1999 Kia Sportage Seat belts Problems
- Complaints
- 17about this part
- Share
- 6%of 284 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 69,000miles
- Trend
- StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 17 complaints about the seat belts of the 1999 Kia Sportage, 6% of the 284 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 69,000 miles. 3 of these say a crash was involved, according to the filers. 1 recall campaign on record is filed under a similar system.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“Dt: the contact stated the seat belt on the driver's side frayed. The fraying was so bad that the buckle assembly would not slide down correctly. He has been in contact with Kia, and they offered no free remedy.”
NHTSA complaint #10143806, filed 2005-11, 55,000 miles“In december of 2000 I purchased a Kia Sportage 1999 from mcgrath in elgin, il. From the beginning the front seat belt buckle did not always lock and the interior & exterior lights flickered. I took the vehicle to a local repair shop but they could not find why the lights flickered. On august 2, 2005 my vehicle died in front of a marathon gas station/repair shop in rolling meadows, il. The mechanic called me and told me I needed a new fuel pump. I told him to do the repair. …”
NHTSA complaint #10131670, filed 2005-08“The retractor to the driver's side seatbelt just fell off while driving the vehicle down the road. And when I say fell off, I mean literally fell off. My daughter heard the retractor fall down the side panel. The seatbeat then had no resistance and would not retract, leaving the seatbelt useless. After closer examination, I found the plastic dowels holding the retacting mechanism to the seatbelt had just fallen off or worn away. Had this failure occurred during an accident, there could have been serious injuries. Seems these plastic dowels should be replaced with metal or steel ones. …”
NHTSA complaint #10093501, filed 2004-10“The contact owns a 1999 Kia Sportage. The seat belt retractor on the drivers side has failed. The air conditioner is also leaking into the passenger side of the vehicle. The vehicle has not yet been diagnosed. The purchase date was unknown. The current mileage is 80,000 and failure mileage was 76,000.”
NHTSA complaint #10191567, filed 2007-05, 76,000 miles“The contact owns a 1999 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that the plastic housing spring falls off on the drivers side seat belt. He stated that it appears to be decomposing and is unable to snap the shaft of the plastic housing back together. The passenger side seat belt has had the same failure. The failure prevents the seat belt from retracting and causes it to be very loose. The dealer stated that they could not do anything unless instructed by the manufacturer. Kia stated that there is nothing that they can do as well. The purchase date and powertrain were unknown. …”
NHTSA complaint #10193413, filed 2007-06, 42,000 milesRelated recalls
- 04V305000Jun 24, 2004On certain passenger and sport utility vehicles, the front safety belt buckles may emit a "click" sound during the buckling process that is similar to the…Covers: Kia Sportage 1999–2000, Sephia 1999–2000
Seat belts: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 4% |
| 2024 | 1 | 1% |
| 2023 | 1 | 1% |
| 2019 | 1 | 1% |
| 2017 | 3 | 1% |
| 2016 | 2 | 1% |
| 2013 | 1 | 0% |
| 2012 | 2 | 1% |
| 2010 | 3 | 15% |
| 2009 | 3 | 4% |
| 2008 | 1 | 1% |
| 2007 | 5 | 6% |
| 2006 | 4 | 4% |
| 2005 | 3 | 4% |
| 2002 | 9 | 4% |
| 2001 | 9 | 4% |
| 2000 | 7 | 2% |
| 1999 | 17 | 6% |
| 1998 | 8 | 3% |
| 1997 | 6 | 3% |
| 1996 | 8 | 14% |
| 1995 | 11 | 20% |
Other parts of the 1999 Kia Sportage
79 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
57 complaintsBrakes
44 complaintsElectrical system
41 complaintsFuel system
38 complaintsBody and structure
29 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
27 complaintsAir bags
23 complaintsSuspension
19 complaintsOther or unknown
14 complaintsEquipment
11 complaintsVehicle speed control
11 complaints
← All problems reported for the 1999 Kia Sportage
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology