NHTSA recalls & complaints · 2023–2026

Kia Sportage PHEV recalls, complaints and VIN decoding

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns and 35 owner complaints for the Kia Sportage PHEV, covering model years 2023 to 2026. The 2023 model year drew the most complaints (15), and Electrical System is the component owners name most often.

Source: NHTSA recall and complaint flat files, updated September 25, 2026.

Decode your Kia Sportage PHEV VIN

See the model year, plant and build details of one vehicle, then the recalls for its exact year.

3 recall campaigns on file
35 owner complaints (unverified reports to NHTSA)
4 model years with data (2023–2026)

most complaints: 2023 (15 for that model year)
top component: Electrical System (8 complaints)
latest recall 26V046000 (reported Jan 26, 2026)

4 complaints reporting a crash (11.4%)
0 complaints reporting a fire (0.0%)
0 complaints reporting an injury (0.0%)
0 complaints reporting a death (0.0%)

Kia Sportage PHEV complaints by model year

4 model years · NHTSA complaints

The 2023 model year has the most complaints: 15 of 35, or 42.9%. Next come 2024 (12) and 2025 (6). The fewest are for 2026, with 2 complaints.

Owner complaints per model yearHighest yearOther years

Kia Sportage PHEV complaints by model year, with complaints reporting a crash, fire, injury or death

Kia Sportage PHEV complaints by model year, with complaints reporting a crash, fire, injury or death
Model year	Complaints	Reporting a crash
2023	15	0
2024	12	3
2025	6	1
2026	2	0
All model years	35	4

Crash, fire, injury and death columns count complaints that report at least one of them, not people.

Most-reported Kia Sportage PHEV components

top 15 · NHTSA categories

Electrical System is the component named most often, in 8 complaints (22.9% of all 35), followed by Vehicle Speed Control (8) and Engine (7).

Components named most often in Kia Sportage PHEV complaints (top 15)

Components named most often in Kia Sportage PHEV complaints (top 15)
Component	Complaints	Share of complaints
Electrical System	8	22.9%
Vehicle Speed Control	8	22.9%
Engine	7	20.0%
Unknown or Other	7	20.0%
Forward Collision Avoidance	6	17.1%
Fuel/Propulsion System	4	11.4%
Power Train	4	11.4%
Structure	3	8.6%
Back Over Prevention	2	5.7%
Lane Departure	2	5.7%
Hybrid Propulsion System	1	2.9%
Service Brakes, Hydraulic	1	2.9%
Steering	1	2.9%
Visibility	1	2.9%
Wheels	1	2.9%

One complaint can name several components, so the shares add up to more than 100%. Component names are NHTSA’s top-level categories.

What NHTSA owner complaints mean

These figures count complaints that vehicle owners and other members of the public have submitted to NHTSA's Office of Defects Investigation. NHTSA uses complaints, together with other data, to spot safety issues that may warrant an investigation and to check whether existing recalls go far enough.

They are reports, not findings. Each complaint is the submitter's own account. Its presence in the database does not mean NHTSA has confirmed a defect.
Counts are not defect rates. The data doesn't say how many vehicles were sold, so a raw count can't tell you what share of vehicles had a problem.
Popular models collect more complaints. A model sold in large numbers will usually gather more complaints than a rare one, simply because more people own it.
One complaint can name several components. Totals by component can therefore add up to more than the number of complaints.
Coverage starts in 1995. NHTSA's complaint file contains complaints received since January 1, 1995.

Use complaint patterns as a prompt for questions: whether a recall covers the issue, whether the vehicle you are considering has had the fix, and what a mechanic finds on inspection. For confirmed safety defects, see the recall list for this model.

Kia Sportage PHEV recalls

3 campaigns · newest first

Every vehicle recall campaign NHTSA lists under the model name Sportage PHEV, newest first. The 3 campaigns cover model years 2023 to 2026. The 2023 model year appears in the most campaigns (2).

3 recall campaigns

Kia Sportage PHEV recall campaigns covering each model year
2023: 2 campaigns	2024: 1 campaign	2025: 1 campaign	2026: 1 campaign

Highlighted: the model year with the most campaigns.

