2023 KIA Sportage Phev
Safety record from NHTSA: recalls, owner complaints, investigations and service bulletins.
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Vehicles › KIA › Sportage Phev › 2023
These records cover every 2023 KIA Sportage Phev. To see whether one car still needs a recall repair, decode its VIN or check it with NHTSA.
Recalls
2 recalls name the 2023 KIA Sportage Phev. Newest first.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Sportage Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV) and 2024-2025 Sportage vehicles equipped with a 4.2" screen and a Genuine Kia tow hitch harness accessory. Due to a software error, the instrument panel screen may fail. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety…
Risk and remedy
Risk
An instrument panel screen that fails to display critical safety information, such as the speedometer or warning lights, can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the tow hitch harness control module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 13, 2026. Owners may contact Kia Customer Service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC359. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning December 31, 2025.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Sportage, Sportage Hybrid, Sportage Plug-in Hybrid, Niro Hybrid, Niro Plug-in Hybrid, Soul, and Telluride vehicles equipped with a digital instrument cluster containing a 4.2" LCD screen. The instrument cluster may fail to display any information when the vehicle is started. As such, these vehicles fail to…
Risk and remedy
Risk
A blank instrument cluster display will not show critical information, such as tire pressure, warning messages, and warning lights, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will update the instrument cluster software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 26, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC270.
Owner complaints
16 complaints
What owners report most
Latest complaints
- Engine · Power train
The contact owns a 2023 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while coming to a complete stop, the vehicle shifted into neutral and failed to properly shift into gear. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed, and the contact was…
The contact owns a 2023 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while coming to a complete stop, the vehicle shifted into neutral and failed to properly shift into gear. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed, and the contact was advised that the failure could not be duplicated. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 33,325.
- Engine · Power train · Vehicle speed control
1. Hybrid system failure And check engine light on . 2. Car jerk while driving and gone to limp mode and my speed was reduced to 10 mph at traffic putting my self and other in danger . 3. My vehicle is currently at the dealership getting inspected this is the second time my hybrid warning light…
1. Hybrid system failure And check engine light on . 2. Car jerk while driving and gone to limp mode and my speed was reduced to 10 mph at traffic putting my self and other in danger . 3. My vehicle is currently at the dealership getting inspected this is the second time my hybrid warning light came on and the first time they told me nothing was wrong with my vehicle. 4. All of these symptoms happened at the same time while driving.
- Structure › Body · Unknown or other · Visibility › Sun/moon roof assembly
I had been driving on the freeway for about 5 minutes, and suddenly heard broken glass in my car. It was dark (around 8pm) so I looked around as I was driving and didn't see any of my visible windows broken. I then heard more glass shattering sound and realized it was my sunroof glass that had…
I had been driving on the freeway for about 5 minutes, and suddenly heard broken glass in my car. It was dark (around 8pm) so I looked around as I was driving and didn't see any of my visible windows broken. I then heard more glass shattering sound and realized it was my sunroof glass that had suddenly broken. The mesh cover beneath it was closed so I was not injured. When I went home and did a quick google search, several other incidents of this happening popped up. There were no warning lamps or messages or symptoms of the problem prior to failure. It has been 2 weeks of calling my local Kia as well as Kia Customer care and my car is still sitting idle with the broken glass on top.
- Vehicle speed control
When engaging the cruise control using the steering wheel button, the speed will set itself at 110 miles an hour, and the vehicle will in fact attempt to reach that speed and accelerate. The problem has occurred at speeds as low as 30 miles an hour and as high as 70 miles an hour, it happens…
When engaging the cruise control using the steering wheel button, the speed will set itself at 110 miles an hour, and the vehicle will in fact attempt to reach that speed and accelerate. The problem has occurred at speeds as low as 30 miles an hour and as high as 70 miles an hour, it happens intermittently pressing the cruise control button does not disengage the cruise control every time sometimes it is necessary to press the brakes for the cruise control to be shut back off.
