2020 Kia Sportage

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…

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.

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 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.

1. What component or system failed or malfunctioned, and is it available for inspection upon request? The engine is experiencing excessive oil consumption. The vehicle rapidly burns through engine oil between oil changes without visible external leaks. The condition appears related to the engine lubrication and internal engine components. The vehicle is available for inspection upon request. 2. How was your safety or the safety of others put at risk? The excessive oil consumption creates a risk of sudden engine failure, engine seizure, loss of power while driving, or vehicle stalling in traffic. This creates a serious safety concern because the vehicle could lose acceleration or stop unexpectedly while driving at highway speeds or in traffic conditions, increasing the risk of an accident or injury. 3. Has the problem been reproduced or confirmed by a dealer or independent service center? The excessive oil consumption has been consistently reproduced during normal driving conditions. The vehicle requires frequent oil top-offs between oil changes. The issue has been discussed with a dealership/repair facility, and the symptoms are consistent with widespread Kia engine oil consumption complaints. 4. Has the vehicle or component been inspected by the manufacturer, police, insurance representatives or others? The vehicle will be inspected by a Kia dealership or repair facility regarding the excessive oil consumption issue. No police or insurance inspection has occurred related to this issue. 5. Were there any warning lamps, messages or other symptoms of the problem prior to the failure, and when did they first appear? Symptoms included rapid oil loss between oil changes, the need to frequently add oil, and concerns about low oil levels. Warning indicators related to low oil or engine performance appeared after the oil consumption worsened. According to service records from Walmart dated December 29, 2023, the issue was present at that time and has progressively

In October of 2025 my husband noticed that our car was idling roughly and checked that there was plenty of oil in the system. The dipstick was pretty much empty so my husband added approximately 3 quarts of oil to bring it up to a little over half. After a thousand miles he checked to make sure it was still holding stead just in case. When he did so the dip stick again showed nearly empty. On approximately October 13, 2025 we took our vehicle into the local Kia Service center and they informed us that we would have to do an oil consumption test. The results of this test were that we were losing 2 quarts of oil per 1000 miles. We asked what could be done to remedy the situation and were told we would have to pay $900 for a chemical treatment that "might fix the problem". They said if the $900 cleaning did not work we would have to pay to have the engine repaired/replaced which we simply can't afford. Upon doing some research online we found that this was a problem that a lot of people had not just with our product year but that previous cars of the same make and model had a class action lawsuit due to similar issues. We drive 85 miles per day 5 days a week and feel that this is a major safety hazard. We also have a [XXX] daughter who would potentially be impacted if something happened while driving on the interstate. This is our only vehicle and is essential to our jobs as I work as a rehab director and occupational therapy assistant in a memory care facility and my husband is an assistant manager with a local business that requires him to use our car daily. We sent certified letters to Kia Corporate on Monday May 11, 2026 after attempting to deal with the dealership directly regarding these problems with no remedies offered there. Yesterday, my husband called Kia Corporate and they claimed that they hadn't received the letter. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)

I respectfully request that NHTSA review this issue for potential safety related defect trends involving excessive oil consumption that progress to catastrophic engine failure in 2020 Kia Sportages equipped with the 2.4L engine. The vehicle consumed oil at an abnormal rate between oil changes despite routine maintenance and regular oil level checks, and the condition ultimately resulted in a non-operational vehicle. Over the months leading up to the failure, I was forced to add oil at least monthly and began checking the oil level more frequently due to the rate of loss. I maintain my vehicle carefully and have consistently kept up with oil changes. In March 2026, the vehicle broke down after I experienced a sudden loss of power and stalling, and the engine ultimately failed and left the vehicle non-operational. When an engine consumes oil rapidly and then stalls or loses power unexpectedly, drivers can face an increased risk of a crash particularly if the failure occurs at highway speeds or in traffic. I have found numerous similar complaints posted online by other Kia owners describing the same pattern of excessive oil consumption followed by sudden loss of power, stalling, and/or engine failure. While I understand online posts are not formal findings, the volume and consistency of these reports suggest a broader trend that warrants NHTSA review for potential defects and safety impacts. After the failure, I had the vehicle towed to Kia of [XXX] . The service department advised that the engine requires replacement and quoted approximately $14,000 for the repair. The invoice I received (#XXX) states that the technician recommends “short block motor replacement,” but the dealership verbally stated they would not perform only a short block replacement and would instead replace the complete engine because, in their view, a short block-only repair would lead to additional problems. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)