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2008 Kia Sportage

Owner reports · Recalls · Investigations

Similar to other model years

Owner complaints for the 2008 Kia Sportage do not stand out strongly from the model-year median of 122.

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When problems were reported

Mileage at the reported incident

64 reports with mileage · 34 unknown

NHTSA’s mileage field refers to the reported incident, not necessarily the filing date. This shows report counts, not the likelihood of a failure.

What to inspect

Issues worth paying extra attention to based on owner reports.

  • Electrical System. Review the 27 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Engine. Review the 17 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →
  • Service Brakes. Review the 15 owner reports in this category and discuss these concerns during a pre-purchase inspection. Read reports →

NHTSA owner reports · September 18, 2026 snapshot.

2 crash reports24 fire reports4 injury reports

Electrical System complaints

27 reports
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90,000 miles · Nov 13, 2013
Electrical SystemEngineStructureFire

THIS WILL BE 1 OF 3 PART STATEMENT... ABOUT A WEEK AGO (GIVE OR TAKE A FEW DAYS), A COUPLE OF MY MOTHER'S 2008 KIA SPORTAGE'S DASH LIGHTS CAME ON. THE ABS LIGHT, THE ESC LIGHT, AND I THINK ONE OTHER (POSSIBLY THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT BUT MIND YOU THIS IS NOT MY CAR AND I AM NOT THAT FAMILIAR WITH HER DASH). SHE WAS TOLD THA…

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THIS WILL BE 1 OF 3 PART STATEMENT... ABOUT A WEEK AGO (GIVE OR TAKE A FEW DAYS), A COUPLE OF MY MOTHER'S 2008 KIA SPORTAGE'S DASH LIGHTS CAME ON. THE ABS LIGHT, THE ESC LIGHT, AND I THINK ONE OTHER (POSSIBLY THE TRACTION CONTROL LIGHT BUT MIND YOU THIS IS NOT MY CAR AND I AM NOT THAT FAMILIAR WITH HER DASH). SHE WAS TOLD THAT THERE WAS A RECALL FOR A PART THAT WAS CAUSING ONE OF THE LIGHTS TO COME ON (I BELIEVE THE ESC LIGHT). SHE TOOK THE CAR TO GET THE PART REPLACED, HOWEVER, THE LIGHTS DID NOT GO OFF. I HAVE WHEEL HUBS ON MY SUV CROSSOVER AND I TOLD HER THAT WHEN MY WHEEL BEARING/SENSOR STARTS GOING BAD THAT IS WHEN MY LIGHT COMES ON. WELL A COUPLE DAYS LATER, HER DRIVER SIDE WHEEL BEARING STARTED TO ROAR, SO WE FIGURED THAT THE ABS LIGHT WAS ON DUE TO THAT. SHE TOOK IT BACK TO THE KIA DEALERSHIP SHOP AND THEY REPLACED THE BEARING AND ALTHOUGH THE RIDE WAS QUIETER DUE TO THE NEW BEARING REPLACEMENT, THE ABS LIGHT AND OTHER LIGHTS DID NOT GO OFF. THE MECHANIC TOLD HER THAT SHE DOES NOT HAVE A WHEEL HUB WITH SENSOR AND BEARING IN THE HUB BUT THAT ALL OF HER PARTS WERE SEPARATE. HE SAID THAT THE LIGHT MAY BE ON DUE THE SENSOR MAY HAVE DEBRIS FROM THE WHEEL BEARING GOING BAD OR POSSIBLY THE SENSOR IS GOING BAD ITSELF. I PLANNED ON PULLING AND CLEANING THE SENSOR FOR HER IN THE UPCOMING WEEKEND. WELL BEFORE THE WEEKEND, SHE WENT SHOPPING AT THE GROCERY STORE AND WHEN SHE CAME OUT, THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE BATTERY WAS DEAD. WE CALL A TOW TRUCK DRIVER WHO CAME AND GAVE IT A QUICK JUMP AND SAID SHE MUST HAVE LEFT HER LIGHTS ON. SHE DROVE HOME, PULLED IN DRIVEWAY AND I TOLD HER TO LEAVE IT RUN A BIT TO CHARGE THE BATTERY BACK UP. SHE DID SO AND THEN AFTER ABOUT 10 MINUTES, SHUT IT OFF AND IMMEDIATELY STARTED IT AGAIN TO ENSURE THE BATTERY WAS CHARGED. LATER THAT DAY, IT WOULD NOT START AGAIN...BATTERY DEAD AGAIN. (CONTINUED IN NEXT POST) 2 OF 3... *TR

NHTSA ODI #10552088

42,000 miles · Jun 28, 2013
Electrical SystemExterior Lighting

I RECEIVED A SAFETY RECALL NOTICE FOR THE STOP LAMP SWITCH. I HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT WITH MY LOCAL KIA DEALERSHIP TO HAVE THE RECALL WORK DONE. WHEN I FIRST MOVED TO THE AREA, I WAS UNSUCCESSFUL IN SCHEDULING ROUTINE MAINTENANCE WITH THE SAME DEALERSHIP. WHAT DO YOU RECOMMEND? *TR

