2024 Kia Sportage Problems

What owners reported to NHTSA about the 2024 Kia Sportage, its recalls, and what to check before you buy one.

Kia Sportage, 2023 to 2024 model years
Photo: Benespit, CC BY-SA 4.0
How the 2024 compares

Too new to judge fully

It has been on the road 2 years, so complaints are still coming in. So far it has fewer than a typical older Sportage year, which is normal for a newer car. The area owners report most so far is the electrical system.

Based on owner complaints to NHTSA, compared with other Sportage years from 2012 to 2024. A good year can still be a bad car, so check the one you are looking at.

Owners have filed 75 complaints with NHTSA about the 2024 Kia Sportage. The most reported problem area is the electrical system (16, 21% of complaints), followed by the lights, wipers and visibility and the driver assist systems. That ranks 10th of 13 Sportage years from 2012 to 2024 for complaints. It has 3 recalls. Newer cars have had less time to build up complaints, so expect this number to grow.

Complaints75filed with NHTSA
Recalls3for this model year
Crashes710 injuries reported
Fires0reported in complaints

1 of these complaints came from Utah owners.

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Most reported problems

Problem areas ranked by how many complaints mention them. One complaint can name more than one area. Open an area to see what to check on a 2024 Kia Sportage before you buy.

Electrical system

16 complaintsDead batteries, warning lights, failed screens and cameras, and electrical shorts.What to check before you buy

What to check before you buy

  • Test every switch: windows, locks, mirrors, seat heaters, the screen, the backup camera, Bluetooth and every USB port.
  • Watch the dash at startup. Every warning light should come on briefly and then go out.
  • Have the battery and charging system tested. A weak alternator or battery drain shows up here.

Tools that help

What owners said

All the dash lights come on randomly has happened 3 separate times the 4th time they came on I also couldn’t shift out of park.Owner complaint, filed 2025
Cluster screen goes black The dealership has replaced the screen & completed a software update. I have several videos. The dealership states they can’t fix it because they can’t replicate it. So I send them a video when it occurs. I called Kia direct and was informed to get a new car. It’s been going on for a year. We purchased the car…Owner complaint, filed 2025

Lights, wipers and visibility

14 complaintsHeadlights that dim or fail, wiper and washer failures, and windshield cracks.What to check before you buy

What to check before you buy

  • Check every light: headlights on low and high, fog lights, brake lights, turn signals and reverse lights.
  • Run the wipers on every speed with washer fluid, and run the defroster front and back.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2024 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving 65 MPH, the glass panel between the windshield and the panoramic sunroof exploded, causing glass to fall into the vehicle. The dealer was contacted. The failure mileage was approximately 44,800.Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 44,800 miles
The contact owns a 2024 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving at an undisclosed speed, the sunroof exploded. The contact stated that there was no evidence of an impact on the sunroof glass. The dealer was made aware of the failure. The contact was advised to take the vehicle to a Collision Center for assistance. The vehicle…Owner complaint, filed 2026, at 28,525 miles

Driver assist systems

12 complaintsPhantom braking, false collision warnings, and lane keeping or backup sensors that act up.What to check before you buy

Parts named most: Warnings (8).

What to check before you buy

  • Where it is safe, try the adaptive cruise and lane keeping on the test drive and watch for sudden braking or warnings with nothing there.
  • Check the windshield in front of the camera and the bumper sensors for cracks, chips or poor repairs.
  • Ask whether the windshield has been replaced. The camera has to be recalibrated afterward, and many shops skip it.

Tools that help

What owners said

I am reporting a concern regarding the Forward Collision Warning and Automatic Emergency Braking systems on my 2024 Kia Sportage SX Prestige. I have been attempting to understand the operating behavior of the vehicle’s FCA system using cardboard boxes as targets. I conducted observations at very low speeds (approximately 5 mph) as well…Owner complaint, filed 2026
I am reporting a concern regarding the Forward Collision Warning and Automatic Emergency Braking systems on my 2024 Kia Sportage SX Prestige. I have been attempting to understand the operating behavior of the vehicle’s FCA system using cardboard boxes as targets. I conducted observations at very low speeds (approximately 5 mph) as well…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Engine and cooling

11 complaintsStalling, misfires, oil consumption, leaks, overheating and engine failure.What to check before you buy

