Recalled components: brakes, engine, fuel system, engine and cooling, and 1 more. Most-described problems: stalling or shutting off and engine failure or replacement (25 complaints, 14% each). Most-reported area: engine (77 complaints, 43%; median mileage when it happened: 99,500).
Fewer complaints than a typical Sportage year
The 2011 drew 28 owner complaints in its first three years, against 36 for a typical Sportage year. Best years are picked only from 2016 on, since counts for older years say less: owners filed fewer complaints in the early 2010s.
Years to avoid: 2017 and 2023. Based on owner complaints, not adjusted for sales.
The Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) may experience an electrical short, which can result in an engine compartment fire while parked or driving.
Risk: An engine compartment fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will replace the HECU fuse, free of charge. Interim notification letters, notifying owners of the safety risk, were mailed November 14, 2023. Owner notification letters were mailed March 29, 2024 through June 18, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC284.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2010-2019 Borrego, 2014-2016 Cadenza, 2010-2013 Forte, Forte Koup, Sportage, 2015-2018 K900, 2011-2015 Optima, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, Soul, 2012-2017 Rio, 2011-2014 Sorento, and 2010-2011 Rondo vehicles.
The engine oil pan may leak and, if not addressed, the loss of oil may result in engine damage.
Risk: A damaged engine can increase the risk of a fire or it can cause an engine stall, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Kia has notified owners, and dealers will replace the oil pressure switch with an improved one, free of charge. In addition, dealers will inspect the oil pan for any oil leaks, replacing it if necessary, free of charge. The recall began July 3, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC174.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2011-2012 Kia Sportage vehicles.
The high pressure fuel pipe that connects to the fuel pump outlet may have been damaged, misaligned or improperly torqued during the engine replacement procedure, possibly causing a fuel leak.
Risk: A fuel leak in the presence of an ignition source can increase the risk of a fire.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Kia has notified owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the fuel pipe, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began January 17, 2019. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC172.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2011-2017 Optima, 2012-2017 Sorento and 2011-2018 Sportage vehicles that previously received an engine replacement under recall number 17V-224, warranty, or the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) Product Improvement Campaign.
NHTSA listing: SPORTAGE. Components: Engine; Fuel system: delivery, hoses, lines/piping, and fittings. Kia campaign SC172.
Machining errors during the engine manufacturing process may cause premature bearing wear within the engine.
Risk: Bearing wear may result in the engine seizing, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the engine assembly, and replace the engine if necessary, free of charge. The recall began June 20, 2017. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC147.
Kia Motor Company (Kia) is recalling certain 2011-2014 Optima, 2012-2014 Sorento and 2011-2013 Sportage vehicles.
In the affected vehicles, the brake light switch may intermittently fail.
Risk: Whenever the brake switch is not working, the brake lights will not illuminate, reducing the ability to warn other motorists of the driver's intentions of stopping, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace the brake light switch, free of charge. The recall began on July 7, 2015. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC121.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2011 Sportage vehicles manufactured March 7, 2011, to June 8, 2011.
Originally, in April 2013, Kia recalled 623,658 model year 2007-2010 Rondo and Sportage, model year 2007-2011 Sorento, model year 2007 Sedona, model year 2010-2011 Soul, and model year 2011 Optima vehicles. In September 2013, Kia informed the agency that it was adding an additional 356,719 vehicles to this campaign. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 980,377. In the affected vehicles, the stop lamp switch may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause an inability to deactivate the cruise control by depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, a malfunctioning stop lamp switch may also result in intermittent operation of the push-button start feature, affect the operation of the brake-transmission shift interlock feature preventing the shifter from being moved out of the PARK position and cause the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) malfunction light to illuminate.
Risk: Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, when the ignition is in the 'ON' position, the transmission shifter may be able to be moved out of PARK without first applying the brake. This may lead to unintentional movement of the car which may increase the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Kia will send an interim notification to owners in May 2013. When parts are available, owners will receive a second notification and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. Owners may contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's recall campaign number is SC098.
Kia Motors Corporation (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2007-2010 Rondo, model year 2007-2011 Sedona, Sorento and Sportage, model year 2010-2011 Soul, model year 2008-2011 Optima, model year 2010 Forte, model year 2007-2009 Amanti, and model year 2009 Borrego vehicles.
NHTSA listing: SPORTAGE. Kia campaign SC098.
