While sitting in the vehicle, stationary in a parking lot talking with my wife, the airbags deployed.
The worst 1997 Kia Sportage problems
Ranked by number of owner complaints. Mileage and cost come from what owners wrote.
Problems by type
Tap a problem to see which part fails, at what mileage and in which other years.
- Engine56
- Airbags39
- Transmission25
- Acceleration22
- Electrical21
- Brakes19
- Fuel system18
- Body10
- Visibility9
- Locks7
- Suspension7
- Seat belts6
- Steering6
- Lights4
- Tires4
- Wheels2
- Seats1
Specific symptoms reported on the 1997 Kia Sportage
Stalling 34Check engine light 14No deployment 13Grinding brakes 5Fire or smoke 5Sudden acceleration 5
Recalls 3
Seat belts: front: buckle assembly
- What is wrong
- On certain passenger vehicles, the safety belt buckle may "false latch" and expose the driver to unrestrained movement during a crash.
- Risk
- In the event of a crash, the seat occupant may not be properly restrained, increasing the risk of personal injury.
- Remedy
- Owner notification began december 20, 2002. Owners who take their vehicles to an authorized dealer on an agreed upon service date and do not receive the free remedy within a reasonable time should contact kia at 1‑800‑333‑4542.
Recall number 02V216000 · Recall details
Electrical system: wiring
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: sport utility vehicles. The wires connected to the c123 and c124 connectors can be put under tension by movement of the engine, thus pulling the wires and connectors, loosening them and resulting in a loss of circuit continuity.
- Risk
- This condition can cause engine stalling, increasing the risk of a crash.
- Remedy
- Dealers will install spring clips to lock the connectors together. In addition, the dealers will be instructed to solder a splice in the wire harness.
Recall number 99V325000 · Recall details
Latches/locks/linkages: hatchback/liftgate: lock
- What is wrong
- Vehicle description: passenger vehicles. A microswitch on the rear hatch lock cylinder can malfunction causing the power door locks to unlock inadvertently.
- Risk
- Should this occur, security from unwanted intrusion into the vehicle is lost.
- Remedy
- Dealers will modify the rear hatch door unlock circuit.
Recall number 97V234000 · Recall details
See all 3 recalls for the 1997 Kia Sportage
Defect investigations
Fuel tank leakage
A safety-related defect trend has not been identified at this time.review of the warranty data revealed elevated tank leakage experience in vehicles produced from june 1999 to october 2000.analysis of complaints and warranty claims identified multiple causes and origins of fuel tank assembly leakage.the majority of complaints involve non-specific allegations of fuel leakage where more than one fuel system component was replaced.odi's analysis focused on leaks occurring on the underside of the tank due to corrosive failure caused by disruption of the protective pvc coating.the analysisindicates that such leaks are rare and do not show evidence of an increasing trend. Accordingly, this investigation is closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that a safety-related defect does not exist.the agency will take further action if warranted by the circumstances. See document file for additional information regarding this resume.
EA06007
Engine stalling post-recall
Rq02-013 was opened to assess the scope and adequacy of recall 99v‑325, which involved modifications to the engine fuel injection wire harness (harness).vehicles produced after the recall population have shown no signs of a defect trend.the majority of recall remedy failures identified were repaired within one day of the initial work.subsequent failure experience is minimal (249/55,548 vehicles remedied).field data show no indication of an ongoing concern: of 627 post-recall stalling-related wire harness warranty repairs, only seven occurred in 2003.consumer complaints and fuel injection wire harness saleshave declined since 2001.odi has received a total of twelve potentially relevant consumer complaints since 2001.under these circumstances, further expenditure of agency resources is not justified.the recall query is therefore closed.the closing of this investigation does not constitute a finding by the federal safety agency that no safety-related defect exists.the agency will take further action in the future if circumstances warrant.
RQ02013
Safety belt buckle malfunction
By letter dated august 25, 2002, kia advised the federal safety agency that the subject vehicles will be recalled.specific corrective action to be taken by kia has not been reported to the federal safety agency at this time.the safety recall program has been assigned campaign no. 02v‑216.
PE02051
Check engine light stays on
A monthly Technical Times published by Kia and distributed to dealer technicians identifying a wiring harness problem that could cause connectors C123 and C124 to pull apart slightly during engine load changes.This could lead to erratic or tempory loss
SQ99021
Technical service bulletins for the 1997 Kia Sportage 10
Bulletins tell dealers how to fix known problems. A warranty extension means the manufacturer pays for that repair for longer.
- Information for headlamp condensation and moisture
- Pitstop - engine component re-use guidelines
- Mandatory replacement of locking/security hardware
- Mandatory replacement of locking/security hardware
- Kia: all models. article provides information relating to the improved durability of bulb life for rear...
