Your vehicle report
2011 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 Apr 2011 to Jun 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Engine stalls and loses power while driving10 complaints · 5.5% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Check engine light comes on repeatedly8 complaints · 4.4% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Glass shatters or cracks without impact7 complaints · 3.9% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #23V652000Park outsideKia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2010-2019 Borrego, 2014-2016 Cadenza, 2010-2013 Forte, Forte Koup, Sportage, 2015-2018 K900, 2011-2015 Optima, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, Soul, 2012-2017 Rio, 2011-2014 Sorento, and 2010-2011 Rondo vehicles. The Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) may experience an electrical short, which can result in an engine compartment fire while parked or driving.
- Recall #19V101000Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2011-2012 Kia Sportage vehicles. The engine oil pan may leak and, if not addressed, the loss of oil may result in engine damage.
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: 7 crashes, 8 fires, 8 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 13 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
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 |
|---|---|
| 2011 | 11 |
| 2012 | 8 |
| 2013 | 9 |
| 2014 | 12 |
| 2015 | 4 |
| 2016 | 9 |
| 2017 | 17 |
| 2018 | 18 |
| 2019 | 31 |
| 2020 | 7 |
| 2021 | 11 |
| 2022 | 6 |
| 2023 | 9 |
| 2024 | 23 |
| 2025 | 4 |
| 2026 (to Oct 2026) | 2 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine stalls and loses power while driving | 10 | 5.5% | – | |
| Check engine light comes on repeatedly | 8 | 4.4% | – | |
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 7 | 3.9% | – | |
| Vehicle catches fire from wiring | 7 | 3.9% | – | NHTSA recall #23V652000 |
| Automatic transmission shifts unexpectedly or slips | 6 | 3.3% | – | |
| Engine knocking from rod or main bearings | 6 | 3.3% | – | NHTSA recall #17V224000 |
| Steering wanders or pulls at highway speed | 6 | 3.3% | – | |
| Airbags fail to deploy in crashes | 4 | 2.2% | – | |
| Brake lights fail or stay on | 4 | 2.2% | – | NHTSA recall #13V114000, #15V360000 |
| Engine won't start or cranks intermittently | 4 | 2.2% | – | |
| Gear shifter fails to register Park | 4 | 2.2% | – | NHTSA recall #13V114000 |
| Timing chain fails and destroys engine | 3 | 1.7% | – | |
| Electronic throttle body fails and cuts power | 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 #23V652000September 25, 20231,730,192 vehicles affected
Park outside: NHTSA advises this until the repair is done.
service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip: control unit/module
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2010-2019 Borrego, 2014-2016 Cadenza, 2010-2013 Forte, Forte Koup, Sportage, 2015-2018 K900, 2011-2015 Optima, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, Soul, 2012-2017 Rio, 2011-2014 Sorento, and 2010-2011 Rondo vehicles. The Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) may experience an electrical short, which can result in an engine compartment fire while parked or driving.
An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy
Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the HECU fuse, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed November 14, 2023. Owner notification letters were mailed March 29, 2024 through June 18, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC284.
NHTSA recall #19V101000February 15, 201932,296 vehicles affected
engine
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2011-2012 Kia Sportage vehicles. The engine oil pan may leak and, if not addressed, the loss of oil may result in engine damage.
A damaged engine can increase the risk of a fire or it can cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Kia has notified owners, and dealers will replace the oil pressure switch with an improved one, free of charge. In addition, dealers will inspect the oil pan for any oil leaks, replacing it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began July 3, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC174.
NHTSA recall #18V907000December 19, 201871,653 vehicles affected
engine; fuel system, gasoline: delivery: hoses, lines/piping, and fittings
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2011-2017 Optima, 2012-2017 Sorento and 2011-2018 Sportage vehicles that previously received an engine replacement under recall number 17V-224, warranty, or the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) Product Improvement Campaign. The high pressure fuel pipe that connects to the fuel pump outlet may have been damaged, misaligned or improperly torqued during the engine replacement procedure, possibly causing a fuel leak.
A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
Remedy
Kia has notified owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the fuel pipe, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 17, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC172.
NHTSA recall #17V224000March 31, 2017618,160 vehicles affected
engine and engine cooling: engine
Kia Motor Company (Kia) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Optima, 2012-2014 Sorento and 2011-2013 Sportage vehicles. Machining errors during the engine manufacturing process may cause premature bearing wear within the engine.
Bearing wear may result in the engine seizing, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine assembly, and replace the engine if necessary, free of charge. The recall began June 20, 2017. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC147.
NHTSA recall #15V360000June 9, 20157,722 vehicles affected
exterior lighting: brake lights: switch
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2011 Sportage vehicles manufactured March 7, 2011, to June 8, 2011. In the affected vehicles, the brake light switch may intermittently fail.
Whenever the brake switch is not working, the brake lights will not illuminate, reducing the ability to warn other motorists of the driver's intentions of stopping, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake light switch, free of charge. The recall began on July 7, 2015. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC121.
NHTSA recall #13V114000April 1, 2013980,377 vehicles affected
exterior lighting: brake lights: switch
Kia Motors Corporation (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2007-2010 Rondo, model year 2007-2011 Sedona, Sorento and Sportage, model year 2010-2011 Soul, model year 2008-2011 Optima, model year 2010 Forte, model year 2007-2009 Amanti, and model year 2009 Borrego vehicles. Originally, in April 2013, Kia recalled 623,658 model year 2007-2010 Rondo and Sportage, model year 2007-2011 Sorento, model year 2007 Sedona, model year 2010-2011 Soul, and model year 2011 Optima vehicles. In September 2013, Kia informed the agency that it was adding an additional 356,719 vehicles to this campaign. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 980,377. In the affected vehicles, the stop lamp switch may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause an inability to deactivate the cruise control by depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, a malfunctioning stop lamp switch may also result in intermittent operation of the push-button start feature, affect the operation of the brake-transmission shift interlock feature preventing the shifter from being moved out of the PARK position and cause the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) malfunction light to illuminate.
Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, when the ignition is in the 'ON' position, the transmission shifter may be able to be moved out of PARK without first applying the brake. This may lead to unintentional movement of the car which may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Kia will send an interim notification to owners in May 2013. When parts are available, owners will receive a second notification and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. Owners may contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's recall campaign number is SC098.
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 2011 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