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Kia Sportage Reliability by Year

Every gasoline Sportage model year from 2005 to 2025, scored on reported failures weighted against how many were sold — and ranked against every other Compact SUV of the same year.

Scored separately as its own vehicle: Sportage Hybrid (2023–2025).

The short answer

Best model year
2010
#2 of 21 that year
Year to avoid
2012
#18 of 18 that year
Latest scored
2025
#26 of 42

Across 21 scored model years the Sportage sits close to its class average on both counts. The spread between years is what matters: 2010 is its strongest, 2012 its weakest.

Every model year, scored

Longer bar is better. Rank is against every Compact SUV sold that same model year.

YearRelative standingClass rankPctl
2005#6 /1769th
2006#8 /2063th
2007#2 /2295th
2008#7 /2271th
2009#9 /2465th
2010#2 /2195thBest year
2011#12 /1939th
2012#18 /180thAvoid
2013#18 /180th
2014#12 /2145th
2015#13 /2345th
2016#10 /2155th
2017#20 /2417th
2018#13 /2754th
2019#11 /3167th
2020#22 /3538th
2021#5 /3588th
2022#6 /3786th
2023#28 /4234th
2024#15 /4467th
2025#26 /4239th

The line has moved around across 21 model years, with its weakest stretch in 2012–2014. Recent years have been slipping. This 2025 car falls in a middling stretch.

What tends to break

All 12 systems, measured against the class average for each model year.

Every Sportage model year is scored across 12 separate systems — engine, transmission, brakes, electrical, steering and suspension, structure, interior, and five more. Each system is compared against how often that same system fails on the average Compact SUV of the same year, so a common failure is judged against how common it is everywhere else.

Across the last three model years (2023–2025), the trouble concentrates in one place: interior & safety. That system draws issue reports more often than the same system on the average Compact SUV of its year — which changes what you should be inspecting before you buy.

Full Dashboard Preview

Real charts, sample vehicle. Open the lookup to see these for your Sportage.

Reliability Matrix Sample Chart

2018 Mid-Size SUVs

Your Sportage is plotted against 42 rivals from 2025.

Look up your Sportage →
better than classtypicalworsebubble = units sold

System Breakdown Sample Chart

2018 Mitsubishi Outlander

Your Sportage is scored the same way, for every model year.

Look up your Sportage →
below class averageabove class average

Common questions

What is the best year for a used Kia Sportage?

2010 is the strongest Sportage model year on record, ranking #2 of 21 Compact SUVs that year.

Which Kia Sportage years should I avoid?

2012 is the weakest year in the model's history, ranking #18 of 18.

Is the latest Sportage reliable?

The 2025 Sportage ranks #26 of 42 Compact SUVs — the lower half of its class.

Where does this data come from?

Failure reports filed with NHTSA — submitted by vehicle owners and repair shops alike — weighted against US sales volumes so a high-volume model is not penalised for selling well, then benchmarked within segment and model year.

See the full picture for your Sportage

All 12 systems scored, the whole class plotted, and a downloadable Full Model Report for any year — 6,000+ vehicles in the dashboard.

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How this was built. Scores derive from failure reports filed with NHTSA — submitted by vehicle owners and repair shops alike — weighted against US sales volumes and benchmarked within segment and model year. We measure two separate things: Fix Frequency — how often a vehicle needs fixing — and Fix Severity — how costly those fixes are. These figures describe a model line, not the specific vehicle in front of you; trim, mileage and service history still decide an individual car.