Your vehicleHome›Kia›Sportage› 2022

Active NHTSA advisory: park outside and away from structures until repaired. Check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and see the recall details below.

Kia · Compact SUV

2022 Kia Sportage

Gas

Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD
4 EPA-rated configurations
Data refreshed 2026-10-26

Safety Signal

85 / 100 from the NHTSA recall record

Recalls1 critical 1

Complaints6 crash · 2 fire · 1 injured reported 46

Crash ratingNHTSA overall 5★

Fuel economybest combined, EPA 26 mpg

Starting MSRP8 trims · manufacturer $24,090

2027 2026 2025 2024 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016

The 2022 Kia Sportage is sold in the U.S. as a gas compact SUV with 4 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Sportage FWD, is EPA-rated at 26 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year, 1 rated critical, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of B. Owners have filed 46 complaints, most often about the engine. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall. Manufacturer pricing runs from $24,090 to $35,250 across 8 trims.

Kia Sportage — photograph via Wikimedia Commons — Kia Sportage · Photo: Alexander Migl · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons

Trims & pricing

Source: manufacturer press kitWhich trim should I buy? → Compare a trim →

Trim	Powertrain	Drive	MSRP	HP	Torque	MPG comb	Cargo (2nd row)	Wheels
LX	Gas	FWD	$24,090	181 hp	175 lb-ft	26 mpg	30.7 cu-ft	17 in
LX	Gas	AWD	$25,590	181 hp	175 lb-ft	23 mpg	30.7 cu-ft	17 in
Nightfall Edition	Gas	FWD	$28,090	181 hp	175 lb-ft	26 mpg	30.7 cu-ft	18 in
Nightfall Edition	Gas	AWD	$29,790	181 hp	175 lb-ft	23 mpg	30.7 cu-ft	18 in
EX	Gas	FWD	$28,390	181 hp	175 lb-ft	26 mpg	30.7 cu-ft	18 in
EX	Gas	AWD	$29,890	181 hp	175 lb-ft	23 mpg	30.7 cu-ft	18 in
SX Turbo	Gas	FWD	$33,750	240 hp	260 lb-ft	23 mpg	30.7 cu-ft	19 in
SX Turbo	Gas	AWD	$35,250	237 hp	260 lb-ft	21 mpg	30.7 cu-ft	19 in

MSRP excludes destination. Open a trim for the complete spec sheet and standard/optional equipment. Have the car in front of you? Decode its VIN to see which of these trims it is and what it was priced at.

Specs & fuel economy

Source: EPA fueleconomy.gov

Configuration	Powertrain	Drive	Engine / motor	City	Hwy	Comb	Annual fuel*
Sportage FWD	Gas	FWD	2.4L 4-cyl	23	30	26	$2,600
Sportage AWD	Gas	AWD	2.4L 4-cyl	22	26	23	$2,900
Sportage FWD	Gas	FWD	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	20	28	23	$2,900
Sportage AWD	Gas	AWD	2.0L 4-cyl turbo	19	24	21	$3,200

*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 43750, 43755, 43749, 43754.

Emissions & certification

Source: EPA emission certificates

Configuration	Smog rating	Emission standard	Where it can be sold new	SmartWay
Sportage AWD, Sportage FWD	5–7 / 10	California LEV-III SULEV30 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 30 / California LEV-III ULEV70	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	—
Sportage AWD, Sportage FWD	5 / 10	California LEV-III ULEV70 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 70	All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards	—

Certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S.

The smog rating scores tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, 1 (worst) to 10 (best), and is comparable only within a model year. The standard is the federal bin or California tier the configuration was certified to. Both come from the EPA certificate behind the window sticker.

Affiliate disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. If you request a quote or buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Nothing on this page changes because of it.

Recalls (1)

Source: NHTSA recall database

!critical

Trailer Hitches

SC249

Park outside 70,887 vehicles 30% reported repaired

Problem Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Sorento, 2021-2022 Sorento Hybrid (HEV), 2022-2023 Sorento Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV), and 2017-2022 Sportage vehicles equipped with a tow hitch harness installed as original equipment, or purchased as an accessory through a Kia dealership. Debris and moisture accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (PCB) may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire. Risk A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury. Fix Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will inspect the vehicle, and, as necessary, replace the fuse and/or tow hitch harness module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 11, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC249.

Filed with NHTSAOwner letter PDF Remedy instructions PDF

NHTSA campaign 22V703000 reported Sep 19, 2022 Kia America, Inc. the full filing, and every vehicle covered →

These are vehicle campaigns — the ones the automaker filed against this model. NHTSA also records equipment recalls, filed by a parts maker against a component (a tyre, a child seat, an aftermarket part), and those are not listed here or counted above. nhtsa.gov/recalls shows both for a VIN.

