1997 Kia Sportage Problems, Recalls & Reliability
299 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 1997 Kia Sportage, alongside 3 recall campaigns and 4 defect investigations. It scores 67/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Engine leads the reports.
Avoid this year if you can. The 1997 Kia Sportage sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 1995, 2005, 2019, 2021–2022.
Avoid
Where 1997 sits among all Sportage years
What owners report
“This car is absolutely unsafe to drive; at any moment it may stall due to the faulty electrical system. I have had this car in for service numerous times and i have never gotten the problem resolved. I have simply had enough and would like some help.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1997 Sportage
“I have talked to many other owners of the 1997 kia sportage and they have all had problems with air bags and fuel systems.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1997 Sportage
“Since purchase of vehicle i have had problems with cel coming on and staying on, i have had problems with clutch, the belts, and recently the emission systems, each time i go in the people at the dealer ship act like i am doing these things on purpose and this last time they told me that my…”— owner report to NHTSA, 1997 Sportage
“The wiring harness failed prior to recall notice (99v-325) causing the check engine light to illuminate. Nlm”— owner report to NHTSA, 1997 Sportage
“Sudden acceleration when coming to a stop and taking foot off the accelerator, and shifting into neutral.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1997 Sportage
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 31 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 97,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 60,000 and 119,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (3)
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE SAFETY BELT BUCKLE MAY "FALSE LATCH" AND EXPOSE THE DRIVER TO UNRESTRAINED MOVEMENT DURING A CRASH.
Fix: OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN DECEMBER 20, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD…
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES. THE WIRES CONNECTED TO THE C123 AND C124 CONNECTORS CAN BE PUT UNDER TENSION BY MOVEMENT OF THE ENGINE, THUS PULLING THE WIRES AND CONNECTORS, LOOSENING THEM AND RESULTING IN A LOSS OF CIRCUIT CONTINUITY.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSTALL SPRING CLIPS TO LOCK THE CONNECTORS TOGETHER. IN ADDITION, THE DEALERS WILL BE INSTRUCTED TO SOLDER A SPLICE IN THE WIRE HARNESS.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. A MICROSWITCH ON THE REAR HATCH LOCK CYLINDER CAN MALFUNCTION CAUSING THE POWER DOOR LOCKS TO UNLOCK INADVERTENTLY.
Fix: DEALERS WILL MODIFY THE REAR HATCH DOOR UNLOCK CIRCUIT.
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 99V325000.
Led to recall campaign 02V216000.
Led to recall campaign 99V325000.
Technical service bulletins
10 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and seat belts — are on file for the 1997 Kia Sportage. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 1997 Sportage TSB list →
Complaint history for this model year
When owners filed their reports — a long tail means problems kept surfacing for years.
Questions buyers ask
Is the 1997 Kia Sportage reliable?
The 1997 Kia Sportage drew 299 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 67/100, scored against the model's worst year (2017).
What are the most common 1997 Kia Sportage problems?
The top reported problems for the 1997 Kia Sportage are engine (63 complaints), airbags (39), and transmission & drivetrain (28).
At what mileage do 1997 Kia Sportage problems show up?
Owners most often report 1997 Kia Sportage problems around 97,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 60,000 and 119,000 miles.
Does the 1997 Kia Sportage have recalls?
3 recall campaigns apply to the 1997 Kia Sportage. Recall repairs are free at any franchised dealer.
Every number on this page is a count of records in the federal complaint, recall, and investigation files published by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. Check any specific vehicle's open recalls by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.