Third generation (SL)
2014 Kia Sportage
The most reported problem on the 2014 Kia Sportage is engine failure, with 38 complaints, usually around 90,000 miles.
- 121owner complaints
- 3recalls
- 3involved a crash
- 83,000median miles at failure
Newest report Sep 28, 2026 · checked Oct 2, 2026
What is your Sportage doing?
Each one opens a sheet built from the owner reports of that problem on the 2014 model year.
Is the 2014 Kia Sportage reliable?
The 2014 Kia Sportage has 121 owner complaints on file with NHTSA, less than half the median of 366 for 2014 SUVs on this site. Of the 13 Sportage model years since 2014, it has the 7th most complaints. Complaint counts rise with sales as well as faults, so read what owners report below before deciding.
At a glance
- Next to other model years
- Complaints filed before 2015 aren't in the files this site reads, so the 2014 count runs short and isn't compared with the model years next to it.
- Top problem
- Engine failure leads with 38 of the 121 complaints (31%), ahead of brake wear at 24. A quarter of the 25 owners who gave a mileage for engine failure saw it by about 70,000 miles, and half by about 90,000.
- Crash, fire and injury reports
- 4 of the 121 complaints (3%) report a crash, a fire or an injury, a little under the 6% typical of vehicles on this site. Counted separately (one report can carry more than one), 3 reports mention a crash, 1 mentions a fire and 2 people were hurt.
- Recalls behind the top problems
- No recall on file is on the same system as engine failure. For those, the complaints are all there is.
- When owners filed
- Filings jumped in 2022, with 43 complaints, 2.1 times the next busiest year. So far in 2026, 4 more have come in. Filings on record start in 2015.
When each problem shows up
Each bar covers the middle half of the mileages owners reported for that problem. A quarter saw it earlier, a quarter later. The tick is the median. Most reported: engine failure, knocking or rod bearing, 38 complaints.
middle half of reports, median tick. The heavier grey bars have 75 or more reports.
Behind you
Around your mileage
Ahead of you
How this compares
121 complaints is 2.5 times fewer than the median 2014 model on this site and 3.0 times fewer than the median 2014 SUV. Among the 8 Sportage model years here it ranks 7th for complaints. Counts follow sales volume as much as reliability, so a truck that sells 700,000 a year draws more reports than a sedan that sells 200,000.
Service bulletins for the 2014 Kia Sportage
Kia filed 181 bulletins and other notices with NHTSA that list the 2014 Kia Sportage. 29 of them deal with a problem owners have reported on this car. Newest first.
Federal rules make a manufacturer send NHTSA a copy of any notice about a defect that goes to more than one dealer or owner. Most of these are service bulletins, the repair instructions manufacturers send to dealers. NHTSA generally leaves safety recall bulletins out of this file, and recalls are listed separately.
Engine failure, knocking or rod bearing 6 bulletins · 38 complaints
PITSTOP: INJECTOR HARNESS ROUTING FOR PI1802Y/Z AND PI1803Y/Z ENGINE REPLACEMENTS This bulletin provides information to address a no-start or hard start with poor running condition after engine replacement under PI1802Y/Z or PI1803Y/Z. Some replacement long blocks may come with pre-installed fuel rail, injectors, and injector wiring ...
TSB_R7 ENGINE REPLACEMENT INSTRUCTIONS FOR DTC P1326 (PI1802W/X) - CLOSED - SUPERSEDED BY PI1802Y/Z.
4 more on this problem
VEHICLE PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT: ENGINE REPLACEMENT INSTRUCTIONS FOR DTC P1326 (PI1802W/X) Specifically, this bulletin provides instructions on which procedures to follow if, after installation of the KSDS, any one of the subject vehicles below returns to the dealer with Diagnostic Trouble Code (?DTC?), P1326..
Q & A - This document is the Q & A for the new Product Improvement Campaign to provide information regarding a software update to the Engine Control Unit (ECU) to protect the engine from excessive connecting rod bearing damage.
DEALER SERVICE MANAGER NOTICE This notice advised the dealer service manager of the new Product Improvement Campaign to perform a software update to the Engine Control Unit (ECU) to protect the engine from excessive connecting rod bearing damage.