NHTSA campaign 26V046000
Reported Jan 26, 2026
Electrical System › Instrument Cluster/Panel
Model year 2026
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2025 Kia K4, 2025-2026 Sorento, Sorento Hybrid, Sorento Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV), 2026 Sportage, Sportage Hybrid, Sportage PHEV, K5, EV9, Carnival, and Carnival Hybrid vehicles. Due to a software error, the instrument panel display may fail. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) numbers 101, "Controls and Displays" and 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring System."
Consequence:
An instrument panel display that fails to show critical safety information, such as the speedometer, tire pressure, or warning lights, increases the risk of a crash.
Remedy:
The instrument panel display software will be updated over-the-air (OTA) or by a dealer, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed March 26, 2026. Owners may contact Kia Customer Service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC361. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will become searchable on NHTSA.gov on February 9, 2026.
Filed by Kia America, Inc.
NHTSA campaign 25V874000
Reported Dec 17, 2025
Trailer Hitches; Electrical System › Instrument Cluster/Panel
Model years 2023–2025
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023-2025 Sportage Plug-In Hybrid Electric (PHEV) and 2024-2025 Sportage vehicles equipped with a 4.2" screen and a Genuine Kia tow hitch harness accessory. Due to a software error, the instrument panel screen may fail. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 101, "Controls and Displays."
Consequence:
An instrument panel screen that fails to display critical safety information, such as the speedometer or warning lights, can increase the risk of a crash.
Remedy:
Dealers will replace the tow hitch harness control module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed February 13, 2026. Owners may contact Kia Customer Service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC359. Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) involved in this recall will be searchable on NHTSA.gov beginning December 31, 2025.
Filed by Kia America, Inc.
NHTSA campaign 23V298000
Reported Apr 26, 2023
Electrical System › Instrument Cluster/Panel
Model year 2023
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2023 Sportage, Sportage Hybrid, Sportage Plug-in Hybrid, Niro Hybrid, Niro Plug-in Hybrid, Soul, and Telluride vehicles equipped with a digital instrument cluster containing a 4.2" LCD screen. The instrument cluster may fail to display any information when the vehicle is started. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard numbers 101, "Control and Displays," and 138, "Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems."
Consequence:
A blank instrument cluster display will not show critical information, such as tire pressure, warning messages, and warning lights, increasing the risk of a crash.
Remedy:
Dealers will update the instrument cluster software, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed May 26, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC270.
Filed by Kia America, Inc.

Recall text is shown as NHTSA publishes it. NHTSA’s Vehicle Safety Hotline, 1-888-327-4236, also answers recall questions.

How to read this recall list

This list shows every safety recall campaign NHTSA has on file for this make, model and model year. It is not specific to one vehicle: a recall often covers only vehicles built in a certain date range or with a certain part, and many of the vehicles it covers will already have been repaired.

What each recall field means

What each recall field means
Field	What it tells you
Campaign number	NHTSA's unique ID for the recall, such as 20V771000. Quote it to a dealer or when searching NHTSA's site.
Component	The system or part involved, for example air bags, brakes or electrical software.
Summary	What the defect or non-compliance is and which vehicles are covered.
Consequence	The safety risk if the problem isn't fixed.
Remedy	What the manufacturer will do, such as a repair, replacement or software update, and whether it is free.

Some recalls carry an NHTSA consumer advisory, “Do Not Drive” or “Park Outside”. Follow it until the repair is done.
A single campaign often covers several models or model years, so the same campaign number can appear in more than one list.
Recalls are shown as NHTSA publishes them. Very recent campaigns may take time to appear.

Does your vehicle have an open recall? Only a VIN check can tell you. Enter the VIN at NHTSA's recall lookup (opens in a new tab) or on the manufacturer's website. Our VIN recall check guide explains what each option covers.

Kia Sportage PHEV questions

5 questions

How many recalls does the Kia Sportage PHEV have?

NHTSA lists 3 vehicle recall campaigns for the Kia Sportage PHEV, covering model years 2023 to 2026. The most recent, 26V046000, was reported on January 26, 2026 and is filed under “Electrical system”. The 2023 model year is covered by the most campaigns (2).

Which Kia Sportage PHEV model year has the most complaints?

The 2023 model year, with 15 of the 35 complaints in NHTSA’s file (42.9%). The next are 2024 (12) and 2025 (6). Complaint counts also reflect how many vehicles of each year were sold and how long they have been on the road, so they are not a reliability ranking.

What is the most common Kia Sportage PHEV complaint?

Electrical System is the component named most often: 8 complaints, or 22.9% of all 35. Vehicle Speed Control (8) and Engine (7) follow. Complaints are unverified reports from owners, not confirmed defects, and one complaint can name several components.

Does every recall on this page apply to my Kia Sportage PHEV?

Not necessarily. Each campaign lists specific model years, and many cover only vehicles built in a certain period or fitted with a certain part; repairs already carried out aren’t shown. To see whether a recall is open on your vehicle, enter its VIN at NHTSA’s recall lookup (opens in a new tab) or ask a Kia dealer.

How many Kia Sportage PHEV complaints report a crash, fire, injury or death?

Of the 35 complaints, 4 report a crash, 0 a fire, 0 at least one injury and 0 at least one death. These figures count complaints, not people, and each complaint is the submitter’s own unverified account.

8 models · most complaints first

The Kia models with the most NHTSA complaints, and the Kia VIN decoder with every Kia model page, WMI code and VIN note.

Kia Sorento 2003–2026 · 40 recalls · 10,159 complaints
Kia Optima 2001–2020 · 22 recalls · 7,499 complaints
Kia Soul 2010–2025 · 15 recalls · 5,532 complaints
Kia Sportage 1995–2026 · 36 recalls · 4,687 complaints
Kia Forte 2009–2024 · 18 recalls · 2,539 complaints
Kia Sedona 2002–2021 · 23 recalls · 2,406 complaints
Kia Telluride 2020–2027 · 19 recalls · 2,009 complaints
Kia Sephia 1995–2003 · 7 recalls · 1,687 complaints

All Kia models and WMI codes Look up recalls by year

Data: NHTSA recalls and complaints flat files, updated September 25, 2026. Recall campaigns are vehicle (V) campaigns listed for this model name; complaints are counted once per NHTSA ODI number and model year.