When driving on the highway, warning lights activated on the dash with the message "Check Hybrid System. Stop Safely." Seconds later, the vehicle lost all propulsion power. The hybrid battery indicated it had a half charge and the combustion engine was running. Depressing the accelerator caused the engine to increase RPMs but little to no power was output to the wheels. I turned the car off and all electrical systems were disconnected and the car would not start. I pressed the "12V Battery Reset" button and electrical systems were restored and I was able to start the car. The failure then repeatedly occurred. This issue has presented multiple times now, all while driving on the highway.

I am filing a safety complaint regarding my 2023 Kia Sportage Hybrid. The vehicle developed a “Check Hybrid System” warning and was diagnosed by a Kia dealership as having a failure involving the high-voltage hybrid system, specifically the MCU (Motor Control Unit). The dealership informed me that the vehicle may be unsafe to drive due to the possibility of fire risk associated with the high-voltage system. I was told technicians had to use specialized protective equipment while diagnosing the issue and that the diagnosis process took nearly a week. The repair estimate was approximately $5,000, in addition to approximately $750 charged for diagnostics alone. The vehicle is reportedly out of warranty due to mileage, even though this appears to involve a major hybrid system component and a potential safety defect. This concerns me because: - the vehicle is a relatively new 2023 model, - the failure involves the high-voltage hybrid system, - Kia advised the vehicle may catch fire, - and independent mechanics generally cannot service or repair these proprietary hybrid components. I believe this may represent a broader safety issue or defect involving the hybrid system or MCU components in Kia hybrid vehicles. I am requesting that this matter be investigated for possible safety defects, recall eligibility, or manufacturer responsibility.

Over the past 11 weeks, my 2023 Kia Sportage has experienced sudden, complete loss of acceleration on at least three separate occasions while driving at highway speeds. Each incident is accompanied by the battery gauge dropping to zero. I was forced to stop on the highway to restart my vehicle in order to drive it again. No error codes are stored because the fault clears on restart. I have taken the vehicle for inspection to a mechanic and Kia Dealership Marin, neither were able to diagnose or repair the issue.

3 times in the last two days, and dozens of times over the last six months, while driving or while idling, the "check hybrid system" warning has flashed. When it happens the car does into limp mode, where it will go no faster than 13mph. this has happened in the left lane of a highway where there is no where to pull over except the lane, since there is no time to get over before the vehicle shuts down. the car essentially will shut down in the middle of driving, no matter where it is. Especially with my kids in the car it is terrifying hazard. I have brought the car to the Kia service and since its not easily reproducible they have not been able to help and have offered no solutions.

The vehicle frequently fails to engage gas engine when depressing gas pedal to any degree. A full push of the gas pedal does not result in gas engine engagement. This has happened over 15 ties since the recall computer update last summer (2025). This creates extreme danger because the operator expects the full power of the engine to engage when pulling out of intersections or crossing oncoming traffic, but the engine does not engage causing a slow, creeping acceleration from the electric motor only. I took it into the Kia dealer and they found nothing wrong. No warning lights occur when the malfunction happens. And no check engine lights occur either. The only correction is to fully turn the vehicle off and back on. Doing that resets everything back to normal. This malfunction usually occurs within the first 25-30 minutes of vehicle operation.