NHTSA lists 2 safety recalls and 131 owner complaints for the 2016 Kia Sportage.
One recall for this model year tells owners not to drive or to park outside until repaired:Brakes, park outside (22V-051). Check your VIN below to see whether yours is affected.
2Safety recalls
131Owner complaints
8Complaints citing a crash
5Complaints citing a fire
Data: NHTSA recall and complaint filesUpdated Sep 27, 2026
Recalled components: brakes and fuel system. Most-reported area: engine (59 complaints, 45%; median mileage when it happened: 82,100). Includes the Sportage Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid.
2 safety recalls for the 2016 Kia Sportage
Do-not-drive and park-outside recalls first, then newest first. Summaries are NHTSA's own wording. Open a recall for the fix and the full notice.
Brakes
Feb 2, 2022
antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip · control unit/module
The Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) module could malfunction and cause an electrical short, which could result in an engine compartment fire.
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 install a new fuse for the HECU circuit board, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 22, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC227.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2016-2018 K900 and 2014-2016 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.
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.
What owners report
The areas named in the 131 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2016 Sportage. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Engine59 · 45%
Median 82,100 miles at failure (24 reports)
Brakes38 · 29%
Electrical system17 · 13%
Fuel and propulsion system9 · 7%
Powertrain8 · 6%
Speed control7 · 5%
Air bags5 · 4%
Unknown or other18 · 14%
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 2016 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 2016 drew 13.
Owner complaints
2016: 131 complaintsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Owner complaints by model year, Kia Sportage
Model year
Complaints
2016
131
2017
399
2018
164
2019
70
2020
160
2021
51
2022
46
2023
303
2024
101
2025
70
2026
35
Safety recalls
2016: 2 recallsTap or drag across the chart for other years.
Show as a table
Safety recalls by model year, Kia Sportage
Model year
Recalls
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.
Tested version
Overall
Frontal
Side
Rollover
Kia Sportage SUV AWD
Rollover risk 15.5%
Kia Sportage SUV FWD
Rollover risk 17.4%
Questions
What are the most common 2016 Sportage problems?
The areas owners name most often in NHTSA complaints: engine (59), brakes (38), electrical system (17). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can name several areas.
Is the 2016 Kia Sportage safe?
In NHTSA crash tests the 2016 Kia Sportage earns 4 to 5 stars overall, depending on the version. The table above lists each tested version.
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.
Sources and method
NHTSA recalls file (NHTSA datasets), dated Sep 27, 2026; every campaign checked against NHTSA's recalls API.
NHTSA owner complaints file, dated Sep 26, 2026. Counted by complaint number, so a complaint naming three components counts once in the total.
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.