"How reliable is the 2002 Kia Sportage?"

"Based on 321 NHTSA complaints, the 2002 Kia Sportage has a median complaint mileage of 58400 miles. The most common issue is Fuel System, Gasoline."

"What are common problems with the 2002 Kia Sportage?"

"The most frequently reported component in NHTSA complaints for the 2002 Kia Sportage is Fuel System, Gasoline, accounting for a significant portion of the 321 total complaints filed."

2002 Kia Sportage: Reliability Data

Source: NHTSA — 321 complaints

321

Total Complaints

58,400mi

Median Mileage

Fuel System, Gasoline

Top Issue

Crash Reports

When Do Complaints Happen?

Distribution of NHTSA complaints by vehicle mileage at time of report.

30,000 25th Percentile

58,400 Median Mileage

96,600 75th Percentile

What Fails?

Most reported component issues from NHTSA complaints.

Fuel System, Gasoline

Fan

Fuel/Propulsion System

Engine

Engine And Engine Cooling

Electrical System

Cooling System

Air Bags

Rotor

Frontal

Severity Assessment

Crashes

Fires

Injuries

Deaths

Sample Complaint Reports

"CONSUMER WAS TRAVELING ABOUT 15MPH AND COMING OFF THE OFF RAMP ON THE HIGHWAY, ANOTHER VEHICLE WAS COMING TOWARDS THE CONSUMER AND COLLIDED WITH CONSUMER'S VEHICLE. UPON IMPACT, AIRBAGS DID NOT GO OFF. DEALERSHIP WAS AWARE OF PROBLEM. *AK ONE PERSON WAS INJURED IN THE ACCIDENT. *JB"

"DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR STAYS AJAR. TOOK VEHICLE TO DEALER, AND WAS TOLD THAT DOOR WAS NOT OFF LINE, YET DOOR WILL NOT CLOSE PROPERLY.*AK"

"DOOR STAYS AJAR. MECHANIC TOLD CONSUMER THAT DOOR IS NOT OFF LINE, YET DOOR DOES NOT CLOSE PROPERLY.*AK NOW HORN HAS FAILED, SECURITY ALARM SYSTEM ACTS ERRATICLY, THE RIGHT SIDE HOOD IF OFFLINE AND IS BENT CAUSING THE HOOD TO INTRUDE OUTWARD TOWARDS THE FRONT FENDER, AND THE DRIVER SIDE BACK WINDO..."

Source: NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Names and identifying details omitted.

When Were Complaints Filed?

Number of complaints by the year the issue occurred.

When Does Each Component Fail?

Median mileage at complaint for top components.

Fuel System, Gasoline 35 complaints

25th: 50,000 mi Median: 61,133 mi 75th: 92,691 mi

Fan 22 complaints

25th: 29,495 mi Median: 38,637 mi 75th: 93,123 mi

Fuel/Propulsion System 20 complaints

25th: 57,550 mi Median: 96,291 mi 75th: 119,250 mi

Engine 12 complaints

25th: 30,000 mi Median: 66,000 mi 75th: 77,400 mi

Engine And Engine Cooling 12 complaints

25th: 47,225 mi Median: 66,919 mi 75th: 91,750 mi

Where Are Complaints Coming From?

Top states by complaint count.

NY: 31 CA: 29 FL: 28 MA: 17 PA: 15 IN: 15 VA: 15 WI: 14 IL: 12 NC: 12

Who Files Complaints?

37.1%

Original Owners

62.9%

Second+ Owners

Kia Sportage — Other Years

See how this model compares across different model years.

Year	Complaints	Median Mileage	Top Issue	Crashes
1995	88	-	Buckle Assembly	2
1996	98	79,000	Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip	13
1997	299	97,000	Gasoline	50
1998	558	70,000	Gasoline	31
1999	493	71,200	Gasoline	43
2000	462	69,000	Fuel System, Gasoline	27
2001	354	48,595	Fuel System, Gasoline	31
2005	93	89,000	Air Bags	13
2006	169	79,500	Air Bags	12
2007	113	69,000	Electrical System	13
2008	138	88,000	Electrical System	2
2009	117	75,000	Electrical System	4
2010	28	89,500	Air Bags	4
2011	260	70,505	Engine	10
2012	448	97,000	Engine	10
2013	447	94,000	Engine	6
2014	149	79,500	Engine	2
2015	190	70,000	Engine	9
2016	182	60,000	Engine	13
2017	523	54,000	Engine	25
2018	209	18,200	Engine	11
2019	98	25,000	Engine	5
2020	187	11,300	Engine	16
2021	45	47,000	Unknown Or Other	3
2022	58	33,000	Engine	10
2023	285	15,250	Unknown Or Other	41
2024	85	22,500	Unknown Or Other	14
2025	69	3,500	Unknown Or Other	6

Data source: View this vehicle on NHTSA.gov | NHTSA ODI Complaints Database. Public domain.

Methodology: Complaint counts and mileage distributions are computed directly from consumer-reported NHTSA complaints. This data represents reported issues, not failure rates — vehicles without complaints are not represented. Full methodology.

Data through: 2026-03-28