2000 Kia Sportage Problems, Recalls & Reliability
462 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2000 Kia Sportage, alongside 4 recall campaigns and 6 defect investigations. It scores 70/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Fuel system leads the reports, typically around 82,000 miles.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2000 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 2000 sits among all Sportage years
What owners report
“Fuel tank leaking gas i believe the fuel tank is no good anymore i purchase a vehicle fill up the tank and start to leak gas i thought it was a gasket so gasket was placed and it's still leaking”— owner report to NHTSA, 2000 Sportage
“While driving their was a grinding noise from the brakes. Consumer took vehicle into the dealership to have brake pads replace, and was informed at that time by the dealership that the front brake pad had fallen off the shoe and destroyed the rotor. The right front brake pad also fell apart when…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2000 Sportage
“Front driverside door won't open and all doors lock without warnings with slightest movement of car. Car failed first vt saftey inspection nov. 00 because severe defect with wheel bearings - brakes pads and rotors replaced with adjustments neccesary to wheel bearing as very loose. Four wheel drive…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2000 Sportage
“Vehicle will shut down and will not restart due to lost of power. The dealership is aware of the problem. Ts”— owner report to NHTSA, 2000 Sportage
“This vehicle has multiple defects in which the manufacturer/dealer is unable or unwilling to correct. Car is a safety hazard. Many electrical problems, failing battery, electrical shocks, multiple blown fuses for windows, fuses blown prior to purchase but discovered within the first week of…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2000 Sportage
“Passenger door is not align properly, it casuses water leakages when washing and will not close properly; dealer replace the weather stripping and the door still will not close properly, been in /out of dealer body shop on four occasion and the door still will not close properly, not unless you…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2000 Sportage
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 218 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 69,500 miles. Half of those reports fall between 41,421 and 101,835 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (4)
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 VEHICLE. THESE VEHICLES WERE DISTRIBUTED WITH OWNERS MANUALS WITH AN INCORRECT JUMP START DIAGRAM. THE WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS FOR JUMP STARTING ARE ACCURATE. HOWEVER, THE DIAGRAM DEPICTS THE JUMPER CABLES ATTACHED TO THE…
Fix: OWNERS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH AN ADHESIVE LABEL WITH THE CORRECT ILLUSTRATION TO PERMANENTLY AFFIX TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS MANUALS.
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 04V305000.
Led to recall campaign 00V205000.
Technical service bulletins
13 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2000 Kia Sportage. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2000 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 2000 Kia Sportage reliable?
The 2000 Kia Sportage drew 462 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 70/100, scored against the model's worst year (2017).
What are the most common 2000 Kia Sportage problems?
The top reported problems for the 2000 Kia Sportage are fuel system (95 complaints), brakes & stability (61), and transmission & drivetrain (52).
At what mileage do 2000 Kia Sportage problems show up?
Owners most often report 2000 Kia Sportage problems around 69,500 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 41,421 and 101,835 miles.
Does the 2000 Kia Sportage have recalls?
4 recall campaigns apply to the 2000 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.