What breaks most · 1995 to 2019 model years
Kia Sportage problems by year
Owners have filed 2,579 safety complaints with NHTSA about the Kia Sportage across model years 1995 to 2019. Three years stand out: 1998 for engine and cooling complaints, 2000 for fuel system complaints and 1999 for engine and cooling complaints. The quietest years are 2003, 2010 and 2016.
- Years to check closely: 1998, 2000, 1999
- Fewest complaints: 2003, 2010, 2016
- Complaints on file
- 25791995 to 2019, all trims
- Worst year
- 1998303 complaints
- Crashes reported
- 21991 fires · 190 injuries · 3 deaths
- Typical failure mileage
- 69kMedian where owners gave mileage
- Recall campaigns
- 71Across the years shown
Complaints by model year
Raw filings with NHTSA, not adjusted for how many were sold.
| Model year | Complaints | Crashes | Recalls | Most-reported component |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 56 | 2 | 2 | Engine and cooling (14) | |
| 57 | 12 | 3 | Brakes (hydraulic) (14) | |
| 181 | 32 | 3 | Engine and cooling (56) | |
| 303 | 19 | 5 | Engine and cooling (79) | |
| 284 | 27 | 5 | Engine and cooling (79) | |
| 303 | 23 | 4 | Fuel system (75) | |
| 228 | 25 | 2 | Fuel system (50) | |
| 234 | 15 | 3 | Engine and cooling (69) | |
| 4 | 0 | 0 | Fuel system (2) | |
| 63 | 6 | 3 | Air bags (12) | |
| 92 | 7 | 1 | Air bags (34) | |
| 65 | 10 | 2 | Air bags (13) | |
| 74 | 2 | 3 | Electrical system (26) | |
| 61 | 3 | 3 | Steering (13) | |
| 11 | 3 | 2 | Air bags (4) | |
| 102 | 6 | 6 | Engine (41) | |
| 167 | 6 | 5 | Engine (137) | |
| 134 | 2 | 3 | Engine (101) | |
| 25 | 2 | 3 | Engine (11) | |
| 25 | 3 | 2 | Engine (13) | |
| 20 | 5 | 2 | Unknown or other (5) | |
| 67 | 7 | 4 | Engine (24) | |
| 20 | 1 | 3 | Engine (11) | |
| 3 | 1 | 2 | Engine (1) |
What fails on the 1998 Kia Sportage
| Component | Share of complaints | Filings | Crashes | Parts for this job |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and coolingRadiators, thermostats and cooling | 26% |
79 | 2 | Shop engine and cooling parts for the 1998 Kia Sportage |
| Brakes (hydraulic)Brake pads, rotors and calipers | 23% |
70 | 5 | Shop brakes (hydraulic) parts for the 1998 Kia Sportage |
| Powertrain and transmissionTransmission parts | 21% |
63 | 3 | Shop all powertrain and transmission parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Electrical systemAlternators, starters and ignition | 16% |
47 | 2 | Shop electrical system parts for the 1998 Kia Sportage |
| VisibilityMirrors and glass | 9% |
27 | 0 | Shop all visibility parts, not filtered to this vehicle |
| Body and structureDoors, latches and body hardware | 9% |
26 | 1 | Shop body and structure parts for the 1998 Kia Sportage |
| SuspensionStruts, springs and control arms | 9% |
26 | 1 | Shop suspension parts for the 1998 Kia Sportage |
| Unknown or other | 8% |
24 | 1 | — |
One complaint can name more than one component, so shares add to more than 100%. "Unknown or other" is NHTSA's uncategorized bucket and is shown but never ranked.
In owners' words
Complaint narratives as filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length.
-
Consumer noticed a loud popping noise coming from under engine, and then engine stalled. Vehicle was serviced, technician noticed engine malfunctioned. *ak
-
The gas tank shield is rusting to pieces. Noticed a piece hanging down and checked under the car. It is on the right side.
-
While driving at 30 mph vehicle stalled without warning. Vehicle was towed to the dealership, and technician determined that wiring and connectors failed. *ak
How to read this page
Every figure comes from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's public complaint database, which holds every safety-related defect complaint filed by owners since 1995. We refresh it monthly and count each complaint once per component it names. Data through September 30, 2026.
NHTSA only accepts safety-related complaints. Rattles, paint, infotainment bugs and other annoyances are under-reported here, so this page is a map of what fails in ways owners consider dangerous, not a full reliability score.
Counts are raw. Use the year-over-year shape and the component mix, not the absolute numbers. Where a component maps to parts we stock, the row links to that category filtered to the year you are viewing. Air bag and seat belt complaints link to the recall checker instead, because those repairs are almost always covered.
Common questions
Which Kia Sportage years have the most problems?
By NHTSA complaint volume, 1998, 2000, 1999 carry the most filings on the Kia Sportage. The 1998 alone has 303 complaints, led by engine and cooling.
What is the most common Kia Sportage problem?
On the 1998 model year, the most-reported component is engine and cooling with 79 complaints. The table above lists the top components for every year.
At what mileage do Kia Sportage problems start?
The median mileage at failure across all Kia Sportage complaints that include mileage is about 69,000 miles. Older model years skew higher; the per-year figure is in the "at a glance" card.
Are these complaints verified?
No. NHTSA publishes complaints as submitted and does not investigate individual filings. Patterns across hundreds of complaints are meaningful; a single one is not.