There are 4 owner-reported speed control & cruise complaints for the 2018 Kia Sportagein NHTSA's database. These are unverified consumer reports and may not reflect confirmed defects.
With the cruise control set at highway speed (65pmh, etc) If you push the foot controlled parking brake it will not cancel the cruise control. The vehicle increases the acceleration to maximum and overrides the parking brake input. If using the parking brake in an emergency you would stomp on the parking (emergency brake) and not be able to slow down unless separately cancelling the cruise control.
The contact owns a 2018 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the vehicle independently accelerated with the tachometer elevated to 5,000 RPM’s. The contact shifted into neutral(N) to correct the failure. Neither the dealer nor the manufacturer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 87,000. The VIN was not available.
ADDENDUM TO THE COMPLAINT DATED JANUARY THROUGH SENATOR MARCO RUBIO OFFICE. I RECEIVED A LETTER FROM NHTSA DOT THAT THE INVESTIGATION IS OPEN AS TO THE "SOFTWARE UPGRADE", SHOULD BE LABELED RECALL AND INTO THE "THETA ENGINE", SEE ATTACHED. AS I WRITE THIS, MY DISABLED HUSBAND IS IN A TOW TRUCK WITH THE DRIVER BECAUSE HE WENT TO THE DOLLAR GENERAL STORE, TURNED THE CORNER ONTO A BUSY HIGHWAY AND THE CAR LIMP MODE LIGHT CAME ON, CAR SHUT DOWN DANGEROUSLY SLOW. LUCKILY HE WAS NOT REAR-ENDED. THIS IS PATHETIC FOR KIA MOTORS, KIA AMERICA TO GET AWAY WITH THIS. THESE VEHICLES NEED TO BE BOUGHT BACK. THEY HAVE NO CLUE WHAT IS REALLY HAPPENING. WE TOOK OUR CAR IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS AGO TO COURTESY KIA FOR AN OIL CHANGE. THEY SAID ALL WAS GOOD. CLEARLY IT IS NOT ! KIA DID US, TWO DISABLED AMERICANS WRONG. SOUL 1ST, SCAMMED INTO GOING MORE IN DEPTH BECAUSE SOUL WAS BAD... KNOWING THERE IS A MAJOR DEFECT. THAT IS DECEPTIVE TRADE PRACTICE. PLAIN AND SIMPLE AND DEALER'S ARE COMPLICIT. PLEASE GET THESE CARS OFF OF THE RODE. IT HAS BEEN NOTED ON FORUMS THAT KIA IS PUTTING USED MOTORS. PLEASE DO SOMETHING. WE ARE NOT SAFE, OUR GRANDCHILDREN ARE NOT SAFE. STATES ATTORNEYS, ATTORNEY GENERAL'S, SENATORS, ETC. HELP ALL OF US. WE LOST OUR HOME TO TOXIC DRYWALL , NOW THIS. PLANT CITY. ♿
DRIVER EXPERIENCED INITIAL BOGGING DOWN ON ACCELERATION BEFORE NORMAL ACCELERATION OCCURRED. THERE HAVE BEEN TWO OCCURANCES THUS FAR. HAPPENED WHILE ONE FOOT ON BRAKE AND THE OTHER ON ACCELERATOR IN ORDER TO GET RAPID RESPONSE CHANGING LANES IN TRAFFIC AND OTHER WHILE MAKING LEFT TURN THROUGH TRAFFIC. VERY DANGEROUS TO EXPERIENCE BOGGING INSTEAD OF ACCELERATION. THIS WAS A RECALL PROBLEM WITH MY 2011 JEEP GC. REPLACED AN INTERNAL FUEL PUMP RELAY IN THE TIPM THAT CURED THE PROBLEM. SUSPECT KIA HAS THE SAME PROBLEM. I OWN A 2018 KIA SPORTAGE FE FWD W/ APPROX. 6500 MILES.
Complaints are unverified consumer reports submitted to NHTSA. A high complaint count may reflect vehicle popularity, not defect severity. Data sourced from NHTSA public records.
Data synced from NHTSA on Apr 26, 2026