2002 KIA Sportage Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Sportage years
- More complaints than other years 7th of 31 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 234 complaints with NHTSA about the 2002 KIA Sportage. That ranks 7th out of 31 Sportage model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine and engine cooling (69 complaints, 29%), typically at around 61,450 miles. Complaints mention 15 crashes, 6 fires, 9 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 4 defect investigations involving it.
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- 234owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 4NHTSA investigations
- 15complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2002 KIA Sportage problems
Complaints grouped by the part of the car owners reported, with the median mileage when the problem happened.
| Problem area | Complaints | Share | Median miles | Owners mention most | Typical repair cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling problems | 69 | 29% | 61,450 | “cooling fan” (25%) | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 40 | 17% | 61,567 | — | — |
| Power Train | 23 | 10% | 55,500 | — | — |
| Structure | 23 | 10% | 89,100 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 21 | 9% | 11,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 20 | 9% | 96,292 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 17 | 7% | 41,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 16 | 7% | 58,455 | — | — |
| Visibility | 15 | 6% | 11,689 | — | — |
| Suspension | 12 | 5% | 56,700 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 9 | 4% | 92,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 9 | 4% | 47,500 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Other | 7 | 3% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Equipment | 5 | 2% | 85,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 5 | 2% | 64,575 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 4 | 2% | 120,600 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 1% | 123,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 3 | 1% | 40,010 | — | — |
| Wheels | 3 | 1% | 2,380 | — | — |
| Engine | 2 | 1% | 150,075 | — | — |
| Interior Lighting | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 0% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 0% | 20,000 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 0% | 56,000 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2002 KIA Sportage recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Engine and engine cooling:cooling system:fan
Problem: On certain vehicles, the heat generated by the engine causes repeated bending deformation of the polypropylene cooling fan including its retaining ring, which stresses the polypropylene thereby initiating cracking of the blades. The centrifugal forces generated by the rotation of the blades can cause the cracks to propagate until complete separation occurs.
Risk: Separation of the fan blade(s) can create a risk of personal injury.
Fix: Dealers will replace the engine cooling fan with a fan made of improved material. The recall began on june 11, 2007. Owners may contact kia at 1-800-333-4542.
To see whether a specific car still has an open recall, enter its VIN on NHTSA's official recall lookup. You can also decode a VIN here.
NHTSA defect investigations
- Fan blade cracking/separation (EA07001) — opened Jan 22, 2007, closed Apr 16, 2007, led to recall 07V161000.
- Fan blade cracking/separation (PE06042) — opened Sep 21, 2006, closed Jan 22, 2007.
- Fuel tank leakage (EA06007) — opened May 9, 2006, closed Nov 30, 2007.
- Seat belt buckle false latch/malfunction (RQ03007) — opened Oct 14, 2003, closed Feb 27, 2004, led to recall 04V305000.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
We have religiously cleaned our 2002 sportage with under washing to keep under carriage as clean as possible...yet we are told the frame is too rusted, with holes and cannot be inspected or driven safely...we have less than 90,000 miles on it. Why hasn't there been a safety recall on this frame…
I purchased a 2002 kia sportage in february of 2017, after driving it for a couple months it all the sudden started rocking side to side uncontrollably while driving. When looking at the car we noticed the whole frame is rusted and falling apart. This is a huge safety problem, especially when it…
For the past 3 years when going to the gas station to refuel the gas tank, with the car stopped and the engine off, gas suddenly spurts out the gas tank and splashes onto me and my clothing. I have called my kia dealer, but they say there is no recall for this. There are numerous complaints posted…
Driver side and front passenger shoulder belts are frayed which makes them unable to stay secure. It won't stop upper body movement when brakes are applied quickly. Driver side rear passenger window won't go down and motor in door still makes the noise like its wants to work but does not. Unable to…
When the vehicle was hit while parked the bumper was destroyed the airbags did not deploy. The tune signals do not work, the fuses blow eveytime they are replaced, the hazzard signal blows all the fuses, there is a recall on before this year and some after, but not this one. Gas fumes inside the…
Other KIA Sportage years
← 2001 Sportage · 2003 Sportage →
| Year | Complaints | Recalls |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 Sportage | 27 | 1 |
| 2025 Sportage | 54 | 1 |
| 2024 Sportage | 73 | 3 |
| 2023 Sportage | 192 | 6 |
| 2022 Sportage | 46 | 1 |
| 2021 Sportage | 54 | 2 |
| 2020 Sportage | 162 | 2 |
| 2019 Sportage | 70 | 2 |
| 2018 Sportage | 164 | 3 |
| 2017 Sportage | 401 | 4 |
| 2016 Sportage | 134 | 2 |
| 2015 Sportage | 146 | 2 |
| 2014 Sportage | 124 | 3 |
| 2013 Sportage | 381 | 3 |
| 2012 Sportage | 392 | 5 |
| 2011 Sportage | 181 | 6 |
| 2010 Sportage | 20 | 2 |
| 2009 Sportage | 80 | 3 |
| 2008 Sportage | 98 | 3 |
| 2007 Sportage | 77 | 2 |
| 2006 Sportage | 111 | 1 |
| 2005 Sportage | 68 | 3 |
| 2003 Sportage | 4 | 0 |
| 2002 | 234 | 1 |
| 2001 Sportage | 228 | 0 |
| 2000 Sportage | 304 | 2 |
| 1999 Sportage | 284 | 3 |
| 1998 Sportage | 303 | 3 |
| 1997 Sportage | 181 | 3 |
| 1996 Sportage | 57 | 3 |
| 1995 Sportage | 56 | 2 |
See all KIA Sportage problems by year, every KIA model, or the KIA VIN decoder.
Similar KIA models
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Frequently asked questions
What are the most common problems with the 2002 KIA Sportage?
Owners most often report engine and engine cooling, fuel system, gasoline, power train problems. The top one, engine and engine cooling, accounts for 69 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2002 KIA Sportage?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2002 KIA Sportage a good year?
Complaint data can't fully answer that, because counts aren't adjusted for sales. Compared with other Sportage model years, the 2002 has more complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.