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 2013 Kia Sportage owners, lightly cleaned up (personal details are redacted by NHTSA).
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Sportage. The contact stated while driving 73 mph, she heard an abnormal sound coming from the engine. There was no warning light illuminated. The contact parked on the side of the roadway and saw smoke coming from under the hood. The contact opened the hood and saw fire around the engine. The contact stated that her boyfriend extinguished the fire with bottles of water she had in the vehicle. The police and fire department were called to the scene. A fire report was filed. The contact was not aware of a police report being filed. There was no injury sustained. The vehicle was not drivable. The vehicle was towed to two independent mechanics and remained at the second location. The vehicle was not diagnosed nor repaired. A dealer was not contacted. …
My car caught on fire on the highway due to a kia recall and kia isn't willing to fix my car because i was unaware of the recall. I was on the highway driving my 9 month old baby to her fathers home and then i heard a rattling under the hood. all of a sudden my car stopped driving and it caught on fire thankfully I had my partner with me so he put out the fire. At the moment the KIA dealership has been brutally rude to the point that they've raised their voices at me and threaten to charge me more fees for my car being there because I was waiting to hear back from KIA. On top of everything i called the dealership that i bought the car from and has cursed me and sent me to hell because they did not go over the car fax with me or even advise me this vehicle had an open recall. …
In 2022, my 2013 Kia Sportage (VIN: [redacted] ) experienced a spontaneous engine compartment fire while parked. I was unaware of any existing recalls at the time. The vehicle was stationary and turned off when the incident occurred. I extinguished the fire myself. There was no crash involved, but the damage rendered the vehicle inoperable. I later discovered that this exact vehicle is subject to Recall 23V652000, related to an electrical short in the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) that can result in an engine compartment fire while the vehicle is parked or driving. As of now, the recall remains open and unrepaired under this VIN. I was never notified of this critical safety recall before the incident. Kia's authorized dealer in Puerto Rico (MOTORAMBAR) confirmed the recall but declined responsibility for the damage already caused, offering only the standard fuse replacement. …
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while coming to a gas station rest stop, making a left turn to the fuel pump, the vehicle lost power and coasted to the fuel pump. There were no warning lights illuminated. The VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic), which had a warranty extension for the engine to be repaired or replaced. The vehicle was towed to the dealer, who diagnosed the vehicle and determined that the engine had failed and needed to be replaced. The dealer was unable to replace the engine and referred the contact to another mechanic to repair the vehicle. The vehicle was not repaired. The dealer referred the contact to the manufacturer for assistance. The manufacturer was informed of the failure. …
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Sportage. The contact stated while driving 5 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, the contact became aware of an abnormal burning odor. The contact stated that the failure had been occurring intermittently while driving. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, where an unknown sensor was replaced; however, the failure persisted. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was not contacted. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 55,000. VIN tool confirms parts not available.
The contact's sister owns a 2013 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while she was driving approximately 65 MPH, there was a jolt to the vehicle with several unknown warning lights illuminated. The contact's sister stated that the brakes worked as needed; however, the power steering assist failed, and extra effort was needed to steer the vehicle off the highway. The contact's sister stated that soon after stopping, the vehicle lost motive power and stalled. The vehicle was towed to a local dealer to be diagnosed and it was determined that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle had not been repaired. The mechanic related the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V224000 (Engine and Engine Cooling) however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 112,000.
The contact owns a 2013 Kia Sportage. The contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the engine made a tapping sound, and then the vehicle lost motive power. No warning light was illuminated. Additionally, there was engine oil leaking onto the ground while driving, with smoke coming from underneath the hood. The vehicle was towed to the residence and then towed to the dealer, where it was diagnosed that the lower bearing, push rod, and engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact stated that a Product Improvement Campaign to update the Engine Control Unit (ECU) software had previously been performed. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and a case was opened. The manufacturer denied the engine replacement due to the vehicle have a Salvage Title. The failure mileage was approximately 83,000.
The contact's daughter owns a 2013 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while his daughter was driving 10 mph, the vehicle loss motive power without warning. The vehicle was towed to the contact's friend's residence, who works as an independent mechanic, and diagnosed the vehicle with an engine. The battery, alternator, and starter were replaced however, the failure recurred. The dealer was made aware of the failure and referred the contact to the manufacturer. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure and informed the contact that the Vin was not included in NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V224000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The contact was informed that since the oxygen sensor recall was not repaired the manufacturer would not cover the engine repair. The approximate failure mileage was 120,000.
The contact owns a 2019 Kia Sportage. The contact stated while driving 45 MPH, the vehicle started to hesitate intermittently. The contact stated no warning light was illuminated. The contact continued driving to her destination and after parking the vehicle, the vehicle failed to restart. The vehicle was not drivable. The contact towed the vehicle to an independent mechanic, where it was diagnosed with engine failure. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The contact called the local dealer and made them aware of the failure. Upon investigation, the contact associated the failure with NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V224000 (Engine and Engine Cooling), however, the VIN was not included. The manufacturer had been informed of the failure. The failure mileage was 163,463.
The contact's son owns a 2013 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while her son was driving 40 MPH, there was an abnormal knocking sound coming from the vehicle with the check engine warning light illuminated. Due to the failure, the vehicle was towed to her home where a mechanic inspected the vehicle and informed her that there was a recall on the vehicle under NHTSA Campaign Number: 17V224000 (Engine and Engine Cooling). The dealer was notified of the failure and her vehicle was towed to the dealer. The vehicle was diagnosed with engine failure and the contact was informed that her vehicle did not qualify for repair under the recall. The contact was then given an estimate for a new engine. The manufacturer was notified about the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 105,000.
Related recalls
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 2013 Kia Sportage?
NHTSA has 313 complaints about the engine & cooling of the 2013 Kia Sportage, 82% of the model year's 381 complaints. The component named most often is exhaust system › emission control › crankcase (pcv) (1 mentions).
Is there a recall for 2013 Kia Sportage engine problems?
Yes — NHTSA recall 18V-907 (engine, Dec 19, 2018); NHTSA recall 17V-224 (engine, Mar 31, 2017). Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.
At what mileage do 2013 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 2 crashes, 19 fires and 1 injury 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.