Hi,
I have a 2023 Kia Sportage EX 2.5L FWD 8sp Auto with just over 40K miles on it. Sometimes, ill be driving and the RPMs drop below 1600 and when I try to accelerate slowly (I'm not really an aggressive driver), the engine bogs down and feels like it vibrates until the RPMs rise above 1600. There are 3 driver settings (Normal, Smart, and Sport) and this typically happens in Normal and Smart since Sport tends to keep the RPMs above 2000. I know the transmission is trying to find the most fuel efficient gear and I could just keep it in Sport, however Sport tends to hold the gears too long (especially going downhill) resulting in the RPMs going up to around 3000.
My questions is (sorry for the long post), is there anything that can be done to resolve it and do I need to worry about any damage to the engine/transmission from the "vibrating" when it bogs down?
Thanks in advance!
is there anything that can be done to resolve it
Yes it should be taken back to Kia because it's manufacturer warrantied against defects.
@imperator I would also add go get rid of that piece of junk when its fixed and get a more reliable car
That vibration is pretty common with the 2.5L and 8-speed setup it’s the transmission lugging the engine at low RPMs for fuel efficiency. It’s not usually harmful, just annoying. You can try using the Smart mode (it learns your habits over time) or do a transmission software update at the dealer that often smooths it out. No real damage risk unless it starts shuddering hard or throwing codes.
@sam433 thanks for the reply. Definitely an annoying issue to have. I try to avoid it by almost feathering the pressure I out on the accelerator. I tried smart mode but it doesnt seem to work any different than normal mode. Im tempted to detach the battery so I can reset it and let it learn again. Its good to hear that its probably nothing damaging. Ill look into the dealer update though and see if that will work. thanks!
@imperator alright so I am glad I am not the only one. I have a 2023 Kia Sportage SX with the 2.5. I have made almost the same observation. Whenever the car is going a constant speed and I need just a tiny bit of acceleration, from about 1,300 to 1,600 RPMs the engine makes a sort of grinding/rumbling noise that goes away when you step on it more. Mine has done it since 7,000 miles and it now has 47,000. How is your Sportage on a cold start? Do the RPMs jump a bit? I wonder if this is injector related—there was a bulletin for it. Did you ever get yours figured out?
@ssmain20 odds are we won't hear from skier again. You're better off posting your own question. Make sure you include all the troubleshooting you have already performed, and whether or not your car is covered by manufacturer warranty.
@ssmain20 - apologies for the delayed response. Life has really gotten crazy this year. Anyway, so I'm currently at 43000 miles and it still is occurring. The car works normally on cold starts and its normal, when its cold out, for RPMs at idle to be higher for a few minutes as the engine heats up (you'll notice they will drop). I did a transmission fluid change (not flush), hoping that might lessen the issue. Unfortunately, it didn't (still glad I did it as it wasn't too difficult). My next step is to check with the dealer. It SHOULD be covered under the 10yr powertrain warranty (though dealers are notorious for finding any reason or exception to the rule). I will post what happens.