2023 Kia Sportage engine problems
68 of the 304 complaints owners filed with NHTSA about the 2023 Kia Sportage name the engine (NHTSA’s “Engine” heading — the engine and its cooling system). Filed under the same heading: 38 manufacturer bulletins. Every figure below is a document in a federal file, linked; none is a failure rate, and none is a verdict on any one car.
What owners filed about the engine
Source: NHTSA complaint database2 of the 68 reports a crash · 0 a fire · 1 injury. Self-reported, unverified.
Filed per year: 2022: 1 · 2023: 15 · 2024: 17 · 2025: 19 · 2026: 16
Too few of these complaints carry an odometer reading to say when the problem shows up.
304 complaints in all about the 2023 Kia Sportage, 16 filed in 2026. The whole picture, every system →
Counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many of these were sold; nothing here is a rate. NHTSA groups complaints coarsely, so “Engine” means the same area of the vehicle, not one fault.
Across model years: Kia Sportage engine problems, every year on file →
In owners’ own words
Source: NHTSA complaint databaseFiled with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, about the engine. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed; unverified reports — what was said, not a finding that it was true.
The contact owns a 2023 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving 75 MPH, the engine seized. The hybrid engine message was displayed. The vehicle was driven to the shoulder of the road and parked. The contact stated that while attempting to restart the vehicle, the vehicle started. The contact reset the instrument cluster.
I would welcome making my vehicle available for inspection on this issue. Year/Make/Model: 2023 Kia Sportage EX HEV AWD 4-Door SUV Color: Black Powertrain: Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) Number of occupants: 2 (driver and passenger) Injuries: None, but fatalities could have occurred.
The AC compressor failed on my 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid after 2 1/2 years of service and 59,800, mostly highway, miles. This affected the vehicle's drivetrain and it ground to a halt many times with a message "Check Hybrid System" displayed on the dashboard.
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.
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
What is on file about the engine
Source: NHTSA recalls, investigations and manufacturer communications38 manufacturer bulletins filed under this heading
The 0 newest are listed; every one is on the model year’s page. Quote the document number at a service desk — it is a diagnosis the maker has already written down.
Other systems with a record on the 2023 Kia Sportage
Source: the same files- electrical problems 85 complaints
Common questions
Source: NHTSA complaint database, recalls and manufacturer communicationsAre engine problems common on the 2023 Kia Sportage?
They are documented: NHTSA holds 68 owner complaints naming the engine on this model year (22% of everything owners filed about it), and 38 manufacturer bulletins are filed under the same heading. Whether it is a problem on one particular car is a diagnosis, not a count, and a count says nothing about how many were sold.
Is there a recall for the engine on the 2023 Kia Sportage?
No recall campaign is filed under this heading for this model year (there are 7 filed under other headings). A bulletin is not a recall: it carries no federal duty to repair for free.
When do engine problems show up on the 2023 Kia Sportage?
Too few of the complaints carry an odometer reading to say. The model year's page shows the mileage curve across every system where it can.
What does NHTSA's "Engine" heading cover?
The engine and its cooling system. Owners choose the heading when they file, so it says which area of the vehicle the complaint is about, not which part failed.