398 NHTSA owner complaints · 4 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.

Complaints per year on the road: 44.22
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
Engine caught fire , insurance denied the claim . Kia has a class action lawsuit Theta 2 . It was towed into the dealership for approximately 3 mts . During the diagnostic they discovered a crack in the number 3 cylinder wall . They rejected the claim due to what they said was a leaky valve cover gasket even though it had been replaced within the last year . The car has 66,000 miles and has been well maintained. Ther…
Engine burns excess oil, I am forced to add oil every other day as it consumes an excessive amount. When I spoke with the Kia Dealership they told me I have an unlimited warranty on the engine but it need to blow before they will replace it. I’m spending a fortune on oil.
My car went into limp mode on the high way due to a faulty knock sensor. my car decelerated rapidly, which could have put me and others around me at risk. I had to repair this problem on my own even though other cars similar to my make and model have had the same issue.
What the community is saying right now.
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 21V137000 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Tract | Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017-2021 Sportage and Cadenza vehicles. The electrical circuit in the Hydraulic Electronic C… |
| 22V703000 | 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… |
| 18V907000 | Fuel System, Gasoline:Delivery:Hoses, Li | Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2011-2017 Optima, 2012-2017 Sorento and 2011-2018 Sportage vehicles that previously received a… |
| 16V862000 | Trailer Hitches | Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Sorento vehicles manufactured October 27, 2014, to August 25, 2016, and 2… |
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Engine (219 complaints in our indexed sample).
Our data verdict is AVOID with a reliability score of 25/100, computed from 398 NHTSA complaints and 4 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
Yes — NHTSA lists 4 recall campaign(s) for the 2017 Kia Sportage, 2 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 04/03/2021. Check this car's VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls before you buy.
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorComplaints & recalls: NHTSA ·
Fuel economy: EPA fueleconomy.gov ·
Scoring: our published methodology.
Maintenance bands are industry-average estimates (AAA Your Driving Costs, CarMD index) — labeled estimates, not measurements.
Last updated: 2026-08-20.