Which parts fail
Components named in complaints (engine, cooling system, oil leaks, timing chain, exhaust).
Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2008 Kia Sportage owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The radiator fan component was smoking. The car is available at anytime for inspection. I definitely feared that the car was going to explode in front of my baby cousins and elderly Aunt. The car has not been reproduced or confirmed by a dealship or independent service center. It also has not been inpected by manufacturer or police, insurance. The vehicle was not going faster than 30 mph, when parked, the radiator expelled the all the water on floor. It began to let out white smoke, and than black smoke. A lot of black smoke, and than a loud pop sound. The hood of the car melted shut. Everything that surrounds the radiator and battery was melted.
The contact owned a 2008 Kia Sportage. The contact stated while driving 40-45 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle was shuddering. Additionally, the contact stated while driving on another occasion, the vehicle experienced brake failure, which nearly led to a crash. An unknown dealer was notified of the failure. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but no assistance was provided. The contact decided to total the vehicle. The vehicle was totaled. The failure mileage was approximately 117,000.
The contact owns a 2008 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that there was an abnormal burning odor detected. The vehicle failed to drive forward or reverse as needed. Additionally, the brakes seized. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer where it was diagnosed and determined that the ABS hydraulic module needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was contacted and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 145,000.
Tl* the contact owned a 2008 Kia Sportage. While the vehicle was parked in the contact's driveway, the vehicle caught on fire from the engine compartment. The fire was extinguished by the fire department. A police report and a fire report were filed. The vehicle was towed to a salvage yard and deemed destroyed. The dealer was not contacted for a determination of the failure. The contact received notification of NHTSA campaign number: 16V815000 (electrical system) after the vehicle was destroyed by the fire. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, but offered no assistance. The failure mileage was 125,000.
My Kia Sportage was parked in front of a garage was not turned on and was in park when the engine suddenly caught fire it sounded like a loud bomb. The front of the vehicle was destroyed the vehicle was not salvageable.
Was parked and after driving to pick up please came back out and it was in flames
Kia is ripping people off to the tune of $1,700 to $1,800 for their faulty ABS brake controllers plus labor. It is a widely know problem that brake fluid seeps out of the back of this unit onto the circuit board and causes a variety of safety and mechanical issues. A year and a half ago I experienced a problem with the ESC traction light coming on, followed by a flashing 4x4 light and then finally a check engine light. The worst part about this is that it then slams itself into first gear going down the road! Yes, you heard that correctly. This can happen very quickly. Kia, you have a safety issue! I replaced the unit with a used one for $350 plus installation and now it has the same problem a year and a half later. There were two possible controller units for the 2008 Sportage and they look identical but are not interchangeable. …
My faulty 2008 Kia Sportage strikes again. The last 2 major incidences with my Kia are documented in my NHTSA complaint (10621705) occurred on aug 2013 -w/11K miles( transmission & electrical) and w/12K miles -August 2014 ( alternator &ABS pump). It's now January 2017 - car has 17.5K total miles and I needed to tow my Kia Sportage 2008 to a service center after the car stalled on a major road with 2 of my kids in the car. The car is behaving similarly to how it behaved in 2013 ' engine knocks as it shifts into gears eventually stalling. In 2013 ' Kia replaced the transmission and entire electrical system. As I stated in my previous complaint, there must be a design flaw associated with the car since it now appears I have the same transmission/electrical problem again 6K miles later since the last incident . Just learned today that my Kia needs a new transmission ! …
I was driving on the highway with the cruse control set at 65 and the vechile started to increase speed on it's own I attempted to turn off the cruse control by pressing the brake and turning off the system the car slowed until I removed my foot from the brake, then it began to accelerate again. Once I was able to stop the vehicle the engine continued to try and force it's way back to moving speed on it's own, I was able to get the vehicle in park and the engine speed increased to full throttle on it's own. I was able to shut down the engine and restart the vehicle, it was behaving normally about 10 minutes of driving later I attempted to stop the vehicle and the problem returned and it started accelerating again on it's own. I was able to shut the vehicle down
This is part 2 of 3... We got a new battery installed at advanced auto. Car ran fine. The next morning , she started the car and then went into the house. My niece was there and said she heard a pop and look outside to see the car on fire. The whole front end including the passenger compartment was burnt to a crisp. I believe what happened was a faulty part in the ABS (causing the light to come on) was shorting or something and that kept draining the battery. With the battery low, the battery would die before enough heat could build up, however, with the new battery, it could continue to pull power and heat up whatever faulty part was shorting out and then got hot enough to blow and cause fire. (continued in next post) 3 of 3...
Engine complaints in other Sportage years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2008 Kia Sportage?
NHTSA has 22 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2008 Kia Sportage, 22% of the model year's 98 complaints. The component named most often is exhaust system (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2008 Kia Sportage engine problems?
No. NHTSA lists no engine & cooling recall for the 2008 Kia Sportage, though it has 3 recalls for other components. If the problem is widespread, a repair may still be covered by an extended warranty or a manufacturer service bulletin — ask a dealer.
At what mileage do 2008 Kia Sportage engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 90,000 miles, and 20% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 9 fires and 2 injuries to engine & cooling problems on this model year. If you notice symptoms, have the car checked before driving further.
Source: U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) — owner complaints through October 20, 2026, recalls and defect investigations; fuel economy from the EPA. Complaints are unverified reports and are not proof of a defect. How we rate model years.