2021 Kia Sportage: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
49 NHTSA owner complaints · 2 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Reviewed by the MotorJury data desk · 2 sources · Last updated 2026-08-20
49 NHTSA owner complaints · 2 recalls · data-computed verdict. No opinions — public data only.
Complaints per year on the road: 9.8
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
The infotainment center screen in my 2021 Kia Sportage is DELAMINATING. The uv gel adhesive that holds the screen is failing. This is a known widespread safety issue as many controls are handled through the infotainment touch screen as well as the screen displaying the back up camera visability. You should force Kia to fix this problem past 3 years /36000 miles! Please advise me.
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while parked on several occasions, a "Battery Discharge Warning" message was displayed, which disappeared once the vehicle was driven. The contact then stated that on several occasions after the vehicle sat unoperated for a day, the engine failed to start. The contact's husband jump-started the vehicle on multiple occasions and noticed that the battery was…
The contact owns a 2021 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the drain plug detached, and oil started leaking from the oil pan. The accelerator was depressed, but the vehicle failed to move and stalled while driving on the highway. The vehicle failed to restart. The oil light illuminated after the failure. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic who determined the oil ca…
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… |
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 (21 complaints in our indexed sample).
Our data verdict is BUY with a reliability score of 77/100, computed from 49 NHTSA complaints and 2 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
Yes — NHTSA lists 2 recall campaign(s) for the 2021 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.
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.