2003 Kia Sportage

Routine

Owners filed 4 complaints about this vehicle with federal regulators, most often about the fuel system, gasoline. No safety recall has been issued.

What fails
ComponentReportsCrashesFiresInjuries
Fuel System, Gasoline2
000
Unknown or Other1
000
Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System › Radiator Assembly1
000

What owners reported

Newest filings
Fuel System, Gasoline
Filed Jul 6, 2011150,000 milesGA

TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 KIA SORRENTO EX (NA). WHILE THE CONTACT DISPENSED FUEL INTO THE FUEL TANK, FUEL WOULD SPRAY OUT ONTO THE GROUND AND CLOTHING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR DIAGNOSIS AND REPAIR. THE FAILURE CONTINUED TO OCCUR AFTER THE REPAIR. THE DEALER WAS NOTIFIED AND RECOMMENDED THE VEHICLE BE DIAGNOSED TO DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF FAILURE. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT MADE AWARE OF THE DEFECT. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 150,000.

Fuel System, Gasoline
Filed Apr 11, 2011109,209 milesTX

APRIL 11, 2011 TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN, THIS LETTER IS TO OFFICIALLY SUBMIT A COMPLAINT ABOUT THE SAFETY OF OUR 2003 KIA SORENTO WITH MILEAGE OF 109209 MY HUSBAND AND I PURCHASED THIS VEHICLE BEFORE THE BIRTH OF OUR BABY BACK IN MAY 2010, BECAUSE WE NEEDED THE EXTRA SPACE. UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE VEHICLE. AFTER MUCH RESEARCH WE FOUND THAT THIS PARTICULAR COMPLAINT ALONG WITH OTHER FUEL PUMP COMPLAINTS ARE COMMON AMONG OTHER KIA OWNERS. I AM ASKING THE PERSON OR DEPARTMENT IN CHARGED TO PLEASE LOOK INTO THIS MATTER AND TAKE THE PROPER ACTION. OUR COMPLAINTS ARE AS FOLLOWS. THE MAIN PROBLEM AND CONCERN IS WITH THE FUEL TANK, EVERY TIME WE PUMP GAS THE GAS SHOOTS BACK AND SPRAYS ME OR MY HUSBAND AND IT RUNS DOWN THE SIDE OF THE CAR. WE HAVE TO CONSTANTLY STOP PUMPING GAS EVERY 10 SECONDS TO PREVENT THE SPRAYING OF GAS. ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS THE GAS HAS ALMOST SPRAYED ME ON MY EYES, AND JUST RECENTLY IT SPRAYED ME IN BOTH ARMS, AND BURNED MY SKIN. I HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL EVERY TIME I PUMP GAS, I'M AFRAID THIS IS GOING TO SPRAY ME IN MY FACE OR WORST YET HARM MY CHILD! OUR SECOND COMPLAINT IS THAT THE KIA NEEDS CONSTANT ANTI-FREEZE BECAUSE THE HEAT THERMOMETER SHOWS THE VEHICLE OVERHEATS ABOUT EVERY 3 MONTHS. WE HAVE TAKEN OUR VEHICLE TO VARIOUS MECHANICS, AND TWICE TO THE KIA DEALERSHIPS, HOWEVER THEY CAN NOT FIND A PROBLEM, ON BOTH OF THE ISSUES LISTED ABOVE. THE KIA IS THE MAIN VEHICLE WE USE TO GET AROUND, HOWEVER LATELY I HAVE BEEN VERY C

Engine and Engine Cooling › Cooling System › Radiator Assembly
Filed Jun 14, 2007TX

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2003 KIA SPORTAGE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, THE BLADES ON HIS COOLING FAN BEGAN TO COME OFF, CAUSING THE VEHICLE TO OVERHEAT. THE DEALER COULD NOT FIND ANYTHING WRONG WITH THE VEHICLE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT HE RECENTLY RECEIVED RECALL NOTICE # 07V161000 (ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:COOLING SYSTEM:FAN). THE PURCHASE DATE AND FAILURE MILEAGE WERE UNKNOWN. THE CURRENT MILEAGE IS 93,314.

Unknown or Other
Filed Oct 23, 2003CA

PROBLEMS WITH 2002 KIA SPORTAGE/ LEMON VEHICLE..*MR THE CONSUMER WAS REQUESTING THAT KIA OF AMERICA INC PURCHASE THE DEFECTIVE VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY. PLEASE RESPOND PROMPTLY IN RESOLVING MATTERS* CB

4 of 4 complaints, reproduced as filed.

Across model years

Worst on record: 2017
YearComplaintsRecallsFiresDeathsAssessment
202627100Routine
202551100Routine
202469300Routine
2023191610Routine
202246120Routine
202151270Routine
20201602120Routine
201970230Routine
20181633120Routine
20173994270High concern
2016131250Routine
20151462110Routine
2014122310Routine
20133813220High concern
20123925160Above average
2011181680Routine
201020201Fatalities reported
200980380Routine
2008983240High concern
200777250Routine
2006111150Routine
200568320Routine
2003 — this page4000Routine
2002234360Above average
2001228240Above average
2000304470Above average
1999284531Fatalities reported
1998303560Above average
1997181351Fatalities reported
199657330Routine
199556210Routine

Compare every Sportage year →

Reading this record

No unusual pattern of severe incidents in the complaint record.

Complaint counts track how many cars were sold and how long they have been on the road as much as they track quality. A common model from 2013 has had a decade to accumulate reports; a rare one from last year has not. The signal worth weighing is in the severity columns, in whether the same component keeps appearing, and in whether the manufacturer eventually opened a recall for it.

Most recent recall on file: none. Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation.