Owner complaints, recalls, fuel economy and safety ratings from public NHTSA and EPA data, updated Oct 17, 2026.
The 2023 Kia Sportage has 306 owner complaints, most often for the electrical system, with 85. Its fuel economy is 25 to 43 mpg combined on gasoline, with a 5-year fuel cost of $7,550 to $12,990 at U.S. average prices. NHTSA lists it at 5 overall stars. It has 7 recall campaigns that may apply, covering the electrical system, trailer hitch, body and structure, and others.
Written by AI from public EPA and NHTSA data. Not a review.
Fuel economy
25–43 mpgcombined; city 23–42, highway 28–44; every version of this model year; plug-in hybrid versions on gasoline, 84 MPGe on electricity
Five years of fuel
$7,550–$12,990U.S. average; Ohio $6,750–$11,610 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. Plug-in hybrid versions: $9,500, EPA's own estimate for plug-in hybrids: its national gasoline and electricity prices and the share of miles it expects on electricity; not priced for any state
NHTSA's VIN data lists these trims for the 2023 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.
Owners have filed 306 complaints with NHTSA about the 2023 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
Part
Complaints
Crashes
Fires
Injuries
Electrical system
85
3
1
2
Unknown or other
69
3
0
0
Engine
67
2
0
1
Service brakes
42
7
0
3
Power train
38
2
0
0
Vehicle speed control
36
3
0
2
Forward collision avoidance
35
8
0
4
Fuel/propulsion system
22
1
0
1
Back over prevention
13
3
0
0
Air bags
12
8
0
6
Lane departure
10
1
0
1
Structure
10
0
0
0
18 more parts
Visibility
9
0
0
3
Visibility/wiper
9
0
0
0
Steering
8
0
0
0
Service brakes, hydraulic
7
2
0
1
Seats
5
0
1
0
Fuel system, gasoline
3
0
0
0
Seat belts
3
0
0
0
Engine and engine cooling
2
0
0
0
Exterior lighting
2
0
0
0
Hybrid propulsion system
2
0
0
0
Wheels
2
0
0
0
Carry handle, shell, base
1
0
0
0
Equipment
1
0
0
0
Latches/locks/linkages
1
0
0
0
Other/i am not sure
1
0
0
0
Suspension
1
0
0
0
Tether, lower anchor (ON CAR SEAT OR VEHICLE)
1
0
0
0
Tires
1
0
0
0
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.
NHTSA lists 7 recall campaigns for the 2023 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.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Sportage Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV) and 2024-2025 Sportage vehicles equipped with a 4.2" screen and a Genuine Kia tow hitch harness accessory. Due to a software error, the instrument panel screen may fail. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 101, "Controls and Displays."
Risk: An instrument panel screen that fails to display critical safety information, such as the speedometer or warning lights, can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will replace the tow hitch harness control module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 13, 2026. Owners may contact Kia Customer Service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC359. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning December 31, 2025.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Sportage and 2022-2024 Carnival vehicles. The roof molding may loosen and detach.
Risk: A detached roof molding can create a road hazard for other vehicles, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect the roof molding and replace or secure it as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 15, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC292.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Soul, Sportage, and 2023-2024 Seltos vehicles. The electronic controller for the Idle Stop & Go oil pump assembly may contain damaged electrical components that can cause the pump to overheat.
Risk: An electric oil pump assembly that overheats increases the risk of a vehicle fire.
Remedy: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will inspect and replace the electric oil pump controller, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 28, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC275.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Sportage vehicles. The brake booster diaphragm may become misaligned and cause an internal vacuum leak, which can result in a loss of power brake assist.
Risk: A loss of power brake assist can extend the distance required to stop, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and replace the brake booster as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 21, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC272.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Sportage, Sportage Hybrid, Sportage Plug-in Hybrid, Niro Hybrid, Niro Plug-in Hybrid, Soul, and Telluride vehicles equipped with a digital instrument cluster containing a 4.2" LCD screen. The instrument cluster may fail to display any information when the vehicle is started. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 101, "Control and Displays," and 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems."
Risk: A blank instrument cluster display will not show critical information, such as tire pressure, warning messages, and warning lights, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy: Dealers will update the instrument cluster software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 26, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC270.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Sportage vehicles. The side curtain air bags may have been twisted during installation.
Risk: A twisted air bag can deploy improperly, increasing the risk of injury.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and reinstall the side curtain air bags as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 28, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC257.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Sportage vehicles. The alternator battery positive terminal nut may loosen, which can result in an engine stall or an electrical surge.
Risk: An engine stall increases the risk of a crash, and an electrical surge increases the risk of a fire.
Remedy: Dealers will inspect and tighten the alternator battery positive terminal nut, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 23, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC248.
Carmakers sent NHTSA 113 service bulletins and notices that cover the 2023 Sportage, the latest on Sep 25, 2026. They tell dealers how to fix known issues.
The parts they mention most: electrical system (67), fuel/propulsion system (23), engine and engine cooling (19), power train (15), equipment (14).
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 2023 Sportage.
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: 5–10 out of 10. Each version EPA tested:
Swipe the table sideways for more columns.
Version
Engine
Transmission
Fuel
City / hwy / comb
Sportage Front-Wheel Drive
2.5 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (S8)
Regular Gasoline
25 / 32 / 28
Sportage All-Wheel Drive
2.5 L, 4 cyl
Automatic (S8)
Regular Gasoline
23 / 28 / 25
Sportage Hybrid Front-Wheel Drive
1.6 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic (AM-S6)
Regular Gasoline
42 / 44 / 43
Sportage Hybrid All-Wheel Drive
1.6 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic (AM-S6)
Regular Gasoline
38 / 38 / 38
Sportage Plug-in Hybrid All-Wheel Drive
1.6 L, 4 cyl, turbo
Automatic (AM-S6)
Regular Gasoline or Electricity 34 miles on electricity, 430 miles in all
36 / 35 / 35 on gasoline 84 MPGe on electricity
Sources and dates
U.S. EPA fuel economy data, file of Sep 29, 2026
NHTSA owner complaints, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA recalls, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA manufacturer communications, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA defect investigations, file of Oct 17, 2026
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings, file of Aug 7, 2026
U.S. Energy Information Administration, file of Oct 12, 2026
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