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1997 Kia Sportage Recalls & Complaints

3

open safety recalls on record

Critical

299 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 1.04 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Critical99V325000

Electrical System:Wiring

THIS CONDITION CAN CAUSE ENGINE STALLING, raises the risk of A CRASH.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL INSTALL SPRING CLIPS TO LOCK THE CONNECTORS TOGETHER. IN ADDITION, THE DEALERS WILL BE INSTRUCTED TO SOLDER A SPLICE IN THE WIRE HARNESS.

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES. THE WIRES CONNECTED TO THE C123 AND C124 CONNECTORS CAN BE PUT UNDER TENSION BY MOVEMENT OF THE ENGINE, THUS PULLING THE WIRES AND CONNECTORS, LOOSENING THEM AND RESULTING IN A LOSS OF CIRCUIT CONTINUITY.

Serious02V216000

Seat Belts:Front:Buckle Assembly

IN THE EVENT OF A CRASH, THE SEAT OCCUPANT MAY NOT BE PROPERLY RESTRAINED, raises the risk of PERSONAL INJURY.

Remedy & full details

OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN DECEMBER 20, 2002. OWNERS WHO TAKE THEIR VEHICLES TO AN AUTHORIZED DEALER ON AN AGREED UPON SERVICE DATE AND DO NOT RECEIVE THE FREE REMEDY WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT KIA AT 1-800-333-4542.

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER VEHICLES, THE SAFETY BELT BUCKLE MAY "FALSE LATCH" AND EXPOSE THE DRIVER TO UNRESTRAINED MOVEMENT DURING A CRASH.

Moderate97V234000

Latches/Locks/Linkages:Hatchback/Liftgate:Lock

SHOULD THIS OCCUR, SECURITY FROM UNWANTED INTRUSION INTO THE VEHICLE IS LOST.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL MODIFY THE REAR HATCH DOOR UNLOCK CIRCUIT.

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: PASSENGER VEHICLES. A MICROSWITCH ON THE REAR HATCH LOCK CYLINDER CAN MALFUNCTION CAUSING THE POWER DOOR LOCKS TO UNLOCK INADVERTENTLY.

Complaint volume

299 this model-year 8 median, same year

Volume alone is not a fault rate — popular vehicles attract more reports. Read it next to the severity mix below.

What owners reported happened

50Crashes
6Fires
46Injuries
1Deaths

Across 299 complaints. Severity Index 1.04.

Severity Index weights each complaint's reported outcome (death ×10, injury ×4, fire ×3, crash ×2) and divides by total complaints. It measures how severe reports are, not how often faults occur.

What owners report most

Engine And Engine Cooling…39 · 13%Air Bags · Frontal21 · 7%Vehicle Speed Control20 · 7%Unknown Or Other16 · 5%Air Bags14 · 5%Service Brakes, Hydraulic…9 · 3%Fuel System, Gasoline · S…9 · 3%Power Train · Automatic T…8 · 3%
  1. Engine And Engine Cooling:Engine:Gasoline — 39 reports
  2. Air Bags:Frontal — 21 reports
  3. Vehicle Speed Control — 20 reports
  4. Unknown Or Other — 16 reports
  5. Air Bags — 14 reports
  6. Service Brakes, Hydraulic:Antilock/Traction Control/Electronic Limited Slip — 9 reports
  7. Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage:Tank Assembly — 9 reports
  8. Power Train:Automatic Transmission — 8 reports
  9. Structure:Body:Door — 8 reports
  10. Visibility:Power Window Devices And Controls — 6 reports

What to do

  1. Find your 17-character VIN on the driver's door jamb or the base of the windscreen.
  2. Check it against NHTSA's official lookup at nhtsa.gov/recalls — the authoritative record for your exact car.
  3. Book the repair with any franchised dealer. Safety recall work is free, with no time limit and regardless of who owns the car now.

Other model years

1995 (2) · 1996 (3) · 1997 · 1998 (5) · 1999 (5) · 2000 (4) · 2001 (2) · 2002 (3) · 2003 · 2005 (3) · 2006 (1) · 2007 (2) · 2008 (3) · 2009 (3) · 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 (6) · 2024 (3) · 2025 (1) · 2026 (1)

Numbers in brackets are open recall campaigns for that year.

Questions

Does an open recall mean the car is unsafe to drive?

Not usually. NHTSA issues a "do not drive" or "park outside" advisory when a defect is dangerous enough to keep you out of the car — those are flagged Critical above. Everything else should be repaired promptly but is not an immediate stop-driving order.

Do I pay for recall repairs?

No. Federal law requires the manufacturer to fix a safety recall free of charge, including parts and labour, whether or not you are the original owner.

Why are there complaints but no recalls?

Complaints are unverified reports filed by owners. They can prompt an investigation, but many never become recalls — either the fault isn't safety-related or it isn't widespread.

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