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2005 Kia Sportage Recalls & Complaints

3

open safety recalls on record

Critical

93 owner complaints filed · Severity Index 0.77 · updated 2026-08-07

The recalls

Critical05V212000

Fuel System, Gasoline:Storage

THE ENGINE MAY STALL WHEN COMING TO A STOP.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL INSPECT AND REPLACE THE FUEL TANK AND REPLACE THE CHARCOAL CANISTER FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 31, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT KIA AT 1-800-333-4542.

ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, FUEL MAY LEAK FROM THE O-RING INTO THE INTERNAL VAPOR CHAMBER LOCATED IN THE FUEL TANK AT FULL TANK CONDITIONS.

Serious05V318000

Parking Brake

THE INABILITY TO ENGAGE, OR THE INADVERTENT RELEASE OF, THE PARKING BRAKE LEVER MAY ALLOW YOUR VEHICLE TO ROLL WHILE IT IS PARKED AND MAY RESULT IN A CRASH.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE PARKING BRAKE LEVER ASSEMBLY. THE RECALL BEGAN ON AUGUST 1, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT KIA AT 1-800-333-4542.

ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE PARKING BRAKE LEVER RATCHET PAWL WAS NOT PROPERLY MANUFACTURED AND MY DAMAGE THE TEETH OF THE PARKING BRAKE LEVER RATCHET. DAMAGED PARKING BRAKE LEVER RATCHET TEETH MAY PREVENT THE PARKING BRAKE FROM ENGAGING OR MAY ALLOW THE PARKING BRAKE TO RELEASE AFTER IT HAS BEEN ENGAGED.

Serious05V120000

Electronic Stability Control:Automatic (Asc)

BRAKE APPLICATION CAUSED BY INADVERTENT ESP ACTIVATION MAY RESULT IN LOSS OF CONTROL AND A CRASH.

Remedy & full details

DEALERS WILL REPROGRAM THE ESP HYDRAULIC ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNIT FREE OF CHARGE. THE RECALL BEGAN ON APRIL 13, 2005. OWNERS MAY CONTACT KIA AT 1-800-333-4542.

ON CERTAIN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES EQUIPPED WITH ELECTRONIC STABILITY PROGRAM (ESP), THE YAW RATE SENSOR MAY BECOME TOO SENSITIVE AND MAY RECALIBRATE INACCURATELY. WHILE DRIVING THE ESP PROGRAM MAY CAUSE THE ENGINE TO REDUCE POWER AND MAY CAUSE A BRAKE AT ONE OF THE WHEELS TO BE INAPPROPRIATELY.

Complaint volume

93 this model-year 6 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

13Crashes
2Fires
10Injuries
0Deaths

Across 93 complaints. Severity Index 0.77.

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

Air Bags11 · 12%Electrical System7 · 8%Unknown Or Other7 · 8%Structure · Body6 · 6%Fuel/Propulsion System6 · 6%Suspension5 · 5%Fuel System, Gasoline4 · 4%Steering4 · 4%
  1. Air Bags — 11 reports
  2. Electrical System — 7 reports
  3. Unknown Or Other — 7 reports
  4. Structure:Body — 6 reports
  5. Fuel/Propulsion System — 6 reports
  6. Suspension — 5 reports
  7. Fuel System, Gasoline — 4 reports
  8. Steering — 4 reports
  9. Air Bags:Side/Window — 3 reports
  10. Electronic Stability Control (Esc) — 3 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 (3) · 1998 (5) · 1999 (5) · 2000 (4) · 2001 (2) · 2002 (3) · 2003 · 2005 · 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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