TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: ITM REPLACEMENT AND ECM LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (CA2509) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information to replace the Integrated Thermal Management Module (ITM) and then upgrade the Engine Control Module ‘ECM’ system software on certain vehicles, in the event the Multifunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) is illuminated with DTC(s) P218100, P2181F0, and/or P2181F1 stored. This condition may occur due to degradation of the diaphragm inside the ITM. There are no drivability or other symptoms associated with this condition
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗2023 Kia Sportage engine problems
severe Owners of the 2023 Kia Sportage have filed 12 NHTSA complaints about the engine at roughly $3,100 to repair (U.S. federal records, as of July 2026). Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. See engine across all vehicles →
Complaints
12
Recalls
0
Avg fix
$3,100
| Model year | engine complaints |
|---|---|
| 2019 Sportage | 22 |
| 2020 Sportage | 65 |
| 2021 Sportage | 19 |
| 2022 Sportage | 15 |
| 2023 Sportage (this page) | 12 |
| 2024 Sportage | 4 |
1crash
Is there a fix? Manufacturer service bulletins
The manufacturer has issued service bulletins covering engine on this vehicle — documented repair instructions, service campaigns, or warranty extensions sent to dealers. A TSB isn't a recall (it's not a free safety remedy), but it's the manufacturer acknowledging the issue and how to fix it.
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: ITM REPLACEMENT AND ECM LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (CA2509) - This bulletin provides information to replace the Integrated Thermal Management Module (ITM) and then upgrade the Engine Control Module ‘ECM’ system software on certain vehicles, in the event the Multifunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) is illuminated with DTC(s) P218100, P2181F0, and/or P2181F1 stored. This condition may occur due to degradation of the diaphragm inside the ITM. There are no drivability or other symptoms associated with this condition.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: 2.5L GDI THETA III ECU SOFTWARE UPGRADE FOR ISG OPERATION LOGIC - This bulletin provides information to upgrade the Engine Control Unit (ECU) software on some 2023MY Sportage (NQ5) vehicles equipped with a Theta III 2.5L GDI engine, produced from December 15, 2021 through July 17, 2023 and Sportage (NQ5a) vehicles equipped with Theta III 2.5L GDI engine, produced from January 12, 2022 through July 10, 2023, due to the possibility of an intermittent restart failure in rare circumstances with Idle Stop Go (ISG) enabled. The existing logic may prevent the vehicle from restarting automatically within a short time period (0.2 second) after entering "auto stop" mode and
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN: OWNER NOTIFICATION (SC285) - This document is the owner notification advising that Kia is conducting a Voluntary Emissions Service Campaign to replace the Vehicle Emission Control Information (VECI) Label on certain 2023 MY Kia Sportage vehicles. Kia has become aware that an incorrect VECI label was installed on certain 2023 MY Sportage vehicles. The VECI label is extremely important when performing maintenance, emissions inspection, or ordering engine and engine management related parts. It also contains the code that tells a testing facility which test to perform to ensure the vehicle is tested to the correct standard. Kia includes a replacement VECI l
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN: OWNER NOTIFICATION - This document is the owner notification advising that Kia is conducting a Voluntary Emissions Service Campaign to inspect and, if necessary, replace the fuel filler neck vent collar on certain 2023 MY Sportage vehicles manufactured from November 17, 2022 through January 18, 2023.
full bulletin at NHTSA ↗Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications. Bring the bulletin number to your dealer or shop.
The failure pattern owners describe
Owners of 2023 Kia Sportages report multiple engine issues, some severe. The most critical pattern is engine stalling without warning while driving, followed by hard starting; one owner experienced this repeatedly as of 47,000 miles, with the dealer unable to pinpoint the cause. Engine misfiring emerges as a documented defect in other cases, with owners requiring full engine replacement at low mileage—20,000 to 25,000 miles. Dealers have kept vehicles in shop for over 30 days without identifying the underlying problem. One owner's fuel injector was replaced but the misfiring persisted, forcing an engine swap at warranty.
