Kia Sportage
Every model year 2016–2027: recalls, owner complaints, NHTSA crash ratings and EPA efficiency side by side, each value traced to the file it came from.
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Every Kia Sportage model year
Source: NHTSA · EPA · one row per year| Year | Powertrains | Safety | Recalls | Complaints | Crash | Best efficiency | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2027 | Plug-in hybrid Hybrid Gas | A | 0 | 1 | — | 41 mpg | |
| 2026 | Plug-in hybrid Hybrid Gas | A | 1 | 40 | ★★★★★ | 42 mpg | |
| 2025 | Plug-in hybrid Hybrid Gas | A | 1 | 74 | ★★★★★ | 43 mpg | |
| 2024 | Plug-in hybrid Hybrid Gas | B | 3 | 110 | ★★★★★ | 43 mpg | |
| 2023 | Plug-in hybrid Hybrid Gas | F | 7 | 309 | ★★★★★ | 43 mpg | Park outside |
| 2022 | Gas | B | 1 | 46 | ★★★★★ | 26 mpg | Park outside |
| 2021 | Gas | C | 2 | 54 | ★★★★★ | 26 mpg | Park outside |
| 2020 | Gas | C | 2 | 163 | ★★★★★ | 26 mpg | Park outside |
| 2019 | Gas | C | 2 | 71 | ★★★★★ | 25 mpg | Park outside |
| 2018 | Gas | D | 3 | 165 | ★★★★★ | 26 mpg | Park outside |
| 2017 | Gas | D | 4 | 403 | ★★★★★ | 26 mpg | Park outside |
| 2016 | Gas | C | 2 | 134 | ★★★★★ | 23 mpg | Park outside |
Which model year the record favours
Source: recalls and complaints per year on the roadOn the filed record so far, the 2016 is the cleanest Sportage year we hold, and the 2017 the one to check hardest. The 2017 carries a standing park-outside or do-not-drive advisory, which outranks every other number on this page.
Both figures are divided by the number of years the car has been on sale, because otherwise the oldest year on the page loses every time simply for having been around longer. The current model year and any year under three on the road are left out: their records are not finished.
What owners filed about the Kia Sportage, by system
Source: NHTSA complaints, recalls, investigations and manufacturer communicationsEvery system, every year →The systems the federal record is deep on for this nameplate: the complaints per model year, the mileage owners reported them at, and every recall, investigation and manufacturer bulletin filed under the heading — each one linked, none a failure rate.
What changed year to year
Source: computed from the filed record- 2027: best combined mpg 42 → 41
- 2026: best combined mpg 43 → 42
- 2024: 5 → 6 EPA configurations
- 2023: added plug-in hybrid, hybrid; best combined mpg 26 → 43; 4 → 5 EPA configurations
- 2020: best combined mpg 25 → 26; 6 → 4 EPA configurations
- 2019: best combined mpg 26 → 25
- 2017: best combined mpg 23 → 26; 4 → 6 EPA configurations
| Head-to-head | Verdict | |
|---|---|---|
| 2027 Sportage vs Chevrolet Blazer · Compact SUV | Sportage +6.5 | |
| 2027 Sportage vs Chevrolet Equinox · Compact SUV | Equinox +8.8 | |
| 2027 Sportage vs Honda HR-V · Compact SUV | Sportage +27 | |
| 2027 Sportage vs Honda CR-V · Compact SUV | Sportage +11.2 | |
| 2027 Sportage vs Jeep Wrangler · Compact SUV | Sportage +17.3 | |
| 2027 Sportage vs Subaru Outback · Compact SUV | Sportage +18 | |
| 2026 Sportage vs Toyota RAV4 · Compact SUV | RAV4 +4.3 | |
| 2026 Sportage vs Tesla Model Y · Compact SUV | Toss-up |
In the studies
Source: computed from the same record, method on each pageCommon questions about the Kia Sportage
Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kitsWhich Kia Sportage year is the best used buy?
On the recall record, the 2016 Sportage comes out top of the years before the current one: Safety Signal grade C (78/100), 2 recalls and 134 owner complaints on file. That ranks paperwork, not condition — a specific car's history and service record still decide it.
What Kia Sportage years should I avoid?
2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 have the weakest recall records in this range — one carries an active park-outside or do-not-drive advisory. The year pages list every campaign, its severity and whether a repair exists yet. Every Sportage model year ranked, with the reasons.
How many recalls does the Kia Sportage have?
Across model years 2016–2027, NHTSA has posted 28 recall campaigns for the Kia Sportage. They are counted per model year in the table above, because a campaign almost never covers the whole run — it covers a build range.