44 complaints reported

1998 Kia Sportage Engine

Owner-reported problems and safety issues filed with NHTSA. Review common failures, severity levels, and complaint trends over time.

Reports
44
Crashes
0
Fires
0
Injuries
0

Complaint Timeline

Chronological view of owner reports

Sep 2003

CONSUMER NOTICED A LOUD POPPING NOISE COMING FROM UNDER ENGINE, AND THEN ENGINE STALLED. VEHICLE WAS SERVICED, TECHNICIAN NOTICED ENGINE MALFUNCTIONED. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1998 KIA SPORTAGE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Aug 2003

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE IDLED ROUGHLY AND THEN STALL OUT. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1998 KIA SPORTAGE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Aug 2003
Jun 2003

THE VEHICLE VIBRATES WHEN AT IDLE. THE VEHICLE HAS BEEN TAKEN TO THE DEALER BUT THEY WERE UNABLE TO LOCATE THE PROBLEM. *MR *AK *NLM

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1998 KIA SPORTAGE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
May 2003

THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE DRIVING. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A MECHANIC WHICH STATED THE ENGINE AND THE TRANSMISSION WERE MANUFACTURED IN 1997 BUT THE VEHICLE IS 1998. *NLM

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1998 KIA SPORTAGE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
May 2003

THE MANUFACTURER SENT A RECALL NOTICE TO REPLACE THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER OVER A YEAR AGO. THE REPAIRS WERE DONE AND THE CONSUMER IS STILL EXPERIENCING PROBLEMS. *NLM

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1998 KIA SPORTAGE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: May 2003
Feb 2003

FIRST OF ALL, MY 1998 KIA SPORTAGE HAS HAS SEVERAL (LIKE 4) RECALLS. WHEN THE RECALL CAME ABOUT THE HUBS ON THE 4X4, I TOOK THE VEHICLE IN TO HAVE THE WORK DONE. THE NEXT WINTER HOWEVER, THE 4X4 DID NOT WORK. THANKFULLY THE CAR WAS STILL UNDER WARRANTY AND IT WAS FIXED UNDER THE WARRANTY. SINCE THAT TIME, I HAVE HAD TO HAVE NO BEARINGS PUT INTO THE BRAKES, NEW ROTATORS AND BRAKE PADS TWICE. IN DEC., 2002, I HAD $500.00 WORTH OF WORK DONE TO REPLACE THE WATER PUMP, THE TIMING BELT AND OTHER BELTS THAT WERE SQUEAKING. JUST TODAY (AFTER JUST ONE MONTH AGO HAVING $500.00 WORTH OF WORK DONE TO THE CAR), MY CAR IS NOW GETTING HOT WHEN IT SITS AND IDLES. MIND YOU, I HAVE HAD THIS VEHICLE FOR 4-1/2 YEARS AND THE CAR ONLY HAS 60,000 MILES ON IT. THIS CAR HAS BEEN A HEADACHE FROM DAY ONE AND BECAUSE THE CAR HAS LOST SO MUCH VALUE I CANNOT EVEN TRADE IT OFF, BECAUSE I OWE MORE ON THE CAR THAN WHAT IT IS WORTH (LIKE $7,000.00 IN THE HOLE).

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1998 KIA SPORTAGE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Feb 2003
Feb 2003

THE VEHICLE STALLED WHILE ON AN INCLINE.*JB

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1998 KIA SPORTAGE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Jan 2003

CONSUMER CALLED COMPLAINING ABOUT HAVING PROBLEM WITH THE VEHICLE STALLING WHILE DRIVING. ON JUNE 2002, DEALER REPLACED THE ENGINE, SEVEN MONTHS LATER PROBLEM IS RECURRING. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER INFORMATION. PH

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1998 KIA SPORTAGE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2003
Dec 2002

VEHICLE INTERMITTENTLY WILL NOT START. AFTER VEHICLE IS STARTED AND SHUTDOWN VEHICLE WILL NOT RESTART, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1998 KIA SPORTAGE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Nov 2002
Jun 2002

PREMATURE WEAR OF FLYWHEEL. DUE TO FAILURE VEHICLE WILL NOT START. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1998 KIA SPORTAGE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Dec 2001

ENGINE LIGHT IS ON AND DEALERSHIP STATES THAT IT IS SOMETHING ELSE THAT CAUSES IT TO COME BACK ON. AND THEY INSIST THAT I PAY FOR THE REPAIRS, AND THE PROBLEM STILL PERSISTS. I TOOK IT TO DO ALL THE RECALLS AND THEY CLAIM TO HAVE DONE THEM. I CAN ONLY TAKE THEIR WORD. I HAVE TAKEN IT 2XS AND PROBLEM STILL EXSISTS. I HAD ASKED TO SEE IF IT HAD A SHORT BUT WAS TOLD NO. NO SAFETY DEFECT. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1998 KIA SPORTAGE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 1998
Jul 2001

VEHICLE STALLS AND BACKFIRES. DEALER AWARE OF PROBLEM. PLEASE PROVIDE FURTHER DETAILS.*AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1998 KIA SPORTAGE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2001
Jun 2001

