CSR

Kia · NHTSA safety record

2023 Kia Sportage

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

Owners have filed 190 safety complaints about the 2023 Kia Sportage with the US government. Of those, 24 describe a crash, 1 mentions a fire, 14 people were injured and no death is recorded. 6 recall campaigns are open against it.

The most complained-about system is the electrical system, named in 45 complaints, 24% of the total. The typical failure was reported at 26,887 miles, the median across the 29 complaints that gave an odometer reading.

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

What is on file

190 complaints on file

190

Complaints

24

Describe a crash

1

Mention fire

14

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
UNKNOWN OR OTHER 47 · 25%
ELECTRICAL SYSTEM 45 · 24%
ENGINE 37 · 19%
SERVICE BRAKES 30 · 16%
FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE 24 · 13%
POWER TRAIN 19 · 10%
FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM 12 · 6%
AIR BAGS 11 · 6%
BACK OVER PREVENTION 11 · 6%
VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL 10 · 5%
LANE DEPARTURE 8 · 4%
VISIBILITY 7 · 4%
0 19 38

Red marks a system with a recall campaign against it. One complaint can name several systems, so these add up to more than 190.

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 62.

68 51 34 17
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 2023 Kia SPORTAGE, and it is a separate question from what owners report going wrong later.

Test SUV AWD SUV FWD
Overall Not rated
Frontal crash
Frontal, driver
Frontal, passenger
Side crash
Side barrier
Side pole
Rollover Not rated
Chance of rollover 16.9% —
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

6 on file

STRUCTURE:BODY:ROOF AND PILLARS

24V025000 · January 18, 2024

The defect
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Sportage and 2022-2024 Carnival vehicles. The roof molding may loosen and detach.
The risk
A detached roof molding can create a road hazard for other vehicles, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect the roof molding and replace or secure it as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 15, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC292.

Kia America, Inc. · up to 101,049 vehicles across all model years covered

POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION:FLUID/LUBRICANT:PUMP

23V531000 · July 31, 2023

Park outside until repaired

The defect
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Soul, Sportage, and 2023-2024 Seltos vehicles. The electronic controller for the Idle Stop & Go oil pump assembly may contain damaged electrical components that can cause the pump to overheat.
The risk
An electric oil pump assembly that overheats increases the risk of a vehicle fire.
The remedy
Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will inspect and replace the electric oil pump controller, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 28, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC275.

Kia America, Inc. · up to 39,765 vehicles across all model years covered

SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:POWER ASSIST

23V410000 · June 7, 2023

The defect
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Sportage vehicles. The brake booster diaphragm may become misaligned and cause an internal vacuum leak, which can result in a loss of power brake assist.
The risk
A loss of power brake assist can extend the distance required to stop, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect and replace the brake booster as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 21, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC272.

Kia America, Inc. · up to 98,944 vehicles across all model years covered

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM: INSTRUMENT CLUSTER/PANEL

23V298000 · April 26, 2023

The defect
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Sportage, Sportage Hybrid, Sportage Plug-in Hybrid, Niro Hybrid, Niro Plug-in Hybrid, Soul, and Telluride vehicles equipped with a digital instrument cluster containing a 4.2" LCD screen.  The instrument cluster may fail to display any information when the vehicle is started.  As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 101, "Control and Displays," and 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems."
The risk
A blank instrument cluster display will not show critical information, such as tire pressure, warning messages, and warning lights, increasing the risk of a crash.
The remedy
Dealers will update the instrument cluster software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 26, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC270.

Kia America, Inc. · up to 108,936 vehicles across all model years covered

AIR BAGS:SIDE/WINDOW:CURTAIN

22V878000 · November 28, 2022

The defect
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Sportage vehicles. The side curtain air bags may have been twisted during installation.
The risk
A twisted air bag can deploy improperly, increasing the risk of injury.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect and reinstall the side curtain air bags as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 28, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC257.

Kia America, Inc. · up to 76,918 vehicles across all model years covered

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:ALTERNATOR/GENERATOR/REGULATOR

22V651000 · August 29, 2022

The defect
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Sportage vehicles. The alternator battery positive terminal nut may loosen, which can result in an engine stall or an electrical surge.
The risk
An engine stall increases the risk of a crash, and an electrical surge increases the risk of a fire.
The remedy
Dealers will inspect and tighten the alternator battery positive terminal nut, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 23, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC248.

Kia America, Inc. · up to 19,701 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

2 injured · crash · towed

On November 15, I was traveling with my mother and seated in the front passenger seat of a 2023 Kia Sportage while she was driving approximately 65 mph on the interstate when the vehicle struck a deer. The impact caused significant front-end damage, including the bumper, radiator area, and underbody components. I was wearing a seatbelt. Despite the severity of the collision and the high rate of speed, neither the driver nor passenger airbags deployed. No airbags deployed in any position in the vehicle. I sustained injuries, including a right shoulder sprain and having the wind knocked out of me, and required medical care. As a result of this crash, my mother developed post-traumatic stress

NHTSA complaint 11712825, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FORWARD COLLISION AVOIDANCE: WARNINGS

