Diagsheet

Compact SUVs · 8 model years, 2014 to 2026

Hyundai Tucson vs Kia Sportage: problems and reliability

On the 7 measures below that do not grow with sales, the Tucson and the Sportage split evenly (3 each, the rest too close to call).

Hyundai Tucson

Hyundai Tucson

3,892 complaints · 15 recalls

Kia Sportage

Kia Sportage

1,337 complaints · 13 recalls

Newest report Sep 22, 2026 · checked Sep 27, 2026

Counts are not adjusted for sales. The more cars of a model there are on the road, the more complaints it draws, so the raw totals above say a lot about sales. Everything below compares shares of each model's own complaints, the mileage problems start at, recalls per model year and each model's years against its own median.

Scorecard

Measure, 2014 to 2026TucsonSportage
Complaints that report a crash2.1%5.8%
Complaints that report a fire1.9%5.2%
Complaints that report an injury1.3%4.1%
Median miles when problems are reported43,00055,000
Recall campaigns per model year1.91.6
Do-not-drive recalls00
NHTSA investigations21

The shaded side is lower (for miles, higher). Values within about a tenth of each other count as too close to call.

What owners complain about

The system Tucson owners complain about most is engine, and it is the same for the Sportage. Complaints citing transmission and drivetrain make up 25% of all Tucson complaints, against 7.3% on the Sportage. The Sportage leans the other way on engine: 47% of its complaints, against 41% for the Tucson.

Hyundai TucsonKia Sportage

Engine41%47%
Transmission and drivetrain25%7.3%
Electrical11%15%
Service Brakes, Hydraulic4.3%8.0%
Structure7.6%4.3%
Fuel and propulsion5.0%5.8%
Speed control6.3%4.2%
Brakes4.3%5.6%
Collision avoidance2.2%2.9%
Latches/Locks/Linkages4.5%0.2%

Share of each model's complaints that cite each system, from NHTSA's own component codes. One complaint can cite several systems, so the shares add up to more than 100%.

The most reported problems

The most reported problem on the Tucson is engine failure (18% of its complaints), and the Sportage shares it (20%).

ProblemTucsonSportage
Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing18% 707most in 2017 · 78k mi20% 273most in 2017 · 82k mi
Engine stalls or loses power while driving16% 619most in 2017 · 49k mi15% 197most in 2017 · 70k mi
Check engine light or misfire10% 400most in 2017 · 77k mi12% 166most in 2017 · 87k mi
Brakes grind, pulse or wear early8.7% 338most in 2015 · 43k mi14% 181most in 2016 · 40k mi
Burns oil or oil level rises9.0% 349most in 2017 · 70k mi7.9% 106most in 2017 · 64k mi
Transmission shudders, slips or shifts hard10% 391most in 2016 · 13k mi0.9% 12
Vehicle fire1.7% 6570k mi4.9% 65most in 2017 · 75k mi
Doors, latches or locks fail5.9% 228most in 2016 · 60k mi0.4% 6

Share of each model's own complaints, with the count beside it. "Most in" links to the symptom sheet for the model year with the most reports of it, and the mileage is the median from reports that gave one.

When problems start

Tucson owners report problems earlier. Half the Tucson complaints that give a mileage come before 43,000 miles; for the Sportage the halfway point is 55,000. 54% of Tucson reports and 47% of Sportage reports come before 50,000 miles. Older model years have had longer to reach high mileage, so a window that runs to recent years pulls both medians down.

Hyundai TucsonKia Sportage

Under 25k39%34%
25k to 50k16%13%
50k to 75k20%18%
75k to 100k13%16%
100k to 150k11%17%
Over 150k0.9%2.9%

Share of the complaints that state a mileage: 1,908 for the Tucson and 551 for the Sportage.

Worst and best years

The 2016 Tucson draws 4.4 times the complaints of a typical Tucson year for its age. The 2023 Sportage draws 3.9 times the complaints of a typical Sportage year for its age.

