NHTSA has received 46 owner complaints about the 2022 Kia Sportage, or 9.6 per year on the road — far fewer complaints than typical (complaint index 0.24, where 1.00 is the average of all tracked vehicles). Among the 92 model-year 2022 vehicles we track, it ranks #22 of 92 by complaints per year (#1 = fewest). Against other Kia models its rate is 73% lower; against other Compact SUVs it is 84% 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 2022-01-09 and 2026-09-01. Median delay from incident to filing: 12 days.
46Complaints
9.6Complaints per year on the road
0.24Complaint index vs. all tracked vehicles
1Recalls · ⚠ 1
17.4%Share involving a crash or fire
13Last 12 months
Analysis
The previous model year (2021) drew 9.3 complaints per year, about the same. The following model year (2023) drew 80.8 per year, more than this one. In its first two years on the road the 2022 model collected 22 complaints, 70% lower than the average vehicle of the same model year.
The most common problem area is Engine (47.8% of complaints), followed by Other (10.9%) and Electrical (8.7%). Engine complaints are 2.1 times as common here as across all tracked vehicles. 8 reports (17.4%) describe a crash or fire; owners mention 1 injury and 0 deaths.
Half of the reported incidents happened within 25 months of the model year's start; the busiest period was years three to five (35% of incidents). 13 complaints were filed in the last 12 months.
NHTSA lists 1 safety recall for this model year, 1 with a do-not-drive or park-outside warning.
Complaint index
vs. all tracked vehicles0.24
vs. other Kia models0.27
vs. other 2022 models0.24
vs. other Compact SUVs0.16
Complaints in first 2 years on the road · vs. same-year average (22)0.3
While driving my 2022 Kia Sportage, the brakes suddenly stopped responding. I pressed the brake pedal hard several times and the vehicle did not slow down or stop at all. There was no braking pressure and no warning lights.
Electrical · 2025-11-24 · ODI 11701175 · Crash
The contact owned a 2022 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while stopping at a red light, she observed smoke emanating from the engine compartment.
Engine · 2024-04-25 · ODI 11585257 · Fire
While driving 8/24/2026 on interstate engine light started flashing then staues on and car decelerated and knocking noise.Got to closest parking lot. Car would no longer move and turned it off. Contacted a tow.
Engine · 2026-09-01 · ODI 11761196
Our 2022 Sportage backup camera screen has gone completely blank creating an immediate rear visibility safety hazard that violates federal back up camera standards.
Electrical · 2026-08-03 · ODI 11754366
The dealer failed to complete the anti-theft det ignition cyl protector, now my car was stolen. The dealer told us that the recall was taken care of, they even added both decals on each window, the drivers and passengers, that said anti-theft decal…
Unspecified or other · 2026-01-16 · ODI 11711516
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.
