2.6

hardly worth mentioning
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
0 / 0
Average Mileage:
55,692 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

2012 Kia Sportage steering problems

steering problem

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2012 Kia Sportage Owner Comments

problem #6

Sep 222020

Sportage

  • 115,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

So since I purchased the vehicle around this time last year the feeling while driving my Kia was smooth no vibration or notice coming from the car, I havent had any kind of accidents or hit any pot holes, so now a year into having the Kia and keeping all the fluids, brakes, and tires changed I noticed before getting it services and having those listed changed there is a feeling in the steering front end of what I say feels like the tires are going to fold up under the car. When turning the steering seems to feel really loose and I have to correct it out of the direction I just turn to make the vehicle to correctly drive forward. It has pulled to the right for a long time and this is one of the reasons I replaced the tires. Also there is a ticking noise coming from the engine and after learning about a recall with this Kia that cause the engine to catch fire I called and the vehicle has already had this issue repaired but it is making that clicking or ticking sound still and the exhaust has moisture coming from it only on the right passenger side and the pipe it completely black from whatever it is putting out..

- Porter, TX, USA

problem #5

Jul 052018

Sportage

  • 106,000 miles
My 17yr old son was driving the car when it started making a noise and wouldn't accelerate.he slowed down to pull over and the steering wheel didn't want to turn. He said it was heavy. We had the car towed home and checked out by a mechanic who stated it was rod bearings. I remembered a couple years ago getting a letter from NHTSA and Kia mentioning they were investigating a problem with the engine. I looked up and it said no recalls on my car. The car has the exact same problem as the recall same year and everything. The car only has 106 thousand on it and has always received all scheduled maintenance. The mechanic said had my son kept driving the car the engine would have seized which could have caused a serious accident. My son was driving on a busy rural road with a lot of curves. We have a lot of oilfield trucks and traffic with vehicles that can't stop fast and had my son broke down on a curve or bottom of a hill he could have been seriously injured or worse. I think the recall needs to be investigated more. Kia said my vehicle was not included in the recall because my engine was manufactured in a different facility. My car has the exact problem as the recall same year model everything.

- St Marys, WV, USA

problem #4

Jul 272017

Sportage

  • 45,000 miles
Rattling noise from steering column that is continuously getting worse. Vibration from wheel while braking intermittently. This more often occurs while making turns. Every time the wheel is turned left, there is a clicking noise but not when it's turned to the right. I was originally told it was the viscous coupling, then I was told it may be the entire steering column. Why does a 5 year old vehicle need a new steering column. Also, this has been going on since I got the car and has just continuously gotten worse. I took it to another mechanic since Kia has misdiagnosed the issue several times. He agrees its in the steering column but the entire dash has to be pulled apart to pinpoint the exact piece within the steering column. Please see the attached email from Kia.

- Wilmington, DE, USA

problem #3

Jul 272017

Sportage

  • 60,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

Rattling noise coming from steering column for a while and has constantly gotten worse. Took it to a Kia of cherryhill first they told the noise was coming from something in the door, then they guy at the service desk took a ride with me, I pointed the noise out & he told me it was a viscous coupling, the following week I requested he email me the quote & he responded that my particular vehicle doesn't even have that part & it's probably the steering column. I decided to take it to another mechanic & he confirms the rattling noise is coming B from the steering column. They looked up the recalls & there were other recalls for this issue but my VIN # was not on there. I believe Kia was not thorough with the initial recall.

- Wilmington, DE, USA

problem #2

Mar 202014

Sportage 4-cyl

  • 6,955 miles
At approximately 5:30am, I was driving down the freeway. My Kia Sportage suddenly made a loud bang, and the engine stalled. It also shut off the headlights, and disabled the power steering, while on a curve, going 70mph. The power assisted brakes were also not working, because the engine shut down. I managed to pull the vehicle over without incident, but was almost hit by several vehicles that could no longer see me, because my lights were off. The engine would not start up again, and I had to have the vehicle towed home. This is the 3rd time this vehicle has done this, and Kia refuses to repair the vehicle.

- Farmington Hills, MI, USA

problem #1

Oct 312011

Sportage

  • 1,200 miles
While traveling at highway speeds, or any speed above 30mph on a straight road vehicle requires constant correction to track vehicle in a straight line. Without constant correction, the vehicle would leave the road surface. The resistance to steering pressure in correlation to speed does not seem properly programmed for vehicle. The best way to describe this is to drive a car that would otherwise track down the road correctly, now throw control arms with worn out bushings and ball joints. It acts exactly like that, except a car with worn out control arm bushings and ball joints would in no way shape or form pass a safety inspection in any state. This problem, on trips over 45 minutes excessively fatigues the driver. (I thought I was going crazy on a 4.5 hour trip mostly expressway speeds) over 80mph this problem seems to be eliminated...but not worth the endangerment of others using the roadway.

- Farmington, NH, USA

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