Whether any of this applies to one specific Sportage

A campaign covers a build range, not a model year, so two identical-looking cars from 2022 can differ. Both of these check a VIN against the manufacturer’s own list, free, in about ten seconds. Kia publishes its own lookup because federal rule 49 CFR 573.15 requires it to, and to keep it current to within seven days.

NHTSA VIN check →Kia’s own VIN lookup →

Hear about a recall before the letter does

The manufacturer’s letter is the last step of a recall: it has up to 60 days after filing to mail owners, at the address on the registration. We email you the day NHTSA posts a recall on the 2022 Kia Sportage, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.

Owner complaints

Source: NHTSA complaint database

46complaints filed

6 involved a crash · 2 a fire · 1 injuries · 0 deaths reported

7.3 per 10,000 built · Kia reported 62,910 Sportage built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)

Filed per year: 2022: 10 · 2023: 12 · 2024: 8 · 2025: 5 · 2026: 11

Most-cited components

Engine 22

Forward Collision Avoidance 8

Electrical System 8

Visibility/Wiper 5

Trailer Hitches 4

Unspecified 4

In owners' own words

Filed with NHTSA by the people who own these cars, one per problem area. Quoted as written, with anything identifying removed.

The contact owned a 2022 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while stopping at a red light, she observed smoke emanating from the engine compartment. The vehicle was steered to the side of the road, where she opened the hood of the vehicle and observed flames coming from the engine.

Engine at 51,000 miles Apr 25, 2024 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11585257

I recently filed a safety problem concerning my brakes activating for no reason. It had happened 3 times before I filed. It want to report that it happened a 4th time. On New Year's Eve, at approximately 6:20PM, I was driving on a 4 lane road about 35-40 MPH when my brakes slammed down hard.

Forward Collision Avoidance Jan 2, 2024 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11562998

I purchased my 2022 Kia Sportage on September 15, 2021. In February 2022, there was a deep freeze. When then weather warmed up, there was a crack in my windshield. I took the car in for it's 6 month service and the window was replaced. On Christmas morning 2023, there was a crack in my windshield again. in the same place.

Visibility/Wiper Dec 26, 2023 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11561907

Kia had come out with a recall immediately after purchasing and installing our tow hitch on our 2022 Kia Sportage. It has been almost 18 months with no remedy. I've taken it to the dealer multiple times and called Kia themselves both say they can't do anything.

Trailer Hitches Nov 30, 2023 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11557755

My vehicle starting shaking while idling, check engine light came on. Turned car off and went to restart with push button start vehicle just kept cranking for a min and wouldn’t start, stopped it and tried again after a min of cranking it started, went to drive had no pick up speed, ROM’s where all over the place.

Electrical System Mar 17, 2023 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11512360

Vehicle Stolen:. This particular vehicle is known nationwide to be an easy target for theifs. I am stuck in a lease that I don't want to be in anymore due to someone already stealing it

Steering Sep 2, 2022 NHTSA owner report · ODI 11482669

Complaint counts are raw owner reports to NHTSA, not verified defects, and scale with how many were sold. Use them to spot patterns, not to rank.

Reported by Kia itself: 4 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 4 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 6.4 per 100,000 built. Every Sportage model year, by year and system → Dated and by system, they are exhibit F of the defect dossier.

Crash ratings

Source: NHTSA NCAP

Configuration	Overall	Frontal	Side	Rollover	Rollover risk
SUV AWD	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆	15%
SUV FWD	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆	16%

NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: lane departure warning.

Service bulletins & campaigns

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications

Communicationsfiled with NHTSA 52

Most recentmanufacturer date 2026-06-08

Kindsas classified by NHTSA 40 service bulletins, 10 emissionss, 2 others

Most often about: Electrical System, Engine, Structure, Power Train, Exterior Lighting.

CS2312_TSB_R2 Service bulletin
2026-06-08 · Structure — Body
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: THEFT DETERRENT IGNITION CYLINDER PROTECTOR AND DECAL INSTALLATION (CS2312) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information to install a Theft Deterrent Ignition Cylinder Protector on certain 2010-2022MY Kia
TSB_ELE422 Service bulletin
2026-05-28 · Electrical System
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: INFOTAINMENT SYSTEM SOFTWARE UPDATE USING UPDATE. KIA. COM - This bulletin provides information and service procedures for updating the infotainment systems on applicable Kia vehicles using the Kia Navigation Updater available at update.kia.com. The software update may improve system performance, enhance existing features, and apply the latest operating software for sup
SC340_TSB_R5 Emissions
2026-04-04 · Engine
VOLUNTARY EMISSIONS SERVICE CAMPAIGN: THETA II 2.4L GDI EMISSIONS: ECM LOGIC IMPROVEMENT (SC340 REVISION 5) - This bulletin has been revised to include additional information. New/revised sections of this bulletin are indicated by a black bar in the margin area. This bulletin provides information to upgrade the Electronic Control Module ‘ECM’ system software for certain 2016-2020MY Optima, 2016-20
PS797 Other
2025-12-09 · Back Over Prevention — Warnings
PITSTOP: TECHNICAL OPERATIONS: EXTERNAL DAMAGE TO ULTRASONIC SENSOR: This Pitstop provides information related to Parking Distance Warning (PDW) alerts and repairs involving ultrasonic sensors. The PDW system alerts the driver while parking, by calculating distance based on the difference in signal transmission and reception times between the vehicle (ultrasonic sensor) and an object. The membrane

