Car Defect Radar
Built from NHTSA complaints and recalls collected for this model, generated September 22, 2026. Totals reflect what has been collected, not every complaint ever filed.

Recalls

0 total

Safety issues the manufacturer must repair for free. A recall means confirm the fix was done, not walk away.

No recalls on record for this model

No safety recalls were found in this dataset. It is still worth entering the exact VIN on NHTSA before purchase, since recalls can be added at any time.

Owner complaints by system

51 total

Unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA, grouped by the part of the car. Useful for spotting patterns. Open a group to read recent examples.

Engine & powertrain

Worth reading
11

Most reports here involve software faults. Of these, 1 mention a crash.

software faults 3sudden stalling 2transmission slipping 2
A recent report: We were getting in our car to drive home from a restaurant. We attempted to start our car like any other day, and the car started. However, our car was stuck in gear, it was in parking but also not…
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We were getting in our car to drive home from a restaurant. We attempted to start our car like any other day, and the car started. However, our car was stuck in gear, it was in parking but also not in parking. The car was not moving, the gear was in “park”, the dot light for park was not showing, and then we had several warnings appear on our dashboard. At first it was three, then it went to six (after turning off the car and restarting again)!! The car told us to put it in park, but we literally could not move the gear shift at all. We had: check speed limit system, check high beam assist, check driver attention warning, check blind spot safety system, check forward safety system, check rear cross-traffic safety system appear in 20 seconds of car being on. This car just hit ~15,500 miles on it. To add to the strangeness, we open the Kia Access App and tried “lock” and “unlock” (while being in the car”, then turn the car off. We started the car again and it worked as if this never happened (no immediate warnings like above). Yet we did recieve a check engine light and a vehicle diagnostic on the instrument (dashboard) saying “follow-up check required: 2 (Engine Management System and Transmission Control System.)” The car allowed itself to recognize it in park gear and drive off. The Kia Access app said we experienced a UOO01F0 code tied to the Engine Control System. We never seen anything like that before. We did, however, experience a problem with the driver seat powertrain at 11,000 miles where the seat wouldn’t move. The seat was fixed by the dealership though. We are going to take the car in to the dealership to see what they say.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11746853 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Electrical & infotainment

Minor
11

Most reports here involve software faults.

software faults 10electrical shorts 1
A recent report: The cluster system of the vehicle lit up every warning system which prevented the running vehicle from being able to be put into drive. Safety was put at risk because I'm afraid this will happen…
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The cluster system of the vehicle lit up every warning system which prevented the running vehicle from being able to be put into drive. Safety was put at risk because I'm afraid this will happen while driving. I've seen this same concern on many Kia owner forums who describe the same issue possibly related to a faulty wiring harness. I had just purchased this vehicle that has 15,000 miles and there were no other symptoms up until this issue occurred. I had the code read and it was a generic U0001 CAM error (Controller Area Module). Kia has a recall on trailer harnesses right now and I believe this recall on faulty wiring harnesses needs to be expanded to other models and newer vehicles.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11742525 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Brakes

Worth reading
6

Most reports here involve loss of braking. Of these, 1 mention a crash, 2 mention an injury.

loss of braking 2software faults 2premature wear 2
A recent report: In November 2025, with approximately 6,900 miles on the vehicle, I reported brake issues to the dealership. After inspection, the dealership resurfaced (turned) the brake rotors at no charge. At that…
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In November 2025, with approximately 6,900 miles on the vehicle, I reported brake issues to the dealership. After inspection, the dealership resurfaced (turned) the brake rotors at no charge. At that time, I was led to believe that the issue had been corrected. However, in June 2026, with only 14,300 miles on the vehicle, I returned to the dealership because the same symptoms had reappeared. I was informed that the rotors again require resurfacing and that the brake pads now need replacement as well. why has the same issue returned so quickly? Is there a defect in the rotors, brake pads, calipers, brake system design, or another component that has not been identified and corrected? I do not believe that my driving habits are the cause of this problem. Prior to purchasing this Sportage, I owned two vehicles from other manufacturers. Neither vehicle required brake rotor resurfacing until well over 50,000 miles, despite being driven under similar conditions. The fact that this vehicle has required rotor service twice before reaching 15,000 miles strongly suggests that an underlying issue exists. I believe that that premature rotor wear puts me and others at risk of collision. The Sportage is available for inspection.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11743057 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Steering, suspension & tires

Worth reading
5

Most reports here involve loss of steering. Of these, 2 mention a crash, 3 mention an injury.

loss of steering 4airbags not deploying 1
A recent report: VEHICLE: 2025 Kia Sportage X-Line VIN: 5XYK6CDF0SG319130 APPROXIMATE MILEAGE: 34,000 miles DATE OF INCIDENT: September 3, 2026 LOCATION OF INCIDENT: 6140 University Drive, Huntsville, Alabama 35806…
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VEHICLE: 2025 Kia Sportage X-Line VIN: 5XYK6CDF0SG319130 APPROXIMATE MILEAGE: 34,000 miles DATE OF INCIDENT: September 3, 2026 LOCATION OF INCIDENT: 6140 University Drive, Huntsville, Alabama 35806 COMPONENT: Steering / Motor-Driven Power Steering (MDPS) / Steering Column / Steering Shaft SAFETY ISSUE: Sudden loss of steering control immediately preceding a collision COMPLAINT I am reporting a serious steering-related safety incident involving my 2025 Kia Sportage X-Line, VIN 5XYK6CDF0SG319130. On September 3, 2026, at approximately 34,000 miles, I was operating my vehicle near 6140 University Drive, Huntsville, Alabama 35806, when the steering suddenly became locked/unresponsive immediately before a motor-vehicle collision. The steering malfunction occurred while the vehicle was being operated and immediately preceded the collision. I was unable to properly control the direction of the vehicle as intended. I believe the sudden loss of steering control may have caused or contributed to the collision. VEHICLE OPERATION IMMEDIATELY BEFORE THE COLLISION Immediately before the collision: * The engine remained running. * The brakes remained operable. * No EPS or MDPS warning light appeared before the collision. * No EPS/MDPS warning message was observed before the collision. * A low tire-pressure warning did appear. * The steering became locked/unresponsive. * I was unable to maintain the intended steering control of the vehicle. * The vehicle subsequently collided. * After the collision, the steering wheel became operable again. The fact that the steering became operable again after the collision is significant because the malfunction was intermittent or temporary rather than a permanent inability of the steering wheel to move. I am not making a technical determination regarding which steering component failed. I am reporting the observed behavior and requesting that NHTSA investigate the cause. WITNESS AND DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE There is independent corrobora

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11763971 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Structure & body

Minor
13

Most reports here involve other issues.

other issues 13
A recent report: The contact owns a 2025 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while performing a normal inspection on the vehicle, the body side molding from the front to the rear on the passenger’s side of the roof…
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The contact owns a 2025 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while performing a normal inspection on the vehicle, the body side molding from the front to the rear on the passenger’s side of the roof had detached. The contact stated that the driver's side of the vehicle had started to detach from the rear. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11762171 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Other systems

Worth reading
5

Most reports here involve software faults. Of these, 2 mention an injury.

software faults 1
A recent report: The car seat is defective. Fraying where it is comes out of the car seat, where it is sewn together.

Source: NHTSA complaint ODI #11747512 · view all complaints for this vehicle at nhtsa.gov

Is 51 complaints a lot? They were filed between 2025 and 2026, roughly 33 a year, which is more than the typical model in this dataset. We do not have sales figures for this model, so treat this as a rough volume, not a rate per car on the road. Popular, high-volume models naturally collect more complaints over time.