Kia
Kia Sportage years to avoid
Years to avoid: 2017, 2023 and 2024.
The 2017, 2023 and 2024 Kia Sportage draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2017 has 400 complaints (40 for each year on the road), 2023 has 190 complaints (48 for each year on the road) and 2024 has 71 complaints (24 for each year on the road), against a median of 12 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2023 is brake wear (34 reports).
- 1,340complaints
- 13recall campaigns
- 8model years with a page
Newest report Sep 28, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
Pick your model year
Owner complaints on file for each year.
Years to avoid
2017
Most reported: engine failure (87 reports, median 78,000 miles) and misfire (67 reports, median 82,365 miles).
2023
Most reported: brake wear (34 reports, median 12,000 miles) and infotainment (33 reports).
2024
Too few complaints for a page of its own.
Best years
- No year since 2016 is clearly better than the rest.
Complaints for each year on the road
Each model year's NHTSA complaints divided by the calendar years it has been on sale, counting this one (a 2018 model has had 9). Older cars have had longer to collect complaints, so raw totals flatter the new ones. Blue bars are the years to avoid. Too new to judge: 2025 and 2026.
Within one model, sales change less from year to year than they do between models, so a jump here is mostly a jump in problems. The call: the years to avoid are the (up to three) highest at 1.5 times the model's median rate or more, and the best are the (up to three) lowest at two thirds of it or less, from 2016 on.
Guide How much should a years-to-avoid list decide? What these lists get wrong
At a glance
- Where the complaints sit
- The 2017 has the most complaints of any Kia Sportage year here: 400 of 1,340 (30%).
- Problem across the years
- The top problem moves around from year to year. Engine failure leads in 5 of the 8 model years and has the most reports overall, 275. Pooled across the years, half of the 134 owners who gave a mileage for engine failure were under about 82,000 miles.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 12% of Kia Sportage complaints report a crash, a fire or an injury, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The highest share is on the 2020, 24 of its 161 complaints.
- Recalls on the top problem
- None of the 7 model years where owners report engine failure has a recall on the same system.
- When owners filed
- Filings peaked in 2022 at 258 (full calendar years only). In 2025 there were 190. So far in 2026, 159 more have come in. Filings on record start in 2015.
Photo: LuvsMG481, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Elise240SX, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Photo: Elise240SX, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Model years with too few complaints for a page of their own: 2019 (70), 2021 (53), 2022 (46), 2024 (71), 2025 (52).
Year by year
2026 Kia Sportage
27 owner complaints so far; too new to call. 4 reports involved a crash and 1 person was hurt. 1 recall: 26V-046 on the electrical system.
2023 Kia Sportage avoid
190 owner complaints, 48 for each year on the road (3.9 times the model median). Most reported: brake wear (34 reports, median 12,000 miles), infotainment (33 reports) and stalling (23 reports, median 28,900 miles). 24 reports involved a crash and 14 people were hurt. 6 recalls, including 23V-410 on the brakes and 24V-025 on the structure.
2020 Kia Sportage
161 owner complaints, 23 for each year on the road (1.9 times the model median). Most reported: engine failure (37 reports, median 65,000 miles), oil consumption (31 reports, median 73,000 miles) and misfire (21 reports, median 75,400 miles). 11 reports involved a crash and 8 people were hurt. 2 recalls, including 22V-703 on the trailer hitches and 21V-137 on the brakes.
2018 Kia Sportage
164 owner complaints, 18 for each year on the road (1.5 times the model median). Most reported: engine failure (43 reports, median 66,000 miles), misfire (32 reports, median 99,339 miles) and oil consumption (23 reports, median 78,051 miles). 7 reports involved a crash and 5 people were hurt. 3 recalls, including 22V-703 on the trailer hitches and 21V-137 on the brakes.
2017 Kia Sportage avoid
400 owner complaints, 40 for each year on the road (3.3 times the model median). Most reported: engine failure (87 reports, median 78,000 miles), misfire (67 reports, median 82,365 miles) and stalling (65 reports, median 82,148 miles). 14 reports involved a crash and 19 people were hurt. 4 recalls, including 22V-703 on the trailer hitches and 21V-137 on the brakes.
2016 Kia Sportage
131 owner complaints, 12 for each year on the road (1.0 times the model median). Most reported: brake wear (38 reports), engine failure (26 reports, median 90,000 miles) and stalling (16 reports, median 106,000 miles). 8 reports involved a crash and 8 people were hurt. 2 recalls, including 22V-051 on the brakes and 18V-907 on the fuel system.
2015 Kia Sportage
146 owner complaints, 12 for each year on the road (1.0 times the model median). Most reported: engine failure (39 reports, median 98,000 miles), stalling (32 reports, median 60,181 miles) and brake wear (31 reports, median 85,661 miles). 7 reports involved a crash and 5 people were hurt. 2 recalls, including 22V-051 on the brakes and 18V-907 on the fuel system.
2014 Kia Sportage
121 owner complaints, 9 for each year on the road (0.8 times the model median). Most reported: engine failure (38 reports, median 90,000 miles), brake wear (24 reports) and stalling (22 reports, median 82,000 miles). 3 reports involved a crash and 2 people were hurt. 3 recalls, including 22V-051 on the brakes and 18V-907 on the fuel system.
Recalls that cover several model years
The high pressure fuel pipe that connects to the fuel pump outlet may have been damaged, misaligned or improperly torqued during the engine replacement procedure, possibly causing a fuel leak.
The Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) module could malfunction and cause an electrical short, which could result in an engine compartment fire.
Debris and moisture accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (PCB) may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire.
The electrical circuit in the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) may short-circuit, which can cause a fire in the engine compartment.
Compare the Sportage with its rivals
Side by side over the model years both have on file: what owners complain about, the mileage problems start at, recalls, investigations and crash reports.
- Sportage vs Toyota RAV42014 to 2023
- Sportage vs Honda CR-V2014 to 2026
- Sportage vs Hyundai Tucson2014 to 2026
- Sportage vs Nissan Rogue2014 to 2026
Questions
What Kia Sportage years should you avoid?
The 2017, 2023 and 2024 Kia Sportage draw the most owner complaints for their age: 2017 has 400 complaints (40 for each year on the road), 2023 has 190 complaints (48 for each year on the road) and 2024 has 71 complaints (24 for each year on the road), against a median of 12 a year across the 11 model years old enough to judge. The most reported problem on the 2023 is brake wear (34 reports).
What are the best years for the Kia Sportage?
No Kia Sportage model year since 2016 draws clearly fewer complaints for its age than the rest. Model years before 2016 aren't called best, because complaints filed before 2015 aren't in the files this site reads and their counts run short.
What is the most common problem on the Kia Sportage?
Engine failure, with 275 reports across the 8 model years that have a page here. It's the single most reported problem on the 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2020.
How many recalls does the Kia Sportage have?
13 recall campaigns cover the Kia Sportage model years 2014 to 2026 on this site. The widest, 18V-907 on the fuel system, covers 5 model years.
How many Kia Sportage complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
12% of them, against 6% for the typical vehicle on this site. The 2020 has the highest share.
Is there a recall for engine failure on the Kia Sportage?
No. None of the 7 model years where owners report it has one on the same system.