2021 Kia Sportage: owner complaints and recalls
Analysis of 47 owner complaints filed with NHTSA and 2 recall campaigns. Updated 2026-07-25.
47
Complaints
2
Recalls
3
Crash reports
7
Fire reports
4
Injuries
183.0
Severity index
Severity index 183.0 - High. This weights crashes, fires, injuries and fatalities per 100 complaints; see methodology.
Among the 90 2021 vehicles we track with at least 40 complaints on file, the 2021 Kia Sportage ranks 3 of 90 by severity, where 1 is the worst. Its severity is higher than 97% of its model-year peers. See the full 2021 ranking.
What actually fails
| Component | Complaints | Share of complaints citing it |
|---|---|---|
| ENGINE | 19 | 40.4% |
| UNKNOWN OR OTHER | 14 | 29.8% |
| ELECTRICAL SYSTEM | 6 | 12.8% |
| ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING | 5 | 10.6% |
| EXTERIOR LIGHTING | 2 | 4.3% |
| TRAILER HITCHES | 2 | 4.3% |
| POWER TRAIN | 2 | 4.3% |
| FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM | 1 | 2.1% |
The single most-reported system is ENGINE, cited in 19 of 47 complaints (40.4%). One complaint can name several systems, so these shares overlap and do not total 100%.
Complaints filed per year
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 6 |
| 2022 | 6 |
| 2023 | 5 |
| 2024 | 4 |
| 2025 | 12 |
| 2026 (year to date) | 13 |
Complaint volume is rising - the last three years carry 1.6x 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.