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2025 Kia Sportage: problems, recalls and reliability

1 recall and 71 owner complaints on record; the weakest area is electrical system (17% of complaints).

Data updated weekly · 3 new complaints in the last 90 days · latest recall Dec 2025

1
recalls
71
owner complaints
0
fire reports
25,000
typical failure mileage, mi

All counts are reports filed with NHTSA in the United States - US market only, not worldwide totals.

NHTSA crash testOverall ★★★★★Front ★★★★★Side ★★★★★Rollover ★★★★★
5-star NHTSA overall safety ratingNo fire reportsProblems reported early (median 25,000 mi)

Common problems

Computed from 71 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for this exact model year.

Electrical System (battery, wiring, electronics)17% · 19 complaints
Unknown Or Other11% · 12 complaints
Forward Collision Avoidance (automatic emergency braking, sensors)11% · 12 complaints
Power Train (transmission, axles, driveline)8% · 9 complaints
Vehicle Speed Control (unintended acceleration, cruise control)7% · 8 complaints
Engine (engine mechanics)7% · 8 complaints
“I was involved in a rollover accident and the driver's side door opened during the accident. Had I not been wearing my seatbelt, I would have been ejected from the vehicle.”Owner report · Structure · Sep 2026
“The contact owns a 2025 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while performing a normal inspection on the vehicle, the body side molding from the front to the rear on the passenger's side of the roof had detached. The contact stated that the driver's side of the vehicle had started to detach from the rear. The failure mileage was approximately 25,000.”Owner report · Structure · Sep 2026
“Twice since I purchased my car, once in 2025 and two weeks ago in 2026, I turned my car off in the garage and the engine kept running. I had to start the car up and turn it off again in order for it to shut down. I mentioned that to Arapaho Kia at my last visit in November 2025 and they just said that they didn’t find anything on the computer.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Jun 2026
Show 7 more owner reports
“on saturday [XXX] while driving on the highway my car lost propulsion and started slowing down even after i was pressing on the acceleration/gas pedal all the way. It happened 3 times within an hour's time frame the car refused to speed up and would stop driving. I was in immediate risk as well as the drivers behind me since i was on the highway and my vehicle immediately slowed down and came to a stop. The dealer asked me to not drive in an eco mode after i took it to the service station at winn kia fremont, they ran diagnostics. This happened in san jose California INFORMATION REDACTED PURSUANT TO THE FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT (FOIA), 5 U.S.C. 552(B)(6)”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · May 2026
“While exiting the John C. Lodge Freeway in Detroit at approximately 40 MPH, the brake pedal became stuck halfway during braking and the vehicle did not stop properly on the first brake application. I had to remove my foot from the brake pedal and press it again before the brakes engaged and the vehicle stopped. This has occurred approximately seven times intermittently. The issue creates a serious safety hazard and risk of collision. In addition, the “D” gear indicator intermittently blinks while driving and the “P” indicator intermittently blinks while the vehicle is in Park. Vehicle was previously brought to dealership and issue was reported, but the condition continues intermittently.”Owner report · Power Train,Electrical System,Service Brakes · May 2026
“Two occurrences. First, it was sprinkling rain when breaking before a stop sign at an intersection near my job, with no stop for oncoming traffic. I drove over a bump and it’s as if the car got confused and didn’t want to stop. I had to release the brake and slam on the brakes to stop. Second, same situation different location and no rainy weather. Hit a bump while coming to a stop light at the intersection and it was as if the car lost traction and couldn’t grasp correctly to break safely. Instead it felt like it skidded to a stop.”Owner report · Service Brakes,Forward Collision Avoidance · May 2026
“Oil was being diluted by fuel seeping in from the injectors and the high pressure fuel pump. Vehicle was brought in twice to fix the problem. During the 24-27 Feb 26 repair the high pressure fuel pump was diagnosed and replaced. On 16 Mar 26 I noticed the oil level had risen on the dip stick (after driving ~300 miles) about 5 mm and brought the car back to the Kia dealer for diagnosis and repair. The high pressure fuel pump was diagnosed again as bad and replaced as were all four fuel injectors after they were also determined to be leaking fuel.”Owner report · Fuel/Propulsion System · Apr 2026
“On Thursday, February 26, 2026, at 11:48am, the rear panel of my panoramic sunroof exploded. I didn’t see or hear anything fall on top of the sunroof, or any part of the car. I didn’t hear a loud noise that sounded similar to a “boom” sound or thud. As soon as I got in my car, I heard a cracking sound coming from the sunroof panel.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Feb 2026
“The windshield creates layers of frost if it is really cold.. While the above might be unrelated but the other day I was rolling my front passenger window up in the cold weather and the window just shattered - it just exploded, even though it stayed intact it shattered into a thousand pieces”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Feb 2026
“My sunroof shattered. No other vehicles were near me and after hearing a very loud bang, I pulled over to check to see of something hit my car. All looked fine, but I did not look at the top of my car until about a week later due to hearing wind sounds. I then assumed something must have fell out of the sky. Dealership said that they do not fix sunroofs in-house and towed it to a body shop near them. I was then quoted $8700 to fix! A friend suggested I check for recalls and found issues noted online.”Owner report · Unknown Or Other · Jan 2026

When filing, owners marked a crash in 9 of these complaints and injuries in 8 - self-reported to NHTSA, not verified accident statistics.

Recalls - 1 campaign

Trailer hitches25V874000 · Dec 2025

Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Sportage Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV) and 2024-2025 Sportage vehicles equipped with a 4.2" screen and a Genuine Kia tow hitch harness accessory. Due to a software error, the instrument panel screen may fail. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 101, "Controls and Displays."

Remedy: Dealers will replace the tow hitch harness control module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 13, 2026. Owners may contact Kia Customer Service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC359. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning December 31, 2025.

Trouble codes owners mention

OBD-II codes that appear in NHTSA complaints about this car.

Specifications

Factory options offered for the 2025 model year, decoded from the NHTSA vPIC database. Individual vehicles have one of each.

Engines1.6L · 2.5L
FuelElectric · Gasoline
Drive type4WD/4-Wheel Drive/4x4
Body stylesSport Utility Vehicle [SUV]/Multipurpose Vehicle [MPV]

How other years compare

Counts are not adjusted for time on the road here - see all Sportage years ranked fairly for the age-adjusted comparison.

Check your exact Sportage by VIN

Recalls and equipment differ between individual vehicles. Decode your VIN to see what applies to yours.

Open VIN decoder

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2025 Kia Sportage reliable?

NHTSA has 71 owner complaints and 1 recall campaign on record for the 2025 Kia Sportage. The most complained-about area is electrical system (17% of complaints).

At what mileage do 2025 Kia Sportage problems usually appear?

Half of the complaints that mention mileage were filed at 25,000 miles or less.

Does the 2025 Kia Sportage have open recalls?

1 recall campaign has been issued, the latest concerning trailer hitches. 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.