First introduced in the early 90s, the Sportage still makes up a large proportion of Kia’s sales, proving the SUV body style coupled with a wide range of engine and trim options is a crowd pleaser in the UK market. 

Kia offers a great warranty as standard on their cars, but does that mean you should consider buying one for a reliable, dependable family car? In this guide, we’ll find out:

• Is the Sportage Reliable?
• Kia Sportage Recalls
• Diesel Engine Issues
• Is the Kia Sportage Worth It?

Is the Kia Sportage Reliable?

Petrol-engined Sportages are generally considered to be reliable, scoring over 90% on WhatCar?'s surveys, with most problems being minor and fixed promptly. The Diesel engined Sportage, on the other hand, has quite a poor record. 

Over half the diesel cars surveyed had an issue, most of these being engine-related, and taking over a week to resolve. This gave the Diesel Sportage a reliability rating of just 66%.

Kia Sportage Recalls

Recalls happen when a manufacturing or design fault is detected after the cars have been sold, requiring the affected vehicles to be brought back to the dealership garages to have the issue resolved. Recalls are paid for by the manufacturer. 

The Sportage model made from 2019 onwards has a few recalls, some affecting a large number of vehicles. Check for outstanding Kia recalls on their website.

Instrument Cluster Software Recall

Nearly 7,000 cars, made between August 2022 and March 2023, are affected by a software glitch that affects the start-up of the instrument cluster in certain situations. This can mean the driver is not shown the digital dash correctly. 

The fix is simple, a software update applied by the Kia main dealer.

Vacuum Pump Oil Supply Recall

An issue with the tandem oil pump inside the engine can affect the lubrication of the vacuum pump and cause premature failure. In turn, this can cause a loss of vacuum pressure, reducing the effect of the power-assisted brakes. Ultimately, this fault can reduce braking effort.

With quite a large number of cars affected (around 21,000), it’s vital to check your car, or any prospective cars for this issue. The remedy is fairly involved, requiring the oil pump to be checked and repaired if found to be faulty.

Vacuum Pump Failure

Another vacuum pump-related problem, this time the fault is with the ECU’s software, causing increased RPM and therefore load on the vacuum pump at start-up. This again can cause the vacuum pump to fail, resulting in reduced braking assistance. 

Thankfully, this fault is good bit easier to resolve, requiring just a software tweak. This fault only affected around 3,000 cars, so it’s less likely to affect yours, but it’s still worth checking.

Kia Sportage Diesel Engine Issues

The most common engine faults to occur with the Sportage involve the diesel engine variant, rather than the petrol. Faults range from blocked DPFs, faulty EGR valves and rough running. 

A DPF or Diesel Particulate Filter is a device that filters out a lot of the emissions produced by a diesel engine. It does this by trapping the soot and performing a high-temperature flushing cycle called a regeneration. Faults have been noted by a number of owners that, despite using the car for longer journeys, the DPF became clogged. Check out the average DPF replacement cost on the Bumper blog.

An EGR valve is another emissions-limiting device that recirculates an amount of exhaust gases back into the engine. If it fails or becomes clogged, as some drivers have reported with the Sportage, it can cause poor running and a rough engine idle. Typically, resolution involves removing and cleaning the EGR valve, which can be costly depending on the severity. 

Find out the average EGR valve replacement cost on our Blog.

Is the Kia Sportage Worth it?

Offering a good compromise between efficiency and interior space, it’s clear to see why the Sportage is one of Britain's best-selling cars. That said, with the number of owners having issues with the diesel engine variants, I would definitely recommend the petrol or hybrid options.

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Author - Joseph Law

Joseph has been writing about cars for over seven years and writing for Bumper for over two, blending his passion for automobiles with a talent for storytelling.

Joseph has written about engineering and cars for Autozilla, Komaspec, and several engineering manufacturers. When he's not writing or tinkering with one of his cars, Joseph dreams of owning an Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale.