Being one of the most modern crossover SUVs around, the 2019 Kia Sportage seems like a great pick in the segment because of its excellent interior quality and drivability. So far, owners have been happy about how reliable this car has been but recent records show that there is the risk of engine compartments catching fire. Kia has responded with a recall and owners have only reported 19 complaints apart from it. The car earns a predicted reliability rating of 87 out of 100 which is great. The car starts at affordable prices like $24,795 and it competes against the Mazda CX-5, the Toyota RAV4, and the Hyundai Tucson. Let us learn more about Kia Sportage problems through this article.
2019 Kia Sportage User Complaints and Problems
Mechanical problems:
- Probably the worst one in the list of Kia Sportage engine problems is that the engine compartment has the risk of catching fire. The brand has duly identified that it is due to a short-circuit and has recalled and is in the process of repairing all the cars affected.
- A few owners have stated that there was a complete loss of engine power while driving and that they had to come to a stop and restart the vehicle.
- One owner had a problem with the car inadvertently accelerating or sometimes failing to respond to inputs. This is one of Kia Sportage's acceleration problems and was previously reported by several owners.
- Although Kia Sportage transmission problems have been quite common, several owners are reporting things like the car rolling back when it is put in drive.
- Multiple owners have reported Kia Sportage automatic gearbox problems including vibration and jerking at freeway speeds, hesitation to shift, and so on.
- There was a complaint about a car refusing to respond to brake pedal inputs and crashing into the side of a school building.
Electrical system problems:
- There have been multiple complaints about the Bluetooth function in the car not working properly and the owners having to connect their phones through a wire.
Exterior problems:
- There have been a few complaints that owners have had the panoramic sunroof shatter without any impact. When looking at the list of such complaints, one feels that Kia Sportage panoramic sunroof problems are common.
- It seems like a common issue that the headlights have a visible dark shadow that sometimes changes in shape while turning. This causes a huge obstruction in terms of vision.
Safety problems:
- One complainant states that when cruise control is resumed, the resume button is held more than normal, the car resets to 20 mph automatically and control from the gas pedal is cut off. This can be a serious issue since it could cause an accident on the highway.
- There was an instance where the vehicle had a collision with a deer and caused serious damage. However, the airbags failed to deploy in this event and provide any safety. The car then started to behave erratically and throw up random electrical faults.
- One user complained that the rear turn signals are located so down low and there are no indicators on the brake lights. Hence, while indicating a turn, other road users find it hard to read the signal.
- One of the most common complaints that we have heard about Hyundai and Kia vehicles is that the vehicles can easily be stolen. This is a design fault on the part of the manufacturer and they should immediately redesign their security systems.
Miscellaneous problems:
- A few owners have raised complaints about the manufacturer failing to make the parts for recalls available on time. Most of these complaints are regarding an earlier recall regarding the brakes. However, some dealerships have even failed to respond to the complaint regarding the engine compartment fire.
2019 Kia Sportage Recalls
|
S. No. |
Date |
NHTSA Campaign Number |
Issues Noticed |
Additional Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
March 4, 2021 |
21V137000 |
Engine compartment may catch fire |
It was noted that the hydraulic electronic control unit may short-circuit and cause a fire in the engine compartment. |
Should you buy the 2019 Kia Sportage?
The Kia Sportage is great as a car and has its own set of unique attributes. The only problem is that in terms of reliability, one of its main issues is quite serious. Apart from the engine bay catching fire, there are issues like the sunroof exploding, transmission problems as well as airbags failing to deploy in some situations. Since many complaints are regarding catastrophic problems, we are not able to recommend it to our readers.
