2012 Kia Sportage ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE
Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.
Complaint Timeline
Chronological view of owner reports
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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.
Trend Over Time
Complaints by year
Other Issues
Common problems reported
Quick Summary
The 2012 Kia Sportage has 12 ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.