NHTSA has received 162 owner complaints about the 2020 Kia Sportage, or 23.9 per year on the road — fewer complaints than typical (complaint index 0.59, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 83 model-year 2020 vehicles we track, it ranks #42 of 83 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest). Against other Kia models its rate is 32% lower; against other Compact SUVs it is 60% lower.
Counts are normalized by time on the road, not by sales volume: a popular model generates more reports than a rare one, and complaints are not verified individually. How we count
Complaints filed between 2019-11-19 and 2026-10-12. Median delay from incident to filing: 23 days.
162Complaints
23.9Complaints per year on the road
0.59Complaint index vs. all tracked vehicles
2Recalls · ⚠ 2
13.6%Share involving a crash or fire
44Last 12 months
Analysis
The previous model year (2019) drew 9.0 complaints per year, fewer than this one. The following model year (2021) drew 9.3 per year, fewer than this one. In its first two years on the road the 2020 model collected 25 complaints, 56% lower than the average vehicle of the same model year.
The most common problem area is Engine (51.9% of complaints), followed by Unspecified or other (11.1%) and Body & structure (9.3%). Engine complaints are 2.3 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. 22 reports (13.6%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 8 injuries and 0 deaths.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 53 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was after five years (40% of incidents). In the last 12 months 44 new complaints were filed, versus 39 in the 12 months before — up 13%.
NHTSA lists 2 safety recalls for this model year, 2 with a do-not-drive or park-outside warning. 2 NHTSA investigations cover this model year; the most recent is “Hyundai and Kia ABS Module Fires” (audit query, opened 2023-11-17, still open).
Complaint index
vs. all tracked vehicles0.59
vs. other Kia models0.68
vs. other 2020 models0.63
vs. other Compact SUVs0.4
Complaints in first 2 years on the road · vs. same-year average (25)0.44
My 2020 Kia sportage spontaneously caught fire. It started smoking about 1/3 mile from my destination. There were no dash lights on and the temperature gauge was not elevated and was below half so it wasn’t the engine overheating.
Unspecified or other · 2026-07-17 · ODI 11751138 · Fire
Vehicle has excessive wandering, that is intermittent, during traffic, surrounding traffic on freeways and on slight wind and rain. The vehicle exhibits behavior that is very very unstable..
Steering · 2025-12-29 · ODI 11707561 · Crash
Rod Bearing failure June 29,2026 with prior Kia manufacturer recalls June 19,2023: (1.) SC206, HECU fire Recall, a serious safety recall regarding the Hydraulic Electronic Control unit.
Engine · 2026-10-12 · ODI 11770638
My daughter's 2020 Kia Sportage S was purchased September 22, 2025 from a Nissan Dealership with 96,574 miles on it. It dove great. She used it less than 20 miles per day on residential streets to get to and from work and to church on Sunday.
Engine · 2026-09-27 · ODI 11767293
High oil consumption burning a quart of oil every 500-600 miles.
Transmission / powertrain · 2026-09-06 · ODI 11762437
Excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA, trimmed for length. The ODI number is NHTSA's record identifier.
Summary: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Sorento, 2021-2022 Sorento Hybrid (HEV), 2022-2023 Sorento Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV), and 2017-2022 Sportage vehicles equipped with a tow hitch harness installed as original equipment, or purchased as an accessory through a Kia dealership. Debris and moisture accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (PCB) may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire.
Risk: A 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 inspect the vehicle, and, as necessary, replace the fuse and/or tow hitch harness module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 11, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC249.
Summary: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017-2021 Sportage and Cadenza vehicles. The electrical circuit in the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) may short-circuit, which can cause a fire in the engine compartment.
Risk: An engine compartment fire can increase the risk of injury.
Remedy: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures as a precaution until the recall repair is complete. Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace certain fuses in the electrical junction box. Vehicles equipped with an electronic parking brake (EPB) will also receive a HECU software update. Repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on April 30, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC206.
AQ23002 · audit query · SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE · Opened 2023-11-17 · Model years: 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received eight Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) and eight Kia America, Inc. (Kia) Part 573 Recall Reports between 2016 and 2023. The combined 16 safety recalls all involve the antilock braking system (ABS) modules or Hydraulic Electronic Control Units (HECU) manufactured by the equipment supplier Mando. The Part 573 Recall Reports contain varying defect…
Loss of Motive PowerClosed
DP22003 · defect petition · ENGINE · Opened 2022-09-12 · Closed 2023-12-12 · Model years: 2019, 2020, 2021
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated July 13, 2022, petitioning the Agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain Hyundai Motor America, Inc. and Kia America, Inc. vehicles spanning Model Years (MY) 2005-2021. The Petitioners cited examples of complaints i…
