2019 Kia Sportage: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
69 NHTSA owner complaints · 2 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Editor's note
Avoid the 2017 and 2023 Sportage, AVOID verdicts at 46 and 33 on 399 and 187 complaints; buy a 2014 to 2016 or a 2018 to 2022, which score between 73 and 91. The 2012 and 2013 cars are CAUTION at 65 and 66, and the 2024 and 2025 cars are CAUTION at 67 and 60 on thinner evidence. Read the full note on the model page. 2019 specifically: a year the record favours — 69 complaints, score 89/100. The caveats in the note apply to other years of this nameplate more than to this one.
Read the guide
Used Kia Sorento, Sportage and Soul: the recall years and the good years after them, including 2019 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-01.
Owner complaints: 69 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 9.86
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
The vehicle is have issues every time I get and oil change the vehicle loses about 2 qt of oil there are no leaks that are notice but the lost of engine oil still happens this oil could cause the engine to turn on fire it is nerve reacting to every often to check the oil level dealership are brushing this problem as they don't seem to know what is causing this issue if customer don't check
The engine locked up about a year ago, and since we didn’t technically have a recall we didn’t know what to do. It was able to drive again after we had a technician work on it, but now it’s not driving anymore. It shakes hard when it’s idling and driving. We have waited over 2 weeks to be diagnosed with the problem. We have had to spend $1300 on rental cars because we can’t get a loaner until diagnosed. The car is n…
I have a 2019 Kia Sportage with 41k miles on it and the paint is peeling. As of now, the roof spoiler is completely peeled off. The side view mirrors, and the door handles, have paint peeling and bubbling. I have reported it to Kia and they are unwilling to stand by their product and extend the warranty on the paint. Kia is fully aware of the problem but is not willing to fix it.
Recalls: 2 campaigns (1 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 21V137000 | 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 | 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 dealership. |
What it costs to buy — and what owning it really takes
Class-level estimates, priced as a compact SUV of its model year, re-priced to your country. Not a quote, not a valuation of one specific car — condition, mileage and options move it. How these are computed.
What it costs to run
EPA combined 23 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,650
Re-priced automatically from your country's retail fuel, electricity and parts indices — change country in the bar at the top. Estimates; see methodology.
What this car's problems cost to fix
Ranked by the components owners of this exact model year actually complain about. Each figure is flat-rate labour hours x the local shop rate plus a parts band — an estimate of what this kind of failure costs, not a quote, and not a prediction that this car will need it. Formula.
- Engine35 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Unknown Or Other14 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Electrical System10 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Power Train7 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Fuel/Propulsion System7 complaints · typical job: Fuel pump or injector replacement (3.5 h labour + parts)$680–$1,620
- Service Brakes7 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
Other Kia Sportage years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2019 Kia Sportage?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Engine (35 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2019 Kia Sportage a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 89/100, computed from 69 NHTSA complaints and 2 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2019 Kia Sportage's most common problem?
35 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2019 Kia Sportage sit in the Engine group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is cooling-system or timing-drive repair: about 6.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $1,040–$2,220 at a US independent shop and re-priced to your country at the top of the page. It is an estimate of what this class of failure costs, not a quote for this car.
What does a 2019 Kia Sportage cost to run per year?
About $4,487 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $22,435 over five years, before purchase price, insurance and depreciation. Figures come from available EPA fuel-economy data and industry maintenance averages, and are re-priced to your country.
Does the 2019 Kia Sportage have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 2 recall campaign(s) for the 2019 Kia Sportage, 1 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.
Compare with
Other compact suvs of about the same age.
What will a 2019 Kia Sportage really cost YOU per year?
Fuel, maintenance band and depreciation — computed from public data in 10 seconds.
Open the true-cost calculatorData sources
Complaints & 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: 2026-10-04.
Moderate evidence — 69 complaints, 2 recalls on record
- 69 NHTSA complaints on record (9.9/yr of exposure) — better than a typical year of this model (20.2/yr)
- 2 recall campaigns, 1 touching safety-critical systems