Hyundai Tucson

Every Tucson model year

Kia Sportage

  • Years to avoid: 2017, 2023 and 2024
  • Best years: none since 2016 is clearly better

Every Sportage model year

Hyundai TucsonKia Sportage

Each model year against its own model's median. Tucson: 2014 0.4, 2015 0.6, 2016 4.4, 2017 3.3, 2018 1.3, 2019 1.4, 2020 0.8, 2021 0.4, 2022 2.3, 2023 1.0, 2024 1.0. Sportage: 2014 0.8, 2015 1.0, 2016 1.0, 2017 3.3, 2018 1.5, 2019 0.7, 2020 1.9, 2021 0.7, 2022 0.8, 2023 3.9, 2024 1.9.2014 Tucson: 0.4 times its median2014 Sportage: 0.8 times its median'142015 Tucson: 0.6 times its median2015 Sportage: 1.0 times its median'152016 Tucson: 4.4 times its median2016 Sportage: 1.0 times its median'162017 Tucson: 3.3 times its median2017 Sportage: 3.3 times its median'172018 Tucson: 1.3 times its median2018 Sportage: 1.5 times its median'182019 Tucson: 1.4 times its median2019 Sportage: 0.7 times its median'192020 Tucson: 0.8 times its median2020 Sportage: 1.9 times its median'202021 Tucson: 0.4 times its median2021 Sportage: 0.7 times its median'212022 Tucson: 2.3 times its median2022 Sportage: 0.8 times its median'222023 Tucson: 1.0 times its median2023 Sportage: 3.9 times its median'232024 Tucson: 1.0 times its median2024 Sportage: 1.9 times its median'241x

Each bar is that model year's complaints for each year on the road, divided by the same figure for a typical year of the same model (the dashed line). Measuring each model against itself takes the sales gap between the two out of the picture, so they can share a scale. Years too new to judge are left out.

Recalls and investigations

The two draw recalls at about the same rate: 1.9 campaigns per model year for the Tucson and 1.6 for the Sportage. A recall counts once however many cars it covers, so this figure does not grow with sales the way complaint totals do.

Hyundai Tucson

15 recall campaigns and 2 NHTSA investigations across these model years. Most recalled: electrical (3), airbags (2) and service brakes, hydraulic (2).

  • 20V-543 (service brakes, hydraulic) covers 4 model years
  • 22V-056 (service brakes, hydraulic) covers 2 model years

Investigations

  • DP22003: Loss of motive power (closed)
  • EA21003: Engine fires (closed, led to a recall)

Kia Sportage

13 recall campaigns and 1 NHTSA investigation across these model years. Most recalled: service brakes, hydraulic (3), electrical (3) and trailer hitches (2).

  • 18V-907 (fuel system) covers 5 model years
  • 22V-051 (service brakes, hydraulic) covers 3 model years

Investigations

  • DP22003: Loss of motive power (closed)

Whether a particular car is included depends on its VIN. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

Crashes, fires and injuries

A larger share of Sportage complaints report a crash: 5.8%, against 2.1% for the Tucson. Fire reports: 74 for the Tucson and 69 for the Sportage. Complaints on file report 1 death in the Tucson and 0 in the Sportage for these model years.

Hyundai TucsonKia Sportage

Report a crash2.1%5.8%
Report a fire1.9%5.2%
Report someone hurt1.3%4.1%

Share of each model's complaints in which the owner reported it. These are owners' own accounts as filed with NHTSA, and one report on its own doesn't prove a defect.

Questions

Is the Hyundai Tucson or the Kia Sportage more reliable?

On the 7 measures below that do not grow with sales, the Tucson and the Sportage split evenly (3 each, the rest too close to call). NHTSA complaint totals cannot settle it alone: the Tucson has 3,892 complaints and the Sportage 1,337 for the 8 model years from 2014 to 2026 that both have on file, and those totals follow how many of each were sold.

Which has more recalls, the Tucson or the Sportage?

The Tucson has 15 recall campaigns and the Sportage 13 across the 8 model years from 2014 to 2026 that both have on file. The two draw recalls at about the same rate: 1.9 campaigns per model year for the Tucson and 1.6 for the Sportage.

What are the most common problems on the Tucson and the Sportage?

The most reported problem on the Tucson is engine failure (18% of its complaints), and the Sportage shares it (20%).

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