2018 Kia Sportage power train problems
17 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the power train on the 2018 Kia Sportage — 11% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“I received a voluntary emissions update letter from kia, and although it was voluntary, the letter said failure to update could be considered lack of maintenance. The update was performed on XXX at Dorsch Ford/Kia in [XXX]. The vehicle ran poorly from that day forward. I gave it a couple of weeks…”
filed Jun 4, 2026
“I started my car and it started shaking violently, and would jolt back and forth, I would be on the highway and the speed would decrease rapidly and overheat slightly to pick up speed”
filed Sep 4, 2025
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Power Train problems in other Sportage years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Sportage | 6 | 12% |
| 2024 Sportage | 3 | 5% |
| 2023 Sportage | 18 | 10% |
| 2022 Sportage | 3 | 7% |
| 2021 Sportage | 3 | 6% |
| 2020 Sportage | 2 | 1% |
| 2019 Sportage | 7 | 10% |
| 2017 Sportage | 40 | 10% |
| 2016 Sportage | 8 | 6% |
| 2015 Sportage | 6 | 4% |
| 2014 Sportage | 4 | 3% |
| 2013 Sportage | 18 | 5% |
Other reported problem areas on the 2018 Kia Sportage
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.