2013 KIA Sportage reliability: common problems

Owners of the 2013 KIA Sportage filed 381 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and service brakes. Details by component below, with sources.

Key figures

Owner complaints: 381
involving a crash: 5

KIA Sportage 2013: 3D model with the “Engine” area highlighted — the most complained-about component — Yellow marks the “Engine” area, the component owners complain about most for this year. Illustrative only. 3D model: xnova360, CC Attribution.

What fails most often

1 Engine 79% of all complaints
2 Service brakes 7% of all complaints
3 Electrical system 6% of all complaints
4 Powertrain 5% of all complaints
5 Engine and cooling 4% of all complaints
6 Fuel/propulsion system 2% of all complaints
7 Structure 2% of all complaints
8 Suspension 2% 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: 301 complaints (79% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Service brakes: 25 complaints (7% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner.
Electrical system: 22 complaints (6% of all).
Powertrain: 18 complaints (5% of all).
Engine and cooling: 14 complaints (4% of all).

Engines and transmissions

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

2 L · petrol · turbo · 4 cylnamed in 5 complaints
2.4 L · petrol · 4 cylnamed in 14 complaints
automatic, 6-speed
manual, 6-speed

Drive: FWD, 4WD

Symptoms owners describe

How many of the 381 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).

knocking, grinding or other noise96 · 25%
engine failure or replacement92 · 24%
warning lights, check engine88 · 23%
stalls while driving68 · 18%
smoke, burning smell, fire43 · 11%
loss of power / limp mode33 · 9%
won't start12 · 3%
vibration12 · 3%
oil leak or consumption10 · 3%
windows, sunroof9 · 2%

Components owners complain about

Component	Owner complaints	involving a crash
Engine	301	2
Service brakes	25	1
Electrical system	22	0
Powertrain	18	0
Engine and cooling	14	0
Fuel/propulsion system	7	0
Structure	6	0
Suspension	6	0
Air bags	4	2
Vehicle speed control	4	0
Visibility	3	0
Fuel system	2	0
Steering	2	0
Wheels	2	0

What owners report

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

The collision was at the front driver and passenger side of the vehicle. The contact added that the collision threw her daughter forward and backward, and the contact's daughter sustained neck, shoulder, and lower back injuries, and surgery on her neck was needed. A police report was filed.
Air bags · crash · 2025-11-20 · NHTSA complaint #11700646
I have a Kia Sportage Ex 2013 and this motor vehicle has a fire and explotion in the road.
Engine · crash · 2023-12-29 · NHTSA complaint #11562489
My airbags did not deploy at all causing bruising and problems with the rods in my back.
Air bags · crash · 2018-03-18 · NHTSA complaint #11080067
Complete brake failure on approach to junction despite pumping brake pedal. Resulted in crash and injuries sustained. Malfunction of ability to deactivate cruise control by applying brake in addition, on one occasion. Currently under investigation. Have informed manufacturer. Awaiting investigation outcome.
Service brakes · crash · 2014-10-16 · NHTSA complaint #10645000
While driving all of a sudden my 2013 Sportage began shaking check Ingine light flashing. This happened out of nowhere. I pulled off to the side of the road, towed to Mechanic shop. They found that a piece of spark plug had broken off into the cylinder shaft. They said it was very unusual.
Engine · 2026-09-15 · NHTSA complaint #11764471
[ref] To Whom It May Concern, I am writing to formally dispute Kiaâs denial of warranty coverage for the engine failure in my 2013 Kia Sportage. Per communication with customer care, Kia denied my claim on the basis of âexcessive mileage between oil changes.â However, this conclusion is not supported by…
Engine · 2026-04-26 · NHTSA complaint #11733886
Driver side door will not open from the outside. Handle no longer operates.
Structure · 2026-04-02 · NHTSA complaint #11728871
KIA America has rejected my appeal for an Engine replacement through the Recall , I had the KSDS, Knock Sensor Installed by North Town KIA 3900 Sheridan Drive Amherst NY , May 7 2021. The warranty I received mentioned to keep oil and filter changed every 7500 miles with 5 w 20 oil .
Powertrain · 2025-11-21 · NHTSA complaint #11700819

When owners complained

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

20132
20144
20157
20168
201720
201866
201976
202057
202146
202233
202316
202429
202514
20263

Comparison

By complaint count this model year ranks 1,017 of 32,257 model years in the NHTSA data (top 3% most complained about).

On average one model year of the Sportage has 148 complaints (32 years in the data). This year has 381, above average.

What to check before buying

Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Electrical system. Scan all modules, test the battery and alternator, inspect connectors near the impact zone.
Powertrain. Shift quality under load, harsh shifts, transmission codes, CV joints.

Questions and answers

What are the most common problems with the 2013 KIA Sportage?

Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine, service brakes, electrical system. Total complaints: 381. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: knocking, grinding or other noise (25%), engine failure or replacement (24%), warning lights, check engine (23%).

How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2013 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 2013 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 2013 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 2026-11-06.