NHTSA ODI #10522180

147,500 miles · May 14, 2013
Electrical SystemService BrakesFire

I WAS IN THE CAR, PARKED IN A WENDYS PARKING LOT, ENGINE OFF, RADIO ON. THERE WAS A LOUD POP FOLLOWED BY SMOKE, A GENTLEMAN IN A TRUCK 3 SPACES AWAY HEARD IT AND SAW IT. WE GOT OUT TO LOOK AT IT AND THE SMOKE WAS INCREASING, I OPENED THE HOOD AND YOU COULD SEE FLAMES ABOUT 2 INCHES HIGH AROUND THE BOX MOUNTED INSIDE THE ENGINE C…

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I WAS IN THE CAR, PARKED IN A WENDYS PARKING LOT, ENGINE OFF, RADIO ON. THERE WAS A LOUD POP FOLLOWED BY SMOKE, A GENTLEMAN IN A TRUCK 3 SPACES AWAY HEARD IT AND SAW IT. WE GOT OUT TO LOOK AT IT AND THE SMOKE WAS INCREASING, I OPENED THE HOOD AND YOU COULD SEE FLAMES ABOUT 2 INCHES HIGH AROUND THE BOX MOUNTED INSIDE THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, ON THE PASSENGER SIDE UP NEAR THE HEADLIGHTS AND OVER THE WHEEL WELL. WE SHUT IT AND WAITED FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, EVERYTHING INSIDE THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT THAT COULD MELT DID MELT, ALL THE PAINT ON THE HOOD ETC, PASSENGER DOOR WILL NOT OPEN OR SHUT WITHOUT NOISE AND AN EXTRA PUSH OR PULL. I AM NOT A MECHANIC BUT I AM PRETTY SURE THAT THE LITTLE BLACK BOX WAS THE ABS CONTROLLER. JUST LUCKY THAT I WASN'T DRIVING ON THE HIGHWAY. I HAVE SEEN THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER COMPLAINTS ABOUT THE SAME THING. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10511940

147,500 miles · May 14, 2013
Electrical System

VEHICLE PARKED, NOT RUNNING, BUT WITH THE RADIO ON, THERE WAS A LOUD POP AND SMOKE FROM UNDER THE HOOD. RELASED LOCK AND LOOKED INSIDE, SMALL BOX MOUNTED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WALL, UNDER THE HOOD, OVER THE WHEEL WELL, A SMALL SQUARE BOX, I THINK IT WAS THE ABS BOX WAS ON FIRE. EVERYTHING THAT WAS BURNABLE UNDER THE HOOD BURNT …

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VEHICLE PARKED, NOT RUNNING, BUT WITH THE RADIO ON, THERE WAS A LOUD POP AND SMOKE FROM UNDER THE HOOD. RELASED LOCK AND LOOKED INSIDE, SMALL BOX MOUNTED ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WALL, UNDER THE HOOD, OVER THE WHEEL WELL, A SMALL SQUARE BOX, I THINK IT WAS THE ABS BOX WAS ON FIRE. EVERYTHING THAT WAS BURNABLE UNDER THE HOOD BURNT BEFORE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT ARRIVED. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10511891

27,600 miles · Mar 3, 2011
Electrical SystemEngine And Engine CoolingFire

I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2008 KIA SPORTAGE AT AN AUCTION. IT HAS SUSTAINED AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE THAT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THE WIRING HARNESS AND / OR ABS PUMP. THIS IS THE LX MODEL WITH 2.7 V6 AUTOMATIC 4WD. I JUST SAW ANOTHER SPORTAGE 2010 MODEL THAT HAD A FIRE IN THE SAME ABS PUMP AREA AT AN AUCTION. THOUGHT YOU …

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I RECENTLY PURCHASED A 2008 KIA SPORTAGE AT AN AUCTION. IT HAS SUSTAINED AN ENGINE COMPARTMENT FIRE THAT APPEARS TO HAVE BEEN CAUSED BY THE WIRING HARNESS AND / OR ABS PUMP. THIS IS THE LX MODEL WITH 2.7 V6 AUTOMATIC 4WD. I JUST SAW ANOTHER SPORTAGE 2010 MODEL THAT HAD A FIRE IN THE SAME ABS PUMP AREA AT AN AUCTION. THOUGHT YOU MIGHT BE INTERESTED AS THERE SEEMS TO BE A PROBLEM .. *TR

