2006 Kia Sportage Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors) Problems
- Complaints
- 8about this part
- Share
- 7%of 111 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 70,000miles
- Trend
- Not enough dataFewer than 15 complaints, too few for a reliable trend.
NHTSA recorded 8 complaints about the visibility of the 2006 Kia Sportage, 7% of the 111 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 70,000 miles. 1 a fire, according to the filers.
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.
“Wiring harness failure - dealer diagnosis - cracked, brittle, corrosion - lose of interior fan resulting in no heat, defrost, air conditioning. Dealer states harness and fuse block replacement required. I have no heater or defrost - it was 22 degrees this morning - I drove 5 miles before windshield was clear.”
NHTSA complaint #10433802, filed 2011-11, 89,000 miles“Vehicles heating and cooling unit started working sporadically. Then stopped and you could smell a burning smell. Took to mechanic and was told we were lucky the vehicle had not caught fire. The wire and connector to the blower motor resister were melted and falling apart. The connector itself was melted. He disconnected the unit to prevent it from catching fire. This seems to be an extreme safety hazard, being that my daughters feet were directly below the area that was smoking and melting, about to catch fire. It is just below the dash on the passenger front seat side. …”
NHTSA complaint #10713222, filed 2015-04, 129,000 miles“The rear wiper arm of the Kia Sportage is made of weak plastic and cannot withstand going through a car wash. The first car wash it went through ripped off the wiper blade and cover over the installation nut. The second car wash then broke the arm. This results in the inability to clear the rear window of dirty/snow/rain resulting in reduced visibility and potential accidents. The manufacturer/dealer says that it is not there problem and require that I pay over $100 to repair after which I must hand wash the car.”
NHTSA complaint #10154500, filed 2006-04, 800 miles“Windshield wiper motor inoperative during a storm while I was driving my windshield wiper motor broke leaving me with no wipers the dealership has fixed the problem but they told me that this same problem happened to about 10 of the same cars during the same storm.”
NHTSA complaint #10186631, filed 2007-03“The contact owns a 2006 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that the cooling fan failed. The contact inspected the vehicle and found that the blower motor fan wiring had melted. The contact stated that the vehicle exhibited the same symptom as listed in NHTSA campaign number: 15v015000 (electrical system). The vehicle was not taken to a dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified of the failure. The failure mileage was approximately 70,000. The VIN was not available.”
NHTSA complaint #11162934, filed 2018-12, 70,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10090713Mar 22, 2013Tsb: windshield washer pump inlet filter replacement - this bulletin provides information relating to possible foreign debris accumulation on the windshield washer pump inlet…
- 10090009Oct 8, 2012Pitstop: water leak from sunroof glass - some sportage km vehicles built before december 17, 2007 may exhibit a water leak due to poor sealing at the sunroof glass to sunroof…
Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors): other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1 | 4% |
| 2025 | 4 | 7% |
| 2024 | 12 | 16% |
| 2023 | 13 | 7% |
| 2022 | 5 | 11% |
| 2021 | 3 | 6% |
| 2020 | 5 | 3% |
| 2018 | 5 | 3% |
| 2017 | 9 | 2% |
| 2016 | 4 | 3% |
| 2015 | 2 | 1% |
| 2014 | 7 | 6% |
| 2013 | 3 | 1% |
| 2012 | 4 | 1% |
| 2011 | 5 | 3% |
| 2009 | 1 | 1% |
| 2008 | 2 | 2% |
| 2007 | 1 | 1% |
| 2006 | 8 | 7% |
| 2005 | 3 | 4% |
| 2002 | 15 | 6% |
| 2001 | 17 | 7% |
| 2000 | 24 | 8% |
| 1999 | 27 | 10% |
| 1998 | 27 | 9% |
| 1997 | 9 | 5% |
| 1996 | 2 | 4% |
| 1995 | 7 | 13% |
Other parts of the 2006 Kia Sportage
38 complaintsElectrical system
22 complaintsEngine
15 complaintsBrakes
10 complaintsVehicle speed control
10 complaintsElectronic stability control
9 complaintsEngine cooling
8 complaintsExterior lighting
6 complaintsFuel system
6 complaintsBody and structure
6 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
6 complaintsSuspension
5 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2006 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