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2011 Kia SportageProblems, recalls & complaints

NHTSA has logged 181 owner complaints about the 2011 Kia Sportage, most often about the engine. It is covered by 6 safety recalls, and for recall 23V-652 the manufacturer reports only 28% of affected cars repaired.

2011 Kia Sportage
50
CarFlaw IndexSolid year1.0× the Sportage median · #14 of 28 years by complaints
Safety recalls6Lowest repair rate 28%Owner complaints18123 with a crash, fire or injuryTypical failure mileage100kEngine, median miles

Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer recall reports, through June 20, 2026. Updated daily. Photo: IFCAR, Public domain.

Complaints by system

Where the 2011 Kia Sportage has problems

181 complaints grouped by the system owners reported.

Box size = number of complaints naming that system. Darker = larger share. One complaint can name more than one system.
Complaints by system
SystemComplaintsCrash, fire or injury
Engine774
Electrical system383
Power train232
Exterior lighting120
Service brakes123
Service brakes, hydraulic122
Vehicle speed control100
Steering91
Engine and engine cooling70
13 other systems404

Source: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation. Complaints are submitted by the public and are not verified by NHTSA.

6 recalls

2011 Kia Sportage recalls and how many were fixed

Each ring shows the share of affected cars repaired, from the manufacturer’s latest quarterly report to NHTSA. Recall repairs are free at authorized dealers.

28%repaired · 2025 Q4

Antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip: control unit/module

Park outside

Recall 23V-652 · Sep 25, 2023 · 1,730,192 vehicles · 478,615 repaired

Risk. An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

36%repaired · 2020 Q4

Engine

Recall 19V-101 · Feb 15, 2019 · 32,296 vehicles · 11,621 repaired

Risk. A damaged engine can increase the risk of a fire or it can cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

62%repaired · 2020 Q2

Engine

Recall 18V-907 · Dec 19, 2018 · 71,653 vehicles · 44,721 repaired

Risk. A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

64%repaired · 2018 Q3

Engine and engine cooling: engine

Recall 17V-224 · Mar 31, 2017 · 618,160 vehicles · 397,832 repaired

Risk. Bearing wear may result in the engine seizing, increasing the risk of a crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Show 2 more recalls
70%repaired · 2016 Q4

Brake lights: switch

Recall 15V-360 · Jun 9, 2015 · 7,722 vehicles · 5,399 repaired

Risk. Whenever the brake switch is not working, the brake lights will not illuminate, reducing the ability to warn other motorists of the driver's intentions of…

Problem, fix and repair progress →

–no report yet

Brake lights: switch

Recall 13V-114 · Apr 1, 2013 · 980,377 vehicles

Risk. Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash.

Problem, fix and repair progress →

Recalls apply to specific cars. To see whether a recall is still open on yours, enter the 17-character VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with Kia.

Mileage at failure

When do engine problems start?

100kmiles, median

Based on the odometer reading in 56 engine complaints. 50% were reported before 100,000 miles.

median0k50k100k150k200k+
9under 30k miles28under 100k miles28100k miles or more
Best & worst years

2011 vs. every other Sportage year

Bars show complaints per model year. Colors show the CarFlaw verdict: complaints weighted for crashes, fires and injuries, adjusted for years on the road and compared with the Sportage median. How we score

'95'96'97'98'99'00'01'02'03'05'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25'26
  • Avoid
  • Caution
  • Solid
  • Best
  • Not rated
NHTSA crash tests

2011 Kia Sportage safety ratings

2011 Kia Sportage SUV 4WD in NHTSA's New Car Assessment Program. Photos are from NHTSA's crash tests.

  • Stability control: Standard
  • Forward collision warning: No
  • Lane departure warning: No
4 investigations

NHTSA defect investigations

Federal investigations that included the 2011 Kia Sportage, and the recalls they led to.

  1. Hyundai and Kia ABS Module FiresAQ23002 · still open
    Open
  2. Loss of Motive PowerDP22003 · closed Dec 12, 2023
    No recall
  3. Engine FiresEA21003 · closed Feb 5, 2024
    Led to recall 23V-877
  4. Scope and TimelinessRQ17003 · closed Dec 22, 2021
    Led to recall 17V-224
In owners' words

What Sportage owners report

Recent engine complaints filed with NHTSA, shortened. Personal details are removed.

I'm [XXX] from Brooks Alberta Canada. I purchased this car from a private seller here in Brooks last [XXX] named “Hein Teresa Lorraine” lives in [XXX], Brooks AB T1R 0R7" and she did not include all the details in her car that it has a recall issue with the engine which is the Knock Sensor Problem.…
Complaint 11631322 · Dec 17, 2024 · 102,063 miles
The contact owns a 2011 Kia Sportage. The contact became aware that the VIN was included in NHTSA Campaign Numbers: 19V101000 (Engine) and 23V652000 (Service Brakes, Hydraulic); however, the parts to do the recall repairs were not yet available. The local dealer, a second dealer, Team Kia of El…
Complaint 11615014 · Sep 17, 2024
MY VEHICLE HAD A AN ILLUMINATED OIL LAMP ON THE CLUSTER AND AN OIL LEAK. ON [XXX] I TOOK MY 2011 KIA OF DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES TO INSPECT MY VEHICLE UNDER SAFETY CAMPAIGN 174 (SC174 SL THETA 2 - 2.4 L MPI ENGINE OIL PAN)- WHEN KIA OF DOWNTOWN RETURNED MY VEHICLE TO ME THE INVOICE STATED "OIL PAN WAS…
Complaint 11589319 · May 17, 2024

Own a 2011 Sportage?

Decode your VIN to see the recalls for your exact car, then confirm open recalls with NHTSA.