2023 Kia Sportage Problems, Recalls & Reliability
310 owner complaints sit in the federal file for the 2023 Kia Sportage, alongside 6 recall campaigns and 0 defect investigations. It scores 58/100 on the trouble index — one of the years to avoid for this model. Driver assistance leads the reports.
Avoid this year if you can. The 2023 Kia Sportage sits at the top of this model's complaint rankings. Quieter picks in the same family: 1995, 2005, 2019, 2021–2022.
Avoid
Where 2023 sits among all Sportage years
What owners report
“Driving on the highway in the left lane with driver assist engaged. Crashed into car driving in the right lane when the kia driver assist turned off without warning.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2023 Sportage
“Panoramic sunroof busted while driving down the highway. Wasn’t open. Wasn’t near any other vehicles.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2023 Sportage
“The infotainment screen continues to blank out. The backup camera, media, navigation, or radio won’t work when the infotainment system is blank.”— owner report to NHTSA, 2023 Sportage
“The engine light has turned on, I have taken it to different shops and they can’t find the issue”— owner report to NHTSA, 2023 Sportage
“The contact owns a 2023 Kia Sportage. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V410000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was unavailable. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair.…”— owner report to NHTSA, 2023 Sportage
Mileage when trouble shows up
Among the 34 reports that include an odometer reading, problems most often appear around 27,332 miles. Half of those reports fall between 12,800 and 68,585 miles — a useful range to weigh against the mileage of the exact car you're looking at.
Recalls (6)
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Sportage and 2022-2024 Carnival vehicles. The roof molding may loosen and detach.
Fix: Dealers will inspect the roof molding and replace or secure it as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 15, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at…
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Soul, Sportage, and 2023-2024 Seltos vehicles. The electronic controller for the Idle Stop & Go oil pump assembly may contain damaged electrical components that can cause the pump to overheat.
Fix: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will inspect and replace the electric oil pump controller, as necessary, free of charge.…
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Sportage vehicles. The brake booster diaphragm may become misaligned and cause an internal vacuum leak, which can result in a loss of power brake assist.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the brake booster as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 21, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542.…
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Sportage, Sportage Hybrid, Sportage Plug-in Hybrid, Niro Hybrid, Niro Plug-in Hybrid, Soul, and Telluride vehicles equipped with a digital instrument cluster containing a 4.2" LCD screen. The instrument…
Fix: Dealers will update the instrument cluster software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 26, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number…
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Sportage vehicles. The side curtain air bags may have been twisted during installation.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and reinstall the side curtain air bags as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 28, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at…
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Sportage vehicles. The alternator battery positive terminal nut may loosen, which can result in an engine stall or an electrical surge.
Fix: Dealers will inspect and tighten the alternator battery positive terminal nut, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 23, 2022. Owners may contact Kia…
Technical service bulletins
66 manufacturer communications — service bulletins, the biggest share on electrical and engine — are on file for the 2023 Kia Sportage. A TSB is factory repair guidance, not a recall — the repair is not automatically free.
See the 2023 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 2023 Kia Sportage reliable?
The 2023 Kia Sportage drew 310 complaints in federal safety records — one of the years to avoid for this model. Its trouble index is 58/100, scored against the model's worst year (2017).
What are the most common 2023 Kia Sportage problems?
The top reported problems for the 2023 Kia Sportage are driver assistance (60 complaints), other (47), and electrical (45).
At what mileage do 2023 Kia Sportage problems show up?
Owners most often report 2023 Kia Sportage problems around 27,332 miles. Half of all reports that include an odometer reading fall between 12,800 and 68,585 miles.
Does the 2023 Kia Sportage have recalls?
6 recall campaigns apply to the 2023 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.