2017 Kia Sportage problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Engine (150) · Power Train (29) · Structure:body (19)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Kia Sportage model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
🛣️ Complaints by mileage
182 NHTSA complaints that reported an odometer reading.
Safety recalls (4)
Trailer Hitches 2022-09-19 · campaign 22V703000 · 70,887 vehicles ⚠ PARK OUTSIDE
Defect: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Sorento, 2021-2022 Sorento Hybrid (HEV), 2022-2023 Sorento Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV), and 2017-2022 Sportage vehicles equipped with a tow hitch harness installed as original equipment, or purchased as an accessory through a Kia dealership. Debris and moisture accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (PCB) may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire.
Risk: A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will inspect the vehicle, and, as necessary, replace the fuse and/or tow hitch harness module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 11, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC249.
Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:control Unit/Module 2021-03-04 · campaign 21V137000 · 379,931 vehicles ⚠ PARK OUTSIDE
Defect: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017-2021 Sportage and Cadenza vehicles. The electrical circuit in the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) may short-circuit, which can cause a fire in the engine compartment.
Risk: An engine compartment fire can increase the risk of injury.
Fix: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures as a precaution until the recall repair is complete. Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace certain fuses in the electrical junction box. Vehicles equipped with an electronic parking brake (EPB) will also receive a HECU software update. Repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on April 30, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC206.
Engine 2018-12-19 · campaign 18V907000 · 71,653 vehicles
Defect: 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.
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
Fix: 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.
Trailer Hitches 2016-11-30 · campaign 16V862000 · 10,212 vehicles
Defect: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2016-2017 Sorento vehicles manufactured October 27, 2014, to August 25, 2016, and 2017 Sportage vehicles manufactured December 10, 2015, to August 26, 2016. The affected vehicles are equipped with an accessory trailer hitch wiring harness that, due to a malfunction of the tow hitch module, may result in the trailer brake lights being constantly illuminated. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Veh
Risk: If the trailer brake lights stay illuminated while being used, other drivers may be confused, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the trailer tow hitch harness, free of charge. The recall began January 18, 2017. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC142.
Service bulletins (191)
Technical service bulletins are repair instructions manufacturers send dealers for known issues. Unlike recalls, the fix is not automatically free — but naming the bulletin at the service desk can save diagnosis time and support goodwill repairs.
Structure:body 2026-06-08 · CS2312_TSB_R2 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
technical service bulletin: customer satisfaction: theft deterrent ignition cylinder protector and decal installation (cs2312) - this bulletin has been revised to include additional information. new/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. this bulletin prov
Engine 2026-04-04 · SC340_TSB_R5 · Emissions
voluntary emissions service campaign: theta ii 2.4l gdi emissions: ecm logic improvement (sc340 revision 5) - this bulletin has been revised to include additional information. new/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. this bulletin provides information to
Engine 2026-03-17 · SC340_OWNR_NQ5_105 · Emissions
voluntary emissions service campaign: owner notification (sc340 flight 105) - this document is the owner notification advising that kia is conducting a voluntary emissions service campaign to improve the emissions software logic in the electronic control module (ecm) for certain 2017-2022 my sportag
Engine 2026-03-06 · SC340_TSB_R4 · Emissions
technical service bulletin: voluntary emissions service campaign: theta ii 2.4l gdi emission secm logic improvement (sc340 rev 4) - this bulletin has been revised to include additional information. new/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. this bulletin p
Structure:body 2026-02-19 · TSB_CS2312_R1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
technical service bulletin: customer satisfaction: theft deterrent ignition cylinder protector and decal installation (cs2312) - this bulletin has been revised to include additional information. new/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. this bulletin prov
Engine 2025-12-19 · SC340_OWNR_QL103 · Emissions
voluntary emissions service campaign: owner notification (sc340 flight 103 / ql) - this document is the owner notification advising that kia is conducting a voluntary emissions service campaign to improve the emissions software logic in the electronic control module (ecm) for certain 2017-2022 my sp
Showing the 6 most recent of 191 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-10-23 · Engine · 103,343 mi“the contact owns a 2017 kia sportage. the contact stated that while driving at 50 mph, the vehicle lost automotive power. the vehicle was unable to be restarted and needed to be towed. the vehicle was towed to a service center, where it was diagnosed and determined that the engine had seized. the contact was informed that the engine needed to be re…”
2026-10-20 · Electrical System:instrument Panel:speedometer/Odometer · 174,000 mi“odometer fraud. the contact purchased a 2017 kia sportage. it was discovered that there was a mileage discrepancy. the vehicle was a dealer sale. at the time of purchase, the vehicle mileage was 131,600. the carfax report listed the mileage as 140,000 in 2024. the contact stated that the vehicle was insured but not yet registered. the contact repor…”
2026-10-19 · Engine · 🔥 fire“driving home noticed smoke from under the hood, pulled over noticed smoke coming through the vents inside the car. shut it off and got out called 911, they're were no warning lights or messages, the car was a total loss as i only carried liability, when fire trucks arrived, the whole front of the car was engaged…”
2026-09-30 · Seats“i own a 2017 kia sportage ex with the factory snow white pearl paint finish. the vehicle has been well maintained and has not been involved in an accident or collision. the factory paint on the trunk is peeling and delaminating from the vehicle. the white paint is separating completely from the surface, exposing the silver/gray layer underneath. t…”
2026-09-25 · Vehicle Speed Control“while traveling at highway speeds on the freeway, the engine experienced a sudden, catastrophic failure, causing the vehicle to lose power and violently force itself into an emergency low-speed "limp mode." this created an immediate, severe collision hazard with surrounding high-speed traffic. the vehicle is a 2017 kia sportage with a 2.4l theta ii…”
2026-08-25 · Unknown Or Other“i have a 2017 kia sportage with a recurring door latch problem. several years ago, the driver’s door developed a problem where it would not open properly from the outside. kia repaired the driver’s door latch under warranty extension wty020. the passenger door has now developed the exact same problem. it will not open from the outside, although i…”
2026-08-02 · Engine · 🔥 fire“engine caught fire , insurance denied the claim . kia has a class action lawsuit theta 2 . it was towed into the dealership for approximately 3 mts . during the diagnostic they discovered a crack in the number 3 cylinder wall . they rejected the claim due to what they said was a leaky valve cover gasket even though it had been replaced within the l…”
2026-07-22 · Engine“engine burns excess oil, i am forced to add oil every other day as it consumes an excessive amount. when i spoke with the kia dealership they told me i have an unlimited warranty on the engine but it need to blow before they will replace it. i’m spending a fortune on oil.…”
2026-07-17 · Engine“the engine consumes a massive amount of oil to where i have to check my oil constantly and refill as often as weekly. this can pose a risk to myself and others due to the engine failing while i am driving. i am sure other issues can come from an engine running out of soil that i’m not aware of. …”
2026-07-17 · Engine“my car went into limp mode on the high way due to a faulty knock sensor. my car decelerated rapidly, which could have put me and others around me at risk. i had to repair this problem on my own even though other cars similar to my make and model have had the same issue. …”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.