2026 Kia Sportage Hybrid

COMPONENT: Shift-by-wire transmission selector / hybrid control system. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. WHAT HAPPENED: Intermittently, after starting the vehicle, it will not engage Drive or Reverse. The selector input is accepted but the vehicle remains in Park/Neutral and does not move. The only way to clear it is to shut the vehicle off and restart it, sometimes up to 10 times, or by waiting a few hours, before a gear will engage. This has occurred repeatedly since purchase in November 2025. Vehicle currently has approximately 2,800 miles. SAFETY RISK: The vehicle can become unable to move without warning. If this occurs after a stop in traffic, at an intersection, or on a railroad crossing, the vehicle would be stranded in the roadway. It also prevents moving the vehicle quickly in an emergency. DEALER CONFIRMATION: Reported to a Kia dealership ion 09/02/2026. Dealer attempted to reproduce by starting the vehicle 10 times and reported it worked each time. No diagnostic trouble codes or module data were documented. Problem not confirmed by dealer. I have found other owners of the same model year and powertrain reporting the identical symptom online. OTHER INSPECTION: Not inspected by manufacturer, police, or insurance. A case has been opened with Kia consumer affairs requesting a field technician inspection. WARNING LAMPS: None. No warning lights, messages, or chimes before or during the failure. UNKNOWN cause.

Falsification and/or alteration of repair logs, service dates, and/or mileage records across dealership diagnostic networks and third parties. Evasion of warranty and/or other maintenance requirements. Poor dealership and corporate treatment of military veterans. Suspected unauthorized non-factory wiring harness splices and/or other devices tapped directly into primary Controller Area Network (CAN-Bus) control modules on current model-year (2026) passenger vehicles. Disruption of primary vehicle (and total loss of secondary vehicle) control units resulting in inconvenient intermittent faults, potential safety hazards, severe mental distress, and time/financial losses. Vehicle currently in use as needed only for family requirements, pending purchase of a new vehicle outside the kia motor corporation and West hills dealership network. Both compromised vehicles will then be parked pending investigations.