2021 Kia Sportage Problems, Recalls & Reliability
60 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2021 Kia Sportage, alongside 2 recall campaigns and 2 defect investigations. It scores 12/100 on the trouble index — one of this model's quieter years. Engine leads the reports.
One of the quieter years. Relative to its siblings, the 2021 Kia Sportage has drawn well-below-average complaint volume with at least four years on the road.
Better year
Where 2021 sits among all Sportage years
What owners report
“I had catastrophic engine failure driving down the road to work. Check engine light started flashing the the oil light. The car then shut off. Got it towed and they found two pieces of the engine block in the cradle cover.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2021 Sportage
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
68 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2021 Kia Sportage. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2021 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 2021 Kia Sportage reliable?
The 2021 Kia Sportage drew 60 complaints in federal safety records — one of this model's quieter years. Its trouble index is 12/100, scored against the model's worst year (2017).
What are the most common 2021 Kia Sportage problems?
The top reported problems for the 2021 Kia Sportage are engine (26 complaints), other (17), and electrical (8).
Does the 2021 Kia Sportage have recalls?
2 recall campaigns apply to the 2021 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.