What to check before you buy

  • Ask the seller not to warm the car up, and start it cold. Listen for ticking, knocking or a rough idle in the first minute.
  • Pull the oil dipstick and the oil cap. Low oil, a gasoline smell or a milky film on the cap are reasons to walk away or get an inspection.
  • Plug in an OBD2 scanner. Stored or pending codes matter, and so do readiness monitors that show "not ready", which usually means the codes were cleared right before the sale.
  • Ask for oil change records. A gap in the records on a model known for engine complaints is a negotiating point at minimum.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owns a 2024 Kia Sportage. The contact stated while driving 25 MPH, the check engine warning light illuminated. The vehicle was able to restart on the third attempt; however, the failure recurred. The vehicle was driven to the dealer but was not diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure and a case was…Owner complaint, filed 2024, at 17,000 miles
I was stopped at a red light in middle lane with traffic all around when the car just stopped running. After a few tries it started again.Owner complaint, filed 2024

Body, doors and structure

8 complaintsRust, doors and liftgates that will not latch, leaks, and frame or structure concerns.What to check before you buy

Parts named most: Body (8).

What to check before you buy

  • Look underneath with a flashlight. Utah road salt is hard on frames, brake lines and the bottoms of doors.
  • Open and close every door, the hood and the liftgate, and lock and unlock each one.
  • Use a paint thickness gauge and compare panels. A panel that reads very differently from the rest has likely been repaired.

Tools that help

What owners said

The glass panel placed between the windshield and the Panoramic sunroof blew out with no external forces. Looking at other cases from online, this appears to be a problem dating back to the 2019 model. Attached are photos from the date of incident (12/31/2024) from 1/3/2025 and 1/17/2025.Owner complaint, filed 2025
On XXX, while driving my 2024 Kia Sportage X-Pro Prestige on [XXX] after exiting XXX, traveling west toward [XXX], the panoramic moonroof glass suddenly shattered without warning. It sounded like a gunshot going off very loudly inside the vehicle and badly startled both me and my service dog. The glass had no known prior damage, nothing…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Brakes and stability control

7 complaintsBrakes that feel soft or grab, grinding, ABS and stability control faults.What to check before you buy

What to check before you buy

  • The pedal should feel firm and the car should stop straight without pulling, grinding or a pulsing pedal.
  • The ABS and stability control lights should go out after startup and stay out.
  • Look through the wheels at the rotors. A deep lip on the edge means brakes are due soon, which is a fair thing to negotiate on.

Tools that help

What owners said

Not safety but I couldn't locate the complaint section you supposably have. The front rotors had to be turned with less than 18K miles. They have since been completely replaced twice at my expense and the car is less than 2 years old. Now the rear rotors have issues and it's going to cost me $360 to turn them or $700 to replace them. The…Owner complaint, filed 2025
Front brake rotors are warped on new 2024 KIA Sportage with only 4000 miles on the vehicle. The vehicle is available for inspection anytime When braking the steering wheel will pulsate left to right The problem has been confirmed by the dealer as an ongoing problem with this vehicle brand and model. The vehicle is scheduled for repair on…Owner complaint, filed 2024

Fuel system

4 complaintsHesitation, stalling, fuel smell, fuel pump and injector failures.What to check before you buy

What to check before you buy

  • Smell around the engine bay and under the rear of the car for raw fuel.
  • On the test drive, accelerate firmly from a stop and up a grade. Stumbling, surging or a flashing check engine light are red flags.
  • Fuel pump recalls are common. Check this exact VIN for open recalls before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

While driving, the vehicle engine shut off while making a turn. Before the engine stalled, the engine began to sputter as I made the turn. I was stranded on the roadway as I could not restart the vehicle. For my safety, I stayed in the vehicle as there was no shoulder and many vehicles including dump trucks. Several attempts to restart…Owner complaint, filed 2025
While in use, the vehicle engine shut off while making a turn. Several attempts to restart the engine were unsuccessful - engine would try to turn over and then stop. Vehicle was pushed off the road and roadside assistance was contacted and car tower to the dealership. Diagnosed as a Faulty Fuel Pump. <900 milesOwner complaint, filed 2024

Transmission and drivetrain

4 complaintsHarsh or delayed shifts, slipping, shuddering, CVT whine, and drivetrain clunks.What to check before you buy

What to check before you buy

  • Drive it from cold if you can. Shifts should be smooth in every gear, including reverse.
  • Feel for slipping (revs rise without the car speeding up), shudder at low speed and a delay when you put it in gear.
  • Listen for whining, which is a common CVT complaint, and clunks when you go from drive to reverse.
  • If it has 4WD or AWD, engage it on the test drive and ask when the transmission and differential fluids were last changed.

