Wrench.Pro

2021 Kia Sportage: raw data

Every record we hold for this vehicle, as plain tables, with nothing added. The consumer page shows the same records with the maintenance schedule, price ranges and nearby shops around them.

vehicle2021 / kia / sportage
known issues6 clusters (reviewed 2026-06-14)
complaints51 on file (2020-12-18 → 2026-09-16)
recalls2
investigations2
fars23 occupant deaths, crash years 2010-2024 (legacy-code)
indexedyes
licenseCC BY 4.0 (derived)

Known Issues clusters all years →

Excessive engine oil consumptionENGINE8 complaints2022-12 → 2026-05sportage-2021-engine-oil-consumption
  • 11736064 Loosing oil constantly. Always on the low end. I am having to keep oil in my car to put in it when needed which is often.
  • 11697338 I have experienced chronic and excessive engine oil consumption in my 2021 Kia Sportage S with the 2.4 L Theta II engine. Since around 80,000 miles, I have had to add oil every 2 weeks between oil changes to prevent the engine from running low. My vehicle now requires a…
  • 11671641 My car is burning oil like crazy. I've had to put 2 quarts in one week. Took it to dealership because of warranty. They ran an oil consumption test and told me pistons may be bad drive it another 1000 miles then we check it again. Why not fix problems then.
  • 11679132 The contact owns a 2021 Kia Sportage. The vehicle was taken to an independent mechanic for an oil change, and the contact was advised that the oil level was low. The contact stated there was no warning illuminated with the oil level being low.
Engine failure and loss of motive powerENGINE11 complaints2023-03 → 2026-05sportage-2021-engine-failure-loss-of-power
  • 11732697 The engine in my 2021 Kia Sportage failed while being driven at highway speeds on US 131 in Michigan. The car was taken to the closest gas station where the oil was checked and it was determined that 5 quarts were needed to reach the dipstick's full line…
  • 11732236 On March 4, 2026, the engine in my 2021 Kia Sportage malfunctioned while I was driving on a local road on Long Island, NY. The check engine light illuminated, the vehicle lost the ability to accelerate normally, and the steering wheel became heavy and difficult to turn at the…
  • 11662565 I had catastrophic engine failure driving down the road to work. Check engine light started flashing the the oil light. The car then shut off. Got it towed and they found two pieces of the engine block in the cradle cover.
  • 11635069 Kia Sportage 2021- The service department at the dealership ran basic inspection of fault codes and found fault in system for knock sensor and camshaft b position sensor. These codes have relation to engine failure or possible timing chain failure…
Vehicle fire and smoke from engine compartmentENGINE7 complaints2021-07 → 2026-04sportage-2021-vehicle-fire
  • 11729339 Catastrophic fire started in fast food restaurant drive through, but able to drive to the parking lot before it became engulfed in flames.
  • 11690967 The contact owns a 2021 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that her mother was driving at an undisclosed speed on the freeway and had stopped on the shoulder of the road to access the navigation system. The contact stated that after the driver shifted to park(P), the driver…
  • 11448187 The contact owned a 2021 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that upon pulling into a parking space on the third floor of a parking garage at her workplace, she smelled a strong burning odor. The contact also noticed smoke coming from underneath the driver's side of the hood…
  • 11425260 2021 KIA SPORTAGE WITH 4300 MILES CAUGHT ON FIRE PUTTING ME AND 10 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER IN DANGER . BOught car brand new only had one oil change at kia dealership,no warning lights. CAR WAS TOTAL LOSSINPECTED BY INSURANCE COMPANY…
Vehicle theft and anti-theft securityUNKNOWN OR OTHER4 complaints2021-11 → 2024-04sportage-2021-theft-anti-theft
  • 11477673 My Kia can be easily broken into and stolen. In January of this year I was in Denver for military assignment and I locked my car at night however a their was able to break into my car by popping off the driver side lock and then basically hot wiring the car…
  • 11452231 The car was stolen and no safety/security features were deployed. In doing research, Kias are being stolen on a daily basis in my city and this was not communicated to me by the dealer when I bought the vehicle 6 months ago. These cars should not be allowed to be sold without…
  • 11440172 On 01/04/2021 my son [XXX] purchased New 2021 Kia Sportage LX. On 10/15/2021 this car was stolen In West Allis Wisconsin parked in front of his work place. On 10/21/2021 police found the car abended on the north side of Milwaukee with substantial damage…
Panoramic sunroof glass breakageVISIBILITY2 complaints2023-01 → 2023-04sportage-2021-sunroof-glass-breakage
  • 11517562 The panoramic sunroof spontaneously exploded on the highway. There were no other vehicles nearby that could have thrown any debris at my vehicle. The edges of the glass are pushed out as if the force came from inside the vehicle.
  • 11503924 While sitting in my driveway I heard a loud sound popping within the car but did not investigate immediately. I drove down the road and noticed that the car seemed to be noisy and there was a rattling sound within the headliner. I stopped to investigate and realized that the…
Trailer hitch recall repair availabilityTRAILER HITCHES2 complaints2023-05 → 2024-01sportage-2021-trailer-hitch-recall
  • 11567595 The contact owns a 2021 Kia Sportage. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 20V703000 (Trailer Hitches) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for…
  • 11520948 The contact owns a 2021 Kia Sportage. The contact received notification of NHTSA Campaign Number: 22V703000 (Trailer Hitches) however, the part to do the recall repair was not yet available. The contact stated that the manufacturer had exceeded a reasonable amount of time for…