- Steering
Kia opted for Leather like material for the steering wheel cover. This material with only 14, 828 miles on the vehicle is starting to peel off causing a bad gripping scenario. The material is more like a vinyl instead of leather. I have brought the vehicle to the Dealer who is attempted a…
Kia opted for Leather like material for the steering wheel cover. This material with only 14, 828 miles on the vehicle is starting to peel off causing a bad gripping scenario. The material is more like a vinyl instead of leather. I have brought the vehicle to the Dealer who is attempted a warranty submission but I believe they will maybe only replace it with the same material and it will do it again. In all my years of driving I have never seen a wheel cover peel like this material is doing. It has been slowly failing over time and not all at once.
- Electrical system · Engine
PHEV vehicle: charging interrupted in the middle of the night. When attempting to reconnect the charger, a "Charging unsuccessful" message was given. A warning with "Check Hybrid System" appeared, as well as the check engine light. I cannot charge the car anymore and had to leave it at the dealership.
- Electrical system · Engine
When driving, I get random flashing lights on the Dashboard with a Warning indicator: ”Check Hybrid system. Stop safely”. It happened at least on 7 occasions while driving at high speed on a highway and while stopped at a traffic light. When the issue happens, the car triggers aggressive Warning…
When driving, I get random flashing lights on the Dashboard with a Warning indicator: ”Check Hybrid system. Stop safely”. It happened at least on 7 occasions while driving at high speed on a highway and while stopped at a traffic light. When the issue happens, the car triggers aggressive Warning sounds forcing me to stop on the side of the road, placing the car into Park and having to turn the vehicle off. On every occasion, the vehicle appears to have corrected itself after being shutoff. In all cases while driving on a highway, the issue happened when driving on gas mode (not EV) and the RPM’s show 0.0 for more than 2 minutes. In the cases when I am stopped at a traffic light, the car is in EV mode and RPM’s are fluctuating. There should not be any RPMs when stopped. Due to theses multiples dangerous situations while driving, I took it to the dealership to get fixed ASAP. On October 5th 2024, Coral Springs Kia (dealer) accepted my car with same complaint mentioned on this letter, and they told me that this is a known issue, that another Kia owner came earlier that day with exactly the same problem. The dealer issued the service invoice# [XXX]- miles in 10636/miles out 10649-, stating: “Code 10643 Inspected the customer concern by checking the engine performance. Found the vehicle performance normal and no warning symbol came on when performing a long road test. Check for DTC and found no codes within the system, found the vehicle operating normal and was unable to duplicate customer concern”. After retrieving my car from the dealership on October 5th 2024, I continued to have the exact same scenario of Warning indicators. Since [XXX], the issue has happened at least 3 more times. This is clearly a glitch on the PHEV system and very dangerous to deal with, mostly when you are driving in a highway on high speed. A simple Google search indicates that is a known a common complaint from Kia owners. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6
- Vehicle speed control
I have experienced a dangerous bug where cruise control shoots immediately to 110mph. I have experienced three incidents in the last 15 months. Too busy trying to disengage the accelerating vehicle to get a video, but many others have documented this bug: [XXX] [XXX] [XXX] INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
- Hybrid propulsion system · Unknown or other
See attached document for complaint
- Back over prevention › Warnings · Forward collision avoidance › Automatic emergency braking · Forward collision avoidance › Warnings
At approximately 5:05pm today (6/4) as I was leaving a parking lot, I was reversing into the parking lot. The van directly opposite me also had their reverse lights on but was not moving. It was one of those whos-going-to-go-first situations. I had proximity warnings going off because of the cars…
At approximately 5:05pm today (6/4) as I was leaving a parking lot, I was reversing into the parking lot. The van directly opposite me also had their reverse lights on but was not moving. It was one of those whos-going-to-go-first situations. I had proximity warnings going off because of the cars parked around me and I started to reverse when I realized the van was waiting for me, and as I pulled back about 3 feet, the car auto braked. I looked around to make sure the car had not detected anything I hadn't seen, like a pedestrian or another car approaching from the side, and there was nothing. The van on the other side of the parking lot still had not moved as they were waiting for me to leave. The following is a letter we sent to Kia 3 months ago regarding the same issue happening multiple times with our car. They held the car under investigation, did not fix anything, and gave it back to us in terrible condition (cleanliness). I attached a copy of the letter to this submission. This is the 4th time we have had this problem. Eventually someone will get hurt or killed if this car continued to automatically brake due to faulty sensors or unvalidated software.