Tools that help

What owners said

While driving the vehicle and selecting EV only mode the engine RPMs surge to about 3000. This happens frequently and I have it on Video. Kia has had the car multiple times for electrical may electrical related repairs but say the vehicle is normal. The tech line person even had the dealer drive a similar car for a baseline. I would…Owner complaint, filed 2026
The vehicle experiences an intermittent, severe safety malfunction tied to the Idle Stop & Go (ISG) auto-stop system. When brought to a complete stop at intersections or red lights, the engine shuts off normally to conserve fuel. However, when releasing the brake pedal, the engine completely fails to auto-restart and stalls out in live…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Steering

4 complaintsLoss of power steering assist, wandering, play in the wheel and noises when turning.What to check before you buy

What to check before you buy

  • Turn the wheel lock to lock while parked and listen for groaning, clicking or binding.
  • On a straight road the car should track straight with the wheel centered and no loose feeling.
  • A power steering warning on the dash, even briefly, deserves a mechanic’s look before you buy.

Tools that help

What owners said

On Tuesday, July 14th I started my vehicle around 6:30 am and started to drive. Once I was driving, I had multiple warning lights on my dash showing and my power steering failed on me. I stopped the vehicle, put it in park and turned it off. I restarted the car and still had the various warning lights and no power steering. The car was…Owner complaint, filed 2026
24 hours after purchase, the steering wheel had high vibration and was worrisome to drive. Returned to dealer and was originally told I break too hard- before they kept the vehicle for 8 days. They claim the rotor was replaced. Everything I am experiencing for my first car is sounding unreasonable. Why would a new model off the dealer…Owner complaint, filed 2024

Cruise control and acceleration

4 complaintsHesitation, loss of power, sudden acceleration and cruise control problems.What to check before you buy

What to check before you buy

  • On the test drive, press the gas gently and firmly. The response should be smooth with no lag or surge.
  • Set the cruise control, then use resume and cancel to make sure each one works.

Tools that help

What owners said

I was driving on the highway and had set the cruise control to 76. I then pushed the plus button once to increase the cruise control speed and the cruise control increased immediately to 110 mph. I braked right away which stopped the acceleration but could see it was still set at 110 mph. I pushed the button to turn the cruise control…Owner complaint, filed 2026
Sudden Unintended Acceleration, 2024 Kia Sportage, Safety Hazard. Incident Date: April 18, 2026. Location: Parking lot. While pulling into a parking space at low speed, I brought the vehicle to a complete stop with my foot on the brake. Immediately after stopping, the vehicle suddenly and forcefully accelerated forward on its own without…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Air bags

4 complaintsAir bag warning lights, air bags that did not deploy, and inflator recalls.What to check before you buy

What to check before you buy

  • The air bag (SRS) light should come on at startup and go out within a few seconds. If it stays on, the system may not work in a crash.
  • Air bag recalls are some of the most serious. Check this exact VIN for open recalls and get proof any recall work was done.

Tools that help

What owners said

The contact owned a 2024 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while driving at 77 MPH, the vehicle was involved in a front-impact crash with a large-sized deer. The air bags did not deploy. The contact stated that two minor children were seated in the rear seat. The vehicle was towed to a local tow yard. No injuries were sustained. No…Owner complaint, filed 2024, at 22,500 miles
The SRS/airbag warning light illuminates and flashes, accompanied by a seat belt warning chime while the driver seat belt is fastened. I scanned the SRS module and retrieved DTC B1511-00 (Driver Seat Belt Buckle Switch Open Or Short To Battery) and B1515-00 (Driver Seat Belt Buckle Switch Defect), logged across two events. I purchased…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Seats and seat belts

1 complaintBelts that will not latch or retract, seat adjusters and passenger occupancy sensors.What to check before you buy

What to check before you buy

  • Pull out and latch every seat belt, and let each one retract on its own.
  • Try every seat adjuster, and watch for a passenger air bag "off" light when an adult is in the seat.

