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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 (5)
Park outsideService brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip, control unit/module
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.
Risk and remedy
Risk: An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
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.
Engine
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2012-2013 Sorento, 2012-2015 Forte and Forte Koup, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, 2014-2015 Soul, and 2012 Sportage vehicles. An engine compartment fire can occur while driving.
Risk and remedy
Risk: An engine compartment fire increases the risk of injury.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine compartment for fuel and/or engine oil leaks, perform an engine test and make any repairs, including engine replacement, as necessary, free of charge. In addition, Kia dealers will update the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) software, free of charge. The recall began January 27, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC200.
Engine
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2011-2012 Kia Sportage vehicles. The engine oil pan may leak and, if not addressed, the loss of oil may result in engine damage.
Risk and remedy
Risk: A damaged engine can increase the risk of a fire or it can cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Kia has notified owners, and dealers will replace the oil pressure switch with an improved one, free of charge. In addition, dealers will inspect the oil pan for any oil leaks, replacing it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began July 3, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC174.
Engine
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.
Risk and remedy
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
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.
Engine and engine cooling: engine
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.
Risk and remedy
Risk: Bearing wear may result in the engine seizing, increasing the risk of a crash.
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.
Canadian recalls (8)
Show 8 Canadian recalls
Label
2024-08-15 · campaign 2024-549
Issue:
On certain vehicles, the compliance label may be missing information in French. The words listed on the label for "Tires", "Rims", "Front" and "Rear" appear in English only, when they should be listed as "Tires/Pneus", "Rims/Jantes", "Front/Avant" and "Rear/Arriere". Canadian regulations require this information to be listed on the label in both English and French.
Safety Risk:
These small errors do not affect vehicle safety.
Corrective Actions:
This is not a recall. Kia has corrected the compliance label for all new vehicles.
Brakes
2023-09-26 · campaign 2023-529
Issue:
On certain vehicles, the brake hydraulic electronic control unit (HECU) could short circuit.
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 you to take your vehicle to a dealership to replace the fuse(s) for the HECU. Kia recommends that you should park your vehicle outdoors and away from other vehicles or structures until the recall repairs have been completed.
Engine
2021-02-01 · campaign 2021-040
Issue:
Kia Canada is conducting a Product Improvement Campaign that provides an update to the engine control module to detect potential problems before an engine fails. An engine failure could cause a sudden loss of power with an inability to restart.
Note: This only affects vehicles equipped with a 2.4 L MPI engine.
Safety Risk:
A sudden loss of engine power could increase the risk of an accident. An engine failure could also create the risk of a fire.
Corrective Actions:
Kia will notify owners by mail. Owners will be instructed to take their vehicle to a dealer to update the software for the engine control module.
Note: Kia recommends that you should always follow the correct vehicle maintenance schedule, which is printed in the Owner's Manual. If you experience unusual engine noise, reduced power, or a check engine/oil warning light, Kia advises you to immediately visit a Kia dealership to have your vehicle diagnosed.
Engine
2020-12-04 · campaign 2020-597
Issue:
On certain vehicles equipped with a 2.0 L NU GDI or 2.4 L Theta II MPI engine, an engine compartment fire could occur while driving. Kia is conducting this recall as a preventative measure to prevent fire risk due to potential fuel leaks, oil leaks and/or engine damage. In some situations, you may notice any of the following symptoms: there could be an abnormal knocking noise from the engine; the check engine light and/or the oil pressure warning light could turn on; you may smell fuel, burning or smoke; or you may notice oil leaks. If you continue to drive the vehicle with these symptoms, the engine could fail and/or a fire could occur. An engine failure can cause a sudden loss of power with an inability to restart.
Note: For the Optima model, only the Optima Hybrid is affected by this recall.
Safety Risk:
An engine compartment fire can create a risk of injury. A sudden loss of engine power could increase the risk of a crash.
Corrective Action:
Kia will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer for an inspection of the engine and engine compartment. The dealer will inspect for fuel and/or engine oil leaks, perform an engine test and make any repairs, including engine replacement, if necessary. Kia will also perform a Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) software update free of charge, once it is available for your vehicle. This update will detect and prevent engine damage from worn connecting rod bearings.