- Service brakes, hydraulic
The contact owns a 2023 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that the vehicle independently lurched forward while depressing the brake pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The failure continued intermittently, and the contact stated that while driving 27 MPH, the vehicle failed to stop upon…
The contact owns a 2023 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that the vehicle independently lurched forward while depressing the brake pedal. There was no warning light illuminated. The failure continued intermittently, and the contact stated that while driving 27 MPH, the vehicle failed to stop upon depression of the brake pedal. The contact immediately merged into the open right lane to avoid striking another vehicle and shifted the vehicle into park(P). The contact stated that the check brake system message, an orange warning symbol, and the emergency brake light all appeared on the instrument panel. The contact initially parked the vehicle and later had the vehicle towed to the residence. The next day, the contact was able to drive the vehicle to the dealer where the vehicle remained in the dealer possession for two weeks. The contact then received a call from the dealer that the warning lights were no longer illuminated, and the vehicle could be picked up. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and an investigator was assigned to inspect the vehicle. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired and remained with the dealer. The failure mileage was approximately 9,000.
- Structure › Body · Unknown or other
I was driving to work recently on a smooth road. I was not near overpasses or other surroundings that would cause debris. Suddenly out of nowhere my glass sunroof spontaneously shattered, sounding like a gunshot went off. The dealer said this was from a rock but there is no way this could have…
I was driving to work recently on a smooth road. I was not near overpasses or other surroundings that would cause debris. Suddenly out of nowhere my glass sunroof spontaneously shattered, sounding like a gunshot went off. The dealer said this was from a rock but there is no way this could have occurred given the circumstance I was in or the position of the “point of impact” they believe caused the shatter. Both the dealer and Kia Corporate have denied my claim to cover the cost of their faulty part. Given the many other reports of people going through similar incidents this must stop. The manufacturers need to be held accountable for this huge safety issue. It’s truly unbelievable that corporations treat consumers this way and get away with it. There is no evidence they were willing to provide me with what a “non-debris” impact would look like to compare cases, furthering my belief that they know this is a design flaw on their vehicles to save a buck. It’s seriously their word against mine.
- Fuel/propulsion system
It happened after the 1st oil change from Kia dealership, the car itself is PHEV so while driving on electric there is no smell on it but right after switching over to engine gasoline HEV only. the interior & exterior smell with heavily burned gasoline. the smell has been complained by my wife and…
It happened after the 1st oil change from Kia dealership, the car itself is PHEV so while driving on electric there is no smell on it but right after switching over to engine gasoline HEV only. the interior & exterior smell with heavily burned gasoline. the smell has been complained by my wife and parents. Specially I have a 11 months old baby. not sure what will cause in the future but it makes them dizziness from the gasoline burning from engine to the inside of cabinet. my entire garage now smells with the burned gasoline and its very hard to go away. every time I drive with HEV mode it smells bad, very bad. I've called to schedule a check up on the car on [XXX] but not sure if is common issue with this type of PHEV cars. INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)
- Electrical system › 12v/24v/48v battery
The contact owns a 2023 Kia Sportage PHEV. The contact stated that while the vehicle was being charged, the battery failed to fully charge. The contact stated that the vehicle was only able to drive for 29 miles after being charged. The contact then stated that on multiple occasions while…
The contact owns a 2023 Kia Sportage PHEV. The contact stated that while the vehicle was being charged, the battery failed to fully charge. The contact stated that the vehicle was only able to drive for 29 miles after being charged. The contact then stated that on multiple occasions while attempting to make a left turn or while driving at undisclosed speeds, the vehicle intermittently stalled without warning. The contact was able to restart the vehicle; however, the contact was concerned for his and other’s safety while on the roads. No warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the dealer where the failure could not be duplicated. The contact then stated that upon inspecting the battery, he noticed that it was a different battery but was not notified of any repairs or replacements. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided a case number. The failure mileage was approximately 1,000.
- Fuel/propulsion system
Fuel reading is inaccurate. Range miles drop drastically while traveling. Vehicle says it’s is out of fuels when there is more than a half a tax. Fuel range miles go from 313 miles while vehicle is off to 417 without refueling. Then drop about 40 range mile during a short 5 or less mile commute.…
Fuel reading is inaccurate. Range miles drop drastically while traveling. Vehicle says it’s is out of fuels when there is more than a half a tax. Fuel range miles go from 313 miles while vehicle is off to 417 without refueling. Then drop about 40 range mile during a short 5 or less mile commute. This is all happening while vehicle is traveling is electric mode. Multiple times the vehicles dash display said I was out of gas, but when I went to refuel, there’s more than a half a tank. From doing a little online research seems like this is not a isolated incident and many others are having this problem.
