2020 Kia Sportage: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 157 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 2 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
157
Complaints
2
Recalls
11
Crash reports
12
Fire reports
8
Injuries
114.6
Severity index
Severity index 114.6 - High. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 103 2020 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2020 Kia Sportage ranks 15 of 103 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 85% of its model-year peers. See the full 2020 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| ENGINE | 71 | 45.2% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 31 | 19.7% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 19 | 12.1% |
| SERVICE BRAKES | 12 | 7.6% |
| STRUCTURE | 10 | 6.4% |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 9 | 5.7% |
| STEERING | 8 | 5.1% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 7 | 4.5% |
The single most-reported system is ENGINE, cited in 71 of 157 complaints (45.2%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2019 | 2 |
| 2020 | 4 |
| 2021 | 19 |
| 2022 | 17 |
| 2023 | 28 |
| 2024 | 16 |
| 2025 | 45 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 26 |
Complaint volume is rising - the last three years carry 2.2x the filings of the three before them, which usually signals a wear-related defect surfacing with age.
Recall campaigns
| Campaign | Reported | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21V137000 | 04/03/2021 | SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE | Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017-2021 Sportage and Cadenza vehicles. The electrical circuit in the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) may short-circuit, which can cause a fire in the engine compartment. |
| 22V703000 | 19/09/2022 | TRAILER HITCHES | Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Sorento, 2021-2022 Sorento Hybrid (HEV), 2022-2023 Sorento Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV), and 2017-2022 Sportage vehicles equipped with a tow hitch harness installed as original equipment, or purchased as an accessory through a Kia d |
Source. US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration public complaint and recall APIs (api.nhtsa.gov), retrieved 2026-07-25. Complaints are unverified consumer reports; volume is influenced by how many units were sold and how long the vehicle has been on the road. Not affiliated with NHTSA or any manufacturer.