Just bought a X-Line Prestige PHEV. About 95%of my driving will be trips of 25 miles or less. I expect a tank of gas to last a long time. Should I add stabilizer to the gas to counteract the ethanol's propensity to absorb water? I live in Florida, so year round high humidity is real.
Congratulations on your new 2026 Kia Sportage! Nice vehicle. The fact that the car cranked longer and had a lack of power is a strong indicator of a fuel issue. Your theory about water in the gas is a very good one. The fuel system in modern cars is very sensitive to contaminants, and even a small amount of water in the fuel can cause a lot of problems.
The longer crank time is a sign that the engine is not getting the correct air/fuel mixture, and the lack of power is a sign that the engine is not getting enough fuel. The fact that it went away after you put more gas in the tank is a huge clue. A few other things could have caused this. It could have been an intermittent software glitch in the engine's computer. It could have also been a bad sensor, like a fuel pressure sensor, that was not working correctly. However, the fact that you didn't get a warning light or a code makes it less likely. An intermittent problem can be too short for the computer to register a fault.
My best advice is to just monitor the situation. Keep the gas tank full for a while, and see if the problem comes back. If it does, you should take it to a dealership immediately. Since it's a brand new car, you should not be having these kinds of problems, and it would be a good idea to have it looked at.
