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Kia SportageModel year report

2014 Kia Sportage Problems

Compared with other Kia Sportage years

Fewer complaints than typical for this model

28/100 0.6× a typical year · 50 = typical

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Based only on NHTSA complaints, recalls and investigations. Not adjusted for how many vehicles were sold, and not a reliability rating. How this is calculated

Complaints
125filed with NHTSA
Median mileage
79,500miles, 52 complaints with mileage
Recalls
3campaigns on record
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.
NHTSA crash rating
4–5 / 5stars overall, 2 rated versions
EPA fuel economy
23 mpgcombined, 2.0L 4-cyl FWD · 20 city / 26 hwy

Sources: NHTSA records for the 2014 Kia Sportage (complaints, recalls, investigations), NHTSA crash tests, EPA fuel economy. Report an error

What owners report

Owner complaints for this model year center overwhelmingly on the engine: owners describe oil consumption, knocking, stalling, and in many cases a seized engine that had to be replaced, often at mileages between roughly 50,000 and 130,000. A second, smaller cluster involves the panoramic sunroof glass shattering on its own while driving. Brake and electrical complaints are present but far less frequent in the sample.

  1. Engine

    Engine knocking, oil loss and seizure

    • 55 complaints (44%)
    • median 98,500 mi at 7.2 yrs old (28 state mileage)
    • 1 mention a crash, fire or injury
    • filed 2018–2026

    Owners describe a knocking or rattling noise from the engine, often with loss of power, hesitation, or stalling while driving at highway speeds. Many report metal shavings or brass filings in the oil and a very low oil level shortly after an oil change, and several say the dealer or an independent shop determined the engine needed to be replaced. Some note the oil warning or check engine light came on only at the point of failure, or not at all. Reported from as little as about 11,000 miles up to roughly 160,000, with most accounts between 60,000 and 130,000 miles.

    Recall 18V9070006 related service bulletins

    What to check: Check the oil level and look for a fuel or burnt smell, listen for a knock at idle and on light acceleration, and ask for oil-change records. Ask whether any engine-related campaign or the oil-consumption service bulletin has been applied to the vehicle.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “There is a knocking noise coming from my engine. I also lose power when I turn corners or when I slow down and go again. The knocking noise is not very loud but I can hear with the windows down. I took the vehicle to Kia and they stated they couldnt replicate the issue. The engine was replaced for the same issue last year (2019).”

    NHTSA complaint #11382762, filed 2020-12, 55,000 miles

    “Noticed a knocking noise coming from my engine while idoling when trying to accelerate it seemed as though my car was losing power and the knocking noise was getting louderand faster. While breaking my engine would knock and my car would slightly jerk. I haven't drove my car in 4 days because it was acting this way on back roads, no way I'd trust it on a highway. Vehicle only has 90,000 miles.”

    NHTSA complaint #11220339, filed 2019-06, 90,000 miles
  2. Visibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)

    Panoramic sunroof glass shattering

    • 6 complaints (5%)
    • median 33,250 mi at 3.7 yrs old (6 state mileage, few)
    • filed 2015–2020

    Owners describe a loud bang, sometimes compared to a gunshot or a tire blowout, followed by glass falling into the cabin while driving or with the vehicle parked. The sunroof was closed in most accounts and owners say nothing struck the vehicle. Dealers generally replaced the glass or covered the opening, and in some cases the cause was not determined. Mostly reported at low mileage, from a few thousand to roughly 50,000 miles; several occurred on the highway.

    What to check: Inspect the sunroof glass for chips, cracks, or uneven fit and ask whether the panel has ever been replaced; note that glass breakage is often handled as an insurance or warranty matter rather than a campaign.

    2 excerpts from owner complaints in NHTSA records

    “While driving on the 91 freeway on saturday feb 28th the sunroof blew out almost causing an accident - don't have any reason why this happened nothing hit the car it just simply blew out and shattered glass all over the back seats and the cars driving behind me. I almost veered into the next lane and almost caused a major collision.”

    NHTSA complaint #10691787, filed 2015-03, 4,500 miles

    “On 8/26/17 my Kia was in the driveway parked the temperature outside was 69 degrees so it wasn't a hot day all of a sudden there was a loud boom, sounded like something exploded or a bomb went off there was nothing that hit the sunroof it just exploded for no reason, thank goodness I was not driving, I could have hurt someone on the road from the sound I would have panicked had I have been driving.”

