1997 Kia Sportage: problems, recalls and reliability
3 recalls and 181 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is engine and engine cooling (21% of complaints); the 1995 and 1996 model years look more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · latest recall Aug 2002
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 181 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“Tl* the contact owns a 1997 kia sportage. When the vehicle was stationary, the air bags deployed unexpectedly while the driver and passenger seats were occupied. There were no injuries. The vehicle was towed to kia of wilmington (1603 pennsylvania ave, wilmington, de 19806, (302) 656-3100) where the contact was informed that the vehicle was too old to diagnosed why the air bags deployed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 176,620. *bp*jb”Owner report · Air Bags · Sep 2018
“Tl* the contact owns a 1997 kia sportage. While the vehicle was stopped, the driver's side air bag deployed without warning or impact. There were no injuries. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified and stated that they would open a case for the contact. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.”Owner report · Air Bags · Aug 2018
“While driving down highway when approximately at 55mph engine will stall. Slow down and stop without warning. Most of the time I can turn engine off restart run it thru all of the gears and it will be fine for awhile unless on bumpy road or stop warning bumps in the road. I can not fill gas tank up due to it leaking out under vehicle refrase that pour out. It will also vibrate really bad after being drove for over 2 hours straight. Please help me to resolve these problems before it causes a injury or death. *tr”Owner report · Vehicle Speed Control · Mar 2014
Show 7 more owner reports
“Tl* the contact owns a 1997 kia sportage. The contact stated that while driving in reverse, the driver's side air bags erroneously deployed from the steering wheel and from under the steering wheel area. The lower air bag struck the contact in the hip area and the steering wheel air bag struck the contact in the face, causing minor injuries. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 125,226.”Owner report · Air Bags · Jul 2013
“1997 kia sportage have a defective fuel tank. Consumer states that she received a notice after the repair to the fuel tank was done and would like to be reimbursed for the repair work. *nj the consumer stated prior to the repair, she smelled gas and there was gas on the garage floor. It was determined the gas tank was leaking *jb”Owner report · Fuel System, Gasoline · Jul 2008
“Tl* - the contact owns a 1997 kia sportage. The vehicle was overheating. The contact said that the used car dealer replaced the radiator and the main hose. The vehicle continued to overheat, and when diagnosed ,the contact was told the overheating was due to the clutch overheating and the fan sticking. The contact didn't think that transmission oil was circulating throughout the vehicle properly. There were no warning indicator lights. The vehicle currently will not start. The dealer was no longer in business. *ak”Owner report · Engine And Engine Cooling · Jan 2007
“The design of the protective shield for the fuel tank allowed sand and pebbles to accumulate to the extent that I started noticing fuel vapors. The vehicle is housed in a garage, so I raised a window to help dissipate the vapors. In a few days, fuel was dripping from the leaks in the tank. I applied a putty product in june, 2006, which helped for several months. Then it started again. I re-applied putty in august, 2007. Then again in july, 2008, with two different (permanent?) products that have not worked, yet. The tank still leaks. *tr”Owner report · Fuel System, Gasoline · Jun 2006
“Dt: the contact stated at 15 mph airbags deployed for no reason. He did not run over anything. The vehicle has not been in an accident since he purchased it. He has tried contacting the local dealership, but every time he called he was placed on hold. Therefore, he has not had the vehicle repaired at this time. *ak”Owner report · Air Bags · Oct 2005
“Dt: driver's side air bag deployed while consumer was driving in reverse backing from a driveway at low speed. There was no crash or impact. This happened without any warning. No lights illuminated or warning signals. The car had been parked in a shaded area for about an hour when this occurred. Consumer's husband drove vehicle home after the incident. Have not taken this to a dealer for this issue, vehicle was parked afterwards and has not been driven since. No explanation or clue as to why this happened. *nm”Owner report · Air Bags · Jul 2005
“Dt: consumer states: the driver's air bags discharged while driving down the road, was slowing down for a stop light.*ak”Owner report · Air Bags · May 2005
When filing, owners marked a crash in 32 of these complaints and injuries in 24 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 3 campaigns
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES. THE WIRES CONNECTED TO THE C123 AND C124 CONNECTORS CAN BE PUT UNDER TENSION BY MOVEMENT OF THE ENGINE, THUS PULLING THE WIRES AND CONNECTORS, LOOSENING THEM AND RESULTING IN A LOSS OF CIRCUIT CONTINUITY.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL INSTALL SPRING CLIPS TO LOCK THE CONNECTORS TOGETHER. IN ADDITION, THE DEALERS WILL BE INSTRUCTED TO SOLDER A SPLICE IN THE WIRE HARNESS.
VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. A MICROSWITCH ON THE REAR HATCH LOCK CYLINDER CAN MALFUNCTION CAUSING THE POWER DOOR LOCKS TO UNLOCK INADVERTENTLY.
Remedy: DEALERS WILL MODIFY THE REAR HATCH DOOR UNLOCK CIRCUIT.
ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE SAFETY BELT BUCKLE MAY "FALSE LATCH" AND EXPOSE THE DRIVER TO UNRESTRAINED MOVEMENT DURING A CRASH.
Remedy: OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN DECEMBER 20, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT KIA AT 1-800-333-4542.
Specifications
Factory options offered for the 1997 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.
How other years compare
Check your exact Sportage by VIN
Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.
Open VIN decoderFrequently asked questions
Is the 1997 Kia Sportage reliable?
NHTSA has 181 owner complaints and 3 recall campaigns on record for the 1997 Kia Sportage. The most complained-about area is engine and engine cooling (21% of complaints).
At what mileage do 1997 Kia Sportage problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 82,500 miles or less.
Does the 1997 Kia Sportage have open recalls?
3 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning electrical system:wiring. Check your specific vehicle by VIN - recall repairs are free at franchised dealers.
Source: NHTSA recall campaigns and owner complaints (public domain). Counts reflect reports on file and are not a defect rate.