2018 Kia Sportage

My 2018 Kia Sportage (VIN [XXX] ) experienced complete engine failure due to low compression/internal combustion chamber failure. The vehicle lost power while driving on Sept 30, 2025, and had to be towed to [XXX] Kia in Dayton, OH. This same dealership previously performed an oil retention test in Aug 2024 which failed, identifying a defective engine. Kia was aware of the issue but declined to replace the engine at that time. The failure pattern matches Kia’s known engine defect. Kia Consumer Affairs (Case #25572677) has denied goodwill assistance despite this safety-related engine failure and prior diagnostic documentation. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while her son was driving approximately 65 MPH, the vehicle independently accelerated. The contact stated that the check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact had taken the vehicle to a local dealer, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 117,000.

With the cruise control set at highway speed (65pmh, etc) If you push the foot controlled parking brake it will not cancel the cruise control. The vehicle increases the acceleration to maximum and overrides the parking brake input. If using the parking brake in an emergency you would stomp on the parking (emergency brake) and not be able to slow down unless separately cancelling the cruise control.

The contact owns a 2018 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle independently accelerated with the tachometer elevated to 5,000 RPM’s. The contact shifted into neutral(N) to correct the failure. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000. The VIN was not available.

ADDENDUM TO THE COMPLAINT DATED JANUARY THROUGH SENATOR MARCO RUBIO OFFICE. I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM NHTSA DOT THAT THE INVESTIGATION IS OPEN AS TO THE "SOFTWARE UPGRADE", SHOULD BE LABELED RECALL AND INTO THE "THETA ENGINE", SEE ATTACHED. AS I WRITE THIS, MY DISABLED HUSBAND IS IN A TOW TRUCK WITH THE DRIVER BECAUSE HE WENT TO THE DOLLAR GENERAL STORE, TURNED THE CORNER ONTO A BUSY HIGHWAY AND THE CAR LIMP MODE LIGHT CAME ON, CAR SHUT DOWN DANGEROUSLY SLOW. LUCKILY HE WAS NOT REAR-ENDED. THIS IS PATHETIC FOR KIA MOTORS, KIA AMERICA TO GET AWAY WITH THIS. THESE VEHICLES NEED TO BE BOUGHT BACK. THEY HAVE NO CLUE WHAT IS REALLY HAPPENING. WE TOOK OUR CAR IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO TO COURTESY KIA FOR AN OIL CHANGE. THEY SAID ALL WAS GOOD. CLEARLY IT IS NOT ! KIA DID US, TWO DISABLED AMERICANS WRONG. SOUL 1ST, SCAMMED INTO GOING MORE IN DEPTH BECAUSE SOUL WAS BAD... KNOWING THERE IS A MAJOR DEFECT. THAT IS DECEPTIVE TRADE PRACTICE. PLAIN AND SIMPLE AND DEALER'S ARE COMPLICIT. PLEASE GET THESE CARS OFF OF THE RODE. IT HAS BEEN NOTED ON FORUMS THAT KIA IS PUTTING USED MOTORS. PLEASE DO SOMETHING. WE ARE NOT SAFE, OUR GRANDCHILDREN ARE NOT SAFE. STATES ATTORNEYS, ATTORNEY GENERAL'S, SENATORS, ETC. HELP ALL OF US. WE LOST OUR HOME TO TOXIC DRYWALL , NOW THIS. PLANT CITY. ♿

ALL OF THE LIGHTS ON MY DASHBOARD COME ON AND WHEN THIS HAPPENS IT'S GENERALLY NIGHT TIME. I CAN'T DRIVE MY CAR WITH THE HEADLIGHTS ON BECAUSE IF I CUT THEM ON MY CAR WON'T MOVE AND MY REAR VIEW CAMERA WILL NOT WORK. THE FIRST TIME THIS HAPPENED IT WAS 05/18/2019. I WAS DRIVING IN THE EVENING HOURS TO PICK MY SON UP FROM WORK I NOTICED THAT THE CAR STARTED TO SLOW DOWN AS I HAD MY FOOT ON THE ACCELERATOR, I PULLED THE CAR TO THE SIDE BEFORE IT STOPPED AND TURNED EVERYTHING OFF. I WAITED A FEW MINUTES CUT IT BACK ON AND EVERY LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD WAS ON. I COULDN'T MOVE MY CAR I CUT THE HEADLINE OFF AND IT PROCEEDED TO MOVE. HOWEVER AT THAT TIME OF NIGHT I NEED LIGHTS. THE NEXT MORNING I TOOK THE CAR TO BERWYN KIA IN BERWYN ILLINOIS AND WAS TOLD THAT A SOFTWARE UPDATE WAS NEEDED, TOOK 30 MINUTES AND I WAS GONE. A WEEK OR TWO LATER I WAS RIGHT BACK WITH EXACT SAME ISSUE AND WAS TOLD IT WAS A HARNESS PROBLEM AND HEY WOULD GET IT FIXED. MY CAR WAS HERE FOR A MONTH. I PICKED MY CAR UP AND 07/03/2019 IT HAPPENED AGAIN AND I HAVE VIDEO FOOTAGE FOR EACH INCIDENT. I CALLED KIA CUSTOMER SERVICE AND SPOKE WITH THEM AND I AM NOW BEING THE CAR BACK AGAIN ON 07/17/2019 BECAUSE ALL OF THE ISSUES HAVE HAPPENED AGAIN!!

DRIVER EXPERIENCED INITIAL BOGGING DOWN ON ACCELERATION BEFORE NORMAL ACCELERATION OCCURRED. THERE HAVE BEEN TWO OCCURANCES THUS FAR. HAPPENED WHILE ONE FOOT ON BRAKE AND THE OTHER ON ACCELERATOR IN ORDER TO GET RAPID RESPONSE CHANGING LANES IN TRAFFIC AND OTHER WHILE MAKING LEFT TURN THROUGH TRAFFIC. VERY DANGEROUS TO EXPERIENCE BOGGING INSTEAD OF ACCELERATION. THIS WAS A RECALL PROBLEM WITH MY 2011 JEEP GC. REPLACED AN INTERNAL FUEL PUMP RELAY IN THE TIPM THAT CURED THE PROBLEM. SUSPECT KIA HAS THE SAME PROBLEM. I OWN A 2018 KIA SPORTAGE FE FWD W/ APPROX. 6500 MILES.

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2018 KIA SPORTAGE. WHEN THE CONTACT ATTEMPTED TO ACCELERATE FROM A STOP OR LOW SPEEDS, THE VEHICLE FAILED TO ACCELERATE IN A TIMELY MANNER. THE FAILURE WAS EXPERIENCED SEVERAL TIMES. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN UNKNOWN DEALER FOR DIAGNOSTIC TESTING, BUT A FAILURE CODE WAS NOT LOCATED. THE DEALER ALSO TEST DROVE THE VEHICLE AND WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT CONTACTED. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS NOT AVAILABLE.