Kia Sportage VIN check & common problems

Decode any Kia Sportage by its VIN and see free safety-recall and owner-complaint data, so you know what to check before you buy.

See a sample report

355

Owner complaints

Recall campaigns

Model years sampled

From NHTSA (US) records over 2016, 2020, 2024

Last updated: June 28, 2026

Safety rating

Overall: 5/5
Frontal crash: 5/5
Side crash: 5/5
Rollover: 4/5

Stability control: Standard

NHTSA NCAP crash tests (US), 2024 model year

Fuel economy

Combined: 9.4 L/100km
City: 10.2 L/100km
Highway: 9 L/100km

EPA estimates (US), 2024 model year

EU CO2 emissions (WLTP)

Official EU type-approval CO2 for the Kia Sportage, averaged over 119,257 cars registered across the EU.

Petrol
≈ 120 kW
142
g/km
Diesel
≈ 98 kW
136
g/km
Plug-in hybrid
≈ 125 kW
35
g/km
Natural gas / LPG
≈ 113 kW
146
g/km

EU CO2 data: European Environment Agency (EEA), 2024. Tailpipe (WLTP) figures, reused under CC BY 4.0.

See common Sportage problems View safety recalls Is the Kia Sportage reliable?

What you can check on a Kia Sportage

Confirm whether the 7 open recall(s) on record were repaired
Inspect the areas owners report most: Engine, Service Brakes
Know the 355 owner complaints filed over 2016, 2020, 2024
Check the car matches its 5/5 NCAP crash-test rating
Compare real-world economy against the rated 9.4 L/100km
Always confirm the individual car by its VIN — model trends aren’t a guarantee

Importing a Kia Sportage from the US?

American-market Kia Sportages are often cheaper at US auctions — but salvage titles, flood damage and odometer rollback are common on cars sold there. Decode the VIN and read the history before you buy or ship, then check the import steps and taxes for your country.

Import steps & taxes by country

Kia Sportage: frequently asked questions

Does the Kia Sportage have any recalls?

7 NHTSA recall campaigns are on record for the Kia Sportage (2016, 2020, 2024). Always check a specific car by its VIN for currently open recalls.

What are the most common Kia Sportage problems?

Owners filed 355 complaints with NHTSA over 2016, 2020, 2024. The most-reported areas are Engine, Service Brakes.

Is the Kia Sportage safe?

The Kia Sportage earned 5 out of 5 stars overall in NHTSA (US) crash tests.

How economical is the Kia Sportage?

EPA-estimated combined economy is about 9.4 L/100km, based on US testing.

What are the CO2 emissions of the Kia Sportage?

Based on EU registration data (2024), the Kia Sportage emits around 142 g/km of CO2 (WLTP, tailpipe) in its most common version. Lower CO2 usually means lower road tax across much of the EU.

Complaint and recall data: NHTSA (US). Same-generation EU models usually share these mechanical issues.