What's Wrong with the 3rd Generation (2011–2015) Sportage?

Sportage owners have made 95 complaints about the 2011–2015 model years. Using our PainRank™ system we've ranked it 37th out of 42 Kia generations in overall reliability, with real engine and interior concerns.

Compare With Other Sportage Generations

Common 2011-2015 Kia Sportage Problems

Some of the worst issues 3rd generation Sportage owners have to deal with.

  2. Rodents Chew Kia's Soy Wiring

    Rodents just can't resist the soy-derived wire coatings used in Kia vehicles. The chewed up wires are costing owners hundreds, and sometimes thousands of dollars in repairs. However, this isn't a Kia-only problem.

    Continue reading article "Rodents Chew Kia's Soy Wiring"

What Owners Complain About

Sometimes it helps just to tally up the complaints and see where the biggest stacks are. Use this information to learn about troublespots or to run for the hills.

Worst Issues

What Breaks the Most

Years to Avoid

3rd Generation (2011–2015) Sportage Key Numbers

  1. 5 model years

    Grouping all models by their year can reveal some baddies.

  2. 95 complaints

    Running tally of owner grievances filed to CarComplaints.com.

  3. 37th in reliability

    Overall reliability rank out of 42 eligible generations.

Recent Lawsuits for 3rd Generation Sportage Owners

  • Thornhill, et al., v. Hyundai Motor Company, et al.

    1. Case Filed

      A Hyundai and Kia engine lawsuit alleges several models are equipped with defective gasoline direct injection (GDI) and multipoint fuel injection (MPI) engines which may catch fire.

    Class Vehicles
    • 2012-2015 Forte
    • 2012-2015 Forte Koup
    • 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid
    • 2012-2013 Sorento
    • 2014-2015 Soul
    • 2012 Sportage
    Location
    California

  • Greg Wallis and Jodie Peltier v. Kia Motors America, Inc.

    1. Case Filed

      A Kia Theta engine lawsuit has been filed concerning alleged engine problems in the 2011-2014 Kia Optima, 2011-2014 Kia Sportage and the 2012-2014 Kia Sorento. However, the plaintiffs claim more Kia models could be added later to the Theta engine class-action lawsuit.

    Class Vehicles
    • 2011-2014 Optima
    • 2012-2014 Sorento
    • 2011-2014 Sportage
    Location
    California

Recent 3rd Generation (2011–2015) Sportage News

There's a lot of news out there, but not all of it matters. We try to boil down it to the most important bits about things that actually help you with your car problem. Interested in getting these stories in an email? Signup for free email alerts over at CarComplaints.com.

  1. Another owner has sued Hyundai and Kia for knowingly equipping vehicles with defective Theta II engines.

    Proving once again that when it comes to engines that catch on fire, people generally aren't fans. The automakers have settled similar lawsuits and issued recalls for these clunkers, but the plaintiff suggests not all affected vehicles were included.…

    keep reading article "Lawsuit Says Not Enough Vehicles Were Covered in the Theta II Recalls"

  2. Kia is recalling the Sportage over concerns that oil pan leaks could stall the engine or set it on fire.

    The automaker says there was a problem during the assembly of the oil pan seals for the 2011-2012 model years. Now they want owners to watch out for signs of a problem – oil pools on the ground, check engine lights, a wall of flames shooting out of your hood, etc. You know, subtle stuff like that. Kia doesn’t know how they’ll fix the problem and they don’t plan on contacting owners about the recall until April 10, 2019.

    keep reading article "Recall Warns Sportage Owners To Watch for Oil Leaks"

  3. Kia is recalling nearly 68,000 engines with fuel tubes that were misaligned, improperly tightened, or otherwise damaged during installation.

    This lets gas can spray out onto hot surfaces and is the perfect recipe for engine fires. To make matters worse, these engines were the replacements for recalled engines that suffered from knocking and seizing due to widespread oil flow problems. Yeesh.…

    keep reading article "Even Kia’s Replacement Engines Are Catching on Fire"

  5. One Kia owner has had enough of gnawed wires leading to dashboard warning lights and multiple calls to the insurance company.

    Tsvetelin Tsonev filed a class-action lawsuit because his 2015 Soul is being used like a chew toy. The plaintiff says he leased a 2015 Kia Soul in April 2015 that has allegedly been damaged three times because the automaker keeps replacing soy-based wiring with more soy wiring, inviting more critters to snacktime.

    OK, so it turns out rodents don’t really snack on the coating, but they do love chewing on it and making nests out of it.

    And if you’re wondering just how much damage a rodent could do, brace yourself.…

    keep reading article "Soy Wires are Still Being Chewed Up. Maybe Kia Should Stop Advertising with Rodents."

  6. Kia is facing another lawsuit for metal shavings causing catastrophic failure in its Theta II engine.

    The engines can allegedly fail at any time while driving any speed, leaving owners in dangerous driving conditions once the engines stall. According to the plaintiffs, damage to the connecting rod bearings causes metal shavings to appear in the oil.

    A few months ago, Kia recalled 618,000 vehicles with Theta II engines that shipped with metal shavings due to a faulty manufacturing process. The recall only covered certain vehicles up to the 2014 model year.…

    keep reading article "Lawsuit Says Connecting Rod Bearing Create Even More Metal Shavings for the Theta II Engine"

  7. Another day, another manufacturer getting sued for using soy-based wire coating.

    Plaintiff Campbell claims her 2014 Kia Optima was damaged in December 2016 when rodents chewed the wire harness and wiring. Campbell asked Kia to cover the repairs under warranty but after allegedly making her wait almost a month with the Kia Optima sitting at the dealership, Kia denied her claim for coverage.

    This is not a Kia-only problem. Other automakers have made the switch to a soy-based wire coatings and are facing similar lawsuits including Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, and Subaru.

    The lawsuit covers owners or lessees in California, Texas, and NJ with most of the 2012-2017 Kia lineup.

    keep reading article "Kia Sued for Using A Soy-Based Wire Coating"

  8. Safety regulators are looking into how Kia and Hyundai handled their Theta II engine recalls, specifically if the companies acted fast enough.

    They want to know if Hyundai and Kia did enough and fast enough concerning the recalls of nearly 1.7 million vehicles with Theta engines prone to a lot of noise and finally locking up.

    At this point, we know the widespread engine problems are caused by metallic debris left behind during mechanical deburring on the assembly line. Those tiny bits of metal are carried through the engine by oil, wreaking havoc on the way.…

    keep reading article "Why Did it Take So Long to Recall the Theta II Engine?"

  9. The Theta II recall that so many Kia owners have been waiting for is finally here.

    Kia is recalling more than 618,000 model year 2011-2014 Kia Optima, 2012-2014 Sorento and 2011-2013 Sportage vehicles because the engine bearings can wear out too early and cause the engines to seize. The automaker says machining problems occurred during manufacturing, something dealers will need to fix by replacing the engine assemblies.

    We’ve been tracking Theta II engine problems for a while and let’s just say … they’re not good.…

    keep reading article "Kia is Recalling the Notoriously Defective Theta II Engine"

  10. The Theta II Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) engine is earning a reputation for stalling and eventually seizing, leading to a class-action lawsuit.

    The [lawsuit] targets the Theta 2-liter and 2.4-liter gasoline direct injection engines, also known as GDI engines. According to the plaintiffs, the engines contain defects that cause a restriction of oil flow through the connecting rod bearings and other parts of the engines.

    Hyundai is facing a similar lawsuit that is currently awaiting final class-action approval.

    keep reading article "Theta II Engine Lawsuit Says the GDI Engines Have Oil Flow Problems"