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Kia · NHTSA safety record

2022 Kia Sportage

Every safety complaint, recall and defect investigation the US government holds on this vehicle.

Owners have filed 46 safety complaints about the 2022 Kia Sportage with the US government. Of those, 6 describe a crash, 2 mention a fire, 1 person was injured and no death is recorded. One recall campaign is open against it, covering the trailer hitch.

The most complained-about system is the engine, named in 21 complaints, 46% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 33,000 miles, the median across the 9 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

Compiled from NHTSA's complaint, recall and investigation files · Covers January 2022 to September 2026 · How this is counted

What is on file

46 complaints on file

46

Complaints

6

Describe a crash

2

Mention fire

1

People injured

0

Deaths

A complaint is an unverified account by the person who filed it, not a finding of fault. One complaint is one ODI number, which is how NHTSA counts them.

A recall is the manufacturer conceding a defect, and the repair is free. Whether one covers your particular car is a question only its VIN can answer, because a campaign covers a production range rather than a model year.

Which system owners named

Complaints naming each system
ENGINE 21 · 46%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 8 · 17%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 5 · 11%
TRAILER HITCHES 4 · 9%
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 4 · 9%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 3 · 7%
POWER TRAIN 3 · 7%
VISIBILITY 3 · 7%
AIR BAGS 2 · 4%
SEATS 2 · 4%
SERVICE BRAKES 2 · 4%
STEERING 2 · 4%
0 12 23

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 46.

When the complaints arrived

By the year NHTSA received them

By the year NHTSA received them, which is not the year the failures happened. They peaked in 2023 at 12.

16 12 8 4
22 23 24 25 26

This is the year the complaint was filed, not the year the failure happened. The range runs from 2022 to 2026, the last of them a part year, which is why its column is drawn faint.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program

NHTSA crashes a car into a barrier and a pole and measures what happens to the dummies inside. This is what it awarded the 2022 Kia SPORTAGE, and it is a separate question from what owners report going wrong later.

Test SUV AWD SUV FWD
Overall
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Side barrier
Side pole
Rollover
Chance of rollover 14.7% 15.5%
Stability control standard Forward collision warning standard Lane departure warning standard

A rating belongs to a tested body style and drivetrain, not to the model as a whole, which is why more than one is listed. A dash means NHTSA did not rate that test for this vehicle.

Recall campaigns

1 on file

TRAILER HITCHES

22V703000 · September 19, 2022

Park outside until repaired

The defect
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Sorento, 2021-2022 Sorento Hybrid (HEV), 2022-2023 Sorento Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV), and 2017-2022 Sportage vehicles equipped with a tow hitch harness installed as original equipment, or purchased as an accessory through a Kia dealership. 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 risk
A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
The remedy
Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will inspect the vehicle, and, as necessary, replace the fuse and/or tow hitch harness module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 11, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC249.

Kia America, Inc. · up to 70,887 vehicles across all model years covered

In owners’ own words

Quoted from the complaint file

Quoted from NHTSA's complaint file. These are unverified accounts by the people who filed them, not findings of fault.

AIR BAGS

1 injured · crash · towed

My mother was in a car accident where another driver was not paying attention and t-boned her passenger side, doing about 55+ mph. My mother's vehicle, the Kia, had just begun travelling through an intersection (~10-15 mph) when the crash occurred. The Kia was hit so hard that it rolled 2-3 times before coming to a complete stop. She survived with a few fractured bones, thankfully, but the steering wheel airbag DID NOT DEPLOY! Every other airbag (driver side, passenger side, rear side) deployed, but not one of the most important ones. We're not sure if her injuries would have been lessened with that airbag or not, but the car was totaled out by insurance. There were no warning lights or

NHTSA complaint 11453949, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE

fire · towed · 51,000 miles

The contact owned a 2022 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while stopping at a red light, she observed smoke emanating from the engine compartment. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road, where she opened the hood of the vehicle and observed flames coming from the engine. The fire department extinguished the fire and determined that the fire originated from the driver side of the engine. A fire department and police report were filed. The vehicle was towed to a tow lot. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 51,000.

