CarTold

2018 vs. 2019 Kia Sportage: What Changed

Our records for the 2018 and 2019 Kia Sportage show one difference in the specifications and ratings tracked below.

The best combined rating for the 2.4-litre four-cylinder falls from 26 to 25 mpg.

Two campaigns cover both years. One campaign (fuel system) covers the 2018 and not the 2019.

Fewer campaigns do not establish better reliability. Confirm each car's coverage and repair status by VIN.

The campaigns that separate them

Imported NHTSA recall campaigns that name one of these two model years but not the other, with their component labels. Campaigns covering both years are left out of this list.

Only the 2018

  • 18V907000 fuel system

Only the 2019

No campaign names this year that does not also name the other.

A campaign may cover only part of a model year's production. Use the campaign number to ask an authorized dealer whether the car's VIN is included and what work remains. Our recall tool finds model-year campaigns; this guide explains the vehicle-specific check.

Side by side

2018 2019
Engines listed 2.0L 4-cyl, 2.4L 4-cyl 2.0L 4-cyl, 2.4L 4-cyl
Drive types All-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive All-Wheel Drive, Front-Wheel Drive
Fuel types Regular Gasoline Regular Gasoline
Combined MPG 21–26 21–25
Recall campaigns 3 2
Complaints on file 163 69
Investigations 1 2
Complaint totals reflect different time on the road, sales and reporting. They cannot rank these years for reliability. The categories below identify symptoms to read about, not failure odds. How reporting time affects the comparison.

What owners reported, by system

2018

Engine 72 (44%)
Other 24 (15%)
Electrical 23 (14%)

2019

Engine 27 (39%)
Other 15 (22%)
Electrical 9 (13%)

Full reports

Open each year's report to read the recall, investigation, manufacturer communication and EPA variant records on file:

2018 Sportage full report 2019 Sportage full report Every Sportage year compared

Sources and methodology