Problems · by component

2023 Kia Sportage service brakes problems

30 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2023 Kia Sportage cite service brakes, 15% of all 194 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
30
15% of all complaints
Crashes
6
Reported by owners
Fires
0
Reported by owners
Injuries
3
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the service brakes

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“I have had repeated failure/wear of my rotors on my 2023 Kia Sportage X-Pro Prestige, starting at about 12k miles and recurring roughly every 3 months from there. I have had multiple dealers look at it and they keep blaming me for the problem. I am not a rough driver, I drive mostly freeway, do not brake constantly or hard unless absolutely needed, etc. The symptoms are that typical vibrating of the car when stopping and the brakes have been squeaking terribly since the first replacement, they have never not squeaked even though I asked them to address it. Neither the dealer or Kia Corporate are helpful, this is obviously a defect as multiple online forums talk about the issue consistently with this car. I had a case open with Kia to find the cause so I can stop fixing the system, but they were unsuccessful in doing so. I just want it to be fixed so I can stop wasting time and money, I bought a brand new car for the first time ever to avoid worrying about repairs for a while. Biggest regret ever and based on how I have been treated I will never buy Kia again.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jun 15, 2026Service brakesODI 11744137
“This is a statement from my daughter: I was driving and noticed a vehicle stopped in front of me. When I attempted to brake, I could feel my brakes sink all the way to the floor. I also didn't receive an alert from the Front Collision Avoidance system or any assistance from the Automatic Emergency Braking system. The vehicle was a CPO that had always been serviced at the dealership. Because of various surgeries I have had, depending on the severity of the crash, I could have been paralyzed for life.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled May 29, 2026Service brakes, Forward collision avoidanceCrash reportedODI 11740925
“Vehicle: 2023 Kia Sportage Issue: Service Brakes / Premature Rotor Failure / Grinding Within approximately six months of purchasing my vehicle new, I experienced brake grinding and premature rotor failure. This condition has reoccurred multiple times despite repair attempts at authorized Kia dealerships, including rotor replacement under a Technical Service Bulletin. Multiple dealerships acknowledged the issue. A Kia service manager advised that factory brake and rotor components are prone to premature failure and stated that reinstallation of original parts would likely result in recurrence. They recommended aftermarket brake components to correct the defect. Despite this acknowledgement, Kia America has failed to provide a permanent fix and continues to rely on reinstalling the same materials associated with repeated failures. The defect remains unresolved and presents an ongoing safety risk due to compromised braking performance. This issue appears consistent with known defect patterns affecting Kia Sportage vehicles manufactured between 2022–2024, with widespread consumer complaints reporting premature brake wear, grinding, vibration, and repeated rotor…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 21, 2026Service brakesODI 11732669
“I took my car in several times to complain about the rotors and brakes. They said everything was fine but then the vehicle failed on the road so we had it taken to the nearest repair shop since we were on a road trip. Now Kia which has a fix to the damaged parts refusing to replace the defective parts.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 18, 2025Service brakesODI 11705759
“My 2023 Kia Sportage AWD has several ongoing safety issues that have been happening for over a year. The car stalls or hesitates at low speeds and during acceleration. I hear grinding or whining noises from the front end and drivetrain. My brakes wore out very early and still feel inconsistent, and the automatic braking acts unpredictable. The AWD system sometimes feels unstable when I try to accelerate. The tire pressure warning light comes on often even when the tires are fine. These issues happen randomly and make the car feel unsafe to drive. I am reporting this for safety investigation.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 28, 2025Power train, Service brakes, EngineODI 11701844
“Initially in May 25, my Sportage started accelerating on its own, unprompted, up to 4500 RPMs many times and also hesitated. In 6/25 the info screen, (whole dash) went black 4-5 x’s for about 3minutes while driving 60 mph on bypass. Beginning of July, Siri didn’t work and said it was inaccessible, and also the navigation said it was not updated however, when I pulled into the dealer, all of a sudden it worked? On 7/23 I was turning into apt complex and had no brakes! I had slowed to about 20mph, car behind me, and couldn’t make that turn so I coasted up to next entrance and was able to turn in. Fortunately, I was able to stop in my handicap pkg spot. I had already made appt for the initial issues at the dealer, Moyer Kia in Lebanon, for first week of August, but immediately called them on 724 and explained the absence of breaks! They told me to get car there right away, so I did. I gave a list of all above info, they were able to give me a loaner, Kia G6. This was very inconvenient for me as most of my back is fused and I provide transport for my [XXX] /o mom w/Walker, but I can’t go w/o a car! Moyer has had my car since 7/24,. With the exception of need for…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 18, 2025Electrical system, Service brakes, EngineODI 11700174

Showing 6 of 30 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Nov 3, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Other 2023 Sportage problem areas