Nov 11, 2020Electrical systemAirbagsFuel systemCrash
WAS DRIVING AND THE AIRBAG INFLATED, THE BRAKES LOCKED UP. THEN STARTED SMELLING GAS AND SMOKE
NHTSA ODI 11374214
Home · 2012 Kia Sportage Plug-in Hybrid · Complaints
What 392 owners told NHTSA about the 2012 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 (392)Crash / fire / injury (26)Engine (328)Electrical system (29)Transmission & drivetrain (21)Brakes (11)Fuel system (7)Steering (6)Airbags (4)Body & structure (4)Visibility & wipers (4)Speed control (3)
1 of 392 complaints match · Fuel system · crash/fire/injury only · clear filters
Working with the data? Download all 392 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 2012 Kia Sportage Plug-in Hybrid verdict →