2020 KIA Sportage Problems, Complaints & Recalls
- Compared with other Sportage years
- More complaints than other years 13th of 31 for complaints
- Safety recalls
- 2 recalls: check your VIN
- NHTSA crash rating
- 5 out of 5 stars
Owners have filed 162 complaints with NHTSA about the 2020 KIA Sportage. That ranks 13th out of 31 Sportage model years for complaints. The most reported problem area is engine (75 complaints, 46%), typically at around 21,014 miles. Complaints mention 11 crashes, 12 fires, 8 injuries. There are 2 safety recalls covering this model year. NHTSA has opened 2 defect investigations involving it.
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- 162owner complaints
- 2safety recalls
- 2NHTSA investigations
- 11complaints mentioning a crash
Complaints are unverified owner reports and are not adjusted for sales volume.
Most common 2020 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 problems | 75 | 46% | 21,014 | “oil change” (25%) | $4,900 |
| Unknown or Other | 31 | 19% | 4,450 | — | — |
| Electrical System | 19 | 12% | 12,500 | — | — |
| Structure | 10 | 6% | 4,450 | — | — |
| Engine and Engine Cooling | 9 | 6% | 73,000 | — | — |
| Steering | 8 | 5% | 400 | — | — |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 7 | 4% | — | — | — |
| Forward Collision Avoidance | 6 | 4% | 530 | — | — |
| Service Brakes | 6 | 4% | 9,000 | — | — |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic | 6 | 4% | 50,750 | — | — |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 5 | 3% | 7,400 | — | — |
| Air Bags | 3 | 2% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Exterior Lighting | 3 | 2% | 6,000 | — | — |
| Lane Departure | 3 | 2% | — | — | — |
| Power Train | 3 | 2% | 19,019 | — | — |
| Trailer Hitches | 3 | 2% | 2,244 | — | — |
| Visibility | 3 | 2% | 30,000 | — | — |
| Visibility/wiper | 2 | 1% | 1,505 | — | — |
| Back Over Prevention | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Firerelated | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Fuel System, Gasoline | 1 | 1% | — | — | — |
| Suspension | 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
2020 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.
Rod Bearing failure June 29,2026 with prior Kia manufacturer recalls June 19,2023: (1.) SC206, HECU fire Recall, a serious safety recall regarding the Hydraulic Electronic Control unit. The circuit board can short out and cause an engine bay fire even when the vehicle is parked. (2.) SC249B (Tow…
My daughter's 2020 Kia Sportage S was purchased September 22, 2025 from a Nissan Dealership with 96,574 miles on it. It dove great. She used it less than 20 miles per day on residential streets to get to and from work and to church on Sunday. It was not used for interstate or freeway driving. By…
High oil consumption burning a quart of oil every 500-600 miles.
While driving on the expressway posted speed 65 was doing 70, left lane driving, suddenly my check engine light started flashing, my oil light came on and my vehicle started slowing down. Acceleration was not an option, causing hazardous conditions to have to put my hazards on and cross two lanes…
Need an engine replaced for the infamous knocking of the motor from the previous class action but my model isnât covered. Ridiculous to need a new engine on a less than 5 year old car
Other KIA Sportage years
← 2019 Sportage · 2021 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 | 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 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 2020 KIA Sportage?
Owners most often report engine, unknown or other, electrical system problems. The top one, engine, accounts for 75 complaints.
Was there a recall on the 2020 KIA Sportage?
Yes, 2 safety recalls. Enter your VIN at NHTSA.gov to check whether the repairs were done on your car.
Was the 2020 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 2020 has more 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.