REQUEST FOR REIMBURSEMENT FORM: WTY007 20112014 MY SPORTAGE 2.0L TURBO GDI & 2.4L GDI ENGINE WARRANTY EXTENSION PROGRAM - IF YOU HAVE PAID TO HAVE YOUR ENGINE REPAIRED/REPLACED DUE TO CONNECTING ROD FAILURE, YOU MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR REIMBURSEMENT FOR SOME OR ALL OF THAT EXPENSE.
Engine knocking or ticking 17 bulletins · 15 complaints
PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN: ENGINE REPLACEMENT INSTRUCTIONS FOR DTC P1326 (PI1802Y/Z) This bulletin provides information related to the Technical Service Bulletin previously published PI1802 titled "Knock Sensor Detection System - ECU Logic Improvement"; equipped w/THETA II engine.
ENGINE REPLACEMENT INSTRUCTIONS FOR DTC P1326 (PI1802Y/Z) This bulletin provides information related to the Technical Service Bulletin previously published PI1802 titled "Knock Sensor Detection System - ECU Logic Improvement" equipped w/THETA II engine.
15 more on this problem
PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT TSB_PI1802_R2 - Knock Sensor Detection System - ECU Logic Improvement - This bulletin provides information related to a software update to the Engine Control Unit (ECU) to install the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) in order to protect the engine from ...
PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN ENGINE REPLACEMENT INSTRUCTIONS FOR DTC P1326 (PI1802Y/Z_Rev3) - - This bulletin provides information related to the Technical Service Bulletin previously published in July 2018 (PI1802 Rev 10, 03/16/2020) titled "Knock Sensor Detection System - ECU Logic ...
PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN ENGINE REPLACEMENT INSTRUCTIONS FOR DTC P1326 (PI1802Y/Z_Rev2) - This bulletin provides information related to the Technical Service Bulletin previously published in July 2018 (PI1802 Rev 10, 03/16/2020) titled "Knock Sensor Detection System - ECU Logic ...
PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN : KNOCK SENSOR DETECTION SYSTEM (KSDS) LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (PI1802_R11) This bulletin provides information related to a software update to the Engine Control Unit (ECU) to install the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) in order to protect the engine from excessive connecting rod bearing damage.
TSB - ENGINE REPLACEMENT INSTRUCTIONS FOR DTC P1326 (PI1803Y/Z) This bulletin provides information related to the Technical Service Bulletin previously published in July 2018 (PI1803, Rev 10, 03/16/2020) titled "Knock Sensor Detection System - ECU Logic Improvement".
TSB - ENGINE REPLACEMENT INSTRUCTIONS FOR DTC P1326 (PI1802Y/Z) This bulletin provides information related to the Technical Service Bulletin previously published in July 2018 (PI1802 Rev 10, 03/16/2020) titled Knock Sensor Detection System - ECU Logic Improvement.
TSB - REV 10 KNOCK SENSOR DETECTION SYSTEM - ECU LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (PI1802) - This bulletin provides information related to a software update to the Engine Control Unit (ECU) to install the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) in order to protect the engine from excessive ...
TSB - PRODUCT IMPROVEMENT CAMPAIGN KNOCK SENSOR DETECTION SYSTEM - ECU LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (PI1802) Rev.9 - This bulletin provides information related to a software update to the Engine Control Unit (ECU) to install the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) in order to protect the engine from ...
ENGINE REPLACEMENT INSTRUCTIONS FOR DTC P1326 (PI1802W/X) This bulletin provides information related to the Technical Service Bulletin previously published in July 2018 (PI1802, Rev 6, 01/31/2019) titled "Knock Sensor Detection System - ECU Logic Improvement".
TSB - Product Improvement Campaign: KNOCK SENSOR DETECTION SYSTEM - ECU LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (PI1802) - This bulletin provides information related to a software update to the Engine Control Unit (ECU) to install the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) in order ...
Plus 5 older ones not listed here.
Check engine light or misfire 6 bulletins · 10 complaints
PITSTOP: MANUAL EVAPORATIVE EMISSIONS TEST FOR HARD TO FIND/SMALL LEAKS If the malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) is illuminated with DTC(s) P0442, P0455, P0456, or P0457 (Evaporative Emissions System-Leak detected) and the evaporative (EVAP) leak self-test resulted in NTF, a manual EVAP test is recommended.
