2023 Kia Sportage: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
187 NHTSA owner complaints · 6 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. 2023 specifically: this is one of the years the note above says to approach with care — 187 complaints on record, verdict AVOID.
Read the guide
Used Kia Sorento, Sportage and Soul: the recall years and the good years after them, including 2023 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-01.
Owner complaints: 187 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 62.33
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
I own a 2023 Kia Sportage Pro While driving to work, I heard an explosive sound that sounded like a gunshot on the top of my vehicle. I pulled over to see that my sunroof had exploded. I checked for any objects that may have hit it, and the only thing that was in the top of the roof was glass. Thankfully, my cover was closed on my sunroof for a glass would have been all over causing possible injury.
I was driving the vehicle yesterday, had no problems and then when making a right hand turn the vehicle completely locked up. The brakes and steering column locked and the vehicle completely shut done. The dashboard lit up and the windows still worked but there was not power to the engine. Attempted to JUMP the car, unsuccessful, ultimately called a AAA who used a battery box and the car started. This happened once p…
The roof strip above the driver side of the car is no longer attached and flew off somewhere. Unknown of the date it may have happened.
Recalls: 6 campaigns (4 severe)
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 23V410000 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Power Assist | Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Sportage vehicles. |
| 24V025000 | Structure:Body:Roof And Pillars | Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Sportage and 2022-2024 Carnival vehicles. |
| 23V298000 | Electrical System: Instrument Cluster/Panel | Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Sportage, Sportage Hybrid, Sportage Plug-in Hybrid, Niro Hybrid, Niro Plug-in Hybrid, Soul, and Telluride vehicles equipped with a digital instrument cluster containing a 4.2" LCD screen. |
| 22V878000 | Air Bags:Side/Window:Curtain | Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Sportage vehicles. |
| 22V651000 | Electrical System:Alternator/Generator/Regulator | Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Sportage vehicles. |
| 23V531000 | Power Train:Automatic Transmission:Fluid/Lubricant:Pump | Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Soul, Sportage, and 2023-2024 Seltos vehicles. |
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 25 MPG · estimated annual fuel cost $2,450
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.
- Unknown Or Other47 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Electrical System44 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Engine37 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Service Brakes35 complaints · typical job: Pads, rotors and caliper service, both axles (3.0 h labour + parts)$580–$1,140
- Forward Collision Avoidance24 complaints · typical job: Radar or camera module replacement and calibration (3.0 h labour + parts)$780–$2,160
- Power Train18 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
Other Kia Sportage years
FAQ
What is the most common problem with the 2023 Kia Sportage?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Unknown Or Other (47 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2023 Kia Sportage a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is AVOID with a reliability score of 33/100, computed from 187 NHTSA complaints and 6 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2023 Kia Sportage's most common problem?
47 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2023 Kia Sportage sit in the Unknown Or Other group — more than any other component on this model year. The representative job there is diagnosis and mixed repair: about 2.0 hours of labour plus parts, roughly $360–$940 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 2023 Kia Sportage cost to run per year?
About $4,724 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $23,620 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 2023 Kia Sportage have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 6 recall campaign(s) for the 2023 Kia Sportage, 4 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 07/06/2023. 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 2023 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.
Strong evidence — 187 complaints, 6 recalls on record
- 187 NHTSA complaints on record (62.3/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (20.2/yr)
- 6 recall campaigns, 4 touching safety-critical systems