- Forward collision avoidance › Automatic emergency braking
the rear collision avoidance can not be disabled permanently. This becomes an issue when backing up while towing, or with a bike rack equipped, as the vehicle will slam on the brakes every time the driver reverses, impairing the driver's ability to quickly maneuver the vehicle in case of an emergency.
Service bulletins
Technical service bulletins and other communications the manufacturer sent dealers about this vehicle. Ask a dealer for the full document by its number.
- 11010698TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: AVN 5.0 WIDE NON-RESPONSIVE RADIO ICON (AM, FM, SXM) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information to update the software on 5th Generation AVN wide on certain 2020-2024MY Kia vehicles (refer to model list on page 8) to remedy a non-responsive or inoperative radio (FM, AM, SXM, etc.) concern. The affected AVN unit on the vehicles may not respond when pressing the RADIO hard key/button on the AVN unit or when selecting the RADIO icon on the AVN menu screen.
- 11000787This bulletin provides information relating to the correct transmission fluid type and fill quantity requirement for each Kia model. A flush is required ONLY when a transmission is replaced.
- 10253812TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: 4WD COUPLING ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY REPLACEMENT - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information to replace the AWD coupling actuator assembly on some 2021-2024MY Kia AWD models listed on page 4. The affected vehicles may exhibit an inoperative AWD system (also referred to as 4WD) capability concern which may be caused by abnormal wear of the motor brushes inside the actuator assembly. This condition will cause the warning lamps on the instrument cluster to illuminate with stored DTC(s) P195800 and/or P19600.
- 10250517TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: AVN 5.0 WIDE NON-RESPONSIVE RADIO ICON (AM, FM, SXM) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information to update the software on 5th Generation AVN wide on certain 2020-2024MY Kia vehicles (refer to model list on page 3) to remedy a 'non-responsive' or 'inoperative' radio (FM, AM, SXM, etc. ) concern. The affected AVN unit on the vehicles may not respond when pressing the 'RADIO' hard key/button on the AVN unit or when selecting the 'RADIO' icon on the AVN menu screen.
- 10243928TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: UNEVEN/SLIPPERY ROAD WARNING DISPLAYED ON INSTRUMENT CLUSTER - This bulletin provides information to update the software on 5th Generation AVN wide on certain 2020-2023MY Kia vehicles (refer to model list on page 3) to remedy a warning sound accompanied by a 'Slippery road ahead. Drive carefully' or 'Uneven road ahead. Drive carefully' warning which is displayed on the instrument cluster. The current AVN software causes the warning sound and message to repeat approximately every ten (10) seconds, if the vehicle is not in motion, in 'PARK' or driving on even surfaces.
- 10242982This bulletin provides information to update the software on 5th Generation AVN wide on certain 2020-2024MY Kia vehicles (refer to model list on page 3) to remedy a 'non-responsive' or 'inoperative' radio (FM, AM, SXM, etc. ) concern. The affected AVN unit on the vehicles may not respond when pressing the 'RADIO' hard key/button on the AVN unit or when selecting the 'RADIO' icon on the AVN menu screen.
- 10242937TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: 4WD COUPLING ACTUATOR ASSEMBLY REPLACEMENT - This bulletin provides information to replace the AWD coupling actuator assembly on some 2021-2023MY Kia AWD models listed on page 4. The affected vehicles may exhibit an inoperative AWD system (also referred to as 4WD) capability concern which may be caused by abnormal wear of the motor brushes inside the actuator assembly. This condition will cause the warning lamps on the instrument cluster to illuminate with stored DTC(s) P195800 and/or P19600.
- 10242913PITSTOP: AWD SYSTEM CONCERN DUE TO TIRE CIRCUMFERENCE - This Pitstop provides information regarding potential concerns with the All-Wheel-Drive (AWD) system due to tire sizes of differing circumference. Some customers may complain of a chatter sensation felt in the drivetrain of the vehicle and/or the failure of drivetrain component(s). A difference in tire size (width, aspect ratio, construction, rim diameter etc.) may be the cause.
