2022 Kia Sportage problems, complaints & recalls
Most-reported problem areas: Engine (15) · Forward Collision Avoidance: Warnings (5) · Trailer Hitches (4)
🧭 Reliability snapshot
Compared against other Kia Sportage model years — complaint volume vs the model's median year, recalls and severity. How we score →
Safety recalls (1)
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 bulletins (52)
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
Electrical System 2026-05-28 · TSB_ELE422 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions
technical service bulletin: infotainment system software update using update.kia.com - this bulletin provides information and service procedures for updating the infotainment systems on applicable kia vehicles using the kia navigation updater available at update.kia.com. the software update may impr
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
Showing the 6 most recent of 52 bulletins. Search all of them free at nhtsa.gov.
What owners report
2026-09-01 · Engine“while driving 8/24/2026 on interstate engine light started flashing then staues on and car decelerated and knocking noise.got to closest parking lot. car would no longer move and turned it off. contacted a tow. tow driver verified battery good, oil good and started car, the motor shook uncontrollably then it was turned off and towed to dealership. …”
2026-08-03 · Visibility/Wiper“our 2022 sportage backup camera screen has gone completely blank creating an immediate rear visibility safety hazard that violates federal back up camera standards. the manual indicated fuse is still functional and the infotainment reset does not resolve the issue. the entire system remains nonfunctioning. …”
2026-07-20 · Engine And Engine Cooling · 97,000 mi“the contact owns a 2022 kia sportage. the contact stated that while the vehicle was parked with the engine running, there was an alert on the instrument panel that stating "warning - system overheating". the contact checked the coolant level, and the level was at the operational level; however, the a/c was not operating properly. while driving the …”
2026-07-18 · Unknown Or Other“i am submitting this complaint regarding the positive battery terminal fuse block (battery terminal/fusible link assembly) on my 2022 kia sportage. the component is currently installed on the vehicle and is available for inspection upon request. i purchased this vehicle in 2024, when it was only about two years old. because of the vehicle's age, i …”
2026-05-27 · Engine“engine failure at 93,000 miles. timing chain jumped, causing internal engine damage. dealer (capitol kia, san jose ca) diagnosed engine as failed and quoted $11,843 for short block replacement. vehicle is a 2021 kia sportage 2.4l. this is a known issue with the theta ii 2.4l engine.…”
2026-04-02 · Engine“the engine failed completely, it has to be replaced. yes, it’s available the engine could start a fire. it’s confirmed by an independent service. no, hasn’t been inspected by the manufacturer. the suv started shaking and making a sound, the engine light started flashing all of this in just one hour, and i have to stop.…”
2026-03-17 · Engine“had my oil changed less about 3k miles ago and my oil like flashed on and then off. i check my oil and i have no oil. i should be able to go 5k miles. took it to goodyear and he check for leaks and other things and it's an oil consumption issue and said there should be a recall on my engine. i will be taking it to the dealership. my car has abo…”
2026-02-01 · Unknown Or Other“on feb. 1, 2026 my 2022 kia sportage caught fire while parked and turned off. the vehicle had been stationary and was not running at the time the fire started. there were no warning lights, no prior overheating, and no collision or external cause. the fire appears to have originated from the engine/electrical area. this incident resulted in a tota…”
2026-01-30 · Power Train“vehicle developed a cylinder 3 misfire that progressed to engine failure. the engine began running rough and lost power during normal operation. dealer diagnosed internal engine damage and advised that a complete engine replacement is required. prior to failure, the vehicle experienced significant oil loss, with oil leaking and rapidly depleting d…”
2026-01-18 · Engine“intake camshaft position actuator circuit alert went off i have had the engine replaced 3 times in this car in the past year now, the first time in february of 2025 then in august of 2025 and again in october of 2025 and i am now having further engine troubles with this vehicle. all replacement engines have been re-manufactured and i have been to…”
Excerpts of consumer complaints filed with NHTSA, lightly truncated. They are owner statements, not verified findings.