U.S. public vehicle records

2001 Kia SPORTAGE problems and owner complaints

Explore the records behind recurring owner reports.

Key facts

228 owner complaints analyzed

0 distinct recall campaigns

65,500 mi median reported failure mileage

Scope: 2001 model year. Data snapshot: 2026-09-12 (September 12, 2026). 125 complaints include usable failure mileage.

Owner-reported patterns

Most common problems

Fuel System, Gasoline is the most frequently named component, appearing in 24 of 228 complaints (10.5%). A complaint can name multiple components.

Recurring terms in complaint narratives
Topic	Matching reports	Share of complaints
Fuel system concerns	51	22.4%
Braking behavior	37	16.2%
Transmission and shifting	13	5.7%
Engine operation	13	5.7%
Electrical and battery issues	13	5.7%
Steering behavior	8	3.5%

Topic matches use published keyword rules. They describe mentions, including negations or comparisons, and do not confirm a diagnosis. Read the matching rules.

Component breakdown

Number of unique complaints naming each component. Top eight shown.

Fuel System, Gasoline

Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine

Electrical System

Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly

Air Bags:Frontal

Engine And Engine Cooling

Visibility:Power Window Devices And Controls

Power Train:Automatic Transmission

Component breakdown data
Category	Count
Fuel System, Gasoline	24
Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine	15
Electrical System	13
Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly	13
Air Bags:Frontal	12
Engine And Engine Cooling	10
Visibility:Power Window Devices And Controls	10
Power Train:Automatic Transmission	9

Fuel System, Gasoline: 24; Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine: 15; Electrical System: 13; Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly: 13; Air Bags:Frontal: 12; Engine And Engine Cooling: 10; Visibility:Power Window Devices And Controls: 10; Power Train:Automatic Transmission: 9

Reported problems by failure mileage

Complaint counts in mileage bands. These are not failure rates per vehicle or mile.

Under 25,000

25,000 to 49,999

50,000 to 74,999

75,000 to 99,999

100,000 to 149,999

150,000 and above

Under 25,000: 19; 25,000 to 49,999: 30; 50,000 to 74,999: 26; 75,000 to 99,999: 23; 100,000 to 149,999: 19; 150,000 and above: 8

25,000 to 49,999 miles has the most reports with usable mileage (30). 103 complaints have missing, zero or invalid mileage.

Complaints over time

Year the complaint was filed, not the vehicle model year or incident year. The snapshot year is partial.

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2017

2018

2001: 21; 2002: 31; 2003: 36; 2004: 25; 2005: 16; 2006: 9; 2007: 16; 2008: 9; 2009: 11; 2010: 17; 2011: 14; 2012: 8; 2013: 4; 2014: 7; 2015: 2; 2017: 1; 2018: 1

Pattern summary

Fuel System, Gasoline leads the component reports. Fuel system concerns appears in 51 complaint narratives. Braking behavior appears in 37 complaint narratives. Transmission and shifting appears in 13 complaint narratives. Use these patterns to inspect individual reports and prepare questions for a mechanic.

Calculated from recorded counts. An AI narrative has not been published for this selection.

Complaint evidence

Examples provide context, not a representative sample or a verified diagnosis.

Owner report 10090184 · 2004-09-21 (September 21, 2004)

WHILE DRIVING CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON DASHBOARD. DUE TO FUEL CONTAMINATION COATING IN THE FUEL TANK PEELED AND WAS COMING OFF, CLOGGING THE FUEL FILTER. *AK THE CONSUMER STATED THAT THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. *TC

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10090184 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10117102 · 2005-05-06 (May 6, 2005)

WHEN PUMPING FUEL INTO THE VEHICLE, FUEL SPRAYS OUT ONTO THE GROUND. THE DEALER STATES THAT THE FUEL TANK NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. *AK THE BACK PRESSURE WAS CAUSING THE GASOLINE TO SPLASH BACK AND THE PUMP NOZZLE WOULD SHUT OFF. IT WAS DETERMINED THAT ICE AND SNOW HAD BUILT UP ON TOP OF THE GAS TANK AND CAUSED THE ORVR VALVE TO STICK. THE ICE AND SNOW WAS REMOVED AND EVERYTHING WAS FINE FOR A WEEK BUT THE PROBLEM RECURRED. THE SCREWS HOLDING THE PUMP ONTO THE FUEL TANK WERE BREAKING THEREFORE THE FUEL TANK WAS REPLACED ALONG WITH THE ORVR…

Owner-reported narrative. 72,518 miles reported. Look up ODI 10117102 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10002887 · 2003-01-18 (January 18, 2003)

BRAKE SYSTEM/ROTORS. THE VEHICLE IS A YEAR OLD AND WAS PURCHASED NEW, TWICE THE ROTORS HAVE BEEN CHANGED DUE TO WARPING.THE INCIDENT DATE IS THE FIRST TIME IT WAS IN THE SHOP, THE SECOND TIME WAS ON 1/13/03

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10002887 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10006071 · 2003-02-11 (February 11, 2003)

