2006 KIA Sportage Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Sportage years
- About as many complaints as other years 17th of 31 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 1 recall: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 111 complaints with NHTSA about the 2006 KIA Sportage. That ranks 17th out of 31 Sportage model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is air bags (38 complaints, 34%), typically at around 73,000 miles. Complaints mention 8 crashes, 5 fires, 6 injuries. There is 1 safety recall covering this model year.
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- 111owner complaints
- 1safety recalls
- 0NHTSA investigations
- 8complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2006 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Air Bags | 38 | 34% | 73,000 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 22 | 20% | 76,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 15 | 14% | 126,000 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 10 | 9% | 112,000 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 9 | 8% | 99,204 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 8 | 7% | 33,000 | — | — |
| Visibility | 7 | 6% | 72,500 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 6 | 5% | 69,500 | — | — |
| Power Train | 6 | 5% | 146,400 | — | — |
| Structure | 6 | 5% | 99,700 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 5 | 5% | 110,623 | — | — |
| Suspension | 5 | 5% | 81,321 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 4 | 4% | 177,900 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 4 | 4% | 78,641 | — | — |
| Wheels | 4 | 4% | 39,500 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 3 | 3% | 33,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 3 | 3% | 76,000 | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 2 | 2% | 49,500 | — | — |
| Tires | 2 | 2% | 27,650 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 2 | 2% | 134,000 | — | — |
| Child Seat | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Equipment | 1 | 1% | 42,000 | — | — |
| Parking Brake | 1 | 1% | 80,000 | — | — |
| Seats | 1 | 1% | 95,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Electric | 1 | 1% | 42,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 1 | 1% | 40,100 | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2006 KIA Sportage recalls (1)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Exterior lighting:brake lights:switch
Problem: Huyndai-kia is recalling 139,844 my 2006-2007- sedona, sportage, sorento and my rondo and amanti vehicles. The stop lamp switch in the affected vehicles may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause the brake lights to remain illuminated when the brake pedal is released. A stop lamp switch malfunction may also affect the operation of the brake-transmission shift interlock feature so the transmission shifter would not be able to be shifted out of the park position. It may also cause the electronic stability control (esc) malfunction light to illuminate, and it may not deactivate the cruise control when the brake pedal is depressed.
Risk: Any of these malfunctions, alone or in combination, may lead to a crash.
Fix: Dealers will replace the stop lamp switch free of charge. The recall began on june 17, 2009. Owners may contact kia's consumer assistance center 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.
Recent owner reports
Short excerpts of the latest complaints filed with NHTSA, with personal details removed. Full reports can be searched on NHTSA.gov.
The fan for my car worked intermittently. I took the car to the dealership and they said it was the fan. I replaced the fan myself. While replacing the fan, I noticed that one of the connectors was melted. After changing the fan, nothing changed. After that, I decided to remove the bad looking…
The contact owns a 2006 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while starting the vehicle, there was an abnormal fuel odor inside the vehicle. The contact was relating the failure to NHTSA Campaign Number: 11V256000 (Fuel System, Other). The contact stated that neither the VIN nor the year, make, or…
July 14, 2020 To whom it may concern I [XXX] is owner of Kia Sportage 2006 [XXX] I purchase this vehicle 12/2005 from Kia in Paramus NJ. This vehicle now has 137,296 miles also what make note it has not never been in accident or given me big issues. In May 2018, I received a recall on this vehicle…
The contact owns a 2006 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while the vehicle was being inspected, the vehicle failed due to the autolocking brakes and Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU). The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. A dealer was not contacted. The manufacturer had been…
I purchased this vehicle from a private seller in August 2021 and attempted to obtain records of the vehicle Kia America Case ID #14353653 which Kia America has yet to provide me any information. I had a full diagnostic done by a certified mechanic at Borst Automotive in the state of Arizona on…
Other KIA Sportage years
← 2005 Sportage · 2007 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 | 111 | 1 |
| 2005 Sportage | 68 | 3 |
| 2003 Sportage | 4 | 0 |
| 2002 Sportage | 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 2006 KIA Sportage?
Owners most often report air bags, electrical system, engine problems. The top one, air bags, accounts for 38 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2006 KIA Sportage?
Yes, 1 safety recall. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2006 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 2006 has about as many complaints as a typical year. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.