Kia Sportage Transmission Problems by Year
By CarWhere Research · Updated
Not unusually. Owners have filed 220 transmission complaints with NHTSA for the 2008–2025 Kia Sportage. For the Kia Sportage, that's 0.13 transmission complaints per 1,000 sold across the 2015–2022 cohorts, below the 0.28 median of the 53 models we can rate. The worst years are 2017, 2023 and 2011.
Transmission complaints
220
Filed with NHTSA, 2008–2025 models
Per 1,000 sold
0.13
2015–2022 cohorts
Share of all complaints
7.6%
of 2,880 complaints for this model
Transmission recalls
1
NHTSA campaigns, all years
Kia Sportage transmission complaints by model year
Owner complaints filed with NHTSA whose component list includes Power Train (transmission, transfer case and driveline), and per 1,000 vehicles sold where a published U.S. sales figure exists. Worst years are highlighted.
| Model year | Transmission complaints | Per 1,000 sold | Share of all complaints | Crash / fire / injury | Transmission recalls | Transmission TSBs* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 12 | — | 12.2% | 1 | — | 4 |
| 2009 | 3 | — | 3.8% | 0 | — | 3 |
| 2010 | 2 | — | 10% | 0 | — | 5 |
| 2011WORST | 23 | — | 12.7% | 2 | — | 19 |
| 2012 | 21 | — | 5.4% | 4 | — | 19 |
| 2013 | 18 | — | 4.7% | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2014 | 4 | — | 3.3% | 0 | — | 16 |
| 2015 | 6 | 0.11 | 4.1% | 0 | — | 13 |
| 2016 | 8 | 0.1 | 6.2% | 0 | — | 11 |
| 2017WORST | 40 | 0.55 | 10.2% | 4 | — | 18 |
| 2018 | 17 | 0.21 | 10.8% | 0 | — | 11 |
| 2019 | 7 | 0.08 | 10.3% | 1 | — | 0 |
| 2020 | 2 | 0.02 | 1.3% | 0 | — | 7 |
| 2021 | 2 | 0.02 | 4.3% | 0 | — | 0 |
| 2022 | 3 | 0.02 | 7.1% | 0 | — | 5 |
| 2023WORST | 37 | — | 12.3% | 2 | 23V531000 | 16 |
| 2024 | 5 | — | 5.1% | 1 | — | 4 |
| 2025 | 10 | — | 14.3% | 0 | — | 1 |
- Per 1,000 sold = complaints ÷ published U.S. calendar-year sales × 1,000. Calendar-year sales stand in for the model-year cohort. A dash means no published figure or fewer than 5,000 sold, too small to divide by.
- Older model years have had more time on the road to collect complaints, so compare neighboring years, not 2010 against 2024.
- Crash / fire / injury = complaints where the owner reported a crash, a fire or an injury.
- *Technical service bulletins in the year's leading TSB categories that name the transmission.
Common Kia Sportage transmission problems owners describe
We searched the narratives of all 220 transmission complaints for symptom keywords. One complaint can mention several, so the shares don't add up to 100%.
Kia Sportage years to avoid for the transmission
2017 Kia Sportage
40 transmission complaints (10.2% of the year's 394), 0.55 per 1,000 sold. Most often described: slipping or revving without accelerating.
2023 Kia Sportage
37 transmission complaints (12.3% of the year's 300). Most often described: loss of power or limp mode. Covered by transmission recall 23V531000.
2011 Kia Sportage
23 transmission complaints (12.7% of the year's 181). Most often described: will not shift, stuck in gear or no reverse.
Worst years are those with at least 10 transmission complaints and at least 1.5 times the model's median year. For every year's overall verdict, including other systems, see the Kia Sportage years to avoid.
Kia Sportage transmission recalls
NHTSA recall campaigns filed under Power Train for any Kia Sportage model year. Recall repairs are free at a dealer. Check a specific car by VIN on NHTSA's site.
- 23V531000 · 2023-07-31 · 2023 models
The electronic controller for the Idle Stop & Go oil pump assembly may contain damaged electrical components that can cause the pump to overheat.
Related research
Frequently asked questions
Does the 2017 Kia Sportage have transmission problems?
Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 40 transmission complaints with NHTSA for the 2017 Kia Sportage, 10.2% of all 394 complaints for that year, or 0.55 per 1,000 sold. The most common description is "slipping or revving without accelerating" (8 complaints). 4 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Does the 2023 Kia Sportage have transmission problems?
Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 37 transmission complaints with NHTSA for the 2023 Kia Sportage, 12.3% of all 300 complaints for that year. The most common description is "loss of power or limp mode" (10 complaints). One transmission-related recall covers it: 23V531000. 2 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Does the 2011 Kia Sportage have transmission problems?
Yes, it is one of the worst years. Owners filed 23 transmission complaints with NHTSA for the 2011 Kia Sportage, 12.7% of all 181 complaints for that year. The most common description is "will not shift, stuck in gear or no reverse" (3 complaints). 2 of those complaints report a crash, fire or injury.
Which Kia Sportage years have the most transmission complaints?
2017 (40), 2023 (37) and 2011 (23), by owner complaints filed with NHTSA that name the transmission. Raw counts favor older and higher-selling years, so compare the per-1,000-sold column too.
What are the most common Kia Sportage transmission problems?
In the 220 transmission complaints, owners most often describe loss of power or limp mode (17.7%), jerking, lurching or harsh shifts (10.9%) and slipping or revving without accelerating (9.1%). One complaint can mention several symptoms.
Is this a transmission failure rate?
No. These are complaints owners chose to file with NHTSA. Many failures are never reported, and one complaint is not a confirmed defect. Dividing by sales shows how often owners complain relative to how many were sold, which makes models of different sizes comparable.
How we count
Counts are unique owner complaints (by NHTSA ODI number) filed with NHTSA for each Kia Sportage model year, from NHTSA's public complaints data fetched July 2026 to November 2026. A complaint counts as a transmission complaint when NHTSA's component list for it includes Power Train (transmission, transfer case and driveline).
Per 1,000 sold divides complaints by published U.S. calendar-year sales for that year. A year needs at least 5,000 sales to get a rate, and a model needs at least 3 such years for its overall rate. The comparison median covers every model with at least 50 transmission complaints that clears those floors.
These are complaint rates, not failure rates. Owners report some problems more than others, and a complaint is not a confirmed defect.
Sources
- NHTSA complaints by vehicle (owner complaints API) — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- NHTSA recalls by vehicle — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
- Report a vehicle safety problem — National Highway Traffic Safety Administration