Your vehicle report
2000 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
- 304
- Received Nov 1999 to Apr 2020
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline69 complaints · 23% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Frame rusts and corrodes through19 complaints · 6.3% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Front brake rotors warp and wear early15 complaints · 4.9% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #04V305000On certain passenger and sport utility vehicles, the front safety belt buckles may emit a "click" sound during the buckling process that is similar to the sound emitted when a buckle is being latched, when it is not.
- Recall #00V205000Vehicle description: sport utility vehicle. These vehicles were distributed with owners manuals with an incorrect jump start diagram. The written instructions for jump starting are accurate. However, the diagram depicts the jumper cables attached to the wrong polarity terminals. If the diagram were followed without reference to the instructions, the resulting improper connections could cause the battery to rupture aggressively due to increased internal pressures.
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: 23 crashes, 7 fires, 17 people injured, 0 deaths.
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 20 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
Airbags, belts & seats
Steering, suspension & tires
Body, doors & glass
- Frame rusts and corrodes through
- Power window regulator fails and window drops
- Rear door latch fails to open or close
1 more problem
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 |
|---|---|
| 1999 | 1 |
| 2000 | 28 |
| 2001 | 35 |
| 2002 | 37 |
| 2003 | 44 |
| 2004 | 17 |
| 2005 | 19 |
| 2006 | 24 |
| 2007 | 26 |
| 2008 | 11 |
| 2009 | 10 |
| 2010 | 16 |
| 2011 | 8 |
| 2012 | 11 |
| 2013 | 5 |
| 2014 | 5 |
| 2015 | 1 |
| 2016 | 3 |
| 2017 | 2 |
| 2018 | 0 |
| 2019 | 0 |
| 2020 | 1 |
| 2021 | 0 |
| 2022 | 0 |
| 2023 | 0 |
| 2024 | 0 |
| 2025 | 0 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 0 |
| Total | 304 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fuel tank or line leaks gasoline | 69 | 23% | – | |
| Frame rusts and corrodes through | 19 | 6.3% | – | |
| Front brake rotors warp and wear early | 15 | 4.9% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 14 | 4.6% | – | |
| Engine suddenly shuts off while driving | 14 | 4.6% | – | |
| Transfer case shifts into 4-wheel drive unexpectedly | 12 | 4.0% | – | |
| Seat belt fails to latch or retract | 8 | 2.6% | – | NHTSA recall #04V305000 |
| Power window regulator fails and window drops | 7 | 2.3% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 7 | 2.3% | – | |
| Engine stalls and loses power while driving | 6 | 2.0% | – | |
| Brake pedal sinks due to leaking lines | 6 | 2.0% | – | |
| Rear door latch fails to open or close | 5 | 1.6% | – | |
| Brakes make grinding or squealing noise | 5 | 1.6% | – | |
| Steering wheel seizes or locks suddenly | 4 | 1.3% | – | |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 4 | 1.3% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 4 | 1.3% | – | |
| Suspension clunking or rattling noise over bumps | 4 | 1.3% | – | |
| Windshield wipers work intermittently or fail | 3 | 1.0% | – | |
| Tires blow out or tread separates | 3 | 1.0% | – | |
| Headlights dim or fail at night | 3 | 1.0% | – |
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 #04V305000June 24, 2004251,594 vehicles affected
seat belts: front: buckle assembly
On certain passenger and sport utility vehicles, the front safety belt buckles may emit a "click" sound during the buckling process that is similar to the sound emitted when a buckle is being latched, when it is not.
The latch Can then pull out of the buckle when tension is applied.
Remedy
Dealers will replace both front seat belt buckles. The recall began august 16, 2004. Owners should contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542.
NHTSA recall #00V205000July 27, 200066,482 vehicles affected
electrical system
Vehicle description: sport utility vehicle. These vehicles were distributed with owners manuals with an incorrect jump start diagram. The written instructions for jump starting are accurate. However, the diagram depicts the jumper cables attached to the wrong polarity terminals. If the diagram were followed without reference to the instructions, the resulting improper connections could cause the battery to rupture aggressively due to increased internal pressures.
This could cause potential serious injury to bystanders.
Remedy
Owners will be provided with an adhesive label with the correct illustration to permanently affix to their respective owners manuals.
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 2000 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