    NHTSA complaint #11020123, filed 2017-08, 23,000 miles

Buying note. Have a pre-purchase inspection focus on engine oil consumption, noise, and any stored codes, and confirm which recalls and service campaigns have been completed for the specific vehicle. Service records showing regular oil checks and changes are worth asking for on this model year.

Summary written with AI from a sample of 60 NHTSA complaints for this model year (picked at random, with complaints that state a mileage and recent ones taken first), then checked automatically against the source records. Where a problem shows a complaint count, every complaint for this model year was matched with fixed keyword rules (written with AI and tested against the sample), and the mileage, age and repair figures are calculated from those complaints; owners' figures are as stated, not verified. Other counts refer to the sample. The excerpts come from NHTSA's public complaint records and are unverified; capitalisation is normalised, NHTSA staff notes are removed, and shortened text ends with “…”. Something wrong? Request a correction.

NHTSA recorded 125 consumer complaints for the 2014 Kia Sportage. 52 of the complaints include a mileage, and 27% of those were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the median is 79,500 miles. Of all complaints, 3 involved a crash, 1 a fire, 3 an injury, according to the filers. NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns and 181 technical service bulletins for this model year. Compared with the other 14 Kia Sportage model years that have at least 25 complaints and are old enough to compare, this one scores 28 out of 100, where 50 is a typical year for the model (fewer complaints than typical for this model). The comparison allows for the era and for how long each year has had to collect complaints, but not for how many vehicles were sold.

Which parts are reported most

Complaints can name more than one part, so the counts add up to more than the total. Select a part to see its complaints, recalls and bulletins.

Also reported: Suspension (3), Engine cooling (2), Electronic stability control (1), Equipment (1), Tires (1).

Example complaints

Engine: “I was driving down a highway going 70 MPH. All of a sudden my car engine starts revving high. So I start slowing down and its still revving high. So I pull over with my 2 kids in the car, and my car dies. I had my car towed 51 miles to my mechanics shop, and found out yesterday the engine is shot. I had no warning lights come on the dash, nothing wrong until it was too late. My oil was changed a month and 5 days prior to this.”

NHTSA complaint #11343149, filed 2020-08, 95,500 miles

Brakes: “My car won’t go up to speed and it keeps throwing out it’s the turbo boost sensor not only that I almost crashed when I pushed on the brakes a little bit”

NHTSA complaint #11533402, filed 2023-07

Other or unknown: “My Kia was parked in my driveway and on 21 june 2018 at approximately 10 pm.a loud pop like noise was heard from outside. On investigation we found hundreds of glass shards at the back of the car where the rear glass had spontaneously shattered.”

NHTSA complaint #11104579, filed 2018-06, 38,000 miles

Electrical system: “In researching my vehicle I came across a recall/investigation for Kia window regulators. My 2014 Sportage has had the same issue and the dealership told me 'my door panel is fried'. I do not have any issues with the drivers window...it can go up/down. The passenger side is functional less often than the rear windows which will at times get stuck half way or stuck down all together. I own a 2014, am the original owner - the issue is includes more than just the 2017 models. …”

NHTSA complaint #11508198, filed 2023-02

Mileage when problems were reported

27% of the 52 complaints with a mileage were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles; the middle half falls between 48,000 and 105,000 miles.

10%0–1010%10–258%25–5019%50–7521%75–10027%100–1506%150+
Share of complaints by mileage when the problem was reported, in thousands of miles (52 complaints with mileage). Red bars: under 50,000 miles. Bucket widths differ. Median: 79,500 miles.

Complaints by year filed

Trend: falling. Complaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

’14’16’18’20’2243’24’26
Complaints by year the complaint was filed with NHTSA. Red bars: the last 3 full calendar years used for the trend. The current year (2026) is partial.

Crash test ratings

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings for the 2014 Kia Sportage. Frontal results are shown driver / passenger; rollover shows the star rating and NHTSA's estimated risk of rolling over in a single-vehicle crash.

VersionOverallFrontalSideSide poleRollover
Sportage · SUV AWD★★★★★5 / 4554 · 15.5% risk
Sportage · SUV FWD★★★★☆5 / 4554 · 17.4% risk

Neighbouring years: 2013: same overall rating; 2015: same overall rating. A redesign between years can change both the car and the test.

Source: NHTSA New Car Assessment Program (5-Star Safety Ratings), nhtsa.gov/ratings.

Fuel economy and running cost

EPA ratings for each 2014 Kia Sportage version. Annual fuel cost is the EPA's estimate at its current fuel prices for 15,000 miles a year (55% city driving).

