IllustrationMy ABS MODULE HAS MY BRAKES LOCKED UP
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.
About this comparison →How this year compares
Owner complaints by model year
Compare all Sportage years →Counts vary with age, sales and reporting. They are not failure rates.
What owners reported most
All reported categories
Tap a category to read its complaints. One report may name several components.
When problems were reported
Mileage at the reported incident
80–25K
1125–50K
1150–75K
1175–100K
17100–150K
6150K+
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
Service Brakes complaints
15 reportsSmoke was pouring out from the passenger front side of the motor compartment. The fuses for the ABS (I think) were taken out so it would stop. I was a told a control module could have something to do with it.
WHILE DRIVING AT A CONTINUOUS SPEED OF 55MPH ON THE MAIN ROAD, THE ESC LIGHT RANDOMLY CAME ON AND THE CAR JOLTED INTO 1ST GEAR. I WAS UNABLE TO MOVE IT AND IT WAS TOWED BACK TO MY HOUSE. SINCE THEN, THE BRAKE PEDAL GOES TO THE FLOOR WITHOUT STOPPING THE VEHICLE.
I WAS DRIVING WHEN THE BRAKES WAS PRESSED THERE WAS A TERRIBLE NOISE AND NO BRAKES. THE GARAGE SAID THAT IT WAS THE ABS SYSTEM. THE BRAKE FLUID HAD LEAKED INTO THE ABS BOX AND SHORTED IT OUT. THEY WANTED 3100.00 DOLLARS TO FIX IT. I DONT HAVE THAT KIND OF MONEY. PLEASE HELP BY GETTING KIA TO DO A RECALL. MY HUSBAND AND I WAS OK.…
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I WAS DRIVING WHEN THE BRAKES WAS PRESSED THERE WAS A TERRIBLE NOISE AND NO BRAKES. THE GARAGE SAID THAT IT WAS THE ABS SYSTEM. THE BRAKE FLUID HAD LEAKED INTO THE ABS BOX AND SHORTED IT OUT. THEY WANTED 3100.00 DOLLARS TO FIX IT. I DONT HAVE THAT KIND OF MONEY. PLEASE HELP BY GETTING KIA TO DO A RECALL. MY HUSBAND AND I WAS OK. PLEASE HELP BEFORE IT HAPPENS TO SOMEONE ELSE. I AM OUT OF A VEHICLE BECAUSE I CANNOT AFFORD TO GET IT FIXED AND IT IS A SAFETY HAZARD. I TRIED TALKING TO KIA HEADQUARTERS THEY WERE NO HELP.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 KIA SPORTAGE. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT WAS UNAWARE IF THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED ACCORDING TO NHTSA CAMPAI…
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 KIA SPORTAGE. WHILE DRIVING AT VARIOUS SPEEDS, THE BRAKE WARNING LIGHT ILLUMINATED INTERMITTENTLY. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A DEALER WHERE IT WAS DIAGNOSED THAT THE BRAKES NEEDED TO BE REPLACED. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT REPAIRED. THE CONTACT WAS UNAWARE IF THE VEHICLE WAS SERVICED ACCORDING TO NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V114000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOT NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 53,000.
KIA IS RIPPING PEOPLE OFF TO THE TUNE OF $1,700 TO $1,800 FOR THEIR FAULTY ABS BRAKE CONTROLLERS PLUS LABOR. IT IS A WIDELY KNOW PROBLEM THAT BRAKE FLUID SEEPS OUT OF THE BACK OF THIS UNIT ONTO THE CIRCUIT BOARD AND CAUSES A VARIETY OF SAFETY AND MECHANICAL ISSUES. A YEAR AND A HALF AGO I EXPERIENCED A PROBLEM WITH THE ESC TR…
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KIA IS RIPPING PEOPLE OFF TO THE TUNE OF $1,700 TO $1,800 FOR THEIR FAULTY ABS BRAKE CONTROLLERS PLUS LABOR. IT IS A WIDELY KNOW PROBLEM THAT BRAKE FLUID SEEPS OUT OF THE BACK OF THIS UNIT ONTO THE CIRCUIT BOARD AND CAUSES A VARIETY OF SAFETY AND MECHANICAL ISSUES. A YEAR AND A HALF AGO I EXPERIENCED A PROBLEM WITH THE ESC TRACTION LIGHT COMING ON, FOLLOWED BY A FLASHING 4X4 LIGHT AND THEN FINALLY A CHECK ENGINE LIGHT. THE WORST PART ABOUT THIS IS THAT IT THEN SLAMS ITSELF INTO FIRST GEAR GOING DOWN THE ROAD! YES, YOU HEARD THAT CORRECTLY. THIS CAN HAPPEN VERY QUICKLY. KIA, YOU HAVE A SAFETY ISSUE! I REPLACED THE UNIT WITH A USED ONE FOR $350 PLUS INSTALLATION AND NOW IT HAS THE SAME PROBLEM A YEAR AND A HALF LATER. THERE WERE TWO POSSIBLE CONTROLLER UNITS FOR THE 2008 SPORTAGE AND THEY LOOK IDENTICAL BUT ARE NOT INTERCHANGEABLE. THE OTHER ONE I CAN PURCHASE NEW, DIRECT FROM SOUTH KOREA AS AN OEM PART IN A KIA/HYUNDAI BOX FOR AROUND $500. BUT NOT THIS ONE, THEY KNOW THEY HAVE A SERIOUS SAFETY PROBLEM AS THIS CAN UNEXPECTEDLY PULL YOU DOWN TO A CRAWL IN HEAVY TRAFFIC. THEY ALSO HAVE KEPT THE PRICE EXTREMELY HIGH ON THIS UNIT TO MAXIMIZE PROFITS ON A SAFETY ITEM THEY REFUSE TO FIX. I'M LOOKING FOR ANOTHER USED UNIT AND THEN I'LL DUMP THIS LEMON.
TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 KIA SPORTAGE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKES WERE NOT RESPONDING WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V114000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION AND DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. …
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TL* THE CONTACT OWNS A 2008 KIA SPORTAGE. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE BRAKES WERE NOT RESPONDING WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL WAS DEPRESSED. THE VEHICLE WAS INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN NUMBER: 13V114000 (EXTERIOR LIGHTING, SERVICE BRAKES, HYDRAULIC). THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO AN INDEPENDENT MECHANIC FOR INSPECTION AND DIAGNOSTIC TESTING. THE TECHNICIAN COMPLETED THE REPAIR BY ORDERING THE PART FROM THE MANUFACTURER. THE CONTACT WAS TO DETERMINE FROM THE MANUFACTURER WHEN THE VEHICLE COULD BE SCHEDULED FOR THE RECALL REPAIR. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 96,000. PARTS DISTRIBUTION DISCONNECT.
DUE TO DASHBOARD LIGHTS OF ABS, ESC, TRACTION CONTROL, ... I WAS TOLD THE HYDRAULIC ASSEMBLY NEEDS TO BE REPLACED, EST COST OF ... ABS PUMP AND MODULE AND THAT IT WOULD COST ME $2700 TO FIX.
BRAKE FLUID HAD LEAKED INTO THE ABS CONTROL MODULE DISABLING THE ABS, ESC AND BRAKES
HYDRAULIC MODULE ASSEMBLY NEEDED REPLACED-ABS,ESC,BRAKE LIGHTS ALL CAME ON. TOOK TO DEALER WHO STATED "BRAINS" OF THE ABS SYSTEM NEEDED REPLACED.VEHICLE ONLY HAS 32,200 MILES.
Official recalls
322V800000 · 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
1AQ23002 · 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.