NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.
Electrical System complaints
36 reportsClear category filterMileage unknown · Jan 11, 2026
Electrical SystemEnginePower Train
Ev battery system threw up back back to earnings and codes of overcharge and then all lights on dash came on started beeping and then dash went red saying check hybrid system , hybrid system failure stop vehicle. Engine wouldn’t kick back on. I had literally just left my local Kia for a routine checkup and there report is nothin…
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Ev battery system threw up back back to earnings and codes of overcharge and then all lights on dash came on started beeping and then dash went red saying check hybrid system , hybrid system failure stop vehicle. Engine wouldn’t kick back on. I had literally just left my local Kia for a routine checkup and there report is nothing is wrong. Even tho I’ve called them now a few times about it shaking and idling super hard and going limp very often. Towed back to Kia and they have now had it for 4 days and still no results.
NHTSA ODI #11710264
Mileage unknown · Dec 9, 2025
Electrical SystemFuel/propulsion SystemVehicle Speed Control
Vehicle flashed with a "check hybrid system. Stop safely" warning and then forced me to slow until my vehicle stopped - I could no longer press the gas pedal. I was on a highway and luckily was able to pull over safely before the vehicle came to a complete stop, but that was not guaranteed. I ended up being towed to a Kia Dealer…
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Vehicle flashed with a "check hybrid system. Stop safely" warning and then forced me to slow until my vehicle stopped - I could no longer press the gas pedal. I was on a highway and luckily was able to pull over safely before the vehicle came to a complete stop, but that was not guaranteed. I ended up being towed to a Kia Dealership where they informed me this was an issue under recall, but that recall is not listed on your system nor was I ever informed of the recall by the manufacturer.
NHTSA ODI #11704090
Mileage unknown · Oct 13, 2025
Electrical SystemFuel/propulsion SystemPower Train
Fails to move when going from stopped to apply gas and moving forward there is a large delay and weak power. Shakes when idles and is really forcful switching from gas to battery or battery to gas,
NHTSA ODI #11693000
Mileage unknown · Oct 6, 2025
Electrical System
On October 3rd, 2025 I was driving at approximately 15mph when my dash started to flash red while beeping. It displayed a message that stated "Check Hybrid System" Within 15 seconds the car shut off. There was no power to utilize the flashers to warn drivers behind me. The abrupt stop caused a near collision and left my car stra…
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On October 3rd, 2025 I was driving at approximately 15mph when my dash started to flash red while beeping. It displayed a message that stated "Check Hybrid System" Within 15 seconds the car shut off. There was no power to utilize the flashers to warn drivers behind me. The abrupt stop caused a near collision and left my car stranded in an intersection. After about 5 minutes I was able to utilize the 12v battery reset button and get the car safely to the side of the road. My car had an all points inspection in September and no issues were noted at that time. I searched 3 websites, including NHTSA, and all noted I had 0 recalls on my vehicle. However, there were multiple reports of this happening to other 2023 Kia Sportage owners over the past 2 years. Some reported that this happened to them on the highway. On October 6th, 2025 I took my car to the dealership to be serviced. Upon check-in the advisor stated I had 2 active recalls on my vehicle. (Safety Recall: Hybrid Control Unit Sw Upgrade (vesc) OEM code SC322 from January 2025 and Saftey Recall: Bms S/w Upgrade (vesc) OEM Code SC338 from June 2025) The first recall has to do with emissions, the second causes the exact scenario that happened to my vehicle. My concern is that Kia failed to report all affected VIN numbers, or failed to notify all affected customers within 60 days reporting the recall as mandated by the NHTSA and they should be held responsible for that. A car shutting off within 10 seconds could be catastrophic when traveling on busy highways. This could result in multiple injuries or even fatalities and needs to be further investigated.
NHTSA ODI #11691738
Mileage unknown · Oct 1, 2025
Electrical SystemPower TrainVehicle Speed Control
February 2024 (27,813 mi): Vehicle lost acceleration while driving, would not transition from EV to engine mode, entered limp mode. Dealer replaced high-pressure fuel pump under warranty after consulting Kia Tech Line (case #[XXX]). September 2025 (58,000 mi): Vehicle will not start without manually resetting 12v battery module…
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February 2024 (27,813 mi): Vehicle lost acceleration while driving, would not transition from EV to engine mode, entered limp mode. Dealer replaced high-pressure fuel pump under warranty after consulting Kia Tech Line (case #[XXX]). September 2025 (58,000 mi): Vehicle will not start without manually resetting 12v battery module integrated in hybrid battery system. Pattern suggests hybrid control system defects, not resolved by previous repair. Car has now been with dealer for 4+ days figuring out this issue. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
NHTSA ODI #11690800
Mileage unknown · Aug 21, 2025
Electrical System
I will be driving 70mph on the freeway and suddenly the "check hybrid system" alert flashes and I have about 20 seconds to safely pullover. Once stopped it will not drive over 5-10 mph for about a half a mile, then completely dies. If I jump start it, it will start, but the car is limited to ~40mph and may not start again once …
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I will be driving 70mph on the freeway and suddenly the "check hybrid system" alert flashes and I have about 20 seconds to safely pullover. Once stopped it will not drive over 5-10 mph for about a half a mile, then completely dies. If I jump start it, it will start, but the car is limited to ~40mph and may not start again once turned off. Has been to the Kia dealership three times in the past month and they say there are no codes to fix regarding the Hybrid battery or system and keep returning it to us. It is exceedingly dangerous to drive and we are afraid to drive on the highway now.