A separate recurring issue is abnormally low engine oil levels triggering warning lights, occurring three times in the first 3,500 miles on a new vehicle. Some owners report check engine lights that multiple shops cannot diagnose. One complaint also mentions loss of acceleration (failure to respond to throttle input), though diagnostic context is unclear. Owners express frustration over slow diagnosis, lengthy repair times, warranty disputes, and dealer resistance to covering the costs of major repairs. No recall has been applied to address these failures.
Same Kia Sportage engine reports on nearby years: 2020 · 2021 · 2022
Failure modes owners describe
Engine stalling and hard starting
Engine stalls while driving without warning, then fails to restart immediately. Occurs multiple times. No warning lights precede the stall in some cases. Dealer unable to identify root cause.
When: 47,000 miles; also reported at 75,000 miles in context of acceleration failure
Symptoms owners cite: Vehicle stalls while driving; Engine seizes; Hard starting after stall; Multiple recurrences; No check engine light prior to event
Engine misfiring and catastrophic failure
Engine exhibits misfiring defect requiring full engine replacement. Multiple dealers unable to diagnose root cause despite extended shop time (30+ days). Owners report replacement at warranty despite manufacturer resistance to repairs.
When: 20,000-25,000 miles
Symptoms owners cite: Engine misfiring; Check engine light illuminated; Loss of power/hesitation; Vehicle requires new engine
Codes mentioned: Engine misfire codes (inferred from owner description of misfiring)
Repairs/costs cited: Full engine replacement required. Fuel injector replacement attempted but did not resolve problem. One owner reports engine replaced at ~25K miles as manufacturing defect; another awaiting approval for engine replacement at 20K miles.
Recalls/TSBs owners mention: Kia dealer service documented defect but unable to identify cause. One report indicates manufacturer initially resisted paying for repair, creating dispute over rental car reimbursement.
Low engine oil level
Engine oil drops to critically low levels triggering low oil warning light. Occurs repeatedly despite vehicle being new. Issue documented three times within first 3,500 miles.
When: 3,500 miles from new (October 2022)
Symptoms owners cite: Low oil warning light illuminates; Engine oil level drops significantly
Check engine light without diagnosable cause
Check engine light illuminates but multiple independent shops unable to identify fault. Represents difficulty in diagnosis and possible systemic issue.
When: Timing not specified
Symptoms owners cite: Check engine light comes on; No clear fault found by multiple shops
Synthesized from 12 NHTSA owner complaints — unverified consumer allegations, summarized for patterns. The verbatim filings appear below.
What owners are reporting 0 most recent
Had engine trouble with your 2023 Kia Sportage?
File a complaint with NHTSA → It's free, official, and how every report above got here — owner filings are the federal safety record this page is built on.
Common questions
How serious is the engine problem on the 2023 Kia Sportage?
It's a meaningful issue. 12 complaints have been filed and the failure mode causes operational problems for owners. Repairs average $3,100.
At what mileage does the engine typically fail?
Based on the 12 complaints filed, engine issues most often appear around 50,720 miles. Some report problems earlier; some make it well past 150,000 with no symptoms. Maintenance habits matter — vehicles that received timely fluid services and were not regularly overworked tend to last longer.
What does it cost to fix?
Independent shops typically charge around $3,100 for engine repairs on this vehicle. Dealer pricing tends to run 20-40% higher. The exact figure depends on the specific failure mode, parts availability, and your local labor rates. If you're outside factory warranty, an extended service contract often covers this category.
Are there any recalls related to engine?
No active recalls currently cover engine issues on this vehicle. The complaints filed represent owner-reported failures that haven't risen to the level of a manufacturer-issued recall — but they're still worth knowing about before you buy or budget for repairs.
Related
Complaint and recall data sourced from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA)
public records database. Verify the raw federal record at
nhtsa.gov/vehicle/2023/Kia/Sportage.
Severity ratings are derived from reported crashes, fires, injuries, and fatalities. Repair cost estimates are
independent-shop national averages and may differ in your area. Some links on this page are affiliate links.