AutoUtility currently tracks 162 official NHTSA owner defect complaints for the 2018 Kia Sportage. Engine & Cooling issues are the most frequently reported category, appearing in 84 complaints (51.9% of submitted records). Among these NHTSA complaint records, 7 filings cite a crash, 11 cite a fire, 4 report one or more injuries.
- • Total NHTSA Complaints: 162 reports
- • #1 Reported Problem Area: Engine & Cooling (84 reports • 51.9% of submitted complaints)
- • Secondary Problem Areas: Electrical System (28), Powertrain & Transmission (18)
- • Crash-Citing Complaints: 7 filings
- • Fire-Citing Complaints: 11 filings
- • Complaints Reporting Injuries / Fatalities: 4 injury filings • 0 fatality filings
Most Reported Problems for 2018 Kia Sportage
Top automotive subsystem defect categories ranked by unique owner complaint volume in federal records
Engine & Cooling
Electrical System
Powertrain & Transmission
Brakes & Traction Control
NHTSA records list 1 official safety recall campaign for this model year involving the same broad component area:
- Campaign #21V137000 SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE
Fuel & Propulsion System
NHTSA records list 1 official safety recall campaign for this model year involving the same broad component area:
- Campaign #18V907000 FUEL SYSTEM, GASOLINE:DELIVERY:HOSES, LINES/PIPING, AND FITTINGS
Symptoms Mentioned in NHTSA Owner Reports for 2018 Kia Sportage
Specific mechanical, electrical, and driver-assist defect symptoms identified via deterministic narrative analysis
AutoUtility uses deterministic phrase matching to identify recurring symptom descriptions within consumer-submitted NHTSA complaint narratives.
Loss of Motive Power While Driving
Engine Coolant Intrusion / Oil Leak
Smoke, Burning Odor or Thermal Event
Recent NHTSA Owner Reports for 2018 Kia Sportage
Representative defect filings submitted by owners to the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation
"Purchased my Kia on the XXX then on the XXX, My engine light came on and my car went into Safety Mode . I at once took it to Auto Zone and their test came back with P1326 Knock signal range / performance. I then looked it up and found that a recall was put out quite a while back called an [XXX] #..."
"2018 Kia Sportage (78,051 miles). Vehicle is part of the Kia Engine Class Action Settlement due to severe internal engine defects. The engine suffers from catastrophic oil consumption, running almost completely dry three times in less than six months with no external leaks, meaning it is internally..."
"The contact owns a 2018 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving approximately 45 MPH, the vehicle lost automotive power with the accelerator pedal depressed. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to a dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the..."
"The engine consumes excessive oil due to the known Theta II piston oil control ring defect that the manufacturer documents in its own Technical Service Bulletin ENG222, covering this engine family across model years 2011 to 2024. The vehicle loses over one quart of oil per 1,000 miles with no..."
"The contact owns a 2018 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the Check Engine warning light illuminated. Additionally, the contact stated that the vehicle was experiencing excessive oil consumption, which resulted in spark plug fouling, and the vehicle..."
Complaint History for Kia Sportage
Reported defect complaint volume across sibling model years (2015–2026)
| Model Year | NHTSA Complaints | Crash Reports | Safety Recalls | Detailed Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 Kia Sportage | 146 | 7 | 2 | View 2015 Problems → |
| 2016 Kia Sportage | 130 | 8 | 2 | View 2016 Problems → |
| 2017 Kia Sportage | 399 | 14 | 4 | View 2017 Problems → |
| 2018 Kia Sportage Current Page | 162 | 7 | 3 | Current |
| 2019 Kia Sportage | 69 | 3 | 2 | View 2019 Problems → |
| 2020 Kia Sportage | 159 | 11 | 2 | View 2020 Problems → |
| 2021 Kia Sportage | 50 | 3 | 2 | View 2021 Problems → |
| 2022 Kia Sportage | 45 | 6 | 1 | View 2022 Problems → |
| 2023 Kia Sportage | 296 | 28 | 7 | View 2023 Problems → |
| 2024 Kia Sportage | 98 | 11 | 3 | View 2024 Problems → |
| 2025 Kia Sportage | 68 | 7 | 1 | View 2025 Problems → |
| 2026 Kia Sportage | 0 | 0 | 1 | View 2026 Problems → |
Detailed NHTSA Component Breakdown for 2018 Kia Sportage
Complete distribution of consumer defect reports across all 50 granular NHTSA system and subsystem classifications
| Vehicle Component / System | Total Complaints | Crash Reports | Fire Reports | Reported Injury Entries | Reported Fatality Entries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine NHTSA category: ENGINE | 57 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 0 |
| Electrical System NHTSA category: ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 11 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Other / Uncategorized NHTSA category: UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Powertrain NHTSA category: POWER TRAIN | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Engine & Cooling NHTSA category: ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Seats & Restraints NHTSA category: SEATS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Structure & Body NHTSA category: STRUCTURE | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility & Wipers NHTSA category: VISIBILITY/WIPER | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TRAILER HITCHES | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Service Brakes NHTSA category: SERVICE BRAKES | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Air Bags NHTSA category: AIR BAGS | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,EXTERIOR LIGHTING,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,STRUCTURE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC),ENGINE,FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| ENGINE,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING,SERVICE BRAKES,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Forward Collision Avoidance NHTSA category: FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,STRUCTURE,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| POWER TRAIN,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC,ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| SERVICE BRAKES,FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Steering NHTSA category: STEERING | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| STEERING,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM,VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,POWER TRAIN,ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,POWER TRAIN,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| STEERING,WHEELS,UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vehicle Speed Control NHTSA category: VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,SERVICE BRAKES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL,UNKNOWN OR OTHER,ENGINE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Visibility / Glass NHTSA category: VISIBILITY | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Official NHTSA Defect Investigations (1)
Formal safety defect inquiries and engineering analyses opened by the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI)
Hyundai and Kia ABS Module Fires
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received eight Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) and eight Kia America, Inc. (Kia) Part 573 Recall Reports between 2016 and 2023. The combined 16 safety recalls all involve the antilock braking system (ABS) modules or Hydraulic Electronic Control Units (HECU) manufactured by the equipment supplier Mando. The Part 573 Recall Reports contain varying defect descriptions and differing remedy descriptions fo...
The complaint records on this page are retrieved directly from the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) public database.
Local Production Store Compiled: August 2026 • Deterministic Audited Dataset • Zero Dynamic External API Runtime Latency.