NHTSA complaints (summary) all years →

countearliest_datelatest_datecrash_flaggedfire_flaggedtop_components
512020-12-182026-09-1637ENGINE:21; UNKNOWN OR OTHER:14; ENGINE AND ENGINE COOLING:6; ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:6; POWER TRAIN:4

Recalls all years →

campaign_numberreport_received_datecomponentsummaryconsequenceremedy
21V13700004/03/2021SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULEKia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017-2021 Sportage and Cadenza vehicles. The electrical circuit in the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) may short-circuit, which can cause a fire in the engine compartment.An engine compartment fire can increase the risk of injury.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.
22V70300019/09/2022TRAILER HITCHESKia 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. 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.A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.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.

Investigations all years →

action_numberstatussubjectcomponentsopenedclosedrecall_campaignsummary
AQ23002openHyundai and Kia ABS Module FiresSERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC:ANTILOCK/TRACTION CONTROL/ELECTRONIC LIMITED SLIP:CONTROL UNIT/MODULE2023-11-17··The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received eight Hyundai Motor America (Hyundai) and eight Kia America, Inc. (Kia) Part 573 Recall Reports between 2016 and 2023. The combined 16 safety recalls all involve the antilock braking system (ABS) modules or Hydraulic Electronic Control Units (HECU) manufactured by the equipment supplier Mando. The Part 573 Recall Reports contain varying defect descriptions and differing remedy descriptions for the same or similar equipment supplied by Mando. Safety recalls included in this Audit Query (AQ) review include: Hyundai recalls 20V-520, 20V-543, 21V-161, 21V-160, 21V-303, 22V-056, 22V-810, and 23V-651. Kia recalls 16V-815, 20V-518, 20V-519, 21V-137, 21V-331, 22V-051, 22V-800, and 23V-652 The purpose of this AQ is to evaluate the timeliness and scoping of Hyundai and Kia’s defect decision making and adherence with reporting requirements; and understand the varying defect descriptions and remedies between these recalls.
DP22003closedLoss of Motive PowerENGINE2022-09-122023-12-12·The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) received a letter dated July 13, 2022, petitioning the Agency to initiate a safety defect investigation into loss of motive power allegations attributed to oil drain pan assembly failures on certain Hyundai Motor America, Inc. and Kia America, Inc. vehicles spanning Model Years (MY) 2005-2021. The Petitioners cited examples of complaints indicating that the subject vehicles were experiencing rapid loss of engine oil due to oil drain plug back outs, resulting in loss of motive power and/or catastrophic engine damage. Additional complain

FARS occupant deaths all years →

crash_yearsoccupant_deathsmatch_typevpic_recovered
2010-202423legacy-code0

FARS counts every occupant death in a fatal crash, whatever the cause — it does not mean the vehicle was at fault or defective. Counts are not adjusted for how many of each vehicle are on the road.

Cite this

Derived data is CC BY 4.0. Link back to the page you used. Text and BibTeX below.

Wrench.Pro (2026). 2021 Kia Sportage vehicle data [dataset]. https://www.wrench.pro/data/vehicles/2021/kia/sportage
@misc{wrenchpro_2021_kia_sportage_2026,
  author = {Wrench.Pro},
  title = {Wrench.Pro vehicle data: 2021 Kia Sportage},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {\url{https://www.wrench.pro/data/vehicles/2021/kia/sportage}},
  note = {Derived from NHTSA public records. CC BY 4.0.}
}

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