THE CONTACT OF ANY ACTION BEING TAKEN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 93,000.

NHTSA ODI 11415937

AUTO WINDOW SWITCHES HAVE HAD TO BE REPLACED.STARTING WITH ORIGINAL OEM SWITCH AS #! ,PASSENGER SIDE FRONT IS ON THIRD REPLACEMENT, PASSENGER SIDE REAR HAS BEEN REPLACED ONCE AND IS STARTING TO GO OUT AGAIN, SWITCH WILL ONLY OPERATE FROM THE DRIVERS MASTER CONTROL PANEL AND DRIVERS SIDE REAR HAS BEEN REPLACED ONCE. I BELIEVE IT IS A POORLY MANUFACTURED PART. TWO WERE REPLACED UNDER WARRANTY, THE OTHER TWO WILL BE OUT OF MY POCKET. WHEN THE PASSENGER SIDE FRONT WENT OUT FOR THE SECOND TIME, WARRANTY WAS EXPIRED BY ONE MONTH WITH A HISTORY OF PROBLEM AUTO WINDOW SWITCHES. I CALLED KIA MOTORS CORPORATE OFFICE AND EXPLAINED THAT THESE PARTS ARE JUNK AND I WOULD LIKE ANOTHER REPLACEMENT. PERSON IN CHARGE OF SERVICE FOR KIA MOTORS BASICALLY SAID TOUGH YOUR WARRANTY IS OVER. VEHICLE AUTO WINDOW SWITCHES START OUT WORKING INTERMITTENTLY WHEN PASSENGER TRIES TO HAVE WINDOW GO UP OR DOWN, THEN PASSENGER HAS NO WAY OF PUTTING WINDOW UP OR DOWN THEN DRIVER HAS TO CONTROL WINDOW MOVEMENT UNTIL SWITCH FINALLY GOES OUT. THIS OCCURS WHETHER VEHICLE IS IN MOTION OR PARKED WITH IGNITION ON

NHTSA ODI 11415050

TURNED MY CAR ON AND HEARD A WEIRD TICKING SOUND WHILE IT WAS IDOL. I DECIDED TO TAKE IT IN TO MY MECHANIC. ON THE WAY TO THE MECHANIC, THE SOUND STARTED HAPPENING WHILE ACCELERATING. ONCE I REACHED 40 MPH, THE CAR STOPPED ACCELERATING AND STALLED. I HAD TO USE THE MOMENTUM AND TURN LEFT INTO DIRT PARKING LOT TO PULL OVER SINCE THERE WAS NO PULL OVER LANE ON THE RIGHT SIDE. MY PASSENGER AND BACK WINDOWS DO NOT WORK UNLESS DRIVER PUSHES BUTTONS NEXT TO THEM TO ROLL WINDOWS DOWN.

NHTSA ODI 11378359

WAS DRIVING AND THE AIRBAG INFLATED, THE BRAKES LOCKED UP. THEN STARTED SMELLING GAS AND SMOKE

NHTSA ODI 11374214

MY CAR HAS A KNOCKING SOUND IN THE ENGINE. THE OIL HAS BEEN CHANGED ON A REGULAR BASIS. THIS CAR HAS BEEN WELL TAKEN CARE OF. ALSO 2 OF THE WINDOWS WILL NOT WORK.

NHTSA ODI 11360460

THIS INFORMATION IS FROM MECHANIC: ENGINE BEGAN TO SMOKE, VEHICLE DROVE INTO PARKING LOT, PUT IN PARK, OPENED HOOD, GREY/GREEN SMOKE NOTICED, ENGINE WOULD NOT RESTART. MECHANIC STATED THAT THE ENGINE SEIZED UP - WOULD NOT RESTART - HAD TO BE TOWED TO MECHANIC.

NHTSA ODI 11318104

TL* THE CONTACT OWNED A 2012 KIA SPORTAGE. WHILE THE CONTACT'S VEHICLE WAS PARKED, A WITNESS OBSERVED SMOKE AND FLAMES UNDER THE HOOD. THE FIRE AND POLICE DEPARTMENTS ARRIVED AND BOTH DEPARTMENTS FILED REPORTS. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT EXTINGUISHED THE FIRE. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. THE VEHICLE WAS DESTROYED AND REMAINED IN THE PARKING LOT. THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER WERE NOT CONTACTED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS NOT DETERMINED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE AND VIN WERE UNKNOWN.