NHTSA ODI #10386375

900 miles · Feb 19, 2009
Electrical SystemSteeringSuspension

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 KIA SPORTAGE. THE CONTACT HAS EXPERIENCED SEVERAL FAILURES WITH THE VEHICLE EVER SINCE ITS DATE OF PURCHASE. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL GAUGES ILLUMINATED AND BEGAN TO FAIL. SOON AFTER, THE VEHICLE FAILED COMPLETELY; HOWEVER, THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO SAFELY MANEUVER THE VEHICLE TO HER…

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TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 KIA SPORTAGE. THE CONTACT HAS EXPERIENCED SEVERAL FAILURES WITH THE VEHICLE EVER SINCE ITS DATE OF PURCHASE. WHILE DRIVING 30 MPH, THE INSTRUMENT PANEL GAUGES ILLUMINATED AND BEGAN TO FAIL. SOON AFTER, THE VEHICLE FAILED COMPLETELY; HOWEVER, THE CONTACT WAS ABLE TO SAFELY MANEUVER THE VEHICLE TO HER DESTINATION. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER AND THEY STATED THAT THE ELECTRONIC STEERING CONTROL MODULE FAILED. THE VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED. TWO MONTHS LATER, THE CONTACT NOTICED A NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT END OF THE VEHICLE. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO THE DEALER, BUT THEY COULD NOT DETERMINE THE CAUSE OF THE FAILURE. THE VEHICLE WAS THEN TAKEN TO A LOCAL REPAIR SHOP AND IT WAS DETERMINED THAT THE TWO FRONT STRUT BOLTS WERE LOOSE FROM THE SPINDLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT CALLED THE MANUFACTURER AND WAS INFORMED TO TAKE THE VEHICLE TO THE DEALER FOR FURTHER INSPECTION. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 900 AND CURRENT MILEAGE WAS 4,230.

NHTSA ODI #10259368

Mileage unknown · Sep 12, 2008
Electrical SystemEngine And Engine Cooling

2008 KIA SPORTAGE HAD PROBLEMS FROM DAY ONE. CONSUMER HAD PROBLEM WITH CHECK ENGINE LIGHT AND VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. *NJ

NHTSA ODI #10242610

Official recalls

3

22V800000 · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip:control Unit/module

Oct 24, 2022

Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2008-2009 Sportage vehicles previously recalled under recall 16V-815. An engine compartment fire originating from around the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) may occur while parked or driving.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: A fire increases the risk of injury.

Remedy: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures and other vehicles until the recall repair has been performed. Dealers will inspect and replace the HECU, its wiring harness, and its fuses, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 22, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC253.

16V815000 · Electrical System:wiring

Nov 10, 2016

Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2008-2009 Kia Sportage vehicles manufactured August 9, 2007, to May 13, 2009. The wire harness cover on the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) may be improperly sealed allowing water to get onto the HECU circuit board. If the water is contaminated with salt, such as could occur from melted snow, the wire harness connector pins may corrode and the circuit board may short circuit.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: If the HECU short circuits, there is an increased risk of an engine compartment fire.

Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the connector pins for corrosion, if no corrosion is found, the connector cover will be replaced. If corrosion is present, the dealer will replace the HECU assembly and the connector cover, free of charge. The recall began on November 28, 2016. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC138.

13V114000 · Exterior Lighting:brake Lights:switch

Apr 1, 2013

Kia Motors Corporation (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2007-2010 Rondo, model year 2007-2011 Sedona, Sorento and Sportage, model year 2010-2011 Soul, model year 2008-2011 Optima, model year 2010 Forte, model year 2007-2009 Amanti, and model year 2009 Borrego vehicles. Originally, in April 2013, Kia recalled 623,658 model year 2007-2010 Rondo and Sportage, model year 2007-2011 Sorento, model year 2007 Sedona, model year 2010-2011 Soul, and model year 2011 Optima vehicles. In September 2013, Kia informed the agency that it was adding an additional 356,719 vehicles to this campaign. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 980,377. In the affected vehicles, the stop lamp switch may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause an inability to deactivate the cruise control by depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, a malfunctioning stop lamp switch may also result in intermittent operation of the push-button start feature, affect the operation of the brake-transmission shift interlock feature preventing the shifter from being moved out of the PARK position and cause the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) malfunction light to illuminate.

Consequence & remedy

Consequence: Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, when the ignition is in the 'ON' position, the transmission shifter may be able to be moved out of PARK without first applying the brake. This may lead to unintentional movement of the car which may increase the risk of a crash.

Remedy: Kia will send an interim notification to owners in May 2013. When parts are available, owners will receive a second notification and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. Owners may contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's recall campaign number is SC098.

Model-level recall history does not show whether a particular VIN is affected or has received a repair. Check a VIN with NHTSA ↗

NHTSA investigations

1

AQ23002 · Hyundai And Kia Abs Module Fires

Opened Nov 17, 2023 · No close date supplied

Status: open (inferred from source dates) · Service Brakes, Hydraulic:antilock/traction Control/electronic Limited Slip:control Unit/module

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.

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