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NHTSA vehicle safety data

2000 Kia Sportage Recalls & Complaints

The 2000 Kia Sportage has 4 NHTSA recall campaigns and 304 owner complaints on file as of November 3, 2026. Recall repairs are usually free at an authorized Kia dealer.

NHTSA recall and complaint data for the 2000 Kia Sportage. Recall data is refreshed daily from NHTSA.

Pre-purchase inspection checklist → Reliability & 5-year cost forecast →

2000 Kia Sportage owner complaints

Owners have filed 304 complaints with NHTSA about the 2000 Kia Sportage, describing incidents dated September 30, 1999 to April 4, 2020.

Most-cited components

  • Fuel/Propulsion System 89 complaints
  • Service Brakes 51 complaints
  • Engine 44 complaints
  • Power Train 39 complaints
  • Electrical System 30 complaints
  • Structure 29 complaints

Of the 304 complaints on file, 23 report a crash and 7 a fire; across all 304 complaints, owners report 17 injuries (owner-reported, not verified by NHTSA).

Newest complaints

  • ODI #11320280 · Filed

    FUEL TANK LEAKING GAS I BELIEVE THE FUEL TANK IS NO GOOD ANYMORE I PURCHASE A VEHICLE FILL UP THE TANK AND START TO LEAK GAS I THOUGHT IT WAS A GASKET SO GASKET WAS PLACED AND IT'S STILL LEAKING

  • ODI #10985044 · Filed

    NOTICED A STRONG GAS SMELL, LOOKED UNDER CAR AND NOTICED GAS DRIPPING FROM UNDER CAR. UPON FURTHER LOOKING I NOTICED THE GAS TANK PROTECTIVE PLATE IS ROTTING OUT WHICH MAKES ME BELIEVE THE GAS TANK IS TOO.

  • ODI #10958367 · Filed

    NO AIRBAG IN STEERING WHEEL, BRAKES GOES DOWN TO FLOOR, OXYGEN SENSOR BAD IN BANK ONE, POPPING IN TIRES. MY FRAME CAN BREAK FROM CAR AT ANY TIME, DEALER KNEW I HAD KIDS, WE COULD GET SERIOUSLY HURT RIDING IN THIS CAR.

Read all 304 complaints

Owner-reported

2000 Kia Sportage mileage at failure

151 of the 304 complaints on file for the 2000 Kia Sportage give the vehicle's mileage when the problem happened.

Mileage at failure by component, from owners' complaints to NHTSA
Fuel/Propulsion SystemMedian 80,000 milesMiddle half 65,000–110,000 milesBased on 63 complaints

A component's median is its 50th percentile, and its middle half runs from its 25th to its 75th percentile.

Owners give the mileage themselves, often as a round number, and NHTSA doesn't check it. A complaint that names several components counts under each one, and mileages that can't be right, such as 999,999, or 50 miles on a five-year-old car, are left out.

These figures describe the complaints owners filed. They don't predict when a particular vehicle will have a problem, and vehicles that never had one aren't counted.

Complaints received before December 15, 2002 rarely give a mileage, so they aren't counted here.

Mileage from NHTSA's complaints file of October 31, 2026. How these figures are worked out

NHTSA defect investigations

NHTSA's investigations file lists the 2000 Kia Sportage in 6 investigations. A listed model year means only that an investigation names it; it says nothing about any particular vehicle. An open investigation is not a finding that a safety defect exists, and NHTSA can close one without a recall.

1 more NHTSA investigation
Open and recently closed NHTSA defect investigations

FMVSS 108/REPLACEMENT HEADLAMPS/AMBER REFLECTOR

NHTSA #09E025000 · Exterior Lighting — Headlights · NHTSA notice

Reported May 11, 2009 · DOPE, INC.

Potentially affected: 42,540 vehicles

Owners notified July 28, 2009

Defect description

DOPE, INC. IS RECALLING 42,540 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.

Safety consequence

DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

Manufacturer remedy

DOPE, INC. WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON JULY 28, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT DOPE, INC. AT 1-626-272-1798.

Notes

THIS RECALL ONLY PERTAINS TO AFTERMARKET REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT AND HAS NO RELATION TO ANY ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT INSTALLED ON VEHICLES PRODUCED BY THE VEHICLE MANUFACTURER.IN ORDER TO DETERMINE IF YOUR AFTERMARKET LAMP ASSEMBLY IS AFFECTED BY THIS NONCOMPLIANCE, PLEASE REVIEW THE LIST OF MODEL NUMBERS PROVIDED TO US BY DOPE, INC.THE LIST CAN BE FOUND UNDER "DOCUMENT SEARCH" LOCATED AT THE BOTTOM OF YOUR SCREEN. OWNERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO <A HREF=HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV>HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV</A> .

