Kia Sportage
Owners filed 4,685 complaints across 31 model years of the Kia Sportage. The 2017 drew the most (399); the 2003 the fewest (4).
Model years31
Complaints4,685
Recalls87
Fires206
Deaths3
Every Kia Sportage model year compared
Complaints per year| Year | Complaints | Relative volume | Recalls | Fires | Crashes | Most reported | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 27 | 1 | — | 4 | Unknown or Other | Routine | |
| 2025 | 51 | 1 | — | 4 | Unknown or Other | Routine | |
| 2024 | 69 | 3 | — | 7 | Unknown or Other | Routine | |
| 2023 | 191 | 6 | 1 | 24 | Unknown or Other | Routine | |
| 2022 | 46 | 1 | 2 | 6 | Engine | Routine | |
| 2021 | 51 | 2 | 7 | 3 | Engine | Routine | |
| 2020 | 160 | 2 | 12 | 11 | Engine | Routine | |
| 2019 | 70 | 2 | 3 | 3 | Engine | Routine | |
| 2018 | 163 | 3 | 12 | 7 | Engine | Routine | |
| 2017 | 399 | 4 | 27 | 14 | Engine | High concern | |
| 2016 | 131 | 2 | 5 | 8 | Engine | Routine | |
| 2015 | 146 | 2 | 11 | 7 | Engine | Routine | |
| 2014 | 122 | 3 | 1 | 2 | Engine | Routine | |
| 2013 | 381 | 3 | 22 | 5 | Engine | High concern | |
| 2012 | 392 | 5 | 16 | 7 | Engine | Above average | |
| 2011 | 181 | 6 | 8 | 7 | Engine | Routine | |
| 2010 | 20 | 2 | — | 3 | Air Bags | Fatalities reported | |
| 2009 | 80 | 3 | 8 | 4 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2008 | 98 | 3 | 24 | 2 | Electrical System | High concern | |
| 2007 | 77 | 2 | 5 | 10 | Electrical System | Routine | |
| 2006 | 111 | 1 | 5 | 8 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2005 | 68 | 3 | 2 | 6 | Air Bags | Routine | |
| 2003 | 4 | 0 | — | — | Fuel System, Gasoline | Routine | |
| 2002 | 234 | 3 | 6 | 15 | Fuel System, Gasoline | Above average | |
| 2001 | 228 | 2 | 4 | 25 | Fuel System, Gasoline | Above average | |
| 2000 | 304 | 4 | 7 | 23 | Fuel System, Gasoline | Above average | |
| 1999 | 284 | 5 | 3 | 27 | Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline | Fatalities reported | |
| 1998 | 303 | 5 | 6 | 19 | Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline | Above average | |
| 1997 | 181 | 3 | 5 | 32 | Engine and Engine Cooling › Engine › Gasoline | Fatalities reported | |
| 1996 | 57 | 3 | 3 | 12 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic › Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip | Routine | |
| 1995 | 56 | 2 | 1 | 2 | Seat Belts › Front › Buckle Assembly | Routine |
Which Kia Sportage years should you avoid?
On raw complaint volume the 2017 is the weakest year on record, with 399 complaints concentrated in the engine. It carries 4 recalls.
Read these numbers with sales volume in mind. A model year that sold in huge numbers naturally accumulates more reports than a rare one, and older cars have had more years to fail. The stronger signal is the severity columns and whether the same component keeps coming up year after year.
Data: NHTSA complaint and recall files, September 2026. Complaints are unverified owner reports.