2025 Kia Sportage: True Cost, Problems & Verdict
49 NHTSA owner complaints · 1 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. 2025 specifically: 49 complaints on record, score 60/100 — read the year table on the model page to see where it sits among its siblings.
Read the guide
Used Kia Sorento, Sportage and Soul: the recall years and the good years after them, including 2025 — written and signed by Adir Trabelsi, 2026-09-01.
Owner complaints: 49 filed with NHTSA
Complaints per year on the road: 49.0
What owners say
Verbatim reports filed with the United States safety regulator (NHTSA) by owners of this exact model year. Public record.
Twice since I purchased my car, once in 2025 and two weeks ago in 2026, I turned my car off in the garage and the engine kept running. I had to start the car up and turn it off again in order for it to shut down. I mentioned that to Arapaho Kia at my last visit in November 2025 and they just said that they didn’t find anything on the computer.
The cluster system of the vehicle lit up every warning system which prevented the running vehicle from being able to be put into drive. Safety was put at risk because I'm afraid this will happen while driving. I've seen this same concern on many Kia owner forums who describe the same issue possibly related to a faulty wiring harness. I had just purchased this vehicle that has 15,000 miles and there were no othe…
While exiting the John C. Lodge Freeway in Detroit at approximately 40 MPH, the brake pedal became stuck halfway during braking and the vehicle did not stop properly on the first brake application. I had to remove my foot from the brake pedal and press it again before the brakes engaged and the vehicle stopped. This has occurred approximately seven times intermittently. The issue creates a serious safety hazard and r…
Recalls: 1 campaigns
| Campaign | Component | Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 25V874000 | Trailer Hitches | Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Sportage Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV) and 2024-2025 Sportage vehicles equipped with a 4.2" screen and a Genuine Kia tow hitch harness accessory. |
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 Other20 complaints · typical job: Diagnosis and mixed repair (2.0 h labour + parts)$360–$940
- Electrical System15 complaints · typical job: Alternator, battery-drain or body-module diagnosis and replacement (3.0 h labour + parts)$540–$1,310
- Forward Collision Avoidance8 complaints · typical job: Radar or camera module replacement and calibration (3.0 h labour + parts)$780–$2,160
- Power Train6 complaints · typical job: Transmission service or clutch-pack repair (7.0 h labour + parts)$1,290–$4,040
- Engine6 complaints · typical job: Cooling-system or timing-drive repair (6.0 h labour + parts)$1,040–$2,220
- Service Brakes5 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 2025 Kia Sportage?
The most-reported issue in NHTSA complaint data is Unknown Or Other (20 complaints in our indexed sample).
Is the 2025 Kia Sportage a good used car to buy?
Our data verdict is CAUTION with a reliability score of 60/100, computed from 49 NHTSA complaints and 1 recall campaigns. See the verdict card for the top reasons.
How much does it cost to fix the 2025 Kia Sportage's most common problem?
20 of the NHTSA complaints filed against the 2025 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 2025 Kia Sportage cost to run per year?
About $4,191 a year in fuel or energy plus the maintenance band — roughly $20,955 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 2025 Kia Sportage have recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign(s) for the 2025 Kia Sportage, 0 of them touching fire, crash or stall risk, the most recent recorded 17/12/2025. 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 2025 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.
Thin evidence — 49 complaints, 1 recalls on record
- 49 NHTSA complaints on record (49.0/yr of exposure) — worse than a typical year of this model (20.2/yr)
- 1 recall campaigns, 0 touching safety-critical systems
- Thin complaint record — this score is held close to the model's own average rather than read as evidence of quality