Kia Sportage 2017–2022
4th generation (QL)
NHTSA data through 12 August 20261,214 complaints, 426 with mileageMethod
On this generation, 27% of failures fall within the first 12,000 miles — a rate roughly 3 times higher than during the rest of the car's life.
- First 12,000 miles — 27% of all failures
- Rest of the range
- Median
- 200,000+ — 3 complaints (0.7%), plotted separately
- 10%
- 3,000
- 25%
- 11,100
- Median
- 39,500
- 75%
- 79,000
- 90%
- 107,000
Show the numbers
| Mileage | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 0–10,000 | 90 | 21.1% |
| 10,000–20,000 | 63 | 14.8% |
| 20,000–30,000 | 24 | 5.6% |
| 30,000–40,000 | 38 | 8.9% |
| 40,000–50,000 | 16 | 3.8% |
| 50,000–60,000 | 28 | 6.6% |
| 60,000–70,000 | 30 | 7.0% |
| 70,000–80,000 | 33 | 7.7% |
| 80,000–90,000 | 27 | 6.3% |
| 90,000–100,000 | 22 | 5.2% |
| 100,000–110,000 | 13 | 3.1% |
| 110,000–120,000 | 14 | 3.3% |
| 120,000–130,000 | 10 | 2.3% |
| 130,000–140,000 | 3 | 0.7% |
| 140,000–150,000 | 6 | 1.4% |
| 150,000–160,000 | 3 | 0.7% |
| 160,000–170,000 | 2 | 0.5% |
| 180,000–190,000 | 1 | 0.2% |
| 200,000+ | 3 | 0.7% |
What this can and cannot tell you: these are complaints owners chose to file, not a failure rate. Popular models accumulate more of them simply by being common. How this is built.
Owners filed 1,214 complaints with NHTSA about the 2017–2022 Kia Sportage, and 426 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
27% of failures fall within the first 12,000 miles — a rate roughly 3 times higher than during the rest of the car's life. Failures clustered that early usually indicate a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear.
The most-reported areas are the engine (37.2% of complaints, typically around 54,000 miles), problems owners could not categorise (12.4% of complaints, typically around 20,000 miles), the electrical system (11.0% of complaints, typically around 53,000 miles).
4 recall campaigns cover this generation.
What fails, and when
- Engine54,000median 54,000 miles, middle half 15,000 to 87,000
- Problems owners could not categorise20,000median 20,000 miles, middle half 7,500 to 50,000
- Electrical system53,000median 53,000 miles, middle half 9,500 to 79,000
- Transmission and driveline36,000median 36,500 miles, middle half 14,000 to 60,000
- Fuel and propulsion system20,000median 19,993 miles, middle half 4,000 to 44,000
- Body structure56,000median 56,500 miles, middle half 9,000 to 70,000
- Throttle and speed control19,000median 19,113 miles, middle half 9,500 to 60,000
| System | Complaints | Share | Median | 25–75% |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 452 | 37.2% | 54,000 | 15,000–87,000 |
| Problems owners could not categorise | 150 | 12.4% | 20,000 | 7,500–50,000 |
| Electrical system | 133 | 11.0% | 53,000 | 9,500–79,000 |
| Transmission and driveline | 72 | 5.9% | 36,000 | 14,000–60,000 |
| Fuel and propulsion system | 50 | 4.1% | 20,000 | 4,000–44,000 |
| Body structure | 42 | 3.5% | 56,000 | 9,000–70,000 |
| Throttle and speed control | 33 | 2.7% | 19,000 | 9,500–60,000 |
| Brakes | 32 | 2.6% | 16,000 | 900–95,000 |
| Steering | 30 | 2.5% | 16,000 | 500–53,000 |
| Engine and its cooling system | 30 | 2.5% | 84,000 | 63,000–97,000 |
Which systems, and when
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 39,500 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The engine accounts for 37.2% of complaints (452 reports, 133 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 54,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 15,000 and 87,000 miles.
A single system taking 37.2% of all complaints is a concentration worth noting. It means that for this generation, most of what owners reported came back to one area of the car rather than being distributed across many small faults.
Problems owners could not categorise accounts for 12.4% of complaints (150 reports, 37 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 20,000 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 7,600 and 50,000 miles.
