2020 KIA SPORTAGE Complaints

Need an engine replaced for the infamous knocking of the motor from the previous class action but my model isn’t covered. Ridiculous to need a new engine on a less than 5 year old car

While driving on the expressway posted speed 65 was doing 70, left lane driving, suddenly my check engine light started flashing, my oil light came on and my vehicle started slowing down. Acceleration was not an option, causing hazardous conditions to have to put my hazards on and cross two lanes of heavy traffic. Vehicle went into limp mode. Vehicle was caught up on an oil change, and was regularly checked and filled with oil. Oil seemed to have been burning rapidly or just simply disappearing. The motor blew and i purchased this vehicle less than 6 months ago. I only put 4,000 miles on it. 2020 kia sportage s, dealership was lilliston ford. Took vehicle to kia dealership to get two safety campaigns fixed. They informed me i was only a couple hundred miles over my warranty and my repairs are not covered. I now have an inoperable vehicle that i have payments on, which now needs a new engine. No recalls matching my vin, only my make, model and year. All repairs were denied. Worst vehicle decision ive ever made…

My 2020 Kia sportage spontaneously caught fire. It started smoking about 1/3 mile from my destination. There were no dash lights on and the temperature gauge was not elevated and was below half so it wasn’t the engine overheating. I pulled into the parking lot and shut off the car and the smoke then increased and turned darker rapidly and the car caught fire and was quickly engulfed and then there were several explosions. The car was a complete loss. Had I taken any more time to figure out the smoke I would have been a casualty.

NHTSA Complaint Description — Kia Sportage Engine Stall While driving my 2020 Kia Sportage in mid-June 2026 on I-45 in Houston, TX, the vehicle suddenly stalled while I was driving, with no warning lights, messages, or symptoms beforehand. This created a dangerous situation because I was in active highway traffic and had to pull over immediately. My oil change was due on 06/02/2026, but even between 06/15–06/20, the vehicle should still have had oil. A car does not lose all oil in two weeks under normal conditions. The sudden stall and lack of oil indicate a mechanical defect, not a maintenance issue. I received a Kia notice around December 2025 or early January 2026 stating that my vehicle’s year and model could be eligible for an engine defect inspection. The letter explained that even if my VIN does not show up in their system, the model/year is still included. My vehicle is showing the same symptoms described in the defect notice, including unexpected stalling and oil loss. The problem has not yet been inspected or confirmed by the dealer, but the incident clearly shows a serious safety risk. My vehicle is available for inspection upon request.

COMPONENTS FAILED & EVIDENCE: 4 dry-rotted Kumho Crugen Premium tires, size 225/60R17, DOT 272A YANH 1319. Replaced due to hazard. High-definition photo proof of the severe dry rot defects, deep tread cracking, and the 2019 date stamps discovered upon removal is fully preserved and available.SAFETY RISK & CONCEALMENT: Operating on 7-year-old structurally compromised rubber posed a severe blowout liability on the highway. At delivery, 3 of the 4 tires were mounted inside-out. This reversed mounting placed the worst dry rot cracking and the 4-digit date code (1319, meaning March 2019 manufacture) on the inner undercarriage, actively obscuring a critical safety defect and the expiration date from a standard consumer visual inspection.NEGLIGENT INSPECTION HISTORY: The dealer had physical possession of this vehicle twice: first for pre-sale certification, and second for post-sale service. Prior to the second release, the consumer explicitly texted instructions to ensure the vehicle was completely safe with no issues. The service bay subsequently texted back confirming they performed a "once over" and verified "no issues." The dealer twice failed its duty of care, ignored a critical hazard, and falsely certified road-readiness. Corporate legal has been notified and is stonewalling.DISCOVERY & SEVERE SYMPTOMS: Failure was discovered only after a nail punctured the rear passenger tire, prompting a close inspection of all four wheels. Two weeks prior, all 4 tires simultaneously dropped to half-capacity air pressure. This simultaneous deflation indicates the extensive dry rot completely compromised the rubber compound's structural integrity and ability to hold air pressure, creating a progressive failure condition. ALL 4 TIRES WERE SEVERELY DRYROT.

I bought vehicle used from a Honda dealership at 51,000 miles. At 55,000 my engine broke, mechanics found metal fragments in my engine. The Honda dealer nor Kia were willing to do nothing. So I had purchase new engine at 12,000.

Odometer Fraud. The contact purchased a 2020 Kia Sportage. It was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. The vehicle was a dealer sale. At the time of the purchase, the mileage was 25,881, and while trying to trade the vehicle with another dealer, it was discovered through the Carfax report that the odometer was rolled back 4,000 miles at the time of the sale. The corrected mileage was 29,881.

While driving, the vehicle suddenly lost power and stalled. I was able to safely pull to the side of the road. The engine would not restart. Upon inspection, the engine was found to be completely out of oil despite being maintained according to recommended oil change intervals and not being overdue for service. There were no visible oil leaks under the vehicle and no prior low oil warning light or oil pressure warning light was observed before the failure. The vehicle had previously been serviced by a Kia dealership for turbocharger-related concerns, including turbocharger boost control and wastegate actuator issues. The dealership later diagnosed the vehicle with a burnt valve in cylinder #1 and recommended complete engine replacement. I am concerned because this vehicle experienced excessive oil consumption without sufficient warning to prevent engine failure. The vehicle stalled while being driven, creating a potential safety hazard due to sudden loss of power in traffic. The vehicle is available for inspection. The failure has been confirmed by a Kia dealership service department.

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the low oil warning light illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer, where the contact was advised that it was normal for the vehicle to use a quart of oil every 1,000 miles. The contact was advised to bring the vehicle to the dealer every 1,000 miles. The failure became a persistent failure. The failure reoccurred. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was black smoke coming from the exhaust pipes and the engine seized. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired by an independent mechanic or dealer. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 73,000. The VIN was unavailable.

The car shook and lights came on at a stop light and began violently knocking. Since it was at a stop light the safety was a risk had the hazard lights weren't engaged immediately. The dealer confirmed it was a catastrophic engine failure. An inspector for the warranty company was deployed two times. The lights only appeared at the time of engine failure.