FMVSS 108/AFTERMARKET COMBINATION LAMPS

NHTSA #09E012000 · Exterior Lighting · NHTSA notice

Reported April 7, 2009 · SABERSPORT

Potentially affected: 16,270 vehicles

Owners notified May 11, 2009

Defect description

SABERSPORT IS RECALLING 16,270 COMBINATION CORNER AND BUMPER LAMP ASSEMBLIES OF VARIOUS PART NUMBERS SOLD FOR USE AS AFTERMARKET EQUIPMENT FOR VARIOUS PASSENGER VEHICLES. THESE HEADLAMPS FAIL TO CONFORM TO THE REQUIREMENTS OF FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARD NO. 108, "LAMPS, REFLECTIVE DEVICES, AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT." THESE LAMPS DO NOT CONTAIN THE REQUIRED AMBER SIDE REFLECTORS.

Safety consequence

DECREASED LIGHTING VISIBILITY MAY RESULT IN A VEHICLE CRASH.

Manufacturer remedy

SABERSPORT WILL NOTIFY OWNERS AND OFFER A FULL REFUND FOR THE NONCOMPLIANT COMBINATION LAMPS. THE SAFETY RECALL BEGAN ON MAY 11, 2009. OWNERS MAY CONTACT SABERSPORT AT 1-909-598-7589.

Notes

THIS RECALL ONLY PERTAINS TO AFTERMARKET REPLACEMENT EQUIPMENT AND HAS NO RELATION TO ANY ORIGINAL EQUIPMENT INSTALLED ON VEHICLES PRODUCED BY THE VEHICLE MANUFACTURER.IN ORDER TO DETERMINE IF YOUR AFTERMARKET LAMP ASSEMBLY IS AFFECTED BY THIS NONCOMPLIANCE, PLEASE REVIEW THE LIST OF MODEL NUMBERS PROVIDED TO US BY SABERSPORT.THE LIST CAN BE FOUND UNDER "DOCUMENT SEARCH" LOCATED AT THE BOTTOM OF YOUR SCREEN.OWNERS MAY ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S VEHICLE SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), OR GO TO <A HREF=HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV>HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV</A> .

KIA/FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLES

NHTSA #04V305000 · Seat Belts — Front — Buckle Assembly · NHTSA notice

Reported June 24, 2004 · KIA MOTORS AMERICA, INC.

Potentially affected: 251,594 vehicles

Kia campaign SC039 · Owners notified August 16, 2004 · Vehicles built March 1, 1998 – November 30, 2000 (per NHTSA) · Recall influenced by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation

Defect description

ON CERTAIN PASSENGER AND SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES, THE FRONT SAFETY BELT BUCKLES MAY EMIT A "CLICK" SOUND DURING THE BUCKLING PROCESS THAT IS SIMILAR TO THE SOUND EMITTED WHEN A BUCKLE IS BEING LATCHED, WHEN IT IS NOT.

Safety consequence

THE LATCH CAN THEN PULL OUT OF THE BUCKLE WHEN TENSION IS APPLIED.

Manufacturer remedy

DEALERS WILL REPLACE BOTH FRONT SEAT BELT BUCKLES. THE RECALL BEGAN AUGUST 16, 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT KIA AT 1-800-333-4542.

Notes

KIA RECALL NO. SC039.CUSTOMERS CAN ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S AUTO SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).

KIA/JUMP STARTING DIAGRAM

NHTSA #00V205000 · Electrical System · NHTSA notice

Reported July 27, 2000 · KIA MOTORS AMERICA, INC.

Potentially affected: 66,482 vehicles

Kia campaign SCO17 · Owners notified September 7, 2000 · Recall influenced by NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation

Defect description

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SPORT UTILITY VEHICLE. THESE VEHICLES WERE DISTRIBUTED WITH OWNERS MANUALS WITH AN INCORRECT JUMP START DIAGRAM. THE WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS FOR JUMP STARTING ARE ACCURATE. HOWEVER, THE DIAGRAM DEPICTS THE JUMPER CABLES ATTACHED TO THE WRONG POLARITY TERMINALS. IF THE DIAGRAM WERE FOLLOWED WITHOUT REFERENCE TO THE INSTRUCTIONS, THE RESULTING IMPROPER CONNECTIONS COULD CAUSE THE BATTERY TO RUPTURE AGGRESSIVELY DUE TO INCREASED INTERNAL PRESSURES.

Safety consequence

THIS COULD CAUSE POTENTIAL SERIOUS INJURY TO BYSTANDERS.

Manufacturer remedy

OWNERS WILL BE PROVIDED WITH AN ADHESIVE LABEL WITH THE CORRECT ILLUSTRATION TO PERMANENTLY AFFIX TO THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS MANUALS.

Notes

OWNER NOTIFICATION BEGAN SEPTEMBER 7, 2000. OWNERS WHO DO NOT RECEIVE THE ADHESIVE LABEL WITHIN A REASONABLE TIME SHOULD CONTACT KIA AT 1-800-333-4542. ALSO CONTACT THE NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION'S AUTO SAFETY HOTLINE AT 1-888-DASH-2-DOT (1-888-327-4236).

Other Kia Sportage model years

Check your 2000 Kia Sportage VIN

Not every recall applies to every VIN in a given year. Enter the 17-character VIN from your Kia Sportage at nhtsa.gov/recalls to see whether your specific vehicle has an unrepaired recall.

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