Your vehicle report
1997 Kia Sportage
The problems owners report. The recalls to check. The evidence behind each.
Your vehicle at a glance
Complaint patterns and official recall records, kept distinct.
- Owner complaints
- 181
- Received Sep 1997 to Jan 2019
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Airbags fail to deploy in crashes32 complaints · 18% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Engine suddenly shuts off while driving22 complaints · 12% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline11 complaints · 6.1% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #02V216000On certain passenger vehicles, the safety belt buckle may "false latch" and expose the driver to unrestrained movement during a crash.
- Recall #99V325000Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles. The wires connected to the C123 and C124 connectors can be put under tension by movement of the engine, thus pulling the wires and connectors, loosening them and resulting in a loss of circuit continuity.
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
No problems currently meet BrakeNews’s flagging criteria. This is not a safety rating.
How flags are identifiedComplaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 32 crashes, 5 fires, 24 people injured, 1 death.
Explore by system
Where do owners report problems?
Choose an area on the car or a system below to explore the reported problems.
Illustrative only; not this vehicle’s exact design. Areas represent complaint categories, not confirmed defective parts.
Showing all 16 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
- Engine suddenly shuts off while driving
- Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline
- Check engine light comes on repeatedly
1 more problem
Brakes
- Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines
- Brake lights fail or stay on
- Brake master cylinder leaks fluid and fails
1 more problem
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
Driver assistance
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Other
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Complaint history
When NHTSA received these reports. Changes in reporting alone do not establish a change in failure rates.
Show as a table
| Year | Complaints |
|---|---|
| 1997 | 6 |
| 1998 | 30 |
| 1999 | 34 |
| 2000 | 46 |
| 2001 | 13 |
| 2002 | 12 |
| 2003 | 10 |
| 2004 | 11 |
| 2005 | 9 |
| 2006 | 0 |
| 2007 | 1 |
| 2008 | 3 |
| 2009 | 0 |
| 2010 | 0 |
| 2011 | 0 |
| 2012 | 0 |
| 2013 | 1 |
| 2014 | 1 |
| 2015 | 0 |
| 2016 | 0 |
| 2017 | 0 |
| 2018 | 3 |
| 2019 | 1 |
| 2020 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 181 |
Problems owners report
Listed groups have at least 3 complaints. The page includes the 20 largest groups plus any additional flagged groups; some complaints are not assigned to a group.
| Problem | Complaints | Share | Share ratio | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 32 | 18% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 22 | 12% | – | NHTSA recall #99V325000 |
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 11 | 6.1% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 9 | 5.0% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 8 | 4.4% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 6 | 3.3% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 5 | 2.8% | – | |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 5 | 2.8% | – | |
| Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail | 3 | 1.7% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 3 | 1.7% | – | NHTSA recall #02V216000 |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 3 | 1.7% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 3 | 1.7% | – | |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 3 | 1.7% | – | |
| Brake lights fail or stay on | 3 | 1.7% | – | |
| Brake master cylinder leaks fluid and fails | 3 | 1.7% | – | |
| Brakes fail intermittently or repeatedly | 3 | 1.7% | – |
AI groups complaints by meaning; the groups are approximate. Share ratio compares the problem’s share of this vehicle’s complaints with its share on other vehicles over the last 24 months (shown from 3 recent complaints). A 2× ratio means twice the complaint share, not twice the failure risk. Flags mark unusual shares or recent surges after an AI review of the complaint content. “First signal” does not mean the pattern has persisted continuously.How recall estimates are calculated.
Recalls
NHTSA recall #02V216000August 16, 2002189,706 vehicles affected
seat belts: front: buckle assembly
On certain passenger vehicles, the safety belt buckle may "false latch" and expose the driver to unrestrained movement during a crash.
In the event of a crash, the seat occupant may not be properly restrained, increasing the risk of personal injury.
Remedy
Owner notification began december 20, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542.
NHTSA recall #99V325000November 19, 199976,986 vehicles affected
electrical system: wiring
Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles. The wires connected to the C123 and C124 connectors Can be put under tension by movement of the engine, thus pulling the wires and connectors, loosening them and resulting in a loss of circuit continuity.
This condition Can cause engine stalling, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will install spring clips to lock the connectors together. In addition, the dealers will be instructed to solder a splice in the wire harness.
NHTSA recall #97V234000December 17, 199723,493 vehicles affected
latches/locks/linkages: hatchback/liftgate: lock
Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. A microswitch on the rear hatch lock cylinder Can malfunction causing the power door locks to unlock inadvertently.
Should this occur, security from unwanted intrusion into the vehicle is lost.
Remedy
Dealers will modify the rear hatch door unlock circuit.
Other model years
About this data
NHTSA complaints and recalls through October 2026. Complaints are counted once each, however many components they name. Original complaints are on NHTSA's page for the 1997 Kia Sportage.
Problem groups are formed by AI and may be approximate. BrakeNews flags unusual complaint patterns; they are not official defect findings. Investigation reports are written and checked by AI, with no human review. Owner reports do not establish that a defect exists.
Read the methodology and track record · Check current recalls by VIN