2019 KIA Sportage Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Sportage years
- Fewer complaints than other years 22nd of 31 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 70 complaints with NHTSA about the 2019 KIA Sportage. That ranks 22nd out of 31 Sportage model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine (36 complaints, 51%), typically at around 40,000 miles. Complaints mention 3 crashes, 3 fires, 4 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
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- 70owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 3complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2019 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 | 36 | 51% | 40,000 | — | — |
| Unknown or Other | 14 | 20% | 23,500 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 10 | 14% | 12,000 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 7 | 10% | 8,000 | — | — |
| Power Train | 7 | 10% | 7,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 4 | 6% | 60,103 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 3 | 4% | 11,100 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 4% | 34,185 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 3 | 4% | 300 | — | — |
| Trailer Hitches | 3 | 4% | 57,000 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 2 | 3% | 92,500 | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 2 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Steering | 2 | 3% | 75,490 | — | — |
| Structure | 2 | 3% | — | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 2 | 3% | 2,000 | — | — |
| Seat Belts | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Tires | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Wheels | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
One complaint can list several problem areas, so shares can add up to more than 100%.
Complaints by year received
2019 KIA Sportage recalls (2)
Tap a recall to see the problem, the risk and the fix.
Trailer hitchesPark outside
Problem: 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 accessory through a Kia dealership. Debris and moisture accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (PCB) may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire.
Risk: A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
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 module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 11, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC249.
Service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip:control unit/modulePark outside
Problem: 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.
Risk: An engine compartment fire can increase the risk of injury.
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 junction box. Vehicles equipped with an electronic parking brake (EPB) will also receive a HECU software update. Repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on April 30, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC206.
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.
- Loss of Motive Power (DP22003) — opened Sep 12, 2022, closed Dec 12, 2023.
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 car engine is losing oil without any leaks being found. I got my oil changed and was told to have it done every 3k miles. Within a month of that oil change, my engine ran hot. I had all of my components checked. Radiator and coolant was fine but they found that my engine was 2 qrts short of…
The vehicle is have issues every time I get and oil change the vehicle loses about 2 qt of oil there are no leaks that are notice but the lost of engine oil still happens this oil could cause the engine to turn on fire it is nerve reacting to every often to check the oil level dealership are…
Vehicle suddenly entered recall limp-mode due to the ongoing engine campaign. Prior to this, the vehicle had immaculate maintenance records and zero driveability issues. The franchise dealership performed a short-block engine replacement under the safety recall, rushing the complete powertrain swap…
The engine locked up about a year ago, and since we didnât technically have a recall we didnât know what to do. It was able to drive again after we had a technician work on it, but now itâs not driving anymore. It shakes hard when itâs idling and driving. We have waited over 2 weeks to be…
I did not have an incident yet. I was advised by my local State representative Jimmy Gordon's office. They stated were unable to help me get reimbursement for the $8000 I just paid my Kia dealer, but that I should make a complaint on this website. What happened is that I was hearing an odd noise…
Other KIA Sportage years
← 2018 Sportage · 2020 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 | 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 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 2019 KIA Sportage?
Owners most often report engine, unknown or other, electrical system problems. The top one, engine, accounts for 36 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2019 KIA Sportage?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2019 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 2019 has fewer complaints than most years, and NHTSA rates it 5 out of 5 stars overall in crash tests. Always get a pre-purchase inspection and check the VIN for open recalls.