2006 KIA Sportage

Typical pattern

2.4% of complaints about the 2006 KIA Sportage came in the first year, which is unremarkable for a 2006 vehicle — around the middle of the 250 model-years on record. The median complaint arrives at 8.7 yr in service. The most-reported system is air bags (38 complaints), typically at 7.1 yr or about 72,000 miles.

Complaints: 169
Median age at failure: 8.7 yr
Median mileage: 80,000 n=138
Crash / fire / tow: 12.4% of reports
Safety recalls: 1

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

09V130000 2009-04-17

Exterior lighting:brake lights:switch

HUYNDAI-KIA IS RECALLING 139,844 MY 2006-2007- SEDONA, SPORTAGE, SORENTO AND MY RONDO AND AMANTI VEHICLES. THE STOP LAMP SWITCH IN THE AFFECTED VEHICLES MAY MALFUNCTION. A MALFUNCTIONING STOP LAMP SWITCH MAY CAUSE THE BRAKE LIGHTS TO NOT ILLUMINATE WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS DEPRESSED OR MAY CAUSE THE BRAKE LIGHTS TO REMAIN ILLUMINATED WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS RELEASED. A STOP LAMP SWITCH MALFUNCTION MAY ALSO AFFECT THE OPERATION OF THE BRAKE-TRANSMISSION SHIFT INTERLOCK FEATURE SO THE TRANSMISSION SHIFTER WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO BE SHIFTED OUT OF THE PARK POSITION. IT MAY ALSO CAUSE THE ELECTRON

ANY OF THESE MALFUNCTIONS, ALONE OR IN COMBINATION, MAY LEAD TO A CRASH.

In owners’ own words

Electrical system 13,000 mi 1.8 yr in service crash / fire / tow

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2006 KIA SPORTAGE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE VEHICLE WAS PARKED FOR APPROXIMATELY 45 MINUTES WHEN IT SUDDENLY CAUGHT FIRE. THE VEHICLE WAS TOWED TO A SHOP AND INSPECTED. THE REPAIR SHOP STATED THAT THE FAILURE WAS DUE TO FAULTY WIRING. THE MANUFACTURER STATED THAT THEY WOULD SEND AN INSPECTOR TO EXAMINE THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE CURRENTLY REMAINS AT THE SHOP. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 13,000. UPDATED 01/11/08. *LJ UPDATED *JB

Electrical system mileage not reported 2.3 yr in service

VEHICLE LOSES POWER AND CUTS OFF AS IT IS COMING TO STOP. HAVE TAKEN FOR DIAGNOSIS, BUT TECHNICIANS COULD NOT ISOLATE. THIS IS A POTENTIALLY DANGEROUS OCCURENCE, AS IT COULD HAPPEN AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE WHEN HAVING TO SLOW DOWN ON INTERSTATE OR OTHER HEAVY TRAFFIC SITUATIONS. *CN

Electrical system 80,000 mi 3.8 yr in service

MY BRAKE LIGHTS KEPT BLOWING. THEN I LOST MY CRUISE CONTROL. THEN MY ESC LIGHT KEPT COMING ON. THEN ALL MY LIGHTS CAME ON! IT WAS A DEFECTIVE BRAKE SWITCH. WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN UNDER RECALL, BUT ENDED UP COSTING ME $157.14! *TR

Air bags mileage not reported 2.2 yr in service crash / fire / tow

MY DAUGHTER HIT THE REAR OF A LARGE VEHICLE WHILE DRIVING MY 2006 KIA SPORTAGE. THE INVESTIGATING OFFICER AND THE BODY SHOP REPAIRMAN BOTH TOLD ME THEY HAD NEVER SEEN A VEHICLE SO HEAVILY DAMAGED FAIL TO DEPLOY ITS AIR BAGS. NONE OF THE AIR BAGS DEPLOYED. THE VEHICLE WAS A TOTAL LOSS. *TR

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.

2006 KIA Sportage

When each system is reported — middle 50% of complaints

Safety recalls — NHTSA campaigns

In owners’ own words

Other Sportage model years

How to read this