The 2025 Kia Sportage is sold in the U.S. as a plug-in hybrid, hybrid and gas compact SUV with 6 EPA-rated configurations. The most efficient version, the Sportage Hybrid FWD, is EPA-rated at 43 mpg combined. NHTSA lists 1 recall campaign for this model year, which gives it a Safety Signal grade of A. Owners have filed 74 complaints, most often about the electrical system. NHTSA crash-tested it at 5 stars overall. Manufacturer pricing runs from $27,390 to $44,390 across 16 trims.
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
Range
kWh/100mi
Charge (240V)
Annual fuel*
Sportage Plug-in Hybrid
Plug-in hybrid
AWD
1.6L 4-cyl turbo + 67 kW AC PMSM
36
35
35 (55 MPGe blended)
34 mi electric
40
2 h
$1,900
Sportage Hybrid FWD
Hybrid
FWD
1.6L 4-cyl turbo + 270V Li-Ion
42
44
43
—
—
—
$1,550
Sportage Hybrid AWD
Hybrid
AWD
1.6L 4-cyl turbo + 270V Li-Ion
38
38
38
—
—
—
$1,750
Sportage FWD
Gas
FWD
2.5L 4-cyl
25
32
28
—
—
—
$2,400
Sportage X-pro
Gas
AWD
2.5L 4-cyl
23
30
26
—
—
—
$2,600
Sportage AWD
Gas
AWD
2.5L 4-cyl
23
27
25
—
—
—
$2,700
*EPA estimate at 15,000 miles/year at EPA reference fuel and electricity prices. fueleconomy.gov record ids: 48667, 48098, 48097, 48065, 48102, 48096.
Emissions & certification
Source: EPA emission certificates
Configuration
Smog rating
Emission standard
Where it can be sold new
SmartWay
Sportage Plug-in Hybrid
6 / 10
Federal Tier 3 Bin 30 / California LEV-III SULEV30
All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards
SmartWay
Sportage Hybrid FWD
6 / 10
California LEV-III SULEV30 / Federal Tier 3 Bin 30
All 50 states (federal, all altitudes); California and states following California standards
Federal Tier 3 Bin 30 / California LEV-III SULEV30
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.
Insurers price the 2025 Sportage very differently, and the gap between the best and worst quote on the same car and driver is usually larger than any option you are weighing on this page.
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
●moderate
Electrical System
SC359
5,046 vehicles51% reported repaired
ProblemKia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Sportage Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV) and 2024-2025 Sportage vehicles equipped with a 4.2" screen and a Genuine Kia tow hitch harness accessory.Due to a software error, the instrument panel screen may fail. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 101, "Controls and Displays."RiskAn instrument panel screen that fails to display critical safety information, such as the speedometer or warning lights, can increase the risk of a crash.FixDealers will replace the tow hitch harness control module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 13, 2026. Owners may contact Kia Customer Service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC359. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning December 31, 2025.
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 2025 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.
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 2025 Kia Sportage, with what to do next. Nothing else, ever — no newsletter, no marketing, one-click unsubscribe in every message.
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Parts & accessories for the 2025 Kia Sportage
Search by fitment on eBay Motors — OEM take-offs, aftermarket, and the trim pieces dealers no longer stock. The listing and the price are the seller's.
9 involved a crash · 0 a fire · 8 injuries · 0 deaths reported
4.6 per 10,000 built · Kia reported 161,626 Sportage built (its Early Warning production report to NHTSA)
Filed per year: 2024: 1 · 2025: 39 · 2026: 34
Most-cited components
Unspecified25
Electrical System19
Forward Collision Avoidance15
Power Train9
Engine8
Service Brakes6
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.
My 2025 Kia Sportage PHEV, brand-new with ~750 Miles, was in a low-speed collision with a parked vehicle when the Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA) system failed. I was pulling out of a parking spot from a complete stop. My foot was not on the accelerator; the vehicle moved forward under idle power as I prepared to brake.
Forward Collision AvoidanceJul 16, 2026NHTSA owner report · ODI 11750845
on saturday while driving on the highway my car lost propulsion and started slowing down even after i was pressing on the acceleration/gas pedal all the way. It happened 3 times within an hour's time frame the car refused to speed up and would stop driving.
Fuel/Propulsion SystemJun 3, 2026NHTSA owner report · ODI 11741831
While driving the vehicle at 55 mph, it suddenly lost the ability to accelerate even when I pressed down on the accelerator. The RPMs went up to 4 or 5 but I could not go over 30-35 mph. Fortunately, I was able to move into a left turn lane to get away from the flow of traffic and avoid an accident.
Vehicle Speed ControlFeb 18, 2026NHTSA owner report · ODI 11718936
Navigation screen began blinking (glitching) and suddenly went black and would not come back on. Called the dealership and they said it was not a recall and that it was no longer covered under warranty. This problem has persisted intermittently and I am noticing a pattern.
Electrical SystemFeb 7, 2026NHTSA owner report · ODI 11716480
The hybrid system completely failed and ev battery completely discharged. That issue is a major safety concern and I no longer feel confident driving myself and my child in that vehicle.
EngineJan 7, 2026NHTSA owner report · ODI 11709553
The contact owns a 2025 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that while attempting to start the vehicle, the engine experienced difficulty cranking. Additionally, the contact stated while driving at an undisclosed speed, the transmission failed to properly shift gear.