Tools that help

What owners said

The SRS/airbag warning light illuminates and flashes, accompanied by a seat belt warning chime while the driver seat belt is fastened. I scanned the SRS module and retrieved DTC B1511-00 (Driver Seat Belt Buckle Switch Open Or Short To Battery) and B1515-00 (Driver Seat Belt Buckle Switch Defect), logged across two events. I purchased…Owner complaint, filed 2026

Wheels and tires

1 complaintTire failures, wheels and lug nuts, and tire pressure sensor faults.What to check before you buy

What to check before you buy

  • Read the four-digit DOT date on each tire. Tires older than about six years should be replaced, whatever the tread looks like.
  • Check tread depth on all four. On AWD vehicles all four tires should match.
  • The tire pressure light should go out after startup.

Tools that help

What owners said

Tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS) is not working correctly. It is under reporting pressure by over 3-5 PSI on Cold and Hot Tire. My vehicle is available for inspection upon request. TPMS is flagging in the system and pushing to over fill tire with air over prescribed pressure by the manufacturer. It is safety risk. I got my vehicle…Owner complaint, filed 2024

Kia Sportage complaints by year

Compare the 2024 with other years before you choose one. Tap a year to see its problems.

Compare with similar 2024 compact SUVs

Each car is rated against its own other years, since popular models always get more complaints than rare ones.

CarVs. its other yearsRecallsMost reported
2024 Kia SportageToo new to judge3Electrical system
2024 Toyota RAV4Too new to judge3Engine and cooling
2024 Honda CR-VToo new to judge2Steering
2024 Mazda CX-5Too new to judge0Brakes and stability control
Compare side by side

2024 Kia Sportage recalls

This is every recall issued for the 2024 Kia Sportage, not what is still open on one car. A recall that was fixed does not show up any differently here. Check a VIN at NHTSA to see what is still open on the car you are looking at, and ask the seller for proof any recall work was done.

Trailer hitch

Dec 2025 · NHTSA campaign 25V874000
Risk
An instrument panel screen that fails to display critical safety information, such as the speedometer or warning lights, can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix
Dealers will replace the tow hitch harness control module, free of charge.
Full recall summary

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."

Steering Electric power assist system

Jun 2024 · NHTSA campaign 24V422000
Risk
A loss of power steering assist can increase the risk of a crash.
Fix
Dealers will replace the motor-driven power steering electric power pack, free of charge.
Full recall summary

Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2024 Kia Sportage vehicles. The circuit board in the motor-driven power steering assembly may short circuit, resulting in a loss of power steering assist.

Body and structure Roof and pillars

Jan 2024 · NHTSA campaign 24V025000
Risk
A detached roof molding can create a road hazard for other vehicles, increasing the risk of a crash.
Fix
Dealers will inspect the roof molding and replace or secure it as necessary, free of charge.
Full recall summary

Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Sportage and 2022-2024 Carnival vehicles. The roof molding may loosen and detach.

2024 Kia Sportage questions

What are the most common problems with the 2024 Kia Sportage?

The most reported problem areas on the 2024 Kia Sportage are the electrical system (16 complaints), the lights, wipers and visibility (14 complaints) and the driver assist systems (12 complaints).

Is the 2024 Kia Sportage a good year to buy?

Too new to judge fully. It has been on the road 2 years, so complaints are still coming in. So far it has fewer than a typical older Sportage year, which is normal for a newer car. The area owners report most so far is the electrical system. Based on owner complaints to NHTSA, compared with other Sportage years from 2012 to 2024. A good year can still be a bad car, so check the one you are looking at.

How many recalls does the 2024 Kia Sportage have?

NHTSA lists 3 recalls for the 2024 Kia Sportage. The most recent, from Dec 2025, covers the trailer hitch. Recalls cover the whole model year, so check the VIN of the car you are looking at to see which are still open.

Which Kia Sportage years should I avoid?

The Sportage years with the most complaints compared with the rest are 2012, 2013 and 2017. Years with clearly fewer complaints are 2019 and 2021. Years from 2022 on are too new to rate fairly yet.

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Where these numbers come from. Complaints are reports that owners filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), counted from NHTSA’s complaint database as of November 5, 2026. Owners do not have to prove a problem to file one, so a complaint is a report, not a confirmed defect. Models that sell in big numbers get more complaints, and newer model years have had less time on the road, so compare years of the same model rather than different models. Recalls come from NHTSA’s recall database and cover every vehicle of that model year, not one particular car. Quotes are trimmed, and anything that looks like a VIN is hidden.