THE VEHICLE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT IS CONSTANTLY ON, VEHICLE HAS BEEN TO DEALER SEVERAL OCCASIONS, TO HAVE VARIOUS PARTS REPAIRED AND REPLACED, VEHICLE BEGAN SMOKING FROM THE ENGINE COMPARTMENT, DEALER HAS TRIED ALL TYPES OF REMEDIES BUT PROBLEM STILL EXISTS.*JB

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1998 KIA SPORTAGE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Nov 1999
May 2001

WHILE DRIVING VEHICLE STALLED, AND THEN ENGINE BLEW UP, CAUSE UNKNOWN. PLEASE GIVE ANY FURTHER DETAILS. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1998 KIA SPORTAGE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Apr 2001

EXHAUST NOISE IN FRONT OF CAR- TO REPLACED CAT. CONVERTER ON 8/10/00, PRIOR APPT. ON 7/26/00 PARTS TO BE ORDERED

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1998 KIA SPORTAGE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Oct 2000
Apr 2001

LOUD EXHAUST- MUFFLER WAS SPLIT- REPLACED THE MUFFLER AND TAIL PIPE (2ND EXHAUST PROBLEM)*AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1998 KIA SPORTAGE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: May 2000
Apr 2001

RATTLING UNDER CAR FROM EXHAUST SYSTEM- ADJUSTED HEAT SHIELD

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1998 KIA SPORTAGE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Dec 1999
Apr 2001

ENGINE HESITIATES- SEEMS TO STAY IN LOWERE GEAR UNTIL WARM- SHOP PUT IN OIL TREATMENT TO HELP- STILL DOES THIS TO THIS DATE 4/13/01. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1998 KIA SPORTAGE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Mar 1999
Dec 2000

VEHICLE HAS BEEN IN DEALERSHIP FOR SURGING, CHECK ENGINE LIGHT ALSO ON. *SLC

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1998 KIA SPORTAGE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Sep 2000
Oct 2000

NHTSA RECALL/ MANUFACTURER'S 99V325000/ ENGINE STALLING. NO PARTS WERE AVAILABLE. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1998 KIA SPORTAGE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Sep 2000

CHECK ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON IN APRIL 2000. I HAVE TAKEN THE VEHICLE IN SIX TIMES TO GET THE REPAIR COMPLETE. AT THIS TIME THE LIGHT IS OFF. THE LAST REPAIR WAS MADE ON OCT. 9, 2000. THE DEALERS KEEPS REPLACING THE SAME PART. I THINK THAT IT IS SOMETHING WRONG WITH THE ELECTRICAL SYSTEM THAT CAUSES A POWER SURGE THAT THEN DAMAGES THE TPS MODULE.

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1998 KIA SPORTAGE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Jan 2000
Jul 2000

SINCE PURCHASING THIS VEHICLE, IT HAS BEEN IN AND OUT OF GARAGE DUE TO ENGINE COOLANT SMELL. IT USUALLY TAKES SEVERAL VISITS BEFORE THE DEALER DECIDES TO REPLACE RADIATOR, WATER PUMP, ETC. THIS HAS HAPPENED SEVERAL TIMES. I HAVE HAD 3 RADIATORS IN THIS VEHICLE AND THE COOLANT SMELL STILL IS STRONG. THERE ARE MANY OTHER PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLE, INCLUDING AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM DOES NOT WORK, ON AND OFF 4WD IS INOPERABLE, ETC. I HAVE TRIED TO ARBITRATE WITH THE LEMON LAW WITH THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE, BUT WAS UNSUCCESSFUL BECAUSE OF LACK OF DOCUMENTATION. IS THERE ANYTHING MORE I CAN DO TO HELP ME CORRECT THESE PROBLEMS OR GET REIMBURSEMENT FOR THIS VEHICLE? THANK YOU

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1998 KIA SPORTAGE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Sep 1999
Jun 2000

RECALL 99V325000/ ENGINE STALLING. AFTER VEHICLE WAS REPAIRED UNDER THE RECALL IT STALLED AND DIED. DEALER HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO RESTART THE VEHICLE.*AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1998 KIA SPORTAGE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Jun 2000
Jun 2000

WHEN CONSUMER STARTS UP VEHICLE IT WILL STAY ON FOR A FEW MINUTES, THEN IT WILL STALL WITHOUT A WARNING. AT OTHER TIMES WHILE DRIVING ENGINE WILL STALL. VEHICLE HAS BEEN INTO DEALER REPEATEDLY FOR REPAIRS. *AK *ML

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1998 KIA SPORTAGE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.
Incident: Jun 2000
Jun 2000

CONSUMER CONTACTED THE DEALER IN REFERENCE TO RECALL 99V325000/ ENGINE STALLING. DEALER STATED PARTS WERE NOT AVAILABLE. *AK

Type: Vehicle, Vehicle: 1998 KIA SPORTAGE, Manufacturer: Kia America, Inc.

Trend Over Time

Complaints by year

Quick Summary

The 1998 Kia Sportage has 44 Engine complaints on file. Review the timeline above for detailed owner experiences.