1999 Kia Sportage Problems, Recalls & Reliability
493 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 1999 Kia Sportage, alongside 5 recall campaigns and 8 defect investigations. It scores 79/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Engine leads the reports, typically around 50,280 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 1999 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 1999 sits among all Sportage years
What owners report
“The car stalls between 60 and 75 mph. I lose 10 to 15 mph and have almost been rear ended twice! No engine light comes on, warranty part replaced twice, dealership told me they didn't care if i died in the car!”— owner report to NHTSA, 1999 Sportage
“When attempting to engage 4-wheel drive, the light illuminates, but 4-wheel drive is not engage. Ph”— owner report to NHTSA, 1999 Sportage
“Failed to accelerate/almost rear ended/dealer says ongoing kia problem/ i owned a 97 that did the same stuff/rpm acceleration/shaking/failure to accel/for safety reasons with this 99 model i refused to take it home from dealer and traded it/the lemon process would drag on while i'm killed in this…”— owner report to NHTSA, 1999 Sportage
“The brakes squeaks and vibrates when coming to a stop due to warped rotors and worn pads. Nlm”— owner report to NHTSA, 1999 Sportage
“Windshielwipers would go so fast at times they flew off windshield, or so slow that they wouldn't hardly move, the driver side power window controls would not put down the back p[assenger side window, vehicle had a tendency to loose all power at 55 - 60 mph, vehicle caught fire on 9/06/200 due to…”— owner report to NHTSA, 1999 Sportage
“Fuel tank is corroding from the inside out. Fuel system is contaminated and the structural integrity of the tank is in question.”— owner report to NHTSA, 1999 Sportage
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 103 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 71,200 miles. Half of those reports fall between 55,500 and 105,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (5)
DOPE, INC. IS RECALLING 42,540 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY…
Fix: DOPE, INC. WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 28, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DOPE, INC. AT 1-626-272-1798.
SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY…
Fix: SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE FRONT SAFETY BELT BUCKLES MAY EMIT A "CLICK" SOUND DURING THE BUCKLING PROCESS THAT IS SIMILAR TO THE SOUND EMITTED WHEN A BUCKLE IS BEING LATCHED, WHEN IT IS NOT.
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE BOTH FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLES. THE RECALL BEGAN AUGUST 16, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT KIA AT 1-800-333-4542.
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: SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES WITHOUT AN ANTI-LOCK BRAKING SYSTEM (ABS). THE STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT COUPLING CAN CONTACT A HYDRAULIC BRAKE PIPE CAUSING FLUID LEAKAGE.
Fix: DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND, IF NECESSARY, INCREASE THE CLEARANCE BETWEEN THE BRAKE PIPE AND STEERING INTERMEDIATE SHAFT COUPLING.
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 04V305000.
Led to recall campaign 99V325000.
Led to recall campaign 02V207000.
Technical service bulletins
13 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 1999 Kia Sportage. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 1999 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 1999 Kia Sportage reliable?
The 1999 Kia Sportage drew 493 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 79/100, scored against the model's worst year (2017).
What are the most common 1999 Kia Sportage problems?
The top reported problems for the 1999 Kia Sportage are engine (93 complaints), transmission & drivetrain (62), and electrical (54).
At what mileage do 1999 Kia Sportage problems show up?
Owners most often report 1999 Kia Sportage problems around 71,200 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 55,500 and 105,000 miles.
Does the 1999 Kia Sportage have recalls?
5 recall campaigns apply to the 1999 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.