Home · 2019 Kia Sportage Phev Phev · Complaints

What 68 owners told NHTSA about the 2019 Kia Sportage Phev Phev

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 (68)Crash / fire / injury (7)Engine (34)Electrical system (10)Brakes (7)Fuel system (7)Transmission & drivetrain (7)Airbags (3)Lights (3)Trailer Hitches (3)Body & structure (2)Driver assistance (2)

34 of 68 complaints match · Engine · clear filters · page 2 of 2

Aug 5, 2023Transmission & drivetrainSeat beltsEngineFire

the continued to over heat smoke and has burning smell and seat belt stop tracting and retracting

NHTSA ODI 11536626

Jul 6, 2023Transmission & drivetrainEngine

My vehicle keeps stalling and its been having an oil consumption problem for several months. I keep taking it to kia, they keep doing oil consumption tests. I'm afraid to drive my vehicle anymore. I had an oil change done one month 3k miles later she was out of oil.

NHTSA ODI 11530626

Oct 19, 2022Engine

The contact owns a 2019 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at various speeds, there was a ticking noise heard coming from the engine. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a local dealer who confirmed the VIN was not included in a recall. The vehicle remained at the dealer awaiting diagnostic testing and repair. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure; however, no assistance was provided. The approximate failure mileage was 100,000.

NHTSA ODI 11489997

Jun 27, 2021Electrical systemEngine

When you put the car in gear, the car rolls backward in drive. The engine light, oil light and battery light are on the dashboard.

NHTSA ODI 11422518

Feb 11, 2021Engine

WHEN DRIVING IN TRAFFIC ENGINE SHUTS OFF WITH NO WARNING. COMPLETE LOSS OF ENGINE POWER. HAVE TO COME TO A COMPLETE STOP IN LANE OF TRAFFIC AND THEN PUT VEHICLE IN PARK AND RESTART ENGINE. HAPPENED 3 TIMES IN LAST MONTH. MY KIA SPORTAGE 2019 ONLY HAS 18,000 MILES ON IT. NO CHECK ENGINE LIGHTS ON. EXTREMELY UNSAFE AND KIA SERVICES VERY UNHELPFUL. VEHICLE WAS IN MOTION ALL 3 TIMES THIS HAPPENED ON A CITY STREET GOING STRAIGHT IN TRAFFIC.

NHTSA ODI 11395844

Jul 17, 2020Electrical systemEngineFuel system

IN AUGUST OF LAST YEAR I BOUGHT A 2019 KIA SPORTAGE EX FROM SMITHTOWN KIA IN NY. ON JULY 12, 2020 I WAS DRIVING WITH MY DAUGHTER WHEN THE CAR JUST STOPPED WITHOUT ANY WARNING. IT WAS A VERY SCARY EXPERIENCE AS CARS WERE ALL AROUND ME. LUCKILY, I WAS ON A SIDE STREET AND NOT ON A MAIN ROAD OR HIGHWAY! WHEN I PRECEDED TO START THE CAR UP AGAIN THERE WAS A TERRIBLE ODOR THAT SMELLED LIKE GAS AND A BURNING SMELL. AT THAT POINT, I CALLED MY HUSBAND WHO GOT A TOW TRUCK FOR US. THE NEXT DAY, THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT TOLD ME THE CODE TO INFORM THEM WHAT WAS WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE DISAPPEARED. HOWEVER, THE CAR WAS WORKING AND READY FOR ME TO PICK UP! I INFORMED THEM THAT I DID NOT FEEL SAFE DRIVING THE VEHICLE WITHOUT IT BEING FIXED NOR WAS MY DAUGHTER WILLING TO GO BACK IN THE CAR. I WAS TOLD THEY WOULD DRIVE THE CAR AROUND TO ASSURE ME THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR. AGAIN, THEY OFFERED FOR ME TO PICK THE CAR UP OR DROP IT OFF!

NHTSA ODI 11339961

Jan 3, 2020Transmission & drivetrainEngine

WHILE DRIVING NORMALLY ON THE HIGHWAY, I'VE CONTINUOUSLY EXPERIENCED THE CAR RANDOMLY REVVING BETWEEN 3000 AND 4000 RPMS WHILE DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY AND ON REGULAR ROADS. IT WILL GET STUCK AT 2000 RPMS AND WILL NOT ACCELERATE OR DECELERATE NO MATTER HOW HARD THE GAS/BRAKE IS PRESSED. IT HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALERSHIP I PURCHASED IT FROM TWICE NOW, AND BOTH TIMES THEY HAVE TOLD ME THEY CANNOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE CAR, NO CODES OR ANYTHING. I DO NOT FEEL SAFE IN A CAR I'M PAYING $402 A MONTH FOR. I HAVE CONTACTED KIA CORPORATE IN ATLANTA AND OPENED A CASE WITH KIA CONSUMER ASSISTANCE ONLINE. WAITING RESPONSE FROM BOTH. WILL NOT BUY ANOTHER KIA AFTER I LEMON LAW THIS CAR. MY FAMILY HAS ALWAYS HAD KIA'S AND NEVER HAD ANY ISSUE WITH THEM. I PREVIOUSLY HAD A 2016 SPORTAGE THAT ALSO HAD TRANSMISSION PROBLEMS.

NHTSA ODI 11296813

Oct 1, 2019Electrical systemEngineFuel systemFire

MY KIA SPORTAGE 2019 CAUGHT FIRE ON THE HIGHWAY IN NEW MARKET MD AT AROUND 10:30 AM 9/26/19. WE HAD PREVIOUSLY TAKEN THE CAR TO THE DEALERSHIP WHERE WE PURCHASED IT BACK IN 12/2019. IT HAD ONLY 3900+/- MILES ON IT. THE OIL, FILTER, TIRE ROTATION AND 27 POINT INSPECTION WAS DONE ON 9/19/19. AS I WAS IN THE LEFT LANE OF RTE 70 WB I NOTICED BLUE SMOKE COMING FROM THE BACK OF THE CAR. I PUT ON MY FLASHERS AND SIGNALED OVER TO THE RIGHT SHOULDER. I CALLED MY HUSBAND AND WAS QUITE HYSTERICAL BECAUSE NOW THE FRONT OF THE CAR WAS SMOKING A BROWNISH-BLACK. IT QUICKLY STARTED COMING IN THEY THE VENTS. I COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT TO DO - MAY HAVE BEEN IN SOME SORT OF SHOCK. BUT I FINALLY LEFT THE VEHICLE BUT WAS STILL TOO CLOSE. A PASSERBY, JEREMIAH DARLING OF NJ, ASSISTED ME TO A SAFE PLACE AND I HEARD A POP THEN THE FLAMES STARTED COMING QUICKLY.

NHTSA ODI 11265476

Dec 9, 2018Engine

PURCHASED CAR ON JULY 28 2019 FROM HOLLYWOOD KIA. TOOK IT TO THEIR SERVICE CENTER ON NOVEMBER 26 FOR COMPLIMENTARY OIL AND FILTER CHANGE. ON DECEMBER 5 ON THE I-75 EXPRESSWAY GOT AN ALARM SOUND AND SIGN THAT THE "ENGINE HAS OVERHEATED". MANAGED TO GET HOME, NEXT DAY WAITED ALL DAY FOR TOWING COMPANY. EITHER CAR IS DEFECTIVE OR THE SERVICE THEY DID CAUSED THIS DANGEROUS ISSUE.

NHTSA ODI 11157109

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Working with the data? Download all 68 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 2019 Kia Sportage Phev Phev verdict →