In January 2026, my wife was driving our 2024 Kia Sportage Hybrid EX downhill in traffic when the hybrid system failed without warning. Cabin filled with smoke, lost steering control, and explosion shook the vehicle. She was surrounded by other vehicles and could have been killed or caused multi-car crash. COMPONENT FAILURE: Dealership diagnosed hybrid system failure after 2.5 weeks. Vehicle at dealership awaiting repair. Failed components available for inspection. SAFETY RISK: Zero steering control downhill surrounded by traffic. Smoke impaired visibility. Explosion posed fire risk. Life-threatening danger to occupants and other motorists. DEALER CONFIRMATION: Yes, confirmed by dealership. Repair pending. WARNING SYMPTOMS: None. Instantaneous catastrophic failure. CRITICAL ISSUE: I discovered Kia issued service campaigns for 2024 Sportage Hybrids directly related to this failure: Service Campaign SC322 (January 2025) - Hybrid Control Unit software failure affecting 2023-2025 Sportage Hybrids built Feb 2022-Jul 2024 12V Battery Overcharge Campaign - Battery Management System overcharging causing loss of motive power and "Check Hybrid System Stop Safely" warnings SC319 (NHTSA 24V-422) - Motor-Driven Power Steering contaminated circuit board causing loss of power steering Never notified of campaigns despite being owner since May 2024. NHTSA shows zero recalls, falsely indicating safety. By classifying defects as "voluntary service campaigns" instead of safety recalls, Kia avoided mandatory federal notifications. My wife drove with multiple known defects Kia failed to disclose. Vehicle under 2 years old, within warranty. This catastrophic failure and notification failure warrants NHTSA investigation. There was smoke and we called 911 and the fire department came out.
NHTSA ODI 11716349