NHTSA lists 7 safety recalls and 303 owner complaints for the 2023 Kia Sportage (including the hybrid).
One recall for this model year tells owners not to drive or to park outside until repaired:Powertrain, park outside (23V-531). Check your VIN below to see whether yours is affected.
7Safety recalls
303Owner complaints
28Complaints citing a crash
1Complaints citing a fire
Data: NHTSA recall and complaint filesUpdated Sep 27, 2026
Recalled components: powertrain, trailer hitch, body structure, brakes, and 2 more. Most-reported area: electrical system (84 complaints, 28%). Includes the Sportage Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid.
7 safety recalls for the 2023 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.
The electronic controller for the Idle Stop & Go oil pump assembly may contain damaged electrical components that can cause the pump to overheat.
Risk: An electric oil pump assembly that overheats increases the risk of a vehicle fire.
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 and replace the electric oil pump controller, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed September 28, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC275.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Soul, Sportage, and 2023-2024 Seltos vehicles.
NHTSA listing: SPORTAGE. Kia campaign SC275.
Trailer hitch
Dec 17, 2025
Fails federal standard 101 (controls and displays)
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."
Risk: An instrument panel screen that fails to display critical safety information, such as the speedometer or warning lights, can increase the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers 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.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Sportage Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV) and 2024-2025 Sportage vehicles equipped with a 4.
Risk: A detached roof molding can create a road hazard for other vehicles, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will inspect the roof molding and replace or secure it as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed March 15, 2024. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC292.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023-2024 Sportage and 2022-2024 Carnival vehicles.
The brake booster diaphragm may become misaligned and cause an internal vacuum leak, which can result in a loss of power brake assist.
Risk: A loss of power brake assist can extend the distance required to stop, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will inspect and replace the brake booster as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed July 21, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC272.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Sportage vehicles.
NHTSA listing: SPORTAGE. Kia campaign SC272.
Electrical system
Apr 26, 2023
instrument cluster/panel
Fails federal standard 101 (controls and displays)
2" LCD screen. The instrument cluster may fail to display any information when the vehicle is started. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 101, "Control and Displays," and 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems."
Risk: A blank instrument cluster display will not show critical information, such as tire pressure, warning messages, and warning lights, increasing the risk of a crash.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will update the instrument cluster software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 26, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC270.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Sportage, Sportage Hybrid, Sportage Plug-in Hybrid, Niro Hybrid, Niro Plug-in Hybrid, Soul, and Telluride vehicles equipped with a digital instrument cluster containing a 4.
NHTSA listings: SPORTAGE, SPORTAGE HYBRID, SPORTAGE PHEV. Kia campaign SC270.
The side curtain air bags may have been twisted during installation.
Risk: A twisted air bag can deploy improperly, increasing the risk of injury.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will inspect and reinstall the side curtain air bags as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 28, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC257.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Sportage vehicles.
The alternator battery positive terminal nut may loosen, which can result in an engine stall or an electrical surge.
Risk: An engine stall increases the risk of a crash, and an electrical surge increases the risk of a fire.
The fix and full notice
Fix: Dealers will inspect and tighten the alternator battery positive terminal nut, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed September 23, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC248.
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Sportage vehicles.
NHTSA listing: SPORTAGE. Kia campaign SC248.
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 303 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2023 Sportage. NHTSA does not verify complaints.
Electrical system84 · 28%
Engine66 · 22%
Brakes48 · 16%
Powertrain38 · 13%
Speed control36 · 12%
Forward collision avoidance35 · 12%
Most named: warnings (22); automatic emergency braking (18)
Fuel and propulsion system22 · 7%
Unknown or other68 · 22%
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 2023 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).
Owner complaints
2023: 303 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
2023: 7 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 HEV SUV AWD
Rollover risk 16.9%
Kia Sportage HEV SUV FWD
Not rated
Not rated
Kia Sportage PHEV SUV AWD
Not rated
Not rated
Not rated
Not rated
Kia Sportage PHEV SUV FWD
Not rated
Not rated
Not rated
Not rated
Kia Sportage SUV AWD
Rollover risk 16.9%
Kia Sportage SUV FWD
Not rated
Not rated
Questions
What are the most common 2023 Sportage problems?
The areas owners name most often in NHTSA complaints: electrical system (84), engine (66), brakes (48). NHTSA does not verify complaints, and one complaint can name several areas.
Is the 2023 Kia Sportage safe?
In NHTSA crash tests every tested version of the 2023 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, SPORTAGE HYBRID, SPORTAGE PHEV.
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.