A service bulletin is the manufacturer telling its dealers how to diagnose or repair a known condition. It is not a recall, not a finding that the vehicle is defective, and the work is not automatically free — though a bulletin is often what a dealer works from when you describe a symptom, so quoting the document number can save a diagnosis. The count is every communication filed; the list shows the most recent, one entry per campaign, because a single campaign is usually filed as several documents on the same day. The summaries are NHTSA's; the full documents come from the manufacturer.

Diagnostic trouble codes on file

Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications and complaints

Codes documented against this model year in the federal record. A code appearing here does not mean this vehicle will set it — it means the code is part of this nameplate-year's documented history.

Code	What it means	Most often filed under	Where it appears
P1326 P1326 on Kia →	Manufacturer-defined — the meaning is set by the automaker, not the standard.	Power Train	1 owner report

Generic codes (the second character is 0 or 2) mean the same thing on every vehicle sold in the United States. Manufacturer-specific codes (1 or 3) mean whatever the automaker assigned, and no honest source can define them for you — which is why the ones here carry the evidence instead of a definition. A code is a link when enough separate federal documents name it across the catalogue to be worth a page of its own; the rest are listed here, where the vehicle is the context that makes them mean something.

At the New York inspection station

Source: New York State DMV

New York inspections 0.87%

failed emissions

2,540 initial inspections of 2,505 vehicles.

Measure	The 2022 Sportage	Every 2022 vehicle	Behind it
Failed the emissions check	0.87%	1.7%	2,535
Failed the safety inspection	2.1%	1.4%	2,540
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit	0.12%	0.18%	2,540
Miles driven a year	11,286	10,455	odometer at inspection
Average odometer	48,087	44,815	odometer at inspection

New York’s emissions test on these model years is an on-board diagnostics check: it fails a car whose check-engine light is on or whose self-tests have not finished. First inspections only, so a car that failed and came back is counted once; private and special plates, not taxis, livery or commercial plates. A rate appears only where at least 200 inspections stand behind it. “Every 2022 vehicle” is every 2022 model-year car, SUV and pickup inspected in the same window, all makes. This is the state’s record of test results, not a reliability score by itself. Source: New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, Vehicle Inspections (data.ny.gov, Open NY terms).

Sportage by model year

all years, side by side →

Year Safety Recalls Complaints

2027 A 0 1 41 mpg 2026 A 1 40 42 mpg 2025 A 1 74 43 mpg 2024 B 3 110 43 mpg 2023 F 7 309 Park outside 2022 this page B 1 46 Park outside 2021 C 2 54 Park outside 2020 C 2 163 Park outside 2019 C 2 71 Park outside 2018 D 3 165 Park outside 2017 D 4 403 Park outside 2016 C 2 134 Park outside

Common questions about the 2022 Sportage

Source: EPA, NHTSA and manufacturer press kits

How much does the 2022 Kia Sportage cost?

Manufacturer pricing runs from $24,090 for the LX FWD to $35,250 for the SX Turbo AWD, across 8 trims. Those are MSRPs from the manufacturer's own press material; they exclude destination, options, taxes and whatever the dealer adds. Every trim and price is listed above.

Does the 2022 Kia Sportage have any recalls?

NHTSA has posted 1 recall campaign for the 2022 Kia Sportage, 1 of them rated critical. The most serious on file is 22V703000, covering Trailer Hitches. There is an active park outside advisory — act on it before driving. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.

How safe is the 2022 Kia Sportage?

NHTSA gave the 2022 Kia Sportage 5 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 4-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 4-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it B (85/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.

What is the fuel economy of the 2022 Kia Sportage?

Across the 4 EPA-rated configurations of the 2022 Kia Sportage, the best EPA combined figure is 26 mpg. Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.

What do owners complain about on the 2022 Kia Sportage?

Owners have filed 46 complaints with NHTSA about the 2022 Kia Sportage, most often about engine, forward collision avoidance, electrical system. Of those, 6 involved a crash, 2 a fire, 1 reported injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, so treat the pattern as a signal and the individual report as an anecdote.

How clean is the 2022 Kia Sportage?