NHTSA ODI 11267230

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 KIA SPORTAGE. WHILE DRIVING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH, ALL THE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED, THE POWER STEERING SEIZED, AND THE ENGINE FAILED. THE CONTACT COASTED THE VEHICLE TO THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND WHITE SMOKE EMERGED FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC WHO DIAGNOSED THAT THE ENGINE SEIZED AND NEEDED REPLACEMENT. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE AND PROVIDED CASE NUMBER: 13361451. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 80,600.

NHTSA ODI 11256796

ENGINE SEIZED WHILE DRIVING. THERE ARE OTHER 2012 KIA SPORTAGES UNDER THE ENGINE RECALL BUT OURS ISN'T EVEN THOUGH IT'S THE SAME PROBLEM. THE ENGINE SEIZED AND EVERYTHING SHUT OFF CAUSING US TO HAVE TO PULL OVER ON SIDE OF THE ROAD IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE.

NHTSA ODI 11229771

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2012 KIA SPORTAGE. THE CONTACT CALLED ON BEHALF OF THE DRIVER. WHILE DRIVING AND SHIFTING INTO FOURTH GEAR, A LOUD NOISE WAS HEARD AND THE VEHICLE STALLED WITHOUT WARNING IN TRAFFIC. ALL THE WARNING INDICATORS ILLUMINATED ON THE INSTRUMENT PANEL AFTER THE VEHICLE STALLED. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO THE CONTACT'S RESIDENCE WHERE IT WAS NOTICED THAT THE PISTON ROD WAS DETACHED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT TAKEN TO A DEALER OR INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 110,000.

NHTSA ODI 11141842

"TAKATA RECALL" I WAS DRIVING ON HIGHWAY 59 IN HOUSTON IN THE MIDDLE LANE AND MY OIL LIGHT BEGAN FLASHING. AFTER IT FLASHED IT STOPPED AND THEN IT WOULD NOT ACCELERATE. AFTER I NOTICED IT WAS NOT ACCELERATING I BEGAN TO GET OFF THE MAIN HIGHWAY ONTO A SERVICE ROAD. BY THE TIME I GOT ONTO THE SERVICE ROAD THE TRUCK WENT COMPLETELY DEAD. I GOT OUT AND CHECKED THE OIL AND I HAD OIL ON MY DIP STICK. I HAD GOTTEN AN OIL CHANGE ON SEPTEMBER 1, 2018.

NHTSA ODI 11129855

FIST PROBLEM EVER WITH CAR BUT DIED ON ME WHILE DRIVING TO WORK HAD TO PULL OVER LOST ALL ENGINE FUNCTION, IT WOULD CRANK BUT WOULDN'T START, THANK GOD FOR TRIPLE A HAD IT TOWED TO THE KIA DEALERSHIP AND THEY SAID THEY WERE GOING TO DO A DIAGNOSTIC CHECK ON IT THAT SHOULD TAKE NO MORE THAN A HALF HOUR AND I AM STILL WAITING ON A CALL BACK FROM THEM ALL DAY. KIA SERVICE SUCKS.

NHTSA ODI 11114153

I WAS IN THE ROAD SLOWLY BECAUSE I WAS GOING TO STOP IN A TOLL BRIDGE ABOUT 10 MILES AND SUDDENLY MY KIA SPORTAGE 2012 WAS DOWN AND A BIG NOISE I WAS REALLY SCARED. A BIG HOLE APPEARED UNDER THE CAR AND ALL OIL SCATTERED ON THE PAVEMENT. THE PISTON BROKE SO THE ENGINE. I'M REALLY FRUSTRATED DUE TO I STILL OWE THE VEHICLE AND TO FIX THE CAR THE COST IS $5,000.00 IN KIA OF YUMA ARIZONA. I OWE 6,000.00 PLUS 5,000.00 IT'S UNFAIR

NHTSA ODI 11112910

ALL GAUGES ON INSTRUMENT PANEL STOPPED WORKING.

NHTSA ODI 11078455

ENGINE SEIZED. MOVES WHILE IN PARK MOVES FORWARD IN REVERSE. DRIVING ENGINE STALLED PULLED OVER CAR DIED. THEN WOULD NOT ENGAGE BUT STILL MOVED AS DESCRIBED. HAD HAPPENED A FEW MONTHS AGO AFTER TRANSMISSION REPLACE. THEN THE IGNITER SWITCH NEEDED REPLACEMENT.

NHTSA ODI 11053653