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.
The fix and full notice
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.
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.
NHTSA listing: SPORTAGE. Kia campaign SC249.
Brakes
Mar 4, 2021
antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip · control unit/module
The electrical circuit in the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) may short-circuit, which can cause a fire in the engine compartment.
Risk: An engine compartment fire can increase the risk of injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures as a precaution until the recall repair is complete. Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace certain fuses in the electrical junction box. Vehicles equipped with an electronic parking brake (EPB) will also receive a HECU software update. Repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on April 30, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC206.
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017-2021 Sportage and Cadenza vehicles.
NHTSA listing: SPORTAGE. Kia campaign SC206.
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 70 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2019 Sportage. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Engine36 · 51%
Electrical system10 · 14%
Brakes7 · 10%
Fuel and propulsion system7 · 10%
Powertrain7 · 10%
Air bags3 · 4%
Exterior lighting3 · 4%
Unknown or other14 · 20%
A complaint can name more than one area, so shares add up to more than 100%.
Kia Sportage recalls and complaints by model year
The highlighted bars are the 2019 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 2019 drew 18.
Owner complaints
2019: 70 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
2019: 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 14.7%
Kia Sportage SUV FWD
Rollover risk 15.5%
Questions
What are the most common 2019 Sportage problems?
The areas owners name most often in NHTSA complaints: engine (36), electrical system (10), brakes (7). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can name several areas.
Is the 2019 Kia Sportage safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2019 Kia Sportage earns 5 stars overall. 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.