2013 Kia Sportage: problems, recalls and reliability
3 recalls and 380 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is engine (78% of complaints); the 2011 and 2014 and 2015 model years look more trouble-free.
Data updated weekly · latest recall Sep 2023
All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.
Common problems
Computed from 380 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.
“The contact owns a 2013 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while her daughter was driving at 45 MPH, the daughter collided with another vehicle after the vehicle aggressively merged in front of her. The collision was at the front driver and passenger side of the vehicle. The contact added that the collision threw her daughter forward and backward, and the contact's daughter sustained neck, shoulder, and lower back injuries, and surgery on her neck was needed. A police report was filed. The vehicle was taken to the residence and parked. The vehicle was then towed to a body shop. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was unknown.”Owner report · Air Bags · Aug 2025
“The contact owns a 2013 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was able to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway, where the vehicle failed to restart. The check engine warning light was illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the engine. The contact was informed that the engine needed to be replaced. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was not notified of the failure. The failure mileage was 120,000.”Owner report · Engine · Jun 2025
“My wife was driving and went around a semi and all ofthe sudden the engine stalled and she almost got hit by thesemi she had just passed. Next day towed it to kia and the said the engine had seized up but thatthe enginewas not warrenty because it had not thrown a knock senseor code. We have mainained this vehicle and gotten the update for the knock sensor and were about to give it to our son and get ourselves another kia. Dont think thats going to happen now thati know kia does not stand behinde their product or care about their customers.”Owner report · Engine · Nov 2024
Show 7 more owner reports
“The contact owns a 2013 Kia Sportage. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the infotainment system was intermittently inoperable. The local dealer was contacted. The vehicle was not diagnosed or repaired. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 68,000. Parts distribution disconnect.”Owner report · Service Brakes, Hydraulic · Sep 2024
“My car has a recall on the engine due to the chance it could catch fire. I brought my car to the dealership to have them replace the recalled part and they returned the car to me without performing the work. They didn't tell me that they didn't fix the recalled part, but I happened to notice on the receipt a day later that it said "can't perform bulletin parts on backorder freeze".”Owner report · Engine · Sep 2024
“The contact owns a 2013 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the vehicle inadvertently lost motive power. The contact was unable to pull over to the shoulder of the roadway and the vehicle failed to restart. No warning lights were illuminated. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic, who diagnosed a failure with the engine, informing the contact that the engine had seized. The manufacturer was notified of the failure, a case was opened, and the contact was referred to the NHTSA Hotline for assistance. The failure mileage was 131,000.”Owner report · Engine · Sep 2024
“I have owned this vehicle for two years and last week the engine started making a load noise after some research I found a safety recall from 2017 that Kia made an error in the machining process of the engine and could cause catastrophic damage and a major safety issue if happened while driving. This vehicle has been at the local Kia dealer and they refuse to do anything about the issue.”Owner report · Engine · Aug 2024
“The contact owns a 2013 Kia Sportage. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.”Owner report · Service Brakes, Hydraulic · May 2024
“The contact owns a 2013 Kia Sportage. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was contacted and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.”Owner report · Service Brakes, Hydraulic · Apr 2024
“The contact owns a 2013 Kia Sportage. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for the recall repair. The dealer was made aware of the issue and confirmed that parts were not yet available. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the issue. The contact had not experienced a failure. VIN tool confirms parts not available.”Owner report · Service Brakes, Hydraulic · Apr 2024
When filing, owners marked a crash in 5 of these complaints and injuries in 6 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.
Recalls - 3 campaigns
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2010-2019 Borrego, 2014-2016 Cadenza, 2010-2013 Forte, Forte Koup, Sportage, 2015-2018 K900, 2011-2015 Optima, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, Soul, 2012-2017 Rio, 2011-2014 Sorento, and 2010-2011 Rondo vehicles. The Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) may experience an electrical short, which can result in an engine compartment fire while parked or driving.
Remedy: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the HECU fuse, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed November 14, 2023. Owner notification letters were mailed March 29, 2024 through June 18, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC284.
Kia Motor Company (Kia) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Optima, 2012-2014 Sorento and 2011-2013 Sportage vehicles. Machining errors during the engine manufacturing process may cause premature bearing wear within the engine.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine assembly, and replace the engine if necessary, free of charge. The recall began June 20, 2017. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC147.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2011-2017 Optima, 2012-2017 Sorento and 2011-2018 Sportage vehicles that previously received an engine replacement under recall number 17V-224, warranty, or the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) Product Improvement Campaign. The high pressure fuel pipe that connects to the fuel pump outlet may have been damaged, misaligned or improperly torqued during the engine replacement procedure, possibly causing a fuel leak.
Remedy: Kia has notified owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the fuel pipe, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 17, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC172.
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 2013 Kia Sportage reliable?
NHTSA has 380 owner complaints and 3 recall campaigns on record for the 2013 Kia Sportage. The most complained-about area is engine (78% of complaints).
At what mileage do 2013 Kia Sportage problems usually appear?
Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 99,200 miles or less.
Does the 2013 Kia Sportage have open recalls?
3 recall campaigns have been issued, the latest concerning service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip:control unit/module. 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.