- Fuel tank replacement under repair benefit program
- Fuel pump relays & emissions failures
- Recall campaign 027 to replace front seat belt buckles
- This bulletin provided information related to recall campaign 027 to replace the front seat belt buckles
- Subject regarding steering knuckle replacement
1997 Kia Sportage fuel economy
Official EPA estimates in miles per gallon (MPGe for electric). Ranges cover trims that share the same engine.
| Engine | Drive | City | Highway | Combined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.0L 4‑cyl | 4WD | 17 | 20-21 | 18-19 |
| 2.0L 4‑cyl | RWD | 17 | 20 | 18 |
What 1997 Kia Sportage owners say
Most recent owner complaints, unedited.
Fuel tank is leaking
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 kia sportage. When the vehicle was stationary, the air bags deployed unexpectedly while the driver and passenger seats were occupied. There were no injuries. The vehicle was towed to kia of wilmington (1603 pennsylvania ave, wilmington, de 19806, (302) 656-3100) where the contact was informed that the vehicle was too old to diagnosed why the air bags deployed. The vehicle was not repaired. The manufacturer was made aware of the failure. The failure mileage was 176,620. *bp
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 kia sportage. While the vehicle was stopped, the driver's side air bag deployed without warning or impact. There were no injuries. The vehicle was not taken to a dealer to be diagnosed or repaired. The manufacturer was notified and stated that they would open a case for the contact. The failure mileage was approximately 160,000.
While driving down highway when approximately at 55mph engine will stall. Slow down and stop without warning. Most of the time I can turn engine off restart run it thru all of the gears and it will be fine for awhile unless on bumpy road or stop warning bumps in the road. I can not fill gas tank up due to it leaking out under vehicle refrase that pour out. It will also vibrate really bad after being drove for over 2 hours straight. Please help me to resolve these problems before it causes a injury or death.
Tl* the contact owns a 1997 kia sportage. The contact stated that while driving in reverse, the driver's side air bags erroneously deployed from the steering wheel and from under the steering wheel area. The lower air bag struck the contact in the hip area and the steering wheel air bag struck the contact in the face, causing minor injuries. The manufacturer was not made aware of the failure. The vehicle was not repaired. The failure and current mileage was 125,226.
The design of the protective shield for the fuel tank allowed sand and pebbles to accumulate to the extent that I started noticing fuel vapors. The vehicle is housed in a garage, so I raised a window to help dissipate the vapors. In a few days, fuel was dripping from the leaks in the tank. I applied a putty product in june, 2006, which helped for several months. Then it started again. I re-applied putty in august, 2007. Then again in july, 2008, with two different (permanent?) products that have not worked, yet. The tank still leaks.
1997 kia sportage have a defective fuel tank. Consumer states that she received a notice after the repair to the fuel tank was done and would like to be reimbursed for the repair work. *nj the consumer stated prior to the repair, she smelled gas and there was gas on the garage floor. It was determined the gas tank was leaking
A few years back I started smelling gas. So my father in law and uncle took a look at it and it yep you got a gas leak. So they tried to patch it several times and nothing has seemed to work. So back in february I received a letter from kia stating a repair benefit notification about my gas tank leaking. So a few weeks ago I called a kia dealer and made an appointment for them to look at my tank. After a hour drive and a forty minute wait they tell me that my kia does not meet the requirements for kia to fix my tank. So I come home and the next I check my tank and it is obvious to anyone that my kia is leaking gas. I called kia motors and they went to tell me that since my 10 year warranty expired in 2007 that they could do nothing for me. But what makes no sense is that they didn't send out my letter until 2008. I have a 7 month old that is in my kia daily, so I asked the customer service rep. From kia motors, what if my kia somehow catches on fire and I am not able to get to my child quick enough, and something bad happens. He told me that all repairs made to the tank would be my responsibility no matter what, and that kia would not fix or replace my tank.
Tl* - the contact owns a 1997 kia sportage. The vehicle was overheating. The contact said that the used car dealer replaced the radiator and the main hose. The vehicle continued to overheat, and when diagnosed ,the contact was told the overheating was due to the clutch overheating and the fan sticking. The contact didn't think that transmission oil was circulating throughout the vehicle properly. There were no warning indicator lights. The vehicle currently will not start. The dealer was no longer in business.
Compare the 1997 Kia Sportage
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Other model years
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Questions about the 1997 Kia Sportage
Is the 1997 Kia Sportage reliable?
Owners have filed 181 complaints about the 1997 Kia Sportage, 1.4 times a typical Sportage model year.
What is the most common problem with the 1997 Kia Sportage?
Engine and cooling, with 56 complaints. Next is airbags (39).
How many recalls does the 1997 Kia Sportage have?
3 recalls, covering seat belts, electrical system and latches/locks/linkages.
What year does the Kia Sportage have bad engine?
The Kia Sportage model years with the most engine complaints are 2012 (330 complaints), 2013 (313 complaints) and 2017 (230 complaints).
What gas mileage does the 1997 Kia Sportage get?
Official estimates for the 1997 Kia Sportage range from 18 to 19 mpg combined. The most efficient version (2.0L 4-cyl, 4WD) gets 17 city and 20-21 highway.
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