1997 Kia Sportage Recalls, Complaints & Specs

3 safety recalls list the 1997 Kia Sportage, and owners have filed 181 complaints with NHTSA. Check your own VIN below.

safety recalls

181

owner complaints to NHTSA

32 / 5

complaints citing a crash / fire

18–19

MPG combined (EPA)

3 safety recalls for the 1997 Kia Sportage

Most recent first. Recall repairs are free at any authorised dealer. Click a recall for the full defect, consequence and remedy text.

Buckle assembly (seat belts)

NHTSA 02V216000 Reported August 16, 2002 189,706 vehicles potentially affected KIA MOTORS AMERICA, INC.

On certain passenger vehicles, the safety belt buckle may "false latch" and expose the driver to unrestrained movement during a crash.

Remedy: Owner notification began december 20, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact KIA at…
Electrical system: wiring

NHTSA 99V325000 Reported November 19, 1999 76,986 vehicles potentially affected KIA MOTORS AMERICA, INC.

Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles. The wires connected to the c123 and c124 connectors can be put under tension by movement of the engine, thus pulling the wires and connectors, loosening them and resulting in a loss of circuit continuity.

Remedy: Dealers will install spring clips to lock the connectors together. In addition, the dealers will be instructed to solder a splice in the wire harness.
Lock (latches/locks/linkages)

NHTSA 97V234000 Reported December 17, 1997 23,493 vehicles potentially affected KIA MOTORS AMERICA, INC.

Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. A microswitch on the rear hatch lock cylinder can malfunction causing the power door locks to unlock inadvertently.

Remedy: Dealers will modify the rear hatch door unlock circuit.

181 owner complaints filed with NHTSA

Owners of the 1997 Kia Sportage have filed 181 complaints with NHTSA; 32 describe a crash and 5 describe a fire. Reports cite 24 injuries and 1 death. The average mileage at failure in those reports is 89,387 miles. Complaints peaked in 2000 with 46 filed that year.

Most-reported components

Engine and engine cooling: gasoline39
Air bags: frontal21
Vehicle speed control20
Unknown or other16
Air bags14
Fuel system, gasoline: tank assembly9
Service brakes, hydraulic: antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip9
Power train: automatic transmission8

What owners are reporting

“While sitting in the vehicle, stationary in a parking lot talking with my wife, the airbags deployed.”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, January 18, 2019 · Air bags

“Tl* the contact owns a 1997 KIA sportage. When the vehicle was stationary, the air bags deployed unexpectedly while the driver and passenger seats were occupied. There were no injuries. The vehicle wa”
Owner complaint to NHTSA, October 16, 2018 · Air bags

Fuel economy and specs

EPA ratings for the 1997 Kia Sportage (Sportage 2WD, Sportage 4WD). Ranges cover every tested configuration.

Combined	18–19 mpg
City / Highway	17 / 20–21
Fuel	Regular
EPA class	Special Purpose Vehicles
Engine	4 cyl, 2 L
Transmission	Automatic 4-spd; Manual 5-spd

Compare Kia Sportage model years

Recall and complaint counts for every Kia Sportage model year in NHTSA's database.

Model year	Recalls	Complaints
1995 Kia Sportage	2	56
1996 Kia Sportage	3	57
1997 Kia Sportage	3	181
1998 Kia Sportage	3	303
1999 Kia Sportage	3	284
2000 Kia Sportage	2	304
2001 Kia Sportage	0	228
2002 Kia Sportage	1	234
2003 Kia Sportage	0	4
2005 Kia Sportage	3	68
2006 Kia Sportage	1	111
2007 Kia Sportage	2	77
2008 Kia Sportage	3	98
2009 Kia Sportage	3	80
2010 Kia Sportage	2	20
2011 Kia Sportage	6	181
2012 Kia Sportage	5	392
2013 Kia Sportage	3	381
2014 Kia Sportage	3	123
2015 Kia Sportage	2	146
2016 Kia Sportage	2	132
2017 Kia Sportage	4	401
2018 Kia Sportage	3	164
2019 Kia Sportage	2	70
2020 Kia Sportage	2	161
2021 Kia Sportage	2	54
2022 Kia Sportage	1	46
2023 Kia Sportage	6	191
2024 Kia Sportage	3	73
2025 Kia Sportage	1	52
2026 Kia Sportage	1	27

Checking a specific 1997 Kia Sportage

How do I know if my 1997 Kia Sportage has an open recall?

Enter your 17-character VIN above. The VIN is on the driver's side dashboard (visible through the windshield), the driver's door jamb sticker, and your registration or insurance card. The check runs against NHTSA's live database and tells you which campaigns list your vehicle. 3 campaigns currently list the 1997 Kia Sportage; your car may already have been repaired under some of them.

Is the recall repair free?

Yes. Under federal law, manufacturers must fix safety recalls at no charge for vehicles up to 15 years old from the date of sale to the first owner. Contact any authorised Kia dealer with your VIN and the NHTSA campaign number (for example 02V216000).

What is the difference between a recall and a complaint?

A recall is a safety campaign filed by the manufacturer or ordered by NHTSA, with a defined defect and remedy. A complaint is a report an owner sent to NHTSA; it is not verified, but patterns of complaints are what trigger NHTSA investigations and, eventually, recalls.

Other Kia models

Sorento10,183 complaints
Optima7,512 complaints
Soul5,553 complaints
Forte2,553 complaints
Sedona2,410 complaints
Telluride2,026 complaints
Sephia1,705 complaints
Rio1,291 complaints

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint databases and EPA fuel economy data, October 2026. Complaint counts are owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects. Recall counts are safety campaigns that list this model year; whether a particular car was already repaired depends on its VIN. How this data is compiled.