Questions about any of these recalls: call NHTSA's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 888-327-4236 (TTY 888-275-9171) or check your VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
NHTSA investigations
NHTSA has opened 2 investigations that name the 2011 Kia Sportage, not counting audit queries; both are closed. An investigation means NHTSA is reviewing reports of a problem. It is not a finding that the vehicle has a defect.
Engine fires
Engineering analysis EA21003Closed Feb 5, 2024 (opened Dec 22, 2021)
On March 29, 2019, the Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) opened two Preliminary Evaluations (PE19-003 on Hyundai and PE19-004 on Kia) to broadly investigate incidents of non-crash fires… NHTSA's full summary
NHTSA listing: SPORTAGE. Component: Engine.
Scope and timeliness
Recall query RQ17003Closed Dec 22, 2021 (opened May 18, 2017)
NHTSA opened Recall Query (RQ) 17-003 to investigate the timeliness and scope of Kia’s Theta II GDI engine recall (Recall No. 17V-224), and Kia’s compliance with reporting requirements.
NHTSA ties this investigation to recalls 17V-224 and 19V-101, listed above.
NHTSA listing: SPORTAGE. Component: Engine.
An engineering analysis is a deeper review, usually opened after a preliminary evaluation. A recall query is a review of whether a recall covered the right vehicles or whether its fix works. NHTSA lists investigations by make, model and model year only, so one can apply to only some versions of a model, such as one engine; its summary says which.
What owners report
Owners have filed 181 complaints with NHTSA about the 2011 Sportage. Below, they are sorted by the problems owners describe and by the areas NHTSA files them under. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Problems owners describe
Stalling or shutting off25 · 14%
Median 89,500 miles at failure, from 22 reports with mileage
Engine failure or replacement25 · 14%
Median 99,000 miles at failure, from 21 reports with mileage
Check engine light24 · 13%
Median 73,500 miles at failure, from 18 reports with mileage
Median 99,500 miles at failure, from 56 reports with mileage
Electrical system38 · 21%
Median 83,000 miles at failure, from 21 reports with mileage
Brakes24 · 13%
Powertrain23 · 13%
Median 63,900 miles at failure, from 16 reports with mileage
Exterior lighting12 · 7%
Speed control10 · 6%
Steering9 · 5%
Unknown or other23 · 13%
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%. Mileage is shown where at least 15 owners reported it.
Kia Sportage recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2011 model year. Newer model years have had less time on the road, so their counts are lower. Counting complaints filed in each model year's first three years, the 2023 Sportage drew the most (244) and the 2011 drew 28.
Owner complaints
2011: 181 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Kia Sportage
Model year
Complaints
2010
20
2011
181
2012
392
2013
381
2014
123
2015
146
2016
131
2017
401
2018
164
2019
70
2020
161
2021
53
2022
46
2023
304
2024
103
2025
71
2026
36
Safety recalls
2011: 6 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Kia Sportage
Model year
Recalls
2010
2
2011
6
2012
5
2013
3
2014
3
2015
2
2016
2
2017
4
2018
3
2019
2
2020
2
2021
2
2022
1
2023
7
2024
3
2025
1
2026
1
Crash test ratings
NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for each version it tested. Rollover risk is NHTSA's estimate of the chance of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.
In the 181 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2011 Kia Sportage, the problems described most are stalling or shutting off (25), engine failure or replacement (25), and the check engine light coming on (24). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can describe several problems.
Is NHTSA investigating the 2011 Kia Sportage?
No. NHTSA's investigations file, dated Oct 2, 2026, lists no open investigations for the 2011 Kia Sportage, not counting audit queries. It lists 2 closed ones; the most recent closed on Feb 5, 2024.
How do I check if my Sportage has an open recall?
Enter the 17-character VIN from your dashboard, door jamb or registration at nhtsa.gov/recalls. The lookup lists unrepaired recalls for that exact vehicle. Safety recall repairs are free at Kia dealers for vehicles up to 15 years old from first sale.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Oct 2, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Oct 2, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
NHTSA investigations file, dated Oct 2, 2026. Defect petitions, which ask NHTSA to open an investigation, are listed apart and only while open. Audit queries, which check whether a company met its recall and reporting duties rather than whether a vehicle has a problem, are not listed.
NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings (NCAP).
NHTSA model names covered: SPORTAGE.
Complaint counts are unverified owner reports. They rise with sales volume and time on the road, so compare model years with care. How we build these pages. Spotted an error? Tell us.