The Kia Sportage stands on its own when it comes into the competitive segment of affordable compact SUVs. Providing quality features and yet being affordable is a thin line, but Kia does the bare minimum to hold on. The 2013 Sportage provides crisp handling with a classy interior design. However, the vehicle has a lot of concerning problems. As of this date, there have been 5 recalls made, 2 open investigations, and 295 complaints added to that. The Kia Sportage’s engine is notorious for failing or seizing mid-operations, but worst of all the engine has been said to catch on fire. This is concerning, to say the least. The competition for the KIA SUV is the GMC Terrain, the Chevrolet Equinox, and the Hyundai Tucson.
2013 Kia Sportage User Complaints and Problems
Mechanical Problems
- Engine is the jack of all problems -. Where do we start? The KIA Sportage engine recall came a bit too late for many people, with the engine bay literally caught on fire with no instigation, the dangers of this can be presumed. The engine is also notorious for seizing up or even failing completely mid-operation, leaving users a lot of the time in near-death situations. In short, we can say that the 2013 Kia Sportage engine is a troublemaker.
- Brakes making noises and not functioning properly-. Many users have complained that the brakes on the vehicle make random noises, almost like metals bashing into one another at random times. Some users have also faced the issue where the brakes were all the way compressed and failed to brake the vehicle on time.
Electrical Problems
- Electrical connections are either loose or defective - Complaints about the windows were mentioned multiple times. But the A/C malfunctioning takes the cake, with the A/C compressor failing and blowing hot air into the vehicle, causing great distress to the users.
Safety Problems
- Airbags failure - A couple of users have stated that the vehicle’s spring mechanism for the airbags failed. One user found it out the hard way when the vehicle crashed and the airbags failed to deploy.
Exterior Problems
- Sunroof glass shattering or exploding - The glass on the sunroof would be left shattered or explode while the occupants are present and the vehicle is in motion. No injuries correlated to this matter have yet to be reported.
- Doors won’t let you in or out - The door panels would expand due to the heat in certain states of the country, leading to the doors being stuck and unable to be operated by the users.
Recalls for the 2013 Kia Sportage
|
S. No |
Date |
NHTSA ID |
Issues Noticed |
Additional remarks. |
Remedy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
19th December 2018 |
18V907000 |
Fuel pipe might leak from high pressure. |
Vehicles that previously received an engine replacement under Kia recall 17V224, warranty, or the Knock Sensor Detection System (KSDS) Product Improvement Campaigns are subjected to this recall. The high-pressure fuel pipe that connects to the fuel pump outlet may have been damaged in some form during the engine replacement procedure and can possibly lead to a fuel leak. |
Your dealership will replace the fuel pipe if necessary, free of charge. |
|
2 |
31st March 2017 |
17V224000 |
Bearing wear may cause engine seizure. |
Due to some machining errors during the engine manufacturing the bearing might prematurely wear off within the engine and can seize up the engine as a consequence. |
Depending on the situation the dealership will change the engine if necessarily free of charge. |
Should you buy the 2013 Kia Sportage
No one likes to get a vehicle that can catch on fire or find out one day the engine has totally failed and need to be replaced. So we do not recommend the 2013 Kia Sportage for now. Especially with the engine recalls and the ongoing investigations, the Hyundai Tucson would be a better choice and less likely to catch on fire.
