Your vehicle report
2025 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
- 55
- Received Feb 2025 to Oct 2026
Owner reports
Most reported problems
- 1Glass shatters or cracks without impact9 complaints · 16% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 2Automatic emergency braking applies without reason5 complaints · 9.1% of this vehicle’s complaints
- 3Unintended acceleration despite braking3 complaints · 5.5% of this vehicle’s complaints
Official NHTSA records
Recalls to check
- Recall #25V874000Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Sportage Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV) and 2024-2025 Sportage vehicles equipped with a 4.2" screen and a Genuine Kia tow hitch harness accessory. Due to a software error, the instrument panel screen may fail. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 101, "Controls and Displays."
BrakeNews signals
Flagged complaint patterns
Unusual complaint patterns with no matched recall yet. A flag does not mean a recall will happen.
- Glass shatters or cracks without impactFirst signal: Oct 2025
- Automatic emergency braking applies without reasonFirst signal: Jan 2026
Complaint counts reflect reports submitted to NHTSA, not failure rates or a reliability ranking. Reported in these complaints: 5 crashes, 0 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 3 listed problems by system.
Engine & powertrain
Brakes
Electrical & lights
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Airbags, belts & seats
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
Steering, suspension & tires
No problems in this category meet this page’s listing criteria. This does not establish that the system is free of problems.
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
| Month | Complaints |
|---|---|
| February 2025 | 1 |
| March 2025 | 0 |
| April 2025 | 2 |
| May 2025 | 1 |
| June 2025 | 1 |
| July 2025 | 7 |
| August 2025 | 3 |
| September 2025 | 3 |
| October 2025 | 4 |
| November 2025 | 2 |
| December 2025 | 3 |
| January 2026 | 2 |
| February 2026 | 4 |
| March 2026 | 5 |
| April 2026 | 1 |
| May 2026 | 5 |
| June 2026 | 5 |
| July 2026 | 0 |
| August 2026 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 3 |
| October 2026 | 3 |
| Total | 55 |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glass shatters or cracks without impact | 9 | 16% | 5.9× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Oct 2025 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 3.8% |
| Automatic emergency braking applies without reason | 5 | 9.1% | 5.2× | BrakeNews flag · First signal: Jan 2026 Model estimate of a matched recall within 24 months: 0.8% |
| Unintended acceleration despite braking | 3 | 5.5% | 2.5× |
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 #25V874000December 17, 20255,046 vehicles affected
electrical system: instrument cluster/panel; trailer hitches
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Sportage Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV) and 2024-2025 Sportage vehicles equipped with a 4.2" screen and a Genuine Kia tow hitch harness accessory. Due to a software error, the instrument panel screen may fail. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 101, "Controls and Displays."
An instrument panel screen that fails to display critical safety information, such as the speedometer or warning lights, can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy
Dealers will replace the tow hitch harness control module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 13, 2026. Owners may contact Kia Customer Service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC359. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning December 31, 2025.
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 2025 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