The EPA smog rating for the 2022 Kia Sportage runs 5 to 7 out of 10 across its configurations. That score covers tailpipe pollutants other than greenhouse gases, and it only compares vehicles within the same model year. It is certified for all fifty states, so it can be registered new anywhere in the U.S. Its configurations were certified to different standards — California LEV-III SULEV30, California LEV-III ULEV70, Federal Tier 3 Bin 30, Federal Tier 3 Bin 70 — which the table above lists per configuration.

Are there service bulletins for the 2022 Kia Sportage?

The manufacturer has filed 52 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2022 Kia Sportage, most often covering electrical system, engine, structure. The most recent is dated 2026-06-08. A bulletin is not a recall: it is the repair procedure a manufacturer sends its dealers for a condition it knows about, and the work is not automatically paid for. It is still worth knowing — if the symptom matches, quoting the bulletin number at the service desk can save a diagnosis. The document numbers and summaries are listed above.

How does the 2022 Kia Sportage do at state inspection?

In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2022 Kia Sportage failed the emissions check on 0.87% of first inspections — lower than the 1.7% for every 2022 model-year vehicle inspected; and the safety inspection on 2.1% (every 2022 vehicle: 1.4%). The figures are New York State DMV’s own inspection records, first inspections only, and the table above sets each one against every vehicle of the same model year.

Which 2022 Kia Sportage trim is the best value?

$11,160 separates the cheapest of the 8 trims from the most expensive, so the answer depends on which of the differences you would actually use. Every trim has its own page here with the manufacturer's full specification and equipment list, plus a short summary of exactly what it adds over the base trim — worth reading before a dealer frames the walk-up for you. The trim-by-trim ladder shows what every step up costs and what it makes standard.

What we hold, and what an empty row means

Paid vehicle-history reports will not tell you the difference between “nothing happened to this car” and “we never received that record” — both of the big two say as much in their own help pages. Most of what is on this page comes from complete federal registers, so we can tell you which is which, row by row.

Data	Held	Source	What it covers — or what empty means
Fuel economy & configurations	4 configurations	EPA certification records	Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates	4 configurations	EPA emission certificates	Smog rating, standard and the sales area that decides where the car can be sold new.
Recalls	1	NHTSA recall campaigns	A complete federal register: every campaign covering this model year, with severity and advisory flags.
Owner complaints	46	NHTSA complaint database	Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings	2 tested	NHTSA NCAP	Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them.
Service bulletins	52	NHTSA manufacturer communications	Everything the manufacturer told its dealers about a defect or malfunction, short of a recall.
Investigations	none	NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation	No defect investigation has been opened.
Driver-assist crash reports	none	NHTSA Standing General Order 2021-01	No report has been filed. Only entities named in the order report, and only crashes they hear of — so this is also what an unequipped car, or a manufacturer without telematics, looks like.
Specifications filed with NHTSA	none	NHTSA vPIC, decoded from VIN patterns	We had no VIN pattern to decode for this model year, or the manufacturer filed nothing usable.
Trims, pricing & equipment	8 trims	Manufacturer press kit	Transcribed from the manufacturer's own press material, every value carrying the document it came from.

Rebuilt nightly; this page was generated 2026-10-26. Every figure above is traceable to the source named beside it, and the JSON for this page carries the same values with their identifiers.

Sources & method

Safety Signal starts every model-year at 100 and subtracts points per open NHTSA recall campaign by severity: critical 15 (fire risk, park-outside or do-not-drive advisories), high 8 (brakes, steering, airbags, loss of drive power, structure, battery), moderate 6, minor 3 (software, labels, lighting fixed by an update). The most serious recall counts in full and each further one counts 85% of the one before, because a vehicle sold in millions is recalled more often than a rare one without being more dangerous — and because a flat subtraction bottomed the scale out, scoring a vehicle with 22 recalls within a point of one with six. A ≥ 90, B ≥ 80, C ≥ 70, D ≥ 60, otherwise F. Read it as what it counts: recall campaigns on the federal record, weighted by severity. The damping reduces the sales bias by roughly 40% but does not remove it: like our complaint counts, this is not normalized by how many were sold, so a best-seller still scores somewhat worse than an obscure model with the same real risk. NHTSA crash ratings, do-not-drive and park-outside advisories, and the crash, fire, injury and death counts in owner complaints are reported separately on every page and never blended into the letter — a vehicle can hold five stars and a poor letter at once, and where that happens we say so rather than leave you to notice. Because the scale subtracts from a clean sheet, a model year too new to have been recalled, complained about or bulletined scores full marks on an empty record; we label those grades provisional rather than present them as earned.

EPA figures come from fueleconomy.gov vehicle records. Recalls, complaints, investigations and crash ratings come from NHTSA's public flat files, refreshed nightly. Trim-level specifications and pricing are transcribed from the manufacturer's official press kit; every value carries its source in the data file.

JSON for this page · API