Kia Sportage Review – If you are in the market for a compact sports utility vehicle, then you should really take a look at the Kia Sportage.
Some of the reasons why it will be a really good choice to go with the Kia Sportage is because it is not overly expensive, its design is really lovely and it boasts of wonderful features that will give you a wonderful driving experience.
Sportage Reliability
The Kia Sportage is a really reliable compact SUV. In terms of reliability, RepairPal rated the car 4.0 out of 5.0 and this places it 6th out of 26 models.
You will also be glad to know that the vehicle has excellent ownership costs and requires less repairs than what is usually the case for cars that fall in the same category.
More so, the issues that crop up in the vehicle are not as serious as what you would normally experience in other compact SUVs.
You might say that the first generation that is those from 1995 to 2002 are not as reliable. Quite agreed that there were some issues, but with the next three generations we observe that the gaps were filled as there was better manufacturing quality than what was obtainable before.
Quite a number of the newer Sportages have six-digit number mileages. If properly maintained it can reach as much as 200,000 miles.
Some of the ways to properly maintain the car and get the best out of it is to follow Kia’s recommended maintenance schedule. Also once you notice an issue, it is advisable that you take care of it as soon as possible.
This is because if you keep procrastinating taking care of it, it can further complicate things and cause more damage to the car.
It is also recommended that you replace worn parts every 60,000 miles, and of course remember to drive carefully. If you do all these, be rest assured that you will get the very best out of your car.
Common Sportage Issues
As we have already pointed out, the Kia Sportage is really reliable but that does not mean that it won’t have some issues from time to time.
According to CarComplaints.com, the 2012 Kia Sportage had quite a number of serious problems and complaints by the users.
In this part of the article, we will be taking a look at some of the common problems of the different models of the car.
Transmission Issues
A common issue with the Sportage is transmission issues. There are complaints of the transmission dropping out of gear, getting stuck in parking gear or difficulty in switch between gears.
From the 2000 Kia Sportage model and other models after that, there are some complaints regarding the check engine light going off. This is as a result of a bug with the transmission control module (TCM). You can check out Software updates that can be of help.
Exterior Accessories Problems With Some Models
Although there are not a lot of issues with Kia Sportage exterior accessories, there have been some complaints about some models.
The 2016 Sportage had complaints concerning a faulty key fob. The complaint was that the key fob would only work at really short ranges.
For the 2017 Kia Sportage, the issue was that the power trunk door does not shut properly at times. In fact the trunk lid may even open by itself and this proved quite troublesome because it could result in the loss of items stored in the trunk or grant easy access to thieves.
Faulty Fuel Systems (Leakages / Wear)
A common issue with some 1996-2002 Kia Sportage units is that the metal fuel tanks can wear quickly when exposed to road salt. The aftermath is that car’s fuel efficiency will be greatly reduced.
More so, in a situation where flakes of rust contaminate the fuel, the engine’s performance will be compromised.
There were also complaints regarding the 2002 Kia Sportage, which was that fuel pours out of the fuel tank if it’s pumped too fast.
Also, some of the newer models have some issues with their fuel system. For instance some owners of the 2020 Kia Sportage complained of their car having a faulty fuel sensor. This can be very misleading as wrong data is communicated to their SUV’s computer and the fuel gauge will show wrong information regarding the amount of fuel in the fuel tank.
HVAC Issues
For the 2005 to 2013 models of the vehicle, a common issue was with the A/C compressors. When the air conditioning is put on there would be loud noises and shaking of the A/C compressor clutch.
The car owners can begin to notice this as early as from the 15,000-mile mark.
The best way to handle this is by changing the whole clutch assembly. The compressor itself might still be in good condition and if that is the case, will not need changing.
Engine Problems (While at high speed)
Earlier on, we mentioned about a report from CarComplaints.com stating that the 2012 Kia Sportage model had serious issues, well that issue was with the engine.
Car owners complained of the engine failing while at high speeds. Sometimes the engine will make really loud noises before dying. There were even severe cases where the cars released smoke and caught fire.
As you can tell for yourself, these were really serious problems and were hazardous. It wasn’t a case of trying to fix one or two components of the engine, rather the engine will have to be replaced.
The car manufacturers had to recall the 2012 units that had the bad engines and the reason that was given for the issues were leaks in the oil pan.
It was explained that if there wasn’t enough oil to lubricate and cool engine parts, it would result in the engine being overheated and consequently get damaged.
The best way to take care of your Kia Sportage is by properly maintaining it and be watchful for any of the issues that might crop up. It is also important that you handle the issues as soon as you notice them to avoid further damage.
Another thing you should take note of is changing the car parts whenever they are worn.
More so, being informed about the likely issues with the model year you own or plan to purchase will really help you in knowing what to look out for, so that you will be able to notice them on time should they crop up and handle them immediately.
If you do all these, then you will really get to enjoy your Kia Sportage for a very long time.
