Kia Sportage: Electronic stability control (ESC) / ESC operation

Kia Sportage QL (2015-2025) Owners Manual / Driving your vehicle / Brake system / Electronic stability control (ESC) / ESC operation

ESC ON condition

When the ignition is turned ON, ESC and ESC OFF indicator lights illuminate for approximately 3 seconds, then ESC is turned on.
Press the ESC OFF button for at least half a second after turning the ignition ON to turn ESC off. (ESC OFF indicator will illuminate). To turn the ESC on, press the ESC OFF button (ESC OFF indicator light will go off).
When starting the engine, you may hear a slight ticking sound. This is the ESC performing an automatic system self-check and does not indicate a problem.

When operating

When the ESC is in operation, the ESC indicator light blinks.

When the Electronic Stability Control is operating properly, you can feel a slight pulsation in the vehicle. This is only the effect of brake control and indicates nothing unusual.
When moving out of the mud or driving on a slippery road, pressing the accelerator pedal may not cause the engine rpm (revolutions per minute) to increase.

Electronic stability control (ESC)

The Electronic Stability control (ESC) system is designed to stabilize the vehicle during cornering maneuvers. ESC checks where you are steering and where the vehicle is actually going. ESC appl ...

ESC operation off

ESC OFF state This car has 2 kinds of ESC off states. If the engine stops when ESC is off, ESC remains off. Upon restarting the engine, the ESC will automatically turn on again. • ESC off sta ...

Other information:

Kia Sportage QL (2015-2025) Owners Manual: Warning message and warning light

■ Type A ■ Type B When the sensor is covered or the sensor is dirty with foreign substances, such as snow or rain, the AEB operation may temporarily stop. In this case, a warning message will appear to notify the driver. This is not a malfunction with the AEB. To operate the AEB again ...

Kia Sportage QL (2015-2025) Owners Manual: Automatic transaxle operation

The automatic transaxle has 6 forward speeds and one reverse speed. The individual speeds are selected automatically, depending on the position of the shift lever. ✽ NOTICE The first few shifts on a new vehicle, if the battery has been disconnected, may be somewhat abrupt. This is a normal ...