The electrical system accounts for 11.0% of complaints (133 reports, 49 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 53,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 9,400 and 79,000 miles.
The transmission and driveline accounts for 5.9% of complaints (72 reports, 34 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 36,500 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 13,580 and 60,000 miles.
The fuel and propulsion system accounts for 4.1% of complaints (50 reports, 14 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 19,993 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 3,999 and 44,000 miles.
Body structure accounts for 3.5% of complaints (42 reports, 14 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 56,500 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 9,000 and 70,000 miles.
Differences between model years
Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 2017 model year drew the most — 560 complaints — while 2021 drew the fewest at 59. The median year sits at 152.
That makes 2017 an outlier: roughly 3.7 times the median year of this generation. A single year standing that far apart usually reflects either a first-year issue that was later corrected, or a component change introduced for that year. Anyone shopping this generation has a straightforward reason to prefer a different year, all else being equal.
Recalls and what they cover
NHTSA records 4 recall campaigns covering vehicles in this generation. A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator concluded there was a safety defect or a standard was not met, and that a free remedy is owed to owners — including second and later owners.
The campaigns cluster around trailer hitches (2), the hydraulic brake circuit (1), the engine (1). Repeated recalls against the same area of the car generally mean the first remedy did not fully resolve the underlying problem.
Recall status is specific to the individual vehicle, not the model. Checking a VIN against NHTSA's lookup is free and takes under a minute, and it is the only way to know whether a particular car has had the work done.
Reported severity
Of the 1,214 complaints filed against this generation, 70 reported a crash; 97 reported a fire; 67 reported an injury. Crash-involved reports represent 5.8% of the total.
These are owner-reported outcomes, not verified investigations, and they are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. They are included because the distinction between a fault that strands a car and a fault that causes a collision is the one that matters most, and it is not visible in a complaint count alone.
What this means if you are buying one
For a buyer, an early-failure pattern is comparatively good news on a used example: 27% of the reported failures occur in the first 12,000 miles, which on a car of this age means they have already happened or they were never going to. Service history matters more than mileage here.
On inspection, the engine and problems owners could not categorise are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. Problems owners could not categorise in particular shows a median failure mileage of 20,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
Documented problems
Engine - Bearings 2017–2019 primarily
Theta II connecting rod bearing failure claims continue into the early years of this generation; the class settlement population extends to roughly MY2019 for affected Theta II applications.
By model year
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 560 | 249 |
| 2018 | 223 | 74 |
| 2019 | 102 | 34 |
| 2020 | 203 | 42 |
| 2021 | 59 | 14 |
| 2022 | 67 | 13 |
Recalls (4)
| Campaign | Date | Component |
|---|---|---|
| 22V703000 | 2023-07-27 | Trailer Hitches |
| 21V137000 | 2021-04-30 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:control Unit/Module |
| 18V907000 | 2019-01-17 | Engine |
| 16V862000 | 2017-01-19 | Trailer Hitches |
What owners reported
My 2017 Kia Sportage completely died on me. It was towed to jensen tires and i was told that the engine was totally blown. I then had it towed to h&h Kia in omaha, ne and shane clapps (service person) stated that the engine was indeed blown and needs a new engine. The vehicle was in motion and died on my in the middle…
2017 · 10 miles · Engine
The car slightly veered to the left, at first. I brought it up to the sales person during the drive. There was also a slight burning smell when i drove the car home in the evening from the dealer. I brought it back the next day to have it checked out, and the service manager said that he could not find anything.…
2017 · 36 miles · Steering
On january 14,2021 after work around 3:30 when i got in my car it wouldn't start. We checked the oil and it had no oil. A towing truck picked up my car and took it to clay cooley Kia in irving. It's been sitting there since then and i was told i needed to pay 2,600 and that's only for what they believe is wrong with…
2017 · 73 miles · Electrical system
Fmvss 108,table i-a, daytime running lamp (drl), device activation requires that drls be "automatically deactivated when the headlamp control is in any 'on' position." On the 2017 Kia Sportage the drls remain on with the headlamp control in all "on" positions. This gives the appearance that the high beams are on all…
2017 · 225 miles · Exterior lighting
Built from 426 NHTSA complaints with mileage · snapshot 2026-08-12 · open data · reproduce this page