YearToAvoid

2007 Kia Sportage Problems, Recalls & Reliability

Verdict

Best

Complaint Index

15/100

#18 most-complained of 21 Sportage years

Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology

The 2007 Kia Sportage has 77 owner complaints and 2 safety recalls on file with NHTSA. Its Complaint Index is 15 out of 100 — #18 highest of 21 Sportage model years (verdict: Best). The most reported problem area is electrical system (25 complaints, 32% of the total). Complaints report 10 crashes, 5 fires, and 8 injuries.

Complaints
77
Recalls
2
Crashes / fires
10 / 5
Injuries / deaths
8 / 0
NHTSA overall rating
Not rated
EPA combined MPG
21
19 city / 24 hwy

Top 2007 Kia Sportage problems

NHTSA owner complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.

  1. Electrical System25 (32%)
  2. Brakes18 (23%)
  3. Engine17 (22%)
  4. Airbags13 (17%)
  5. Steering10 (13%)
  6. Structure & Body6 (8%)
  7. Seat Belts5 (6%)
  8. Suspension, Wheels & Tires5 (6%)
  9. Transmission & Powertrain3 (4%)
  10. Fuel System2 (3%)
2007 Kia Sportage complaints: complaints filed per quarter62007 Q32009 Q22011 Q32013 Q22015 Q12016 Q42018 Q42021 Q3
106 complaints filed with NHTSA from 2007 Q3 to 2025 Q3; peak 2011 Q4 (6).

2007 Kia Sportage recalls

2 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.

  1. NHTSA 13V114000Apr 1, 2013Electrical System980,377 vehicles

    Exterior lighting:brake lights:switch

    Kia Motors Corporation (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2007-2010 Rondo, model year 2007-2011 Sedona, Sorento and Sportage, model year 2010-2011 Soul, model year 2008-2011 Optima, model year 2010 Forte, model year 2007-2009 Amanti, and model year 2009 Borrego vehicles. Originally, in April 2013, Kia recalled 623,658 model year 2007-2010 Rondo and Sportage, model year 2007-2011 Sorento, model year 2007 Sedona, model year 2010-2011 Soul, and model year 2011 Optima vehicles. In September 2013, Kia informed the agency that it was adding an additional 356,719 vehicles to this campaign. The total number of vehicles being recalled is now 980,377. In the affected vehicles, the stop lamp switch may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause an inability to deactivate the cruise control by depressing the brake pedal. Additionally, a malfunctioning stop lamp switch may also result in intermittent operation of the push-button start feature, affect the operation of the brake-transmission shift interlock feature preventing the shifter from being moved out of the PARK position and cause the Electronic Stability Control (ESC) malfunction light to illuminate.

    Risk: Failure to illuminate the stop lamps during braking or inability to disengage the cruise control could increase the risk of a crash. Additionally, when the ignition is in the 'ON' position, the transmission shifter may be able to be moved out of PARK without first applying the brake. This may lead to unintentional movement of the car which may increase the risk of a crash.

    Remedy: Kia will send an interim notification to owners in May 2013. When parts are available, owners will receive a second notification and dealers will replace the stop lamp switch, free of charge. Owners may contact Kia at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's recall campaign number is SC098.

  2. NHTSA 09V130000Apr 17, 2009Electrical System139,844 vehicles

    Exterior lighting:brake lights:switch

    Huyndai-kia is recalling 139,844 my 2006-2007- sedona, sportage, sorento and my rondo and amanti vehicles. The stop lamp switch in the affected vehicles may malfunction. A malfunctioning stop lamp switch may cause the brake lights to not illuminate when the brake pedal is depressed or may cause the brake lights to remain illuminated when the brake pedal is released. A stop lamp switch malfunction may also affect the operation of the brake-transmission shift interlock feature so the transmission shifter would not be able to be shifted out of the park position. It may also cause the electronic stability control (esc) malfunction light to illuminate, and it may not deactivate the cruise control when the brake pedal is depressed.

    Risk: Any of these malfunctions, alone or in combination, may lead to a crash.

    Remedy: Dealers will replace the stop lamp switch free of charge. The recall began on june 17, 2009. Owners may contact kia's consumer assistance center at 1-800-333-4542.

2007 Kia Sportage fuel economy and fuel cost

City
19 MPG
Highway
24 MPG
Combined
21 MPG
Annual fuel cost (EPA)
$3,100
15,000 mi/yr
Fuel
Regular
Current regular gas
$4.32/gal
national avg.

EPA figures; median across configurations of this model year. Estimate your own cost with the fuel cost calculator.

2007 compared with other