2018 Kia Sportage fuel/propulsion system problems
11 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the fuel/propulsion system on the 2018 Kia Sportage — 7% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“Shortly after driving away, before reaching a highway on-ramp, I noticed smoke coming from the vehicle. I turned around and returned to the location. By the time I arrived, the vehicle was emitting black smoke, and shortly after, it was fully engulfed in fire before I could retrieve a fire…”
filed Sep 10, 2026
“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
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Fuel/propulsion System problems in other Sportage years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Sportage | 4 | 15% |
| 2025 Sportage | 1 | 2% |
| 2024 Sportage | 3 | 4% |
| 2023 Sportage | 12 | 6% |
| 2022 Sportage | 3 | 7% |
| 2021 Sportage | 2 | 4% |
| 2020 Sportage | 7 | 4% |
| 2019 Sportage | 7 | 10% |
| 2017 Sportage | 21 | 5% |
| 2016 Sportage | 9 | 7% |
| 2015 Sportage | 7 | 5% |
| 2014 Sportage | 6 | 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.