1998 Kia Sportage engine and engine cooling problems
79 owner complaints filed with NHTSA name the engine and engine cooling on the 1998 Kia Sportage — 26% of all complaints for this model year.
What owners report
“Consumer noticed a loud popping noise coming from under engine, and then engine stalled. Vehicle was serviced, technician noticed engine malfunctioned. *ak”
filed Sep 24, 2003
“First time I brought the car back was because the engine light went on and I had a oil leakage in the engine. Car started to shake even after it was hot and made a weird noise in the engine. The motor rr window was not working and the brakes were making some weird noise. Brought to the dealer to…”
filed May 29, 2003
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Related service bulletins
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
Engine and Engine Cooling problems in other Sportage years
| Year | Reports | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Sportage | 1 | 2% |
| 2023 Sportage | 1 | 1% |
| 2022 Sportage | 1 | 2% |
| 2021 Sportage | 5 | 10% |
| 2020 Sportage | 9 | 6% |
| 2019 Sportage | 2 | 3% |
| 2018 Sportage | 5 | 3% |
| 2017 Sportage | 8 | 2% |
| 2016 Sportage | 3 | 2% |
| 2015 Sportage | 1 | 1% |
| 2014 Sportage | 2 | 2% |
| 2013 Sportage | 14 | 4% |
Other reported problem areas on the 1998 Kia Sportage
Counts are unique NHTSA complaints naming this component group. Complaints are unverified owner reports; mileage is computed only from complaints that included a usable odometer reading.