2008 KIA Sportage Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Sportage years
- Fewer complaints than other years 18th of 31 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 3 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- Not rated
Owners have filed 98 complaints with NHTSA about the 2008 KIA Sportage. That ranks 18th out of 31 Sportage model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is electrical system (27 complaints, 28%), typically at around 90,000 miles. Complaints mention 2 crashes, 24 fires, 5 injuries. There are 3 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 1 defect investigation involving it.
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- 98owner complaints
- 3safety recalls
- 1NHTSA investigations
- 2complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2008 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Electrical System | 27 | 28% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Engine | 17 | 17% | 90,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 15 | 15% | 75,000 | — | — |
| Structure | 13 | 13% | 117,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 12 | 12% | 24,900 | — | — |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 9 | 9% | 68,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 7 | 7% | 51,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 7 | 7% | 117,000 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 5 | 5% | 90,500 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 5 | 5% | 13,811 | — | — |
| Tires | 4 | 4% | 29,500 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 3 | 3% | 129,232 | — | — |
| Latches/locks/linkages | 2 | 2% | 64,000 | — | — |
| Suspension | 2 | 2% | 900 | — | — |
| Visibility | 2 | 2% | 34,500 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Air | 1 | 1% | 112,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 1 | 1% | 900 | — | — |
| Traction Control System | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 1 | 1% | 148,000 | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2008 KIA Sportage recalls (3)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip:control unit/modulePark outside
Problem: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2008-2009 Sportage vehicles previously recalled under recall 16V-815. An engine compartment fire originating from around the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) may occur while parked or driving.
Risk: A fire increases the risk of injury.
Fix: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures and other vehicles until the recall repair has been performed. Dealers will inspect and replace the HECU, its wiring harness, and its fuses, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 22, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC253.
Electrical system:wiring
Problem: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2008-2009 Kia Sportage vehicles manufactured August 9, 2007, to May 13, 2009. The wire harness cover on the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) may be improperly sealed allowing water to get onto the HECU circuit board. If the water is contaminated with salt, such as could occur from melted snow, the wire harness connector pins may corrode and the circuit board may short circuit.
Risk: If the HECU short circuits, there is an increased risk of an engine compartment fire.
Fix: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the connector pins for corrosion, if no corrosion is found, the connector cover will be replaced. If corrosion is present, the dealer will replace the HECU assembly and the connector cover, free of charge. The recall began on November 28, 2016. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC138.
Exterior lighting:brake lights:switch
Problem: Kia Motors Corporation (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2007-2010 Rondo, model year 2007-2011 Sedona, Sorento and Sportage, model year 2010-2011 Soul, model year 2008-2011 Optima, model year 2010 Forte, model year 2007-2009 Amanti, and model year 2009 Borrego vehicles. Originally, in April 2013, Kia recalled 623,658 model year 2007-2010 Rondo and Sportage, model year 2007-2011 Sorento, model year 2007 Sedona, model year 2010-2011 Soul, and model year 2011 Optima vehicles. In September 2013, Kia informed the agency that it was adding an additional 356,719 vehicles to this campaign. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 980,377. In the affected vehicles, the stop lamp switch may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause an inability to deactivate the cruise control by depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, a malfunctioning stop lamp switch may also result in intermittent operation of the push-button start feature, affect the operation of the brake-transmission shift interlock feature preventing the shifter from being moved out of the PARK position and cause the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) malfunction light to illuminate.
Risk: Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, when the ignition is in the 'ON' position, the transmission shifter may be able to be moved out of PARK without first applying the brake. This may lead to unintentional movement of the car which may increase the risk of a crash.
Fix: Kia will send an interim notification to owners in May 2013. When parts are available, owners will receive a second notification and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. Owners may contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's recall campaign number is SC098.
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
- Hyundai and Kia ABS Module Fires (AQ23002) — opened Nov 17, 2023, still open.
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 contact owns a 2008 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving at various speeds, the message "ESC Off" was displayed and the vehicle failed to accelerate as needed. The contact stated that the failure had been recurring intermittently. The vehicle was taken to the dealer and to…
Was parked and after driving to pick up please came back out and it was in flames
The contact owned a 2008 Kia Sportage. The contact stated while driving 40-45 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated, and the vehicle was shuddering. Additionally, the contact stated while driving on another occasion, the vehicle experienced brake failure, which nearly led to a crash. An…
The contact owns a 2008 Kia Sportage. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V800000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The local dealer was contacted. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a…
The contact owns a 2008 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving at undisclosed speeds, the brakes locked up. The contact removed the fuses. The contact called the local dealer, but the vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. While his daughter was driving, an abnormal dinging sound was…
Other KIA Sportage years
← 2007 Sportage · 2009 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 | 98 | 3 |
| 2007 Sportage | 77 | 2 |
| 2006 Sportage | 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 2008 KIA Sportage?
Owners most often report electrical system, engine, service brakes problems. The top one, electrical system, accounts for 27 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2008 KIA Sportage?
Yes, 3 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2008 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 2008 has fewer complaints than most years. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.