Kia Sportage years to avoid
Every Kia Sportage model year on file (2012-2026), ranked worst to best by severity index - the share of owner complaints that report a crash, fire, injury or fatality.
2024
Worst year on file
96.5
Severity index
Unknown Or Other
Most-reported system
2014
Cleanest year on file
Ranked worst to best
| # | Model year | Severity | Complaints | Most-reported system |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2024 Kia Sportage | 96.5 High | 75 | Unknown Or Other |
| 2 | 2021 Kia Sportage | 95.4 High | 54 | Engine |
| 3 | 2023 Kia Sportage | 93.8 High | 193 | Unknown Or Other |
| 4 | 2025 Kia Sportage | 93.5 High | 55 | Unknown Or Other |
| 5 | 2020 Kia Sportage | 92.0 High | 162 | Engine |
| 6 | 2017 Kia Sportage | 86.9 High | 403 | Engine |
| 7 | 2016 Kia Sportage | 79.9 High | 134 | Engine |
| 8 | 2015 Kia Sportage | 79.3 Medium | 146 | Engine |
| 9 | 2018 Kia Sportage | 76.1 Medium | 164 | Engine |
| 10 | 2019 Kia Sportage | 71.9 Medium | 71 | Engine |
| 11 | 2022 Kia Sportage | 71.9 Medium | 46 | Engine |
| 12 | 2026 Kia Sportage | 61.6 Medium | 25 | Unknown Or Other |
| 13 | 2013 Kia Sportage | 54.3 Medium | 381 | Engine |
| 14 | 2012 Kia Sportage | 53.9 Medium | 392 | Engine |
| 15 | 2014 Kia Sportage | 45.8 Low | 125 | Engine |
A high rank here means a larger share of this year's complaints described a crash, fire or injury - not that the vehicle is unsafe to drive, and not a reliability or repair-cost rating. Complaint counts are not normalised by units sold.
Kia Sportage complaints and recalls by year
| Model year | Complaints | Recalls | Crashes | Fires | Severity | Most-reported system |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 392 | 5 | 7 | 16 | 53.9 Medium | ENGINE |
| 2013 | 381 | 3 | 5 | 22 | 54.3 Medium | ENGINE |
| 2014 | 125 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 45.8 Low | ENGINE |
| 2015 | 146 | 2 | 7 | 11 | 79.3 Medium | ENGINE |
| 2016 | 134 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 79.9 High | ENGINE |
| 2017 | 403 | 4 | 14 | 28 | 86.9 High | ENGINE |
| 2018 | 164 | 3 | 7 | 12 | 76.1 Medium | ENGINE |
| 2019 | 71 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 71.9 Medium | ENGINE |
| 2020 | 162 | 2 | 11 | 12 | 92.0 High | ENGINE |
| 2021 | 54 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 95.4 High | ENGINE |
| 2022 | 46 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 71.9 Medium | ENGINE |
| 2023 | 193 | 6 | 24 | 1 | 93.8 High | UNKNOWN OR OTHER |
| 2024 | 75 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 96.5 High | UNKNOWN OR OTHER |
| 2025 | 55 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 93.5 High | UNKNOWN OR OTHER |
| 2026 | 25 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 61.6 Medium | UNKNOWN OR OTHER |
Source. NHTSA public complaint and recall APIs. Complaint counts are not normalised by units sold; a high-volume seller will attract more filings than a rare trim.