ECU UPGRADE ? MIL ON WITH DTC(s) P0420/P0171 - This bulletin provides information related to the ECU software upgrade for some 2012~2015MY Optima (QF) vehicles, produced from August 12, 2011 to October 2, 2015, some 2012~2015MY Sorento (XMa) vehicles, ...
4 more on this problem
2.4 GDI MIL ON WITH DTC(S) P0263/ P0266/ P0269/ P0272 THIS BULLETIN PROVIDES INFORMATION ABOUT THE REPLACEMENT OF THE FUEL INJECTORS IN SOME SORENTO (XMA) PRODUCED 12/17/2012~12/11/2014, OPTIMA (QF) PRODUCED 07/28/2013~10/02/2015, OPTIMA (TF) PRODUCED 09/09/2013~07/23/2015 2014~2015MY, AND SPORTAGE (SL) PRODUCED ...
KIA: CRANKSHAFT POSITION SENSOR (CKP) VARIATION HAS NOT LEARNED CAUSING MISFIRE OF ENGINE AND MALFUNCTION INDICATOR LIGHT (MIL) TO COME IN DASH. MODEL ALL. NO YEARS LISTED. *PE
PITSTOP: RESETTING CYLINDER BALANCE ADAPTATION VALUES When addressing a cylinder balance concern on a vehicle equipped with a 2.4L GDI engine, it is important to note that the DTC may recur after replacement of any faulty component(s) and resetting adaptive values.
6 SPD A/T SOLENOID REPLACEMENT ? DTC P0741 This bulletin provides information relating to the replacement of the Damper Clutch (D/C) Solenoid on 6-speed automatic transaxles with DTC P0741 (active or history), instead of replacing the transaxle.
Complaints filed by year
43 complaints came in 2022, 3.6 times the year before. Owners file in waves when a problem gets press or an investigation, so a spike measures attention as much as failures.
NHTSA investigations
Hyundai and kia abs module fires. Open.
NHTSA summary
Loss of motive power. Closed dec 12, 2023.
NHTSA summary
Recalls that include the 2014 Kia Sportage
Whether your car is included depends on its VIN. Check yours at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2016-2018 K900 and 2014-2016 Sportage vehicles. The Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) module could malfunction and cause an electrical short, which could result in an engine compartment fire.
Risk and remedy
Remedy: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will install a new fuse for the HECU circuit board, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 22, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC227.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2011-2017 Optima, 2012-2017 Sorento and 2011-2018 Sportage vehicles that previously received an engine replacement under recall number 17V-224, warranty, or the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) Product Improvement Campaign. 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.
Risk and remedy
Remedy: Kia has notified owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the fuel pipe, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 17, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC172.
Kia Motors Corporation (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2014 Kia Sportage vehicles manufactured September 30, 2013, through January 11, 2014. The certification label has incorrect tire pressure information printed on it, listing a specification that is 1 or 2 psi below the correct information. Thus, these vehicles do not conform to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 110, "Tire Selection and Rims for Passenger Cars."
Risk and remedy
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will correct the label information, and owners will also receive a sticker to put into the owners manual, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in February 2014. Owners may contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's recall campaign number is SC103.
All 3 recalls on the 2014 Kia Sportage, with the owner complaints on each recalled system
Guide NHTSA has an open investigation on this car. What the investigation stages mean
Questions
What is the most common problem on the 2014 Kia Sportage?
Engine failure, with 38 of the 121 complaints. Owners who gave a mileage for it put the median at about 90,000 miles.
At what mileage do 2014 Kia Sportage problems start?
Of the 57 complaints that give a mileage, a quarter came by about 55,000 miles and half by about 83,000.
How many 2014 Kia Sportage complaints involve a crash, fire or injury?
4 of them (3%). The typical vehicle on this site is at 6%.
Is there a recall for engine failure on the 2014 Kia Sportage?
No recall on file for the 2014 Kia Sportage is on the same system as engine failure. Another recall may still cover your car, so check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.