THE AIR CONDITION WAS NOT COOLING THE VEHICLE, THE ENGINE LIGHT ILLUMINATED AND IT WAS DETERMINED THE GAS CAP WAS LOOSE, THERE WAS AN ELECTRICAL SHORT IN THE WINDOWS WHICH CAUSED THEM NOT TO WORK, THE PURGE VALVE LEAKED, THE HOLD LIGHT FLASHED AT TIMES, THE LEFT REAR DOOR DID NOT OPEN FROM THE INSIDE, IT WAS DISCOVERED THE DOOR LOCK WAS OUT OF ADJUSTMENT, THE CUP HOLDER WAS COMING APART, THE BRAKES WERE NOISY AND THE MASTER CYLINDER WAS LEAKING. *SCC *JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10006071 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10030576 · 2003-08-01 (August 1, 2003)

I AM HAVING DIFFICULTY WITH MY 2001 MANUAL KIA SPORTAGE CONVERTIBLE. I FIRST HAVE TROUBLE GETTING IT STARTED IN THE MORNING. AFTER I GET IT STARTED AND DRIVE IT A SHORT WHILE, THE CAR CUTS OUT ON ME. IT DOESN'T STALL, IT CUTS OUT AND THERE IS NO GAS WHEN I STEP ON THE PEDAL. THIS HAS HAPPEN WHILE SHIFTING, WHILE ACCELERATING, WHILE ADJUSTING MY SPEED. AFTER IT CUTS OUT, I THEN HAVE DIFFICULTY GETTING IT STARTED AGAIN. SOMETIMES I HAVE TO STEP ON THE CLUTCH AND GAS PEDAL FOR THE CAR RPMS TO CATCH. AND THEN THE CAR MAY THEN CUT OUT AGAIN. …

Owner-reported narrative. 37,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10030576 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10031615 · 2003-07-30 (July 30, 2003)

TRANSMISSION LIGHT APPEARED ON THE DASHBOARD, ALSO ENGINE CHECK LIGHT. *AK

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10031615 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10017889 · 2003-04-30 (April 30, 2003)

THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING. *JB

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10017889 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10023196 · 2003-06-16 (June 16, 2003)

CAR SEEMS TO NOT WANT TO START WHEN IT RAINS, MOISTURE CAUSES SPORTAGE TO STALL NUMEROUS TIMES UNTIL I DRIVE A FEW MILES. *NLM

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10023196 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10041951 · 2003-09-30 (September 30, 2003)

ELECTRICAL SYSTEM FAILED AND CAUSED SEVERAL COMPONENTS TO MALFUNCTION. THE HAZARD WARNING SIGNAL LIGHT ENGAGED BY ITSELF, WHICH CAUSED A REAR END COLLISION AND DRAINED THE BATTERY. ALSO, ENGINE LIGHT CONTINUOUSLY ILLUMINATED. THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE WAS UNDETERMINED BECAUSE THE DEALERSHIP WAS UNABLE TO DUPLICATE THE PROBLEM.*AK

Owner-reported narrative. 25,000 miles reported. Look up ODI 10041951 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10007687 · 2003-02-17 (February 17, 2003)

I WAS STOPPED BEHIND TWO CARS WAITING TO MAKE A LEFT HAND TURN. I WAS REARENDED BY A MAN GOING APPROXIMATELY 50MPH AT IMPACT, I WAS SLAMMED IN TO THE PERSON IN FRONT OF ME, AND SHE HIT THE PERSON IN FRONT OF HER KNOCKING THAT SUV IN TO ON COMING TRAFFIC. ALL FOUR CARS WERE TOTALLED AND EVERYONE'S AIRBAGS WENT OFF EXCEPT FOR MINE. MY FACE TOOK OUT THE VISOR AND HIT THE STEERING WHEEL. THE FRONT SEATS RECLINED AT IMPACT AS WELL.

Owner-reported narrative. Look up ODI 10007687 at NHTSA ↗

Owner report 10162407 · 2006-07-14 (July 14, 2006)

THE DRIVER WAS TRAVELING FROM BOSTON ON THE MASSACHUSETTS TURNPIKE TOWARD NEW YORK STATE. AS SHE APPROACHED THE NEW YORK STATE TOLL BOOTHS, BRAKES, STEERING, AND ACCELERATION SUDDENLY FAILED AND THE VEHICLE, A 2001 KIA SPORTAGE WITH 66,018 MILES BEGAN SMOKING. THE DRIVER MANAGED TO TURN SLIGHTLY TO AVOID CRASHING INTO THE TOLL BOOTHS AND FOUND HERSELF HEADED FOR A LARGE PROPANE TANK ON THE GROUNDS. SHE PULLED THE EMERGENCY BRAKE AND MANAGED TO STOP WITHIN A FEW FEET OF THE TANK. BELIEVING THE CAR TO BE ON FIRE, SHE EXITED QUICKLY. THE CAR…

Owner-reported narrative. 66,018 miles reported. Look up ODI 10162407 at NHTSA ↗