2022 Kia Sportage

Showing the 2022 Sportage Nightfall Edition. We haven't verified this trim's engine; the numbers below cover every version of this model year. Every version

Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.

Fuel economy
21–26 mpgcombined; city 19–23, highway 24–30; every version of this model year
Five years of fuel
$12,490–$15,470U.S. average; Ohio $11,160–$13,820 at local prices; every version of this model year; fuel only, not other costs of owning it; 15,000 miles a year, at EIA fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026
NHTSA overall safety rating
5 starslowest across the versions NHTSA tested
Recall campaigns
1over its history; check a VIN for open ones
Owner complaints
46filed with NHTSA; not adjusted for sales

Trims

NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2022 Sportage. A trim's engine and numbers are shown as its own only where EPA names versions after the trim and no other version could be it; "seen with" means a source shows that engine on the trim, not that it was the only one. Recalls and complaints cover the whole model year: whether a recall applies to a car depends on its VIN, on NHTSA's recall lookup.

Problems owners report

Owners have filed 46 complaints with NHTSA about the 2022 Sportage. These are unverified owner reports, counted by the part of the car they name; one complaint can name several parts. Counts aren't adjusted for how many were sold, so they don't show how reliable a car is.

Complaints by part of the car
PartComplaintsCrashesFiresInjuries
Engine21020
Electrical system8200
Forward collision avoidance5200
Trailer hitches4000
Unknown or other4000
Fuel/propulsion system3100
Power train3000
Visibility3000
Air bags2201
Seats2000
Service brakes2100
Steering2100
4 more parts
Visibility/wiper2000
Engine and engine cooling1000
Tires1000
Vehicle speed control1000

Complaints by model year

Newer years have had less time to collect complaints, and counts aren't adjusted for sales, so a shorter bar doesn't mean a more reliable year.

  1. 2006111
  2. 200777
  3. 200898
  4. 200980
  5. 201020
  6. 2011181
  7. 2012392
  8. 2013381
  9. 2014124
  10. 2015146
  11. 2016134
  12. 2017401
  13. 2018164
  14. 201970
  15. 2020162
  16. 202154
  17. 202246
  18. 2023306
  19. 2024106
  20. 202573
  21. 202638

Every Sportage year side by side

Recalls

NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for the 2022 Sportage over its history. Campaigns are matched by model and year, so each one may apply to a given car, and its repair may already be done: check a VIN on NHTSA's recall lookup for the open recalls on that exact car.

Trailer hitches

NHTSA campaign 22V703000 · reported Sep 19, 2022 · 70,887 vehicles potentially affected

Park outside

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.

NHTSA's record and documents

Service bulletins and investigations

Carmakers sent NHTSA 52 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2022 Sportage, the latest on Jun 8, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.

The parts they mention most: electrical system (28), engine (14), structure (8), power train (5), engine and engine cooling (3).

NHTSA hasn't opened a defect investigation that covers this model year.

Maintenance

Oil

The owner's manual gives the oil and how often to change it. We show oil facts only once we've checked them against the manual, and we haven't yet for the 2022 Sportage.

Oil change near you: Jiffy Lube · Take 5

Used ones for sale

See used 2022 Kia Sportages for sale on: Autotrader · CarMax

These are searches on those sites; we don't copy or check their listings. Your ZIP is used for these links and never kept.

Specs

EPA class: small sport utility vehicle. EPA greenhouse gas score: 4–5 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:

VersionEngineTransmissionFuelCity / hwy / comb
Sportage
Front-Wheel Drive
2.4 L, 4 cylAutomatic (S6)Regular Gasoline23 / 30 / 26
Sportage
Front-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl, turboAutomatic (S6)Regular Gasoline20 / 28 / 23
Sportage
All-Wheel Drive
2.4 L, 4 cylAutomatic (S6)Regular Gasoline22 / 26 / 23
Sportage
All-Wheel Drive
2.0 L, 4 cyl, turboAutomatic (S6)Regular Gasoline19 / 24 / 21

Sources and dates

Fuel cost: EPA mpg with fuel prices for the week of Oct 12, 2026 and electricity prices for Jul 2026. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Oct 2026). Complaints are unverified reports owners filed with NHTSA. About the data