1997 Kia Sportage problems & reliability
181 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 1997 Kia Sportage, alongside 1 safety recall campaign. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
21 complaints report injuries (24 injured, 1 deaths reported).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Engine and Engine Cooling → | 56 | 31% |
| Air Bags → | 39 | 22% |
| Power Train → | 25 | 14% |
| Vehicle Speed Control → | 22 | 12% |
| Electrical System → | 21 | 12% |
| Service Brakes, Hydraulic → | 19 | 10% |
| Fuel System, Gasoline → | 16 | 9% |
| Unknown OR Other | 16 | 9% |
| Structure → | 10 | 6% |
| Visibility | 9 | 5% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Half of the failures with a reported odometer reading occurred by 82,500 miles (middle 50% between 56,913 and 112,596 miles), based on 24 complaints that included mileage.
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“While sitting in the vehicle, stationary in a parking lot talking with my wife, the airbags deployed.”
Air Bags · filed Jan 18, 2019
“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 was towed to kia of wilmington (1603 pennsylvania ave, wilmington, de 19806, (302) 656-3100) where the contact was…”
Air Bags · filed Oct 16, 2018
“Tl* the contact owns a 1997 kia sportage. While the vehicle was stopped, the driver's side air bag deployed without warning or impact. There were no injuries. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified and stated that they would open a case for the contact. The…”
Air Bags · filed Aug 10, 2018
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Federal defect investigations
- FUEL TANK LEAKAGE
Engineering Analysis EA06007 · opened May 9, 2006 · closed Nov 30, 2007
- ENGINE STALLING POST-RECALL
Recall Query RQ02013 · opened Oct 18, 2002 · closed Sep 2, 2003 · led to recall 99V325000
- SAFETY BELT BUCKLE MALFUNCTION
Preliminary Evaluation PE02051 · opened Jun 17, 2002 · closed Sep 20, 2002 · led to recall 02V216000
- CHECK ENGINE LIGHT STAYS ON
Investigation SQ99021 · opened Jun 30, 1999 · closed Feb 2, 2000 · led to recall 99V325000
Technical service bulletins
10 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 1997 Kia Sportage.
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: INFORMATION FOR HEADLAMP CONDENSATION AND MOISTURE - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in…
TSB_BOD055_R1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 13, 2021
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.
PS539 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Mar 2, 2018
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…
TSB-GEN085R1 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 18, 2017
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…
TSB-GEN085 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Nov 4, 2016
Kia: all models. Article provides information relating to the improved durability of bulb life for rear combination bulb; rear stop lamp/tail lamp bulb utilized on multiple kia models. *pe
KT-2008082201 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 28, 2008
Fuel tank replacement under repair benefit program. On certain 1997-2000 sportages. *nj
014 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2008
Fuel pump relays & emissions failures. Kia technician times. *tt
76 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jan 1, 2004
Recall campaign 027 to replace front seat belt buckles. Notification letter to dealers. *tt
027 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 6, 2002
This bulletin provided information related to recall campaign 027 to replace the front seat belt buckles. *tt
027 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Dec 1, 2002
Subject regarding steering knuckle replacement. *tt
33000003 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 1, 2000
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
The 1997 Kia Sportage has 1 NHTSA recall campaign — recall repairs are free at franchised dealers regardless of the vehicle’s age.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 1997 Kia Sportage?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Owners most often reported problems around 82,500 miles — budget accordingly if the car is approaching that mileage.