2020 Kia Sportage Problems, Recalls & Reliability
205 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2020 Kia Sportage, alongside 2 recall campaigns and 2 defect investigations. It scores 38/100 on the trouble index — a below-average year for this model. Engine leads the reports, typically around 63,120 miles.
Below average
Where 2020 sits among all Sportage years
What owners report
“The engine has excessive engine oil consumption. Frequent oil changes and payment for oil. Vehicle also is not indicating when it is low on oil. This has been ongoing since the purchase of the vehicle in 2021”— owner report to NHTSA, 2020 Sportage
“As I was driving down the road,I started to see steam/smoke coming out of the enginge. I went to pull over and lost my brakes. I ended up tapping the car in front me. My car started to fill with smoke and then engulfed in flames. By looking at the pics, it appears the fire started on the driver's…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2020 Sportage
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 39 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 12,500 miles. Half of those reports fall between 5,000 and 63,120 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (2)
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…
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
93 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2020 Kia Sportage. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2020 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 2020 Kia Sportage reliable?
The 2020 Kia Sportage drew 205 complaints in federal safety records — a below-average year for this model. Its trouble index is 38/100, scored against the model's worst year (2017).
What are the most common 2020 Kia Sportage problems?
The top reported problems for the 2020 Kia Sportage are engine (82 complaints), other (35), and electrical (22).
At what mileage do 2020 Kia Sportage problems show up?
Owners most often report 2020 Kia Sportage problems around 12,500 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 5,000 and 63,120 miles.
Does the 2020 Kia Sportage have recalls?
2 recall campaigns apply to the 2020 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.