2001 Kia Sportage Latches, locks and linkages Problems
- Complaints
- 4about this part
- Share
- 2%of 228 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 9,312miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 4 complaints about the latches, locks and linkages of the 2001 Kia Sportage, 2% of the 228 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 9,312 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“Dt: consumer states that the tire latch on the back of 2001 Kia Sportage I broke. This was latch that held the spare tire carrier, it also has to open in order for the consumer to open truck. The owners mechanic has oiled and fixed the tire carrier for a temporary fix. The owner has taken the vehicle to the dealership for repairs, and they said they could not find anything wrong with the vehicle and couldn't fix the latch until it was broken, and then they could repair it. The owner has not called Kia. The latch has been broken for about 2 months. …”
NHTSA complaint #10129298, filed 2005-07, 13,623 miles“Front passenger door does not latch correctly. When opening door consumer has to pull up on the door. Took vehicle to dealer, and they replaced vehicle with another same make and model. Consumer states new vehicle is duplicating the same problem. Please provide any further information.”
NHTSA complaint #8009661, filed 2002-05“The air condition was not cooling the vehicle, the engine light illuminated and it was determined the gas cap was loose, there was an electrical short in the windows which caused them not to work, the purge valve leaked, the hold light flashed at times, the left rear door did not open from the inside, it was discovered the door lock was out of adjustment, the cup holder was coming apart, the brakes were noisy and the master cylinder was leaking.”
NHTSA complaint #10006071, filed 2003-02Related service bulletins
- 10109777Nov 4, 2016TSB: MANDATORY REPLACEMENT OF LOCKING/SECURITY HARDWARE - By design, certain fasteners utilized in various Kia models are strictly intended for ?one time use?. Though not limited…
Latches, locks and linkages: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 1 | 1% |
| 2017 | 2 | 1% |
| 2012 | 1 | 0% |
| 2009 | 1 | 1% |
| 2008 | 2 | 2% |
| 2007 | 1 | 1% |
| 2002 | 1 | 0% |
| 2001 | 4 | 2% |
| 2000 | 4 | 1% |
| 1999 | 3 | 1% |
| 1998 | 9 | 3% |
| 1997 | 7 | 4% |
| 1995 | 4 | 7% |
Other parts of the 2001 Kia Sportage
62 complaintsEngine cooling
45 complaintsBrakes
27 complaintsBody and structure
24 complaintsElectrical system
23 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
22 complaintsAir bags
20 complaintsSuspension
20 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
17 complaintsVehicle speed control
11 complaintsEquipment
10 complaintsSeat belts
9 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