2006 Kia Sportage Problems, Recalls & Reliability
169 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2006 Kia Sportage, alongside 1 recall campaign and 0 defect investigations. It scores 28/100 on the trouble index — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Airbags leads the reports, typically around 72,000 miles.
Typical
Where 2006 sits among all Sportage years
What owners report
“Dealer diagnostics came up with codes b1495 pods, b1495 bts & c1513 abs air bag light came on when starting & stayed on. Had brake switch replaced per recall a few months ago & know have a abs code that could be the switch again”— owner report to NHTSA, 2006 Sportage
“Brake lights stay on after turning off the ignition and shutting off the lights. Have to turn lights on off depress the brake pedal, turn on and off the lights and keep doing it until they go off.. Has been happening for over a year. Read online that there's a history of this but no recall.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2006 Sportage
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 138 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 79,500 miles. Half of those reports fall between 57,000 and 119,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (1)
HUYNDAI-KIA IS RECALLING 139,844 MY 2006-2007- SEDONA, SPORTAGE, SORENTO AND MY RONDO AND AMANTI VEHICLES. THE STOP LAMP SWITCH IN THE AFFECTED VEHICLES MAY MALFUNCTION. A MALFUNCTIONING STOP LAMP SWITCH MAY CAUSE THE BRAKE LIGHTS TO NOT ILLUMINATE WHEN THE…
Fix: DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE STOP LAMP SWITCH FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON JUNE 17, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT KIA'S CONSUMER ASSISTANCE CENTER AT 1-800-333-4542.
Technical service bulletins
31 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on body & structure and transmission & drivetrain — are on file for the 2006 Kia Sportage. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2006 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 2006 Kia Sportage reliable?
The 2006 Kia Sportage drew 169 complaints in federal safety records — a middle-of-the-pack year for this model. Its trouble index is 28/100, scored against the model's worst year (2017).
What are the most common 2006 Kia Sportage problems?
The top reported problems for the 2006 Kia Sportage are airbags (38 complaints), electrical (28), and engine (24).
At what mileage do 2006 Kia Sportage problems show up?
Owners most often report 2006 Kia Sportage problems around 79,500 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 57,000 and 119,000 miles.
Does the 2006 Kia Sportage have recalls?
1 recall campaign applies to the 2006 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.