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EquipmentPart report

2001 Kia Sportage Equipment Problems

Complaints
10about this part
Share
4%of 228 total for the year
Median mileage
2,884miles
Trend
Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.

NHTSA recorded 10 complaints about the equipment of the 2001 Kia Sportage, 4% of the 228 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 2,884 miles.

Fewer than 15 complaints name this part, so treat the figures as a rough indication only.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“Over the span of the last 1 1/2 years I have had the following problems *rear seat belts locked up wouldn't loosen far enough to get my child out of the car. *front seat belts (both) would come open while the vehicle was in motion. *drivers side door wouldn't latch when trying to close it, had to jiggle the inside handle *spare tire arm wouldn't stay in the locked position when open. Still won't *four wheel drive wouldn't engage *lifter noise--collapsed lifter *head warped *check engine light had come on a few times holders (front and rear) fell apart *outside trim was fallling off.”

NHTSA complaint #10008205, filed 2003-02, 5,000 miles

“Vehicle's engine and A/C failed. The consumer had to replace two engines within a 40000 mile usage. The vehicle stopped dead on a very busy us route 1 hwy. The sudden stop caused a traffic tie up and the vehicle was nearly rear ended by a air conditioning, the vehicle needed a complete engine replacement, valve cover gasket, front wheel bearings, drive belts out of tension, cruise control, v belts replaced, brakes and rotors, exhaust system.”

NHTSA complaint #10101096, filed 2004-11, 768 miles

“The steering wheel is peeling, I have had it replaced but the new one is doing the same thing. The window strips are all twisted up and make a roaring sound when I drive. I have had them replaced but they still roar. The dash rattles, but they didn't fix it. The rear windows do not roll down. The radio has static most of the time. It doesn't seem to want to go when I accelerate. It kind of sputters and then goes. The bands squeal bad. They have been replaced but they still squeal.”

NHTSA complaint #762598, filed 2002-06

“The contact owns a 2001 Kia Sportage purchased on august 25, 2009. There was a noise under the hood. An independent mechanic stated that the catalytic converter was removed and replaced by a pipe that should not have been on the vehicle. She also stated the air conditioning unit continued to leak water from the vents and onto the floor board. The mechanic stated that there was allergy in the air conditioning unit. The failure and current mileages were 75,200.”

NHTSA complaint #10282692, filed 2009-09, 75,000 miles

“Continual problems with 2001 Kia Sportage convertible. Replacement of brakes 5 times, replacement of belts 6 times and 14 other problems. The cup holder, convertible top, and belts were replaced. The alarm wires were re-adjusted, the AC compressor, ignition coil pack, cd player right rear axle, right front strut, catalytic converter, center console, rear window fuse, spark plug and engine harness were all replaced numerous times.”

NHTSA complaint #10109781, filed 2005-03

Related service bulletins

Equipment: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
202311%
202112%
201710%
201411%
200611%
200252%
2001104%
200093%
1999114%
1998196%
199753%
199635%

Other parts of the 2001 Kia Sportage

Fuel system
62 complaints
Engine cooling
45 complaints
Brakes
27 complaints
Body and structure
24 complaints
Electrical system
23 complaints
Transmission and drivetrain
22 complaints
Air bags
20 complaints
Suspension
20 complaints
Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
17 complaints
Vehicle speed control
11 complaints
Seat belts
9 complaints
Other or unknown
8 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2001 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