Mileage when the problem started
Owner reports
Selected complaints filed with NHTSA by 2012 Kia Sportage owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle lost motive power. No warning lights were illuminated. The contact's husband arrived on the scene and attempted to jumpstart the vehicle, but the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who performed an unknown repair. The contact later replaced the battery; however, the failure recurred. Upon investigation, the contact was made aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine). The vehicle was then taken to the dealer, where it was determined that the engine needed to be replaced; however, the dealer declined to perform the recall repair due to the previous owner's failure to keep up with routine maintenance and confirmed that the vehicle was not covered under warranty. …
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sportage. The contact stated while driving an undisclosed speed, the vehicle stalled. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The contact was able to pull to the side of the road. The contact stated that he was able to restart the vehicle and continued driving; however, the failure reoccurred while driving. The vehicle was taken to a local Pep Boys, where it was diagnosed that the speed sensor had failed. The vehicle was then taken to an independent mechanic, where the speed sensor was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The dealer determined that the contact qualified for a free engine replacement; however, the part was not available. The contact stated that the vehicle remained at the dealer for 6 months. The vehicle was not repaired. …
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that upon starting the vehicle, he heard an abnormal tapping sound. Additionally, the contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle emitted an abnormal screeching sound. The contact veered to the side of the road. There was no warning light illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer was not notified of the failure. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that they could not assist as he had failed to complete the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) software update under NHTSA Campaign number 20V750000 (Engine). However, the contact stated that he was unaware that the VIN was included in the recall. The failure mileage was approximately 123,000
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sportage. The contact stated while driving 60 MPH, the engine seized. The check engine warning light illuminated. The contact veered to the side of the road. The contact was unable to restart the vehicle after several attempts. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the engine had seized and the starter was damaged. The vehicle was not repaired. The vehicle was then towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed that the engine had seized and needed to be replaced. The dealer sent a diagnostic report to the manufacturer; however, the manufacturer declined to cover the repair of the vehicle. The contact became aware of NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V224000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) which he associated with the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 150,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sportage. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the check engine warning light and several unknown warning lights illuminated, and the vehicle started to stall. The contact depressed the brake pedal, stopped, and parked the vehicle. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to restart. The contact shifted into neutral and pushed the vehicle to the side of the road. The contact stated that the vehicle failed to restart upon attempting to jumpstart vehicle with the assistance of a friend. The vehicle was towed to the Mazda dealer where it was purchased. The dealer diagnosed that the engine, the starter, the battery, and unknown parts needed to be replaced. The Kia dealer and manufacturer were not notified of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 127,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving 60-65 MPH, the engine made abnormal knocking sounds, and the vehicle stalled. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact's daughter was able to restart the vehicle and veer to the side of the road. The vehicle was towed to the local dealer where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced; however, the dealer informed the contact that the vehicle could not be repaired under NHTSA Campaign Number: 19V101000 (Engine). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and confirmed the dealer information. The dealer informed the contact that he had to pay out-of-pocket for the engine replacement. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 200,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sportage. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the engine compartment and the vehicle lost motive power. The contact was able to pull to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to the dealer to be diagnosed. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. After investigating the failure, the contact related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V224000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 221,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sportage. The contact stated while driving approximately 70-75 MPH, the vehicle went into LIMP Mode and stalled. The contact was able to coast the vehicle off the road where she noticed a fuel odor. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to her residence and then towed to the dealer where it was diagnosed that there was excessive wear on the bearings and seals caused by the engine consuming oil. The failure produced diagnostic trouble code: P0301 (Cylinder #1 Misfire). The manufacturer was notified of the failure and the contact was provided a case manager and informed that the failure was not related to a recall. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sportage. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V750000 (Engine). The contact stated there was an abnormal knocking noise detected and the vehicle went into limp mode. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer who informed the contact that the rod bearing had failed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and informed the contact that the vehicle was not covered under an extended warranty. The approximate failure mileage was 117,000.
The contact owns a 2012 Kia Sportage. The contact stated while driving 30 mph, the contact heard a rattling sound coming from the vehicle. A few days later while driving, the vehicle loss motive power and stalled in the middle of the road. The contact had the vehicle towed to an independent mechanic who inspected the vehicle and diagnosed the failure as an engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The approximate failure mileage was 85,000.
Related recalls
Engine
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2012-2013 Sorento, 2012-2015 Forte and Forte Koup, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, 2014-2015 Soul, and 2012 Sportage vehicles. An engine compartment fire can occur while driving.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine compartment for fuel and/or engine oil leaks, perform an engine test and make any repairs, including engine replacement, as necessary, free of charge.
Engine
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2011-2012 Kia Sportage vehicles. The engine oil pan may leak and, if not addressed, the loss of oil may result in engine damage.
Remedy: Kia has notified owners, and dealers will replace the oil pressure switch with an improved one, free of charge. In addition, dealers will inspect the oil pan for any oil leaks, replacing it if necessary, free of charge.
Engine
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2011-2017 Optima, 2012-2017 Sorento and 2011-2018 Sportage vehicles that previously received an engine replacement under recall number 17V-224, warranty, or the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) Product Improvement Campaign.
Remedy: Kia has notified owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the fuel pipe, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 17, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542.
Engine and engine cooling › Engine
Kia Motor Company (Kia) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Optima, 2012-2014 Sorento and 2011-2013 Sportage vehicles. Machining errors during the engine manufacturing process may cause premature bearing wear within the engine.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine assembly, and replace the engine if necessary, free of charge. The recall began June 20, 2017. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542.
NHTSA investigations
Scope and Timeliness
NHTSA opened Recall Query (RQ) 17-003 to investigate the timeliness and scope of Kia?s Theta II GDI engine recall (Recall No. 17V-224), and Kia?s compliance with reporting requirements. On November 23, 2020, the Agency entered into a Consent Order with Kia to administratively resolve NHTSA?s assertions of violations of law in connection with RQ17-003.
Engine Fires
On March 29, 2019, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened two Preliminary Evaluations (PE19-003 on Hyundai and PE19-004 on Kia) to broadly investigate incidents of non-crash fires (regardless of origin or operational status of the vehicle) on various model year Hyundai and Kia vehicles.
Loss of Motive Power
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated July 13, 2022, petitioning the Agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain Hyundai Motor America, Inc. and Kia America, Inc. vehicles spanning Model Years (MY) 2005-2021.
Engine complaints in other Sportage years
Frequently asked questions
How common are engine problems on the 2012 Kia Sportage?
NHTSA has 330 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2012 Kia Sportage, 84% of the model year's 392 complaints.
Is there a recall for 2012 Kia Sportage engine problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 20V-750 (engine, Dec 2, 2020); NHTSA recall 19V-101 (engine, Feb 15, 2019); NHTSA recall 18V-907 (engine, Dec 19, 2018). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2012 Kia Sportage engine problems start?
Half of the complaints with a recorded mileage happened before about 100,000 miles, and 4% before 25,000 miles.
Is it dangerous?
Owners linked 0 crashes, 16 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.