Power Trainat 18,000 milesDec 23, 2025NHTSA owner report · ODI 11706708
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: 9 death-or-injury claims on this model year in its quarterly Early Warning reports to NHTSA (49 CFR 579.21): 13 injured, as claimed, not verified — about 5.6 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
★★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★☆
17%
SUV AWD
★★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★☆
17%
SUV FWD
★★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★☆
17%
SUV FWD
★★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★★
★★★★☆
17%
NHTSA New Car Assessment Program. Standard driver-assist: forward collision warning, lane departure warning, automatic emergency braking.
Service bulletins & campaigns
Source: NHTSA manufacturer communications
Extended coverage on file1 filing by the manufacturer with NHTSA naming this model year
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: WARRANTY EXTENSION CAMPAIGN: REAR SHOCK ABSORBER INSPECTION & REPLACEMENT (WTY047) - This bulletin provides information associated with the ‘Warranty Extension Program’ (WTY047) to inspect, and if necessary, replace one or both left and right rear shock absorber assemblies on certain 2023-2025MY Sportage (NQ5), Sportage Hybrid (NQ5 HEV), and Sportage Plug-in Hybrid (NQ5
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: PARTIAL REPAIR – ELECTRICAL A/C COMPRESSOR - 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 regarding the partial repair of the Air Conditioning (A/C) compressor assembly on some 2011MY~ Optima Hybrid (TF HEV, JF HEV/PHEV), 2015MY~
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: AVN GEN 5.0 WIDE SOFTWARE UPDATE - This bulletin provides information on the Audio Video Navigation (AVN) system software update for certain vehicles equipped with AVN5W and Navigation System listed in the table below. Affected vehicles may overestimate travel times during route calculation.
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
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: INFOTAINMENT SOFTWARE UPDATE PROCEDURE - This bulletin provides information on the process for downloading infotainment software updates and preparing USB for installation on applicable Kia vehicles. The software downloads and USB preparation process is similar across all supported platforms; however, in‑vehicle installation procedures vary by head unit type.
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: CUSTOMER ACTION: ECU LOGIC IMPROVEMENT FOR DTC P2B59F0 (CA2516) - This bulletin provides information to upgrade the Engine Control Unit (ECU) software on certain 2024–2025MY vehicles equipped with 2.5 GDI or 2.5 T-GDI Theta III engines listed in the table below. Affected vehicles may experience an illuminated malfunction indicator light (MIL) accompanied with DTC P2B59F
TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN: AVN5.0W DTC P17A000 DAIGNOSTIC PROCEDURE - This bulletin provides information regarding a potential illuminated Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) accompanied by DTC P17A000 on some 2022-2025MY Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEV) and Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) equipped with AVN5.0Wide head units listed below. This condition occurs when the Global Positioning Syste
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.
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.
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.
At the New York inspection station
Source: New York State DMV
In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2025 Kia Sportage failed the safety inspection on 0.27% of first inspections — lower than the 0.36% for every 2025 model-year vehicle inspected.
New York inspections0.27%
failed the safety inspection
8,226 initial inspections of 8,101 vehicles.
Measure
The 2025 Sportage
Every 2025 vehicle
Behind it
Failed the safety inspection
0.27%
0.36%
8,226
Air-bag warning lamp stayed lit
0.12%
0.16%
8,226
Miles driven a year
8,762
8,354
odometer at inspection
Average odometer
12,769
12,194
odometer at inspection
New York does not emissions-test model years this new, so the safety inspection is the record here. 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 2025 vehicle” is every 2025 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).
Manufacturer pricing runs from $27,390 for the LX FWD to $44,390 for the X-Line Prestige PHEV AWD, across 16 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 2025 Kia Sportage have any recalls?
NHTSA has posted 1 recall campaign for the 2025 Kia Sportage. The most serious on file is 25V874000, covering Electrical System. Check your own VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls; a recall applies to specific build ranges, not every car.
How safe is the 2025 Kia Sportage?
NHTSA gave the 2025 Kia Sportage 5 stars overall in its New Car Assessment Program tests — 5-star frontal crash, 5-star side crash, 4-star rollover. WhichTrim also grades it A (94/100) on its recall record, which is a different question from crash protection.
What is the fuel economy of the 2025 Kia Sportage?
Across the 6 EPA-rated configurations of the 2025 Kia Sportage, the best EPA combined figure is 43 mpg (MPGe on the electrified versions). Figures are the EPA's own, per configuration, and every one is listed above.
What do owners complain about on the 2025 Kia Sportage?
Owners have filed 74 complaints with NHTSA about the 2025 Kia Sportage, most often about unspecified, electrical system, forward collision avoidance. Of those, 9 involved a crash, 8 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 2025 Kia Sportage?
The EPA smog rating for the 2025 Kia Sportage is 6 out of 10. 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, Federal Tier 3 Bin 30 — which the table above lists per configuration.
Are there service bulletins for the 2025 Kia Sportage?
The manufacturer has filed 55 service bulletins and related communications with NHTSA for the 2025 Kia Sportage, most often covering electrical system, suspension, forward collision avoidance. The most recent is dated 2026-09-25. 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 2025 Kia Sportage do at state inspection?
In New York’s inspection lanes over the 12 months to Oct 10, 2026, the 2025 Kia Sportage failed the safety inspection on 0.27% of first inspections — lower than the 0.36% for every 2025 model-year vehicle inspected. 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 2025 Kia Sportage trim is the best value?
$17,000 separates the cheapest of the 16 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
6 configurations
EPA certification records
Every configuration the EPA certified for sale, with its own test figures.
Emission certificates
6 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
74
NHTSA complaint database
Also complete, but unverified: these are reports owners filed, not findings. Counts scale with how many were sold.
Crash ratings
4 tested
NHTSA NCAP
Only the configurations NHTSA chose to crash-test, which is never all of them.
Service bulletins
55
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
16 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.
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.
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