Kia Sportage Model Years Compared: 2016–2021
View the recall, complaint and investigation counts for the Kia Sportage years we track. Use the figures to choose a report to investigate, not to rank the cars for reliability.
Methodology: "Complaints per year on market" divides each year's total NHTSA complaint count
by 2026 minus the model year — an annual average, not a correction for age or a defect rate. It doesn't account for
how many miles those vehicles were actually driven, how many were sold, or that complaint-filing behavior
changes over time. Recall counts are campaigns, not vehicles affected — one campaign can cover a small fraction
of a model year's production. Treat every number here as "reports on file," not "problems this many owners
had." Read our full methodology.
Highest annual average of reports
2017 — 44.33/yr
399 complaints over 9 years on market
Lowest annual average of reports
2019 — 9.86/yr
69 complaints over 7 years on market
Every model year, side by side
| Year | Generation | Recalls | Complaints | Per year on market | Investigations | Combined MPG | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | — | 2 | 130 | 13 | 2 | 21–23 | Full report → |
| 2017 | — | 4 | 399 | 44.33 | 2 | 21–26 | Full report → |
| 2018 | — | 3 | 163 | 20.38 | 1 | 21–26 | Full report → |
| 2019 | — | 2 | 69 | 9.86 | 2 | 21–25 | Full report → |
| 2020 | — | 2 | 160 | 26.67 | 2 | 21–26 | Full report → |
| 2021 | — | 2 | 50 | 10 | 2 | 21–26 | Full report → |
Compare two years directly
Sources and methodology
- Recalls, complaints and investigations: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- Fuel economy: FuelEconomy.gov (EPA/DOE)
- See our methodology and data sources pages for how this comparison is built and its limitations.