VersionEngineTransmissionCityHwyComb.Fuel / yr
Sportage 2WD2.0L 4-cyl6-speed automatic202623$2,900
Sportage 2WD2.4L 4-cyl6-speed automatic212823$2,900
Sportage 4WD2.0L 4-cyl6-speed automatic192421$3,200
Sportage 4WD2.4L 4-cyl6-speed automatic192622$3,050

Source: U.S. EPA and Department of Energy, fueleconomy.gov. Ratings are for comparing vehicles; real-world mileage varies with driving and conditions.

Recalls and investigations

Recall details for the 2014 Kia Sportage → · Check a VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls

NHTSA investigations

Technical service bulletins

TSBs are manufacturer notes to dealers about known repair procedures. They are not recalls and do not by themselves mean a vehicle has a fault. 181 on record; the latest 10 are shown.

See all 181 bulletins →

Other model years of the Kia Sportage

YearComplaintsMedian miRecallsCrash ★MPGScore (50 = typical)Trend
2026281,0601528Too new to compareToo new
20255517,5001528Too new to compareToo new
20247522,5003528Too new to compareToo new
202319326,8876528100 · MoreToo new
20224633,000152647 · TypicalRising
20215453,000252649 · TypicalRising
202016613,0002526100 · MoreRising
20197132,000252543 · TypicalRising
201816518,400352590 · MoreRising
201740455,0004525100 · MoreRising
201613460,00024–52343 · TypicalFalling
201514675,00024–52345 · TypicalFalling
201412579,50034–52328 · FewerFalling
201338198,00034–52455 · TypicalFalling
201239297,75054–52480 · MoreFalling
201118178,0006—2490 · MoreRising
20102076,2972—22—Rising
20098064,5003—2248 · TypicalFalling
20089880,5003—2150 · TypicalStable
20077769,0002—21Not compared (before 2008)Stable
200611172,0001—22Not compared (before 2008)Falling
20056878,6003—22Not compared (before 2008)Falling
200223459,7641—19Not compared (before 2008)Stable
200122865,5000—18Not compared (before 2008)Stable
200030470,8382—19Not compared (before 2008)Falling
199928478,0003—19Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199830380,0003—19Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199718182,5003—18Not compared (before 2008)Stable
19965779,0003—19Not compared (before 2008)Stable
199556111,5002—19Not compared (before 2008)Stable

All Kia Sportage model years · Best and worst years by complaints

Frequently asked questions

What are the most common problems with the 2014 Kia Sportage?

Owner complaints for this model year center overwhelmingly on the engine: owners describe oil consumption, knocking, stalling, and in many cases a seized engine that had to be replaced, often at mileages between roughly 50,000 and 130,000. The issues reported most often: Engine knocking, oil loss and seizure; Panoramic sunroof glass shattering.

How many NHTSA complaints does the 2014 Kia Sportage have?

NHTSA recorded 125 consumer complaints for the 2014 Kia Sportage as of Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

What part of the 2014 Kia Sportage is reported most often?

Engine is named most often, in 73 complaints (58% of the total), followed by brakes with 24.

Has the 2014 Kia Sportage been recalled?

NHTSA lists 3 recall campaigns for this model year. To check a specific vehicle, enter its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.

How did the 2014 Kia Sportage do in NHTSA crash tests?

NHTSA's 5-Star Safety Ratings give the 2014 Kia Sportage 4–5 out of 5 stars overall, across 2 rated versions (body style and drive). Ratings from different model years are only comparable when the vehicle was not redesigned in between.

What gas mileage does the 2014 Kia Sportage get?

The EPA rates the 2014 Kia Sportage (Sportage 2WD, 2.0L 4-cyl) at 23 mpg combined, 20 city and 26 highway, with an estimated annual fuel cost of $2,900 at 15,000 miles a year. Other engine and drive versions are rated differently.

At what mileage are problems with the 2014 Kia Sportage reported?

Among the 52 complaints that include a mileage, the median is 79,500 miles and the middle half falls between 48,000 and 105,000 miles; 27% were filed for vehicles with under 50,000 miles.

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate. Crash ratings are from NHTSA’s New Car Assessment Program. Fuel economy is from the EPA and DOE (fueleconomy.gov).

Complaint counts come from NHTSA’s public complaint database; we count each complaint once. The source records for this vehicle are on nhtsa.gov. Scores and trends are our own summaries of that data, described in the methodology. This page is not legal, safety or repair advice: for a specific vehicle, check its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls and ask a qualified mechanic. See an error? Tell us.