2018 Kia Sportage Problems, Recalls & Reliability
226 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2018 Kia Sportage, alongside 3 recall campaigns and 1 defect investigation. It scores 37/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Engine leads the reports, typically around 35,000 miles.
Below average
Where 2018 sits among all Sportage years
What owners report
“Knocking on the engine upon starting. No longer running the vehicle because of noise.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Sportage
“Took my car for the theft recall and had it performed, my vehicle was stolen last night and the theft used a USB charging cable to steal it, the recall did not fix this”— owner report to NHTSA, 2018 Sportage
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 70 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 27,500 miles. Half of those reports fall between 9,500 and 61,000 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (3)
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Sorento, 2021-2022 Sorento Hybrid (HEV), 2022-2023 Sorento Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV), and 2017-2022 Sportage vehicles equipped with a tow hitch harness installed as original equipment, or purchased as an…
Fix: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will inspect the vehicle, and, as necessary, replace the fuse and/or tow hitch harness…
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017-2021 Sportage and Cadenza vehicles. The electrical circuit in the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) may short-circuit, which can cause a fire in the engine compartment.
Fix: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures as a precaution until the recall repair is complete. Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace certain fuses in the electrical…
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2011-2017 Optima, 2012-2017 Sorento and 2011-2018 Sportage vehicles that previously received an engine replacement under recall number 17V-224, warranty, or the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) Product…
Fix: Kia has notified owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the fuel pipe, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 17, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at…
Federal defect investigations
Still open as of the last data refresh. An investigation is not a recall; it may close with no action. All open investigations →
Component: SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received eight Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) and eight Kia America, Inc. (Kia) Part 573 Recall Reports between 2016 and 2023. The combined 16 safety recalls all involve the antilock braking system (ABS) modules or Hydraulic Electronic Control Units…
Model years named: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
Technical service bulletins
133 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on engine and electrical — are on file for the 2018 Kia Sportage. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2018 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 2018 Kia Sportage reliable?
The 2018 Kia Sportage drew 226 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 37/100, scored against the model's worst year (2017).
What are the most common 2018 Kia Sportage problems?
The top reported problems for the 2018 Kia Sportage are engine (94 complaints), electrical (34), and other (23).
At what mileage do 2018 Kia Sportage problems show up?
Owners most often report 2018 Kia Sportage problems around 27,500 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 9,500 and 61,000 miles.
Does the 2018 Kia Sportage have recalls?
3 recall campaigns apply to the 2018 Kia Sportage. At least one carries a do-not-drive or park-outside warning — check your VIN before driving.
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.