NHTSA complaint 11585257. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE

fire · 5,000 miles

The contact owns a 2022 Kia Sportage. The contact stated while the vehicle was parked, the vehicle caught on fire without warning. The side of the contact's home also caught on fire. The vehicle was not diagnosed. The fire department was able to extinguish the fire. A fire report was filed. The fire inspector stated that the fire was started from under the hood of the vehicle. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 5,000.

NHTSA complaint 11468689. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

crash · towed

I was involved in a highway forward collision accident and the emergency braking, alert, and air bags never went off.

NHTSA complaint 11446787. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
While driving 8/24/2026 on interstate engine light started flashing then staues on and car decelerated and knocking noise.Got to closest parking lot. Car would no longer move and turned it off. Contacted a tow. Tow driver verified battery good, oil good and started car, the motor shook uncontrollably then it was turned off and towed to dealership. Full service oil change was done 8/23/2026 at dealership. Dealer stated diagnostics engine failure need replacement. since owning would not support 5000 mile oil change and was reported to dealer due to need service earlier.

NHTSA complaint 11761196. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

VISIBILITY/WIPER
Our 2022 Sportage backup camera screen has gone completely blank creating an immediate rear visibility safety hazard that violates federal back up camera standards. The manual indicated fuse is still functional and the infotainment reset does not resolve the issue. The entire system remains nonfunctioning.

NHTSA complaint 11754366. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM

97,000 miles

The contact owns a 2022 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while the vehicle was parked with the engine running, there was an alert on the instrument panel that stating "Warning - System Overheating". The contact checked the coolant level, and the level was at the operational level; however, the A/C was not operating properly. While driving the vehicle, the external temperature gauge started lowering. The vehicle was taken to a dealer, where it was diagnosed with blower motor failure that affected the wiring harness and the cooling fan assembly. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 97,000.

NHTSA complaint 11751534. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
I am submitting this complaint regarding the positive battery terminal fuse block (battery terminal/fusible link assembly) on my 2022 Kia Sportage. The component is currently installed on the vehicle and is available for inspection upon request. I purchased this vehicle in 2024, when it was only about two years old. Because of the vehicle's age, I did not expect to experience major electrical problems. Approximately one year after purchasing it, in June, the battery failed and I had to purchase a brand-new replacement battery. Then, only about three months later, that replacement battery also failed and had to be replaced with another new battery. Having two batteries fail within such a

NHTSA complaint 11751241, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
Engine failure at 93,000 miles. Timing chain jumped, causing internal engine damage. Dealer (Capitol Kia, San Jose CA) diagnosed engine as failed and quoted $11,843 for short block replacement. Vehicle is a 2021 Kia Sportage 2.4L. This is a known issue with the Theta II 2.4L engine.

NHTSA complaint 11740300. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ENGINE
The engine failed completely, it has to be replaced. Yes, it’s available The engine could start a fire. It’s confirmed by an independent service. No, hasn’t been inspected by the manufacturer. The suv started shaking and making a sound, the engine light started flashing all of this in just one hour, and I have to stop.

NHTSA complaint 11728942. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Compare

Other years of the Kia Sportage

Model year Complaints Recalls Deaths
2026 27 1 —
2025 52 1 —
2024 71 3 —
2023 190 6 —
2021 53 2 —
2020 161 2 —
2019 70 2 —
2018 164 3 —
2017 401 4 —
2016 131 2 —
2015 146 2 —
2014 123 3 —
2013 381 3 —
2012 392 5 —
2011 181 6 —
2010 20 2 1

Other 2022 Kia models

Telluride 324 EV6 277 Sorento 189 Carnival 136 K5 128 Soul 88 Seltos 73 Niro 31

Complaints on file, same model year.

Every Kia on this site — 181 vehicles.

If this is your car and a dealer keeps failing to fix it, your state's lemon law may require the manufacturer to replace it or buy it back. How many repair attempts it takes, and how long you have to file, is set by the state you bought in and by nothing on this page.

Where these numbers come from

A complaint is one owner's account and has not been verified by NHTSA or by us. A vehicle with more complaints is not necessarily worse: models that sold in larger numbers collect more of them. How this is counted.

Compiled and maintained by
Independent developer and analyst