1 injured · crash · towed

On Aug 25th I was driving and the screens all shut off while driving, I didn't think anything of it, but a few hours later in ocala fl, cars had started breaking and slowing down, but then started again, but one lady had not started moving and I ended up hitting her I didn't have no warning telling me I was getting close to a car nor did it break at all like it's supposed to. It beeps when you park but now on dec 5 a truck cut me off and it I couldn't break fast enough but the car is equipped with safety features that aren't working and now I'm injured and they won't total my car because it's 2023, I don't feel safe driving a car I spent alot of money on and now I have no choice because I

NHTSA complaint 11496407, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

FUEL/PROPULSION SYSTEM

1 injured · crash · towed

On the morning of May 16 2023 while making a turn at 17 th Avenue and Bayshore Drive my car continued to accelerate in spite of me trying to brake. I was projected into a stone wall and knew I was going to crash . I crashed into the wall,all my airbags were deployed and the car smelled like smoke. My accelerator got stuck and was sideways .I was unable to get out of the car from inside but a Good Samaritan had opened the door from the outside and I crawled under the airbags and got out . The car did not go on fire but was still on when I was able to then turn it off . Police were called and I was checked at the hospital .

NHTSA complaint 11525243. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

SERVICE BRAKES

1 injured · crash · towed · 11,000 miles

The contact owns a 2023 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving at 15 MPH, attempting to merge onto the roadway, and depressing the brake pedal, the vehicle failed to decelerate. As a result, the vehicle crashed into semi-truck on the driver's side. The air bags did not deploy. No warning lights were illuminated. A police report was filed, and injuries were reported. The driver was transported to an area hospital and treated for whiplash and back pain. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic, who did not diagnose the failure. After investigating the failure, the contact related it to NHTSA Campaign Number 23V410000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic), but the VIN was not

NHTSA complaint 11540084, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

POWER TRAIN
When driving at speeds slightly above 50 mph between 1,700 and 1,900 RPM, maintaining light pressure on the accelerator pedal causes a noticeable physical vibration and shaking throughout both the pedal and the vehicle. To mitigate these concerning symptoms, I intentionally have to press down harder on the gas pedal, which helps immediately stop the shaking. This issue has been occurring consistently over time. While it has not resulted in an accident so far, it could raise safety concerns. I have reported this condition to Kia Customer Care twice, but no appropriate action or resolution has been provided.

NHTSA complaint 11764939. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

VEHICLE SPEED CONTROL
I am reporting a recurring and unresolved acceleration issue with my 2023 Kia Sportage. The vehicle intermittently continues to accelerate or maintains elevated RPMs even after I release the accelerator pedal. This has occurred multiple times and creates a serious safety concern because the vehicle does not decelerate as expected. The vehicle has been taken to an authorized Kia dealership multiple times for the same concern. Several components have been replaced, including the throttle body, but the acceleration problem continues to occur. The issue has also been observed during a dealership visit. Because the problem continues despite repeated repair attempts, I would like to formally

NHTSA complaint 11763894, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM
My daughter’s 2023 Kia Sportage SX Prestige has an instrument cluster that intermittently goes completely black while the vehicle is being driven. When this occurs, the driver cannot see the speedometer, warning indicators, or other critical vehicle information. Ferguson Kia inspected the vehicle and documented that the “cluster side of screen [is] INOP.” The technician reset the screen, performed variant coding, verified systems were up to date, removed and inspected the head unit/connectors, verified pin tension and fuses, and found no DTC codes. The screen remained inoperative. Ferguson Kia diagnosed an “internal electrical failure” and recommended replacement of the head unit. I paid

NHTSA complaint 11763798, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
I own a 2023 Kia Sportage Pro While driving to work, I heard an explosive sound that sounded like a gunshot on the top of my vehicle. I pulled over to see that my sunroof had exploded. I checked for any objects that may have hit it, and the only thing that was in the top of the roof was glass. Thankfully, my cover was closed on my sunroof for a glass would have been all over causing possible injury.

NHTSA complaint 11761797. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

Tether, Lower Anchor (on car seat or vehicle)
My child is [XXX] old, and as he has grown, I have noticed significant problems with the way he is positioned and supported in this car seat. He frequently sits too far forward and does not appear to have adequate support to keep his head and body in a safe, comfortable position.There have been multiple occasions during car rides when my child has choked or struggled because he is positioned so far forward. The design of the base does not seem to allow him to lean back sufficiently, which causes him to slump forward rather than remain properly supported. This is especially concerning when he falls asleep. His head falls completely forward, and the seat does not appear to provide adequate

NHTSA complaint 11761992, quoted in part. Filed by an owner and not verified by NHTSA or by us.

UNKNOWN OR OTHER
Main 12V electrical system failed completely. The engine stalled, the entire dashboard blacked out, and all auxiliary safety power was lost. The vehicle is currently located at Parkway Family Kia and is fully available for inspection. At rush hour freeway speeds, the engine stalled and total electrical failure occurred. Navigating across active lanes without engine power or power steering was extremely difficult. The total blackout killed my hazard lights, preventing me from warning other high-speed drivers. The dead car blocked an active lane on the feeder road, and an inattentive driver nearly struck my stalled, unlit vehicle. With zero hazards, I had to abandon the car and flee to the

NHTSA complaint 11756745, quoted in part. 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 —
2022 46 1 —
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 2023 Kia models

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