2002 KIA Sportage

Typical pattern

10% of complaints about the 2002 KIA Sportage came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2002 vehicle — around the middle of the 230 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 5.3 yr in service. The most-reported system is engine cooling (63 complaints), typically at 4.9 yr or about 59,500 miles.

Complaints: 289
Median age at failure: 5.3 yr
Median mileage: 59,000 n=200
Crash / fire / tow: 8% of reports
Safety recalls: 3

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

System

0y2y4y6y8y10y12y14y

Engine cooling

63 reports · 59,500 mi

4.9 yr

4.8%

Fuel system

41 reports · 62,000 mi

7.6 yr

4.9%

Structure

23 reports · 96,600 mi

9.9 yr

4.3%

Power train

22 reports · 56,000 mi

4.8 yr

9.1%

Fuel / propulsion

19 reports · 87,540 mi

13.0 yr

5.3%

Electrical system

18 reports · 58,000 mi

3.7 yr

5.6%

Service brakes, hydraulic

18 reports · 11,744 mi

1.8 yr

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.

07V161000 2007-04-16

Engine and engine cooling:cooling system:fan

ON CERTAIN VEHICLES, THE HEAT GENERATED BY THE ENGINE CAUSES REPEATED BENDING DEFORMATION OF THE POLYPROPYLENE COOLING FAN INCLUDING ITS RETAINING RING, WHICH STRESSES THE POLYPROPYLENE THEREBY INITIATING CRACKING OF THE BLADES. THE CENTRIFUGAL FORCES GENERATED BY THE ROTATION OF THE BLADES CAN CAUSE THE CRACKS TO PROPAGATE UNTIL COMPLETE SEPARATION OCCURS.

SEPARATION OF THE FAN BLADE(S) CAN CREATE A RISK OF PERSONAL INJURY.

In owners’ own words

Structure mileage not reported 5 mo in service

DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR STAYS AJAR. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND WAS TOLD THAT DOOR WAS NOT OFF LINE, YET DOOR WILL NOT CLOSE PROPERLY.*AK

Structure mileage not reported 5 mo in service

DOOR STAYS AJAR. MECHANIC TOLD CONSUMER THAT DOOR IS NOT OFF LINE, YET DOOR DOES NOT CLOSE PROPERLY.*AK NOW HORN HAS FAILED, SECURITY ALARM SYSTEM ACTS ERRATICLY, THE RIGHT SIDE HOOD IF OFFLINE AND IS BENT CAUSING THE HOOD TO INTRUDE OUTWARD TOWARDS THE FRONT FENDER, AND THE DRIVER SIDE BACK WINDOW WILL NOT MOVE UP OR DOWN. *TT

Structure mileage not reported 5 mo in service

DOOR STAYS AJAR. MECHANIC TOLD CONSUMER THAT DOOR IS NOT OFF LINE, YET DOOR DOES NOT CLOSE PROPERLY.*AK NOW HORN HAS FAILED, SECURITY ALARM SYSTEM ACTS ERRATICLY, THE RIGHT SIDE HOOD IF OFFLINE AND IS BENT CAUSING THE HOOD TO INTRUDE OUTWARD TOWARDS THE FRONT FENDER, AND THE DRIVER SIDE BACK WINDOW WILL NOT MOVE UP OR DOWN. *TT

Electrical system mileage not reported 5 mo in service

DOOR STAYS AJAR. MECHANIC TOLD CONSUMER THAT DOOR IS NOT OFF LINE, YET DOOR DOES NOT CLOSE PROPERLY.*AK NOW HORN HAS FAILED, SECURITY ALARM SYSTEM ACTS ERRATICLY, THE RIGHT SIDE HOOD IF OFFLINE AND IS BENT CAUSING THE HOOD TO INTRUDE OUTWARD TOWARDS THE FRONT FENDER, AND THE DRIVER SIDE BACK WINDOW WILL NOT MOVE UP OR DOWN. *TT

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.