1996 Kia Sportage

Documented records held locally from official US and Canadian sources. Each record shows its official identifier so it can be confirmed at the source; nothing here is a score or a prediction.

Vehicle coverage

Find your car

Choose a vehicle to see the official records held for it.

Coverage held for this vehicle

  • OFFICIAL ACTION 3 US Recalls
  • MANUFACTURER COMMUNICATION 8 Manufacturer Bulletins
  • INVESTIGATION 2 Investigations
  • CONSUMER REPORT 57 Consumer Complaints
  • CANADIAN RECALL 0 Canada Recalls

These are counts of distinct official records held locally. They are not combined into any score, and a record count is not a failure rate. A zero means no record is held here, not that none exists.

US Recalls

NHTSA Recall US

  • 02V216000 2002-08-16

    Recall 02V216000

    ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE SAFETY BELT BUCKLE MAY "FALSE LATCH" AND EXPOSE THE DRIVER TO UNRESTRAINED MOVEMENT DURING A CRASH.

    Recorded model years: 1996

  • 97V234000 1997-12-17

    Recall 97V234000

    VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. A MICROSWITCH ON THE REAR HATCH LOCK CYLINDER CAN MALFUNCTION CAUSING THE POWER DOOR LOCKS TO UNLOCK INADVERTENTLY.

    Recorded model years: 1996

  • 96V131000 1996-07-15

    Recall 96V131000

    THE ACCELERATOR PEDAL ASSEMBLY COULD BIND OR STICK DURING OPERATION.

    Recorded model years: 1996

A further 38 records exist for the Kia Sportage where the source stated no model year. They are not counted above and appear on no year page.

Campaign applicability can depend on build date, equipment and market, and a remedy may already have been completed. Confirm any campaign against the official record using the VIN.

Manufacturer Bulletins

NHTSA Manufacturer Communication US

  • 10133170 2018-03-02

    PS539

    PITSTOP - ENGINE COMPONENT RE-USE GUIDELINES - In general, parts and components removed during engine repairs should be considered serviceable, and should be thoroughly cleaned and transferred to the new engine.

    Recorded model years: 1996

  • 10109812 2017-01-18

    TSB-GEN085R1

    TSB: MANDATORY REPLACEMENT OF LOCKING/SECURITY HARDWARE - By design, certain fasteners, which are designed to lock into place once fully attached, are utilized in various Kia models and are strictly intended for ?one time use.? Some examples are: axle shaft nuts with stake collar, cotter pins, washers with locking tabs and other similar hardware, including threaded fasteners with pre-applied ?thread-locking…

    Recorded model years: 1996

  • 10109777 2016-11-04

    TSB-GEN085

    TSB: MANDATORY REPLACEMENT OF LOCKING/SECURITY HARDWARE - By design, certain fasteners utilized in various Kia models are strictly intended for ?one time use?. Though not limited to the following, some examples are: axle shaft nuts with stake collar, cotter pins, washers with locking tabs and other similar hardware, including threaded fasteners with pre-applied ?thread-locking adhesives.?

    Recorded model years: 1996

Showing 3 of 8 records held. The full set is available from the official source named above.

A further 618 records exist for the Kia Sportage where the source stated no model year. They are not counted above and appear on no year page.

A manufacturer communication is service guidance issued to dealers. It is not a safety recall, and its existence does not mean this vehicle has the described condition.

Investigations

NHTSA Investigation US

  • EA06007 2006-05-09

    FUEL TANK LEAKAGE

    A SAFETY-RELATED DEFECT TREND HAS NOT BEEN IDENTIFIED AT THIS TIME.REVIEW OF THE WARRANTY DATA REVEALED ELEVATED TANK LEAKAGE EXPERIENCE IN VEHICLES PRODUCED FROM JUNE 1999 TO OCTOBER 2000.ANALYSIS OF COMPLAINTS AND WARRANTY CLAIMS IDENTIFIED MULTIPLE CAUSES AND ORIGINS OF FUEL TANK ASSEMBLY LEAKAGE.THE MAJORITY OF COMPLAINTS INVOLVE NON-SPECIFIC ALLEGATIONS OF FUEL LEAKAGE WHERE MORE THAN ONE FUEL SYSTEM COMPONENT…

    Recorded model years: 1996

  • PE02051 2002-06-17

    SAFETY BELT BUCKLE MALFUNCTION

    BY LETTER DATED AUGUST 25, 2002, KIA ADVISED NHTSA THAT THE SUBJECT VEHICLES WILL BE RECALLED.SPECIFIC CORRECTIVE ACTION TO BE TAKEN BY KIA HAS NOT BEEN REPORTED TO NHTSA AT THIS TIME.THE SAFETY RECALL PROGRAM HAS BEEN ASSIGNED CAMPAIGN NO. 02V-216.

    Recorded model years: 1996

A further 19 records exist for the Kia Sportage where the source stated no model year. They are not counted above and appear on no year page.

An investigation records that a regulator reviewed a suspected defect. It is not itself a finding of defect and not a recall.

Canada Recalls

Transport Canada Recall CA

No matching records were found in the currently integrated dataset. This does not mean none exist for this vehicle — always check the official source using the VIN.

See all model years Go to the Kia Sportage page

A further 33 records exist for the Kia Sportage where the source stated no model year. They are not counted above and appear on no year page.

Canadian campaigns are recorded separately from US campaigns and do not imply one another.

Consumer Complaints

NHTSA Complaint US

57 complaint records in the dataset for this vehicle and year.

Outcomes stated in those reports

  • reports mentioning a crash 12
  • reports mentioning a fire 3
  • reported injuries 27

Outcomes as stated by the person who filed the report. They are not verified, not adjudicated, and carry no exposure denominator, so they cannot be turned into a rate.

By system

  • Brakes23 (23.5%)Official recall records for this system: 15, covering model years 1998–2023.
  • Powertrain (transmission & drivetrain)12 (12.2%)Official recall records for this system: 3, covering model years 2023.
  • Air bags (restraint system)9 (9.2%)Official recall records for this system: 1, covering model years 2023.
  • Engine9 (9.2%)Official recall records for this system: 17, covering model years 2011–2020.
  • Electrical system8 (8.2%)Official recall records for this system: 19, covering model years 1997–2026.
  • Seat belts8 (8.2%)Official recall records for this system: 4, covering model years 1995–2000.
  • Speed control & accelerator5 (5.1%)Official recall records for this system: 1, covering model years 1996.
  • Equipment & accessories3 (3.1%)Official recall records for this system: 4, covering model years 2014–2025.

Other / uncategorized: 3 classifications (3.1%) were not assigned to a specific system by the source. They are counted but not treated as an issue area.

A single report can name several systems, so these figures overlap and must not be added together — their sum is larger than the report total above.

A further 4,667 complaint records exist for this vehicle where the source stated no model year. They are not counted above and appear on no year page.

These are owner-submitted allegations, not confirmed defects. Counts are record counts in the dataset. No exposure denominator exists, so no failure rate or reliability score can be derived from them.

Back to the Kia Sportage page