4th generation (QL) · QL · 1,214 complaints, 426 with mileage
Owners filed 1,214 complaints with NHTSA about the 2017–2022 Kia Sportage, and 426 of them record the mileage at which the failure happened. That is enough to show not just what fails, but when.
Failures are spread across the mileage range, with the middle half between 11,100 and 79,000 miles. The median is 39,500 miles.
The most-reported areas are the engine (37.2% of complaints, typically around 54,000 miles), problems owners could not categorise (12.4% of complaints, typically around 20,000 miles), the electrical system (11.0% of complaints, typically around 53,000 miles).
4 recall campaigns cover this generation.
| System | Complaints | Share | Typical mileage | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engine | 452 | 37.2% | 54,000 | 15,000–87,000 |
| Unknown Or Other | 150 | 12.4% | 20,000 | 7,600–50,000 |
| Electrical System | 133 | 11.0% | 53,000 | 9,400–79,000 |
| Power Train | 72 | 5.9% | 36,500 | 13,580–60,000 |
| Fuel/Propulsion System | 50 | 4.1% | 19,993 | 3,999–44,000 |
| Structure | 42 | 3.5% | 56,500 | 9,000–70,000 |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 33 | 2.7% | 19,113 | 9,500–60,000 |
| Service Brakes | 32 | 2.6% | 16,000 | 900–95,000 |
| Steering | 30 | 2.5% | 16,000 | 500–53,000 |
| Engine And Engine Cooling | 30 | 2.5% | 84,000 | 63,120–97,000 |
| Year | Complaints | With mileage |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 560 | 249 |
| 2018 | 223 | 74 |
| 2019 | 102 | 34 |
| 2020 | 203 | 42 |
| 2021 | 59 | 14 |
| 2022 | 67 | 13 |
Complaints about this generation are not spread evenly across the vehicle, and the systems that generate the most of them do not all fail at the same point in a car's life. The median failure across all systems here is 39,500 miles; the figures below show which parts of the car run ahead of that and which run behind.
The engine accounts for 37.2% of complaints (452 reports, 133 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 54,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 15,000 and 87,000 miles.
A single system taking 37.2% of all complaints is a concentration worth noting. It means that for this generation, most of what owners reported came back to one area of the car rather than being distributed across many small faults.
Problems owners could not categorise accounts for 12.4% of complaints (150 reports, 37 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 20,000 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 7,600 and 50,000 miles.
The electrical system accounts for 11.0% of complaints (133 reports, 49 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 53,000 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 9,400 and 79,000 miles.
The transmission and driveline accounts for 5.9% of complaints (72 reports, 34 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 36,500 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 13,580 and 60,000 miles.
The fuel and propulsion system accounts for 4.1% of complaints (50 reports, 14 of them with a mileage figure), and it fails early — a median of 19,993 miles, well before the vehicle's overall median. Failures clustered this far below the rest of the car usually point to a design or manufacturing problem rather than wear, because wear does not selectively target one system on low-mileage examples. The middle half of these reports falls between 3,999 and 44,000 miles.
Body structure accounts for 3.5% of complaints (42 reports, 14 of them with a mileage figure), with a median of 56,500 miles, close to the vehicle's overall pattern. The middle half of these reports falls between 9,000 and 70,000 miles.
Within this generation, complaint volume is not constant across model years. The 2017 model year drew the most — 560 complaints — while 2021 drew the fewest at 59. The median year sits at 152.
That makes 2017 an outlier: roughly 3.7 times the median year of this generation. A single year standing that far apart usually reflects either a first-year issue that was later corrected, or a component change introduced for that year. Anyone shopping this generation has a straightforward reason to prefer a different year, all else being equal.
NHTSA records 4 recall campaigns covering vehicles in this generation. A recall means the manufacturer or the regulator concluded there was a safety defect or a standard was not met, and that a free remedy is owed to owners — including second and later owners.
The campaigns cluster around trailer hitches (2), the hydraulic brake circuit (1), the engine (1). Repeated recalls against the same area of the car generally mean the first remedy did not fully resolve the underlying problem.
Recall status is specific to the individual vehicle, not the model. Checking a VIN against NHTSA's lookup is free and takes under a minute, and it is the only way to know whether a particular car has had the work done.
Of the 1,214 complaints filed against this generation, 70 reported a crash; 97 reported a fire; 67 reported an injury. Crash-involved reports represent 5.8% of the total.
These are owner-reported outcomes, not verified investigations, and they are not adjusted for how many of these vehicles are on the road. They are included because the distinction between a fault that strands a car and a fault that causes a collision is the one that matters most, and it is not visible in a complaint count alone.
For a buyer, failures on this generation are spread rather than concentrated: the middle half falls between 11,100 and 79,000 miles, with a median of 39,500. There is no single mileage threshold to watch, which means condition and maintenance records are more informative than the odometer.
On inspection, the engine and problems owners could not categorise are where this generation's reports concentrate, so those are the areas worth a specific look. Problems owners could not categorise in particular shows a median failure mileage of 20,000, which gives a concrete number to compare against the odometer of any car you are considering.
None of this is a substitute for a pre-purchase inspection on the individual car. Aggregate patterns describe a population; the example in front of you has its own history.
Theta II connecting rod bearing failure claims continue into the early years of this generation; the class settlement population extends to roughly MY2019 for affected Theta II applications.
| Campaign | Date | Component |
|---|---|---|
| 22V703000 | 2023-07-27 | Trailer Hitches |
| 21V137000 | 2021-04-30 | Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip:Control Unit/Module |
| 18V907000 | 2019-01-17 | Engine |
| 16V862000 | 2017-01-19 | Trailer Hitches |