- 10241848TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: AVN 5.0 WIDE NON-RESPONSIVE RADIO ICON (AM, FM, SXM) - This bulletin provides information to update the software on 5th Generation AVN wide on certain 2020-2023MY Kia vehicles to remedy a 'non-responsive' or 'inoperative' radio (FM, AM, SXM, etc.) concern. The affected AVN unit on the vehicles may not respond when pressing the 'RADIO' hard key/button on the AVN unit or when selecting the 'RADIO' icon on the AVN menu screen. Follow the procedure outlined in this publication to update the software on 5th Generation AVN wide units using the applicable USB Flash Drive A or B for the applicable vehicle.
- 10238225TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: PARTIAL REPAIR - ELECTRICAL A/C COMPRESSOR - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information regarding partial repair of the Air Conditioning (A/C) compressor assembly on some 2011MY~ Optima Hybrid (TF HEV, JF HEV/PHEV), 2015MY~ Soul EV (PS EV), 2017MY~ Niro (DE HEV/PHEV/EV), 2022MY~ EV6 (CV), 2021MY~ Sorento (MQ4 HEV/PHEV), 2023MY~ Sportage (NQ5 HEV/PHEV), and 2023MY~ Niro (SG2 EV/HEV/PHEV) vehicles.
- 10235105TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: DATA COLLECTION: EXTRACT CALIFORNIA EMISSIONS DATA FROM ECU (DC23) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information related to extracting "in use performance tracking" emissions data from the Engine Control Unit (ECU) of certain vehicles sold in California. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) requires the emissions data from vehicles with a minimum of 3,000 accumulated miles without reprogramming or resetting. To facilitate collection of this data at the dealer level, KDS screenshots will allow the capture of relevant parameters.
- 10230885TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SERVICE ACTION: CLUSTER LOGIC IMPROVEMENT FOR ADAS ALERT VOLUME CHANGE (SA517) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides the procedure to update the software logic of the Cluster (CLU) system on some 2023MY vehicles to allow the Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) default alert volume to be changed. Kia is requesting the completion of this Service Action on all affected vehicles in dealer stock, prior to delivery.
- 10228179TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SERVICE ACTION: CLUSTER LOGIC IMPROVEMENT FOR ADAS ALERT VOLUME CHANGE (SA517) - This bulletin provides the procedure to update the software logic of the Cluster (CLU) system on some 2023MY vehicles to allow the Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) default alert volume to be changed. Kia is requesting the completion of this Service Action on all affected vehicles in dealer stock, prior to delivery.
- 10226555TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: TRANSMISSION FLUID APPLICATION GUIDE - This bulletin provides information relating to the correct transmission fluid type and fill quantity requirement for each Kia model. A flush is required ONLY when a transmission is replaced, refer to applicable vehicles in the chart starting on page 2.
- 10217892TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: SERVICE REMINDER SETTING RESET PROCEDURE - This bulletin provides the procedure to turn OFF the service reminder lamp, at the first service interval reminder alert that will display on the instrument cluster. The KDS is required to change the setting from "Workshop" to "Customer Mode."
- 10217891PITSTOP: REAR OCCUPANT ALERT (ROA) W/REAR DOOR LOGIC - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This Pitstop provides information regarding the Rear Occupant Alert (ROA) with Rear Door Logic system on all 21MY~ models equipped with this feature. This system is designed to help prevent a rear passenger from being left inside the vehicle when exiting. The "Check Rear Seats" message will display on the cluster when driver opens the front door, if during vehicle operation the rear doors (one or both) were opened and closed.
- 10214889TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: DATA COLLECTION: EXTRACT CALIFORNIA EMISSIONS DATA FROM ECU (DC23) - This bulletin provides information related to extracting in use performance tracking emissions data from the Engine Control Unit (ECU) of certain vehicles sold in California. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) requires the emissions data from vehicles with a minimum of 3,000 accumulated miles without reprogramming or resetting. To facilitate collection of this data at the dealer level, KDS screenshots will allow the capture of relevant parameters.
Every KIA Sportage Phev model year
Bars are owner complaints, dots mark years with recalls. Select a year to open its report.