1997 KIA Sportage: common problems

Owners of the 1997 KIA Sportage filed 181 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and cooling and air bags. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 181
involving a crash: 32

KIA Sportage 1997: 3D model with the “Engine and cooling” area highlighted — the most complained-about component — Yellow marks the “Engine and cooling” area, the component owners complain about most for this year. Illustrative only. 3D model: xnova360, CC Attribution.

What fails most often

1 Engine and cooling 31% of all complaints
2 Air bags 22% of all complaints
3 Powertrain 14% of all complaints
4 Vehicle speed control 12% of all complaints
5 Electrical system 12% of all complaints
6 Service brakes 10% of all complaints
7 Fuel system 9% of all complaints
8 Structure 6% of all complaints

Circle size and colour show each component’s share of NHTSA complaints. Schematic only, not a drawing of the exact model.

Engine and cooling: 56 complaints (31% of all).
Air bags: 39 complaints (22% of all), 21 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Powertrain: 25 complaints (14% of all), 5 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Vehicle speed control: 22 complaints (12% of all), 7 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Electrical system: 21 complaints (12% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.

Engines and transmissions

US-market versions per EPA. On the right: how many NHTSA complaints name this engine or transmission type.

2 L · petrol · 4 cyl
automatic, 4-speed
manual, 5-speed

Drive: RWD, AWD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 181 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

stalls while driving34 · 19%
warning lights, check engine22 · 12%
airbags did not deploy13 · 7%
knocking, grinding or other noise10 · 6%
seat belts6 · 3%
smoke, burning smell, fire6 · 3%
unintended acceleration6 · 3%
windows, sunroof6 · 3%
airbag warning light4 · 2%
fuel system, fuel smell4 · 2%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Engine and cooling	56	0
Air bags	39	21
Powertrain	25	5
Vehicle speed control	22	7
Electrical system	21	1
Service brakes	19	6
Fuel system	17	0
Structure	10	0
Visibility	9	1
Latches, locks, linkages	7	0
Suspension	7	0
Seat belts	6	2
Steering	6	1
Equipment	5	0

What owners report

Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.

Electric windows will not go up after being pushed down. Consumer heard a whistling noise in the vehicle. The consumer believed the vehicle was unsafe therefore traded it in for another vehicle.
Electrical system · crash · 2005-06-29 · NHTSA complaint #10127028
While driving 10-15 mph and without warning, was involved in a head-on collision in which the air bags did not deploy, driver sustained major injuries. The transmission jammed and the accelerator stuck.
Air bags · crash · 2002-06-10 · NHTSA complaint #8011383
While driving 10-20 mph applied on brakes and without warning brakes did not function. Consumer then tried to shift vehicle manually; however, transmission malfunctioned, resulting in a head-on collision. Driver sustained major leg injuries. Consumer adds that the accelerator was stuck. The air bags failed to deploy.
Air bags · crash · 2002-06-10 · NHTSA complaint #8011385
Car struck on rear passenger door/car lost control/spun out of control/rollover.
Steering · crash · 2001-06-18 · NHTSA complaint #746476
Consumer hit another vehicle with 55 mph impact ,and dual airbags did not deploy, causing driver to hit steering wheel and passenger to hit dashboard. Seatbelts were not worn at time.
Air bags · crash · 2001-03-14 · NHTSA complaint #883022
While driving down highway when approximately at 55mph engine will stall. Slow down and stop without warning. Most of the time I can turn engine off restart run it thru all of the gears and it will be fine for awhile unless on bumpy road or stop warning bumps in the road.
Vehicle speed control · 2014-05-02 · NHTSA complaint #10586244
The vehicle is housed in a garage, so I raised a window to help dissipate the vapors. In a few days, fuel was dripping from the leaks in the tank. I applied a putty product in june, 2006, which helped for several months. Then it started again. I re-applied putty in august, 2007.
Fuel system · 2008-07-31 · NHTSA complaint #10236584
So my father in law and uncle took a look at it and it yep you got a gas leak. So they tried to patch it several times and nothing has seemed to work. So back in february I received a letter from kia stating a repair benefit notification about my gas tank leaking.
Fuel system · 2008-04-11 · NHTSA complaint #10224254

When owners complained

NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.

19975
199825
199940
200046
200113
200212
200310
200411
20059
20071
20083
20131
20141
20183
20191

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 2,237 of 36,656 model years in the NHTSA data (top 6% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Sportage has 144 complaints (33 years in the data). This year has 181, above average.

What to check before buying

Engine and cooling. Radiator and fan after a frontal hit, coolant level and condition, overheating.
Air bags. Check the SRS light, stored codes and airbag/curtain status after any impact.
Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.
Vehicle speed control. Accelerator pedal, cruise control, throttle codes.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 1997 KIA Sportage?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine and cooling, air bags, powertrain. Total complaints: 181. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: stalls while driving (19%), warning lights, check engine (12%), airbags did not deploy (7%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 1997 KIA Sportage?

NHTSA lists 0 manufacturer service bulletins for this year. A bulletin tells dealers how to diagnose or fix a known issue; it is not a recall.

Should I buy a 1997 KIA Sportage from a US auction?

Owner complaints describe defects, not crash damage. Before bidding, check the components listed above and review the lot photos: VinWind builds a report of visible and hidden damage by VIN.

Other 1997 models

Read also

Sources: public NHTSA data (USA): service bulletins and owner complaints; YouTube: links to videos credited to their authors. Complaints are owner statements not verified by NHTSA, and describe defects rather than crash damage. Data updated 2026-11-05.