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Check by VIN to confirm the
exact model and see every recall for it.
Recalls are issued for a make, model and model year. Whether the repair has already been done on one specific car is known only to its manufacturer and dealers. Check your vehicle's official status at nhtsa.gov/recalls or with a dealer.
US recalls (3)
Park outsideService brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip, control unit/module
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2008-2009 Sportage vehicles previously recalled under recall 16V-815. An engine compartment fire originating from around the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) may occur while parked or driving.
Risk and remedy
Risk: A fire increases the risk of injury.
Remedy: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures and other vehicles until the recall repair has been performed. Dealers will inspect and replace the HECU, its wiring harness, and its fuses, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 22, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC253.
Electrical system: wiring
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2008-2009 Kia Sportage vehicles manufactured August 9, 2007, to May 13, 2009. The wire harness cover on the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) may be improperly sealed allowing water to get onto the HECU circuit board. If the water is contaminated with salt, such as could occur from melted snow, the wire harness connector pins may corrode and the circuit board may short circuit.
Risk and remedy
Risk: If the HECU short circuits, there is an increased risk of an engine compartment fire.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the connector pins for corrosion, if no corrosion is found, the connector cover will be replaced. If corrosion is present, the dealer will replace the HECU assembly and the connector cover, free of charge. The recall began on November 28, 2016. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC138.
Exterior lighting: brake lights, switch
Kia Motors Corporation (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2007-2010 Rondo, model year 2007-2011 Sedona, Sorento and Sportage, model year 2010-2011 Soul, model year 2008-2011 Optima, model year 2010 Forte, model year 2007-2009 Amanti, and model year 2009 Borrego vehicles. Originally, in April 2013, Kia recalled 623,658 model year 2007-2010 Rondo and Sportage, model year 2007-2011 Sorento, model year 2007 Sedona, model year 2010-2011 Soul, and model year 2011 Optima vehicles. In September 2013, Kia informed the agency that it was adding an additional 356,719 vehicles to this campaign. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 980,377. In the affected vehicles, the stop lamp switch may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause an inability to deactivate the cruise control by depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, a malfunctioning stop lamp switch may also result in intermittent operation of the push-button start feature, affect the operation of the brake-transmission shift interlock feature preventing the shifter from being moved out of the PARK position and cause the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) malfunction light to illuminate.
Risk and remedy
Risk: Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, when the ignition is in the 'ON' position, the transmission shifter may be able to be moved out of PARK without first applying the brake. This may lead to unintentional movement of the car which may increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Kia will send an interim notification to owners in May 2013. When parts are available, owners will receive a second notification and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. Owners may contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's recall campaign number is SC098.
Canadian recalls (3)
Show 3 Canadian recalls
Electrical
2022-10-25 · campaign 2022-607
Issue:
On certain vehicles, the brake hydraulic electronic control unit (HECU) could short circuit.
Note: This recall replaces RC107 (Transport Canada recall 2016-562). Vehicles that were repaired under that recall also require this repair.
Safety Risk:
A short circuit could create a fire risk, even while the vehicle is parked and turned off.
Corrective Actions:
Kia will notify owners by mail and advise that you should park your vehicle outdoors and away from other vehicles or structures until the recall repairs have been completed. The corrective actions for this recall are under development.
Electrical
2016-11-14 · campaign 2016-562
This recall was replaced by Transport Canada Recall No. 2022-607.
On certain vehicles, the connector pins within the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) assembly can corrode due to improper sealing of the HECU's wire harness cover. If moisture and road salt reaches the HECU's circuit board, electrical short circuits may occur to the circuit board, which could increase the risk of an underhood fire causing injury and/or property damage. Correction: Dealers will inspect the connector pins of the HECU for corrosion. If no corrosion is identified, dealers will replace the connector cover with a new one. If corrosion is present, dealers will replace the HECU assembly and connector cover with a new one. Note: The presence of salt water in the HECU does not affect brake performance.
Brakes
2013-04-03 · campaign 2013-098
On certain vehicles, the stop lamp switch may fail and cause intermittent operation of the brake lights. Failure of the brake lights to illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed could result in a crash causing property damage and/or personal injury. Correction: Dealers will replace the switch.
Owner complaints (98)
Owners filed 98 complaints with NHTSA about the 2008 Kia Sportage (2 crashes, 24 fires, 5 injuries reported). Among 31 model years of this model, it ranks #18 for the most complaints (median 125).
| Most-reported problem | Complaints | |
|---|
| Electrical system | 27 | |
| Engine | 17 | |
| Service brakes | 15 | |
| Structure | 13 | |
| Power train | 12 | |
| Electronic stability control (esc) | 9 | |
| Service brakes, hydraulic | 7 | |
| Exterior lighting | 7 | |
Crash test ratings
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2008 Kia Sportage.
| Version | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover |
|---|
| 2008 Kia Sportage 4-DR w/SAB | – | – | – | 4★ |
Fuel economy
EPA ratings for each 2008 Kia Sportage version.
| Version | City MPG | Highway MPG | Combined | Yearly fuel cost |
|---|
| Sportage 2WD 2.0 L Automatic 4-spd | 19 | 25 | 21 | $3,200 |
| Sportage 2WD 2.0 L Manual 5-spd | 20 | 25 | 22 | $3,050 |
| Sportage 2WD 2.7 L Automatic 4-spd | 17 | 23 | 20 | $3,350 |
| Sportage 4WD 2.0 L Manual 5-spd | 19 | 24 | 21 | $3,200 |
| Sportage 4WD 2.7 L Automatic 4-spd | 17 | 21 | 19 | $3,550 |
Need this data in your app?
Recalls, complaints, crash ratings and fuel economy as a JSON API. Decode up to 50 VINs per call and get a daily feed of new recalls.
Explore the API →Sources: NHTSA recalls, complaints and 5-Star Safety Ratings, US EPA fuel economy and Transport
Canada's Vehicle Recalls Database (contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada).
Recalls updated 2026-10-30.