NHTSA ODI #11682126
Mileage unknown · Jul 24, 2025
Electrical SystemEngineUnknown Or Other
Car shuts off as alert start flashing and beeping. Get a red flashing screen and a hazard message that states "CHECK HYBRID SYSTEM. STOP SAFELY". So far this has only happened while I was at a stop, but I have read in forums where it has happened to people while they are driver.
NHTSA ODI #11675948
Mileage unknown · Jul 21, 2025
Electrical SystemVehicle Speed Control
After driving for roughly 7 hours upon activating my cruise control, after using the entire drive with no issues, it went up to 110 mph as soon as I hit the button and would not allow me to adjust the speed down. It would turn off upon pressing pause, cruise control, or brakes but would rise to 110 mph everytime. I searched for …
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After driving for roughly 7 hours upon activating my cruise control, after using the entire drive with no issues, it went up to 110 mph as soon as I hit the button and would not allow me to adjust the speed down. It would turn off upon pressing pause, cruise control, or brakes but would rise to 110 mph everytime. I searched for recalls for this and could find none. But I did find posts of other people with the same issue. The only thing I could find was an emissions campaign that seems like it may be related. This appears to me to be much more of a safety issue especially if the driver is not paying attention. Or for example let's say you're driving behind someone and turn cruise control on you could very easily rearend someone at a high rate of speed. I will be trying to get my car into the dealership to try and resolve the issue, but my main point for filing a report is to see if this rises to the level of a safety recall versus a tsb or emissions campaign. My vehicle is available for inspection if needed. No warning lights came on or anything of the sort. I do have a video of this but does not appear I can upload it. Any assistance is greatly appreciated thank you and have a great day
NHTSA ODI #11674921
Mileage unknown · Jul 1, 2025
Electrical SystemEnginePower Train
The hybrid powertrain system failed. Specifically, the vehicle remains stuck in EV mode and does not switch to the gasoline engine under acceleration, leading to complete loss of power while driving. Yes, the vehicle is available for inspection upon request. This malfunction caused the vehicle to lose all forward power in traff…
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The hybrid powertrain system failed. Specifically, the vehicle remains stuck in EV mode and does not switch to the gasoline engine under acceleration, leading to complete loss of power while driving. Yes, the vehicle is available for inspection upon request. This malfunction caused the vehicle to lose all forward power in traffic. I had to pull over into emergency lanes and restart the vehicle multiple times. This is extremely dangerous and could lead to a crash, especially on highways or during merging. It puts both myself and others on the road at risk. The Kia authorized service center was able to reset the adaptive system, and the hybrid warning light turned off temporarily. However, the issue reappeared the same day. The dealer claims they cannot reproduce it and refuses further diagnosis without replication. The vehicle was only inspected by a Kia-authorized dealership. Kia Consumer Affairs has not yet conducted a manufacturer-level inspection or assigned a field technician. Yes. A “Check Hybrid System. Stop Safely” warning message appears before the failure occurs. Then check engine light was on. It first appeared immediately after a routine service (oil change, tire rotation, multi-point inspection) on 26th June 2025, just 2 days after my regular service. The warning disappears after restarting but returns intermittently, typically after the EV battery is fully drained and the car fails to switch to gas mode.
NHTSA ODI #11670660
Mileage unknown · Feb 26, 2025
Electrical SystemPower TrainService Brakes
I was driving my vehicle on the freeway when all of a sudden I got a warning light that came on that said check hybrid system it looked up my brakes and steering the car completely shutdown in the middle of the freeway it happened so fast I couldn't get to the shoulder my car completely just stopped. I spoke to kia and took it …
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I was driving my vehicle on the freeway when all of a sudden I got a warning light that came on that said check hybrid system it looked up my brakes and steering the car completely shutdown in the middle of the freeway it happened so fast I couldn't get to the shoulder my car completely just stopped. I spoke to kia and took it to the dealership and they ended up saying because it needed a update which I then called kia and let them know the situation that I almost got in a accident and that I didn't feel safe in that car and they didn't want to help.
NHTSA ODI #11644973