Home › Kia › Sportage › Used 2018

Buying a used 2018 Kia Sportage? Check these 3 recalls first

3 NHTSA recalls · 163 owner complaints on file · 2 park-outside

All three recalls are critical and all three involve fire or fuel: a fuel pipe that may leak after an engine replacement, a brake control unit fire risk, and tow hitch wiring fire risk, the last two carrying park-outside instructions until repaired. The fuel pipe recall points at cars whose engine was replaced, so service history matters here. NHTSA lists 163 unverified complaints including 12 fires, 7 crashes and 5 injuries; engine reports dominate at 90, with electrical next at 29.

Before you buy

1. Get the 17-character VIN from the seller and run it at nhtsa.gov/recalls. It shows which recalls are still unrepaired on that exact car.
2. Ask whether the engine was ever replaced, and if so whether the fuel pipe recall was done.
3. Confirm the brake control unit and tow hitch wiring recalls are both completed.
4. Look for a hitch wiring harness and any fuel smell or staining in the engine bay.
5. Open recalls are repaired free at any Kia dealer, whoever owns the car — an open recall is a to-do item, not a bill.

Recalls covering the 2018 Kia Sportage

What owners have reported to NHTSA

163 complaints filed for this model year, including 7 mentioning a crash, 12 a fire and 5 injuries. Complaints are unverified owner reports, and popular models collect more of them simply because more are on the road.

Other model years

• 2019
• 2020
• 2021
• 2023
• 2024
• All Sportage recalls