AI Damage2019 KIA Sportage: common problems
Owners of the 2019 KIA Sportage filed 71 complaints with NHTSA, most often about engine and electrical system. The maker issued 64 service bulletins for this year. Details by component below, with sources.
Key figures
- Owner complaints
- 71
- involving a crash
- 3
- Technical service bulletins (TSB)
- 64
What fails most often
- 1 Engine 52% of all complaints
- 2 Electrical system 15% of all complaints
- 3 Powertrain 10% of all complaints
- 4 Service brakes 10% of all complaints
- 5 Fuel/propulsion system 10% of all complaints
- 6 Exterior lighting 4% of all complaints
- 7 Air bags 4% of all complaints
- 8 Engine and cooling 3% of all complaints
- Engine: 37 complaints (52% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 17.
- Electrical system: 11 complaints (15% of all), 1 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 32.
- Powertrain: 7 complaints (10% of all); manufacturer bulletins for this component: 4.
- Service brakes: 7 complaints (10% of all), 2 of them with a crash reported by the owner; manufacturer bulletins for this component: 1.
- Fuel/propulsion system: 7 complaints (10% 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 cyl
- 2.4 L · petrol · 4 cyl
- automatic, 6-speed
Drive: FWD, AWD
Symptoms owners describe
How many of the 71 NHTSA complaints mention each symptom (automatic count from complaint text; one complaint can mention several).
Components owners complain about
| Component | Owner complaints | involving a crash | Technical service bulletins (TSB) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 37 | 0 | 17 |
| Electrical system | 11 | 1 | 32 |
| Powertrain | 7 | 0 | 4 |
| Service brakes | 7 | 2 | 1 |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| Exterior lighting | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| Air bags | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| Engine and cooling | 2 | 0 | 11 |
| Forward collision avoidance | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| Structure | 2 | 0 | 6 |
| Steering | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| Vehicle speed control | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Seat belts | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tires | 1 | 0 | 0 |
What owners report
Short excerpts of NHTSA complaints in the original wording. These are owner statements not verified by NHTSA; personal data removed.
Instantly, the brakes locked and 3 air bags deployed -driver and passenger side + passenger side windows. The windshield was blocked but it seemed like the car swerved slowly, about 10-15 mph, to the right. My car sideswiped the Chevy Equinox stopped at red light in right lane.
I was travelling at 55mph when I hit the deer square on and my air bags did not deploy. Also every time I wash my car some of the electrical components stop working for a few days such as the clock. I have talked to kia dealership near me and they can not explain the issue over the electrical stuff.
Tl* the contact owned a 2019 kia sportage. While reversing the vehicle out of a school parking lot, the brake pedal was depressed and failed to respond without warning. As a result, the vehicle crashed into the side of the school building. The airs bags deployed. There were no injuries. A police report was filed.
They stated that this particular engine burns oil for unknown reasons as no cracks or leaks are ever found and to alleviate the issue, I would need to come in and pay for addtl qrts to be added. This is crazy and costly to owners!
The vehicle is have issues every time I get and oil change the vehicle loses about 2 qt of oil there are no leaks that are notice but the lost of engine oil still happens this oil could cause the engine to turn on fire it is nerve reacting to every often to check the oil level dealership are brushing this problem as…
It shakes hard when it’s idling and driving. We have waited over 2 weeks to be diagnosed with the problem. We have had to spend $1300 on rental cars because we can’t get a loaner until diagnosed. The car is not safe to drive and puts our lives at risk to drive it.
What happened is that I was hearing an odd noise and it was slipping. I went in thinking it was my tires and it needed alignment- so I had them replaced , etc in April. But the sound was still there so I went back in .
The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, it failed to start as intended. No warning light was illuminated. In addition, the contact stated that while her brother was driving at an undisclosed speed, there was an abnormal sound coming from under the hood.
When owners complained
NHTSA complaints by filing year. The peak shows at what age the problems show up most.
Comparison
By complaint count this model year ranks 726 of 2,102 model years in the NHTSA data (top 35% most complained about).
On average one model year of the Sportage has 113 complaints (12 years in the data). This year has 71, below average.
What to check before buying
- Engine. Cold start, unusual noises, oil leaks and engine codes.
- 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.
- Service brakes. Pedal feel, ABS operation, leaks, discs and hoses.
Manufacturer service bulletins
Bulletin titles as filed with NHTSA.
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: THEFT DETERRENT IGNITION CYLINDER PROTECTOR AND DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2312) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated…
- VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN
THETA II 2.4L GDI EMISSIONS: ECM LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (SC340 REVISION 5) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin…
- VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN
OWNER NOTIFICATION (SC340 FLIGHT 105) - This document is the owner notification advising that Kia is conducting a Voluntary Emissions Service Campaign to improve the emissions software logic in the Electronic Control…
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN: THETA II 2.4L GDI EMISSION SECM LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (SC340 REV 4) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are…
- CUSTOMER SATISFACTION CAMPAIGN
OWNER NOTIFICATION (CS2312) - This document is the owner notification advising that Kia is conducting Customer Satisfaction Campaign. A software upgrade that addresses the social media theft method has been made…
- VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN
OWNER NOTIFICATION (SC340 FLIGHT 103 / QL) - This document is the owner notification advising that Kia is conducting a Voluntary Emissions Service Campaign to improve the emissions software logic in the Electronic…
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: THEFT DETERRENT IGNITION CYLINDER PROTECTOR AND DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2312) - This bulletin provides information to install a Theft Deterrent Ignition Cylinder Protector on certain 2010-2022MY…
- PITSTOP
TECHNICAL OPERATIONS: EXTERNAL DAMAGE TO ULTRASONIC SENSOR: This Pitstop provides information related to Parking Distance Warning (PDW) alerts and repairs involving ultrasonic sensors. The PDW system alerts the driver…
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN: THETA II 2.4L GDI EMISSIONS ECM LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (SC340) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by…
- VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN
OWNER NOTIFICATION (SC340 FLIGHT 101 / QL) - This document is the owner notification advising that Kia is conducting a Voluntary Emissions Service Campaign to improve the emissions software logic in the Electronic…
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN: THETA II 2.4L GDI EMISSIONS ECM LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (SC340) - This bulletin provides information to upgrade the Electronic Control Module ‘ECM’ system software for certain…
- TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN
VOLUNTARY SERVICE CAMPAIGN: THETA II 2.4L GDI EMISSIONS ECM LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (SC340) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New / revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black…
NHTSA lists 64 bulletins for this year; the 12 newest are shown here.
Other years of this model
Questions and answers
What are the most common problems with the 2019 KIA Sportage?
Owner complaints to NHTSA most often mention: engine, electrical system, powertrain. Total complaints: 71. The most frequent symptoms in complaint texts: warning lights, check engine (32%), oil leak or consumption (15%), smoke, burning smell, fire (10%).
How many service bulletins (TSB) were issued for the 2019 KIA Sportage?
NHTSA lists 64 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 2019 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 2019 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 2026-11-04.