Verified government source

NHTSA complaint #11749517

This page summarizes an official U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration owner complaint. Use the verification links below to confirm the record directly with NHTSA.

Vehicle

2020 KIA SPORTAGE

Manufacturer

Kia America, Inc.

Components

TIRES

Dates

Incident: 06/29/2026
Filed: 07/10/2026

Owner complaint summary

COMPONENTS FAILED & EVIDENCE: 4 dry-rotted Kumho Crugen Premium tires, size 225/60R17, DOT 272A YANH 1319. Replaced due to hazard. High-definition photo proof of the severe dry rot defects, deep tread cracking, and the 2019 date stamps discovered upon removal is fully preserved and available.SAFETY RISK & CONCEALMENT: Operating on 7-year-old structurally compromised rubber posed a severe blowout liability on the highway. At delivery, 3 of the 4 tires were mounted inside-out. This reversed mounting placed the worst dry rot cracking and the 4-digit date code (1319, meaning March 2019 manufacture) on the inner undercarriage, actively obscuring a critical safety defect and the expiration date from a standard consumer visual inspection.NEGLIGENT INSPECTION HISTORY: The dealer had physical possession of this vehicle twice: first for pre-sale certification, and second for post-sale service. Prior to the second release, the consumer explicitly texted instructions to ensure the vehicle was completely safe with no issues. The service bay subsequently texted back confirming they performed a "once over" and verified "no issues." The dealer twice failed its duty of care, ignored a critical hazard, and falsely certified road-readiness. Corporate legal has been notified and is stonewalling.DISCOVERY & SEVERE SYMPTOMS: Failure was discovered only after a nail punctured the rear passenger tire, prompting a close inspection of all four wheels. Two weeks prior, all 4 tires simultaneously dropped to half-capacity air pressure. This simultaneous deflation indicates the extensive dry rot completely compromised the rubber compound's structural integrity and ability to hold air pressure, creating a progressive failure condition. ALL 4 TIRES WERE SEVERELY DRYROT.

This is an owner complaint filed with NHTSA (ODI #11749517). It is not automatically an official recall, investigation outcome, or manufacturer admission unless the complaint text itself describes one.

Official record ID (ODI): 11749517. This page is the human-readable source link used across afterwarranty. The raw JSON link proxies NHTSA's public API for machine verification; prefer this page when reading the complaint.