Everything NHTSA's vPIC database knows about this exact vehicle:
Decoding from NHTSA…
Vehicle history — accidents, title & owners
The decode above is what this vehicle is. For what it's been through — accidents, title brands, odometer, theft/total-loss and previous owners — pull a full history report.
NHTSA publishes the first 11 characters of the VIN with every complaint — that identifies the plant, model year, body and engine. So these are reports from cars built exactly like this one, not an average across the whole model.
KNDPMCAC1J7••••••2018 Kia SPORTAGE
This build draws 2.0× more complaints than the average 2018 Kia SPORTAGE build (6 vs 3).
6on this build
155on the model
52builds in total
1involved a crash
1involved a fire
2injuries
Most reportedEngine 2Power Train 1Steering 1Electrical System 1
What owners of this build wrote
Trailer HitchesfireMay 2025
The contact owned a 2018 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving at approximately 50 MPH, the accelerator pedal was depressed; however, the vehicle failed to accelerate as intended. The contact stated that the vehicle decelerated to approximately 45 MPH, and the…
SteeringcrashSep 2022
My car was stolen from the Kia challenge
EngineAug 2026
The vehicle suffered a primary connecting rod bearing failure covered under the Theta II class action warranty campaign. A brand-new warranty engine long-block was installed by an authorized dealership. Immediately upon vehicle pickup, the brand-new engine began exhibiting an…
Service BrakesJan 2024
When pressing brake during operation, a noise comes from underneath vehicle. The warning lights goes off but come back on while driving and stays on. Kia dealer stated it was the ABS module going bad. Kia dealer recently replaced engine block due to manufacturer defect and…
Power TrainNov 2021
Intermittently, the car’s transmission slips out of gear completely, around 30-40 MPH. It gets back into gear after a few seconds. At times, it has presented a safety risk especially when attempting to merge on a highway in a short merge lane. When the slipping occurs in this…
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Owner complaints…
Now the whole model — all 52 builds of it, not just this build. Same NHTSA reports, wider net:
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Exact value for this VIN, adjusted for mileage
The original window sticker and factory options
Full research report as a PDF you can hand to a mechanic
Decoded via NHTSA vPIC. Recalls, complaints and safety from NHTSA; MPG from EPA fueleconomy.gov. Full history reports from our partner. VIN KNDPMCAC1J7393657 · decoded Nov 2026. — ForCar Reviewed by Denis Kataev, founder of ForCar.