Engine
2019-03-21 · campaign 2019-153
Issue:
Kia Canada is conducting a Product Improvement Campaign that provides an update to the engine control module to detect potential problems before an engine fails. An engine failure may cause a sudden loss of power with an inability to restart.
Safety Risk:
A sudden loss of engine power could increase the risk of a crash.
Corrective Actions:
The company will notify owners by mail. Owners will be instructed to take their vehicle to a dealer to update the software for the engine control module.
Note: Vehicles repaired under Service Campaign SC025 already have this software update.
Engine
2019-02-27 · campaign 2019-099
Issue:
The engine oil pan seal could leak on some vehicles with a 2.4 L engine. If the leak is not repaired, over time this could lead to engine damage or an engine failure. An engine failure would cause a sudden loss of motive power with an inability to restart.
Safety Risk:
A sudden loss of motive power could increase the risk of a crash. In some cases, an engine failure may also result in a fire.
Corrective Actions:
Kia will notify owners by mail and instruct you to take your vehicle to a dealer to replace the oil pressure switch. If an oil leak is detected, the dealer will also replace the oil pan.
Note: A driver may notice any of the following symptoms before an engine failure: an oil leak under the vehicle, a smell of hot or burning oil, a knocking sound from the engine, reduced power or hesitation, a check engine light, and/or an oil pressure warning light.
Fuel system
2018-12-28 · campaign 2018-742
On certain vehicles, when repairs were completed under recall campaign 2017-199 (Kia RC109), the high pressure fuel pipe may not have been properly installed on the fuel pump outlet. A fuel leak could occur if the pipe was damaged, misaligned or improperly torqued during the recall repair. A fuel leak, in the presence of an ignition source, could create the risk of a fire causing injury and/or damage to property. Correction: Dealers will inspect the connections of the high pressure fuel pipe to the fuel pump outlet for leaking fuel. If leaking fuel is detected, the fuel pipe will be replaced with a new one.
Engine
2017-04-07 · campaign 2017-199
On certain vehicles equipped with 2.0L and 2.4L engines, the engine may contain residual metallic debris from factory machining operations. If debris is present, it could potentially restrict oil flow to the main bearings and rod bearings and could lead to premature wear. If the vehicle continues to be driven with worn bearings, the bearings could fail, which could cause an engine stall while the vehicle is in motion, resulting in loss of motive power which could increase the risk of a crash causing injury and/or property damage. Worn bearings could also result in the illumination of the oil pressure lamp in the instrument cluster. Correction: Dealers will inspect, and if necessary, replace the engine sub-assembly.
Owner complaints (392)
Owners filed 392 complaints with NHTSA about the 2012 Kia Sportage (7 crashes, 16 fires, 10 injuries reported). Among 31 model years of this model, it ranks #2 for the most complaints (median 125).
| Most-reported problem | Complaints | |
|---|
| Engine | 328 | |
| Electrical system | 29 | |
| Unknown or other | 23 | |
| Power train | 21 | |
| Service brakes, hydraulic | 11 | |
| Steering | 6 | |
| Fuel/propulsion system | 6 | |
| Structure | 4 | |
Crash test ratings
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2012 Kia Sportage.
| Version | Overall | Frontal | Side | Rollover |
|---|
| 2012 Kia Sportage SUV FWD | 4★ | 5★ | 5★ | 4★ |
| 2012 Kia Sportage SUV AWD | 5★ | 5★ | 5★ | 4★ |
Fuel economy
EPA ratings for each 2012 Kia Sportage version.
| Version | City MPG | Highway MPG | Combined | Yearly fuel cost |
|---|
| Sportage 2WD 2.0 L Automatic 6-spd | 21 | 28 | 24 | $2,800 |
| Sportage 2WD 2.4 L Automatic 6-spd | 21 | 30 | 25 | $2,700 |
| Sportage 2WD 2.4 L Manual 6-spd | 20 | 27 | 23 | $2,900 |
| Sportage 4WD 2.0 L Automatic 6-spd | 20 | 25 | 22 | $3,050 |
| Sportage 4WD 2.4 L Automatic 6-spd | 20 | 27 | 23 | $2,900 |
| Sportage 4WD 2.4 L Manual 6-spd | 19 | 25 | 21 | $3,200 |
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.