2001 KIA Sportage

Typical pattern

11.7% of complaints about the 2001 KIA Sportage came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2001 vehicle — around the middle of the 216 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 3.8 yr in service. The most-reported system is fuel system (51 complaints), typically at 7.1 yr or about 69,000 miles.

Complaints: 326
Median age at failure: 3.8 yr
Median mileage: 49,870 n=187
Crash / fire / tow: 11% of reports
Safety recalls: 2

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

System

0y2y4y6y8y10y12y14y

Fuel system

51 reports · 69,000 mi

7.1 yr

Engine cooling

49 reports · 40,000 mi

3.8 yr

10.2%

Service brakes, hydraulic

23 reports · 29,000 mi

3.5 yr

13%

Structure

23 reports · 100,004 mi

9.8 yr

Electrical system

22 reports · 30,000 mi

4.3 yr

4.5%

Air bags

21 reports · 44,000 mi

1.7 yr

85.7%

Power train

20 reports · 45,000 mi

3.6 yr

Suspension

19 reports · 65,500 mi

4.1 yr

5.3%

Visibility

16 reports · 35,488 mi

1.9 yr

6.2%

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

09E025000 2009-05-11

Exterior lighting:headlights

DOPE, INC. IS RECALLING 42,540 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.

DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

09E012000 2009-04-07

Exterior lighting

SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.

DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

In owners’ own words

Suspension mileage not reported 4 mo in service

1. VEHICLE ROCKS SIDE-TO-SIDE WHEN MAKING TURNS. 2. VEHICLE HAS EXTRA PLAY IN THE STEERING WHEEL. 3. VEHICLE MOVES(SLIDES) RIGHT OF THE ROADWHILE DRIVING. 4. FRONT LEFT-SIDE OF VEHICLE SHAKES(UNTIL YOU CAN LOOK OUT FRONT WINDOW WITHOUT HAVING A HEADACHE)AT 10-60MPH. 5. VEHICLE 'S BODY BOUNCE FORWARD AND BACKWARD A FEW TIMES WHEN VEHICLE COMES TO COMPLETE STOP. 6. FRONT DRIVER SEATBELT LOCKS SOMETIMES(FOR NO REASON).*AK (DOT NUMBER: 5MHCA32900 TIRESIZE: P185/65R14)

Suspension mileage not reported 6 mo in service

VEHICLE WAS PULLING TO RIGHT. BRAND NEW VEHICLE. IT WAS TAKEN IN AT 20-30 MILES. DEALER REPLACED FRONT END. ALL WORK WAS COVERED UNDER WARRANTY.*AK

Suspension mileage not reported 1.3 yr in service

CONSUMER STATED FUEL WILL NOT ALLOW THE TANK TO FILL UP WITH FUEL, CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER AND HAD SOME PARTS REPLACED, THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN BACK TO THE DEALER 4 TIMES AND THE PROBLEM STILL EXISTS.*AK CONSUMER ALSO STATED THE VEHICLE PULLS FROM LEFT TO RIGHT, AND THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED.*SLC

Air bags mileage not reported 8 mo in service crash / fire / tow

WHILE TRAVLING AT 35-40 MPH AND RUNNING INTO A TREE HEAD-ON AIR BAGS DID NOT DEPLOY. HAS NOT CONTACTED DEALER. *AK

Other Sportage model years

How to read this

This is what owners reported, not a reliability rating. People file with NHTSA about alarming failures, not routine ones, and complaint volume tracks how many cars were sold.
Failure ages come from the incident date on each complaint, populated on about 83% of records. Mileage is shown where reported — NHTSA’s 2021 system change cut mileage capture to roughly 15%, so it thins out sharply after MY2020.
Every rank compares this vehicle only against others of the same model year. A 2025 car has not had time to accumulate five-year failures, so comparing early-failure share across years is meaningless.
Fourteen make-months distorted by media storms and mass recalls — Toyota in February 2010 ran 11× normal volume across 33 models — are excluded.
Recalls are manufacturer actions and authoritative; complaints are not. A recall listed here may already have been performed on any individual car. Check a specific VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.