2002 Kia Sportage Problems, Recalls & Reliability
321 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2002 Kia Sportage, alongside 3 recall campaigns and 4 defect investigations. It scores 48/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Engine leads the reports, typically around 65,838 miles.
Below average
Where 2002 sits among all Sportage years
What owners report
“Rattle/vibratin coming from under car. Convertor replaced with no results. Told convertors are defective. The rattle /vibration happens every time i shift from low gear to high gear or visa-versa. They will not do transmission diagnostics. I was told that it was the resonance(sp?) in the exhaust…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Sportage
“My car has rusted significantly underneath the vehicle.. To the point where it appears that it rusted the frame and shock absorbers. My car was made in korea... Wonder if these imports have to adhere to the same standards as american made cars with underbody treatment? Also the fuel backs-up out of…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2002 Sportage
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 205 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 59,000 miles. Half of those reports fall between 30,980 and 97,766 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (3)
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 VEHICLES, THE HEAT GENERATED BY THE ENGINE CAUSES REPEATED BENDING DEFORMATION OF THE POLYPROPYLENE COOLING FAN INCLUDING ITS RETAINING RING, WHICH STRESSES THE POLYPROPYLENE THEREBY INITIATING CRACKING OF THE BLADES. THE CENTRIFUGAL FORCES…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE ENGINE COOLING FAN WITH A FAN MADE OF IMPROVED MATERIAL. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 11, 2007. OWNERS MAY CONTACT KIA AT 1-800-333-4542.
Federal defect investigations
Led to recall campaign 07V161000.
Led to recall campaign 04V305000.
Technical service bulletins
9 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2002 Kia Sportage. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2002 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 2002 Kia Sportage reliable?
The 2002 Kia Sportage drew 321 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 48/100, scored against the model's worst year (2017).
What are the most common 2002 Kia Sportage problems?
The top reported problems for the 2002 Kia Sportage are engine (74 complaints), fuel system (61), and brakes & stability (26).
At what mileage do 2002 Kia Sportage problems show up?
Owners most often report 2002 Kia Sportage problems around 59,000 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 30,980 and 97,766 miles.
Does the 2002 Kia Sportage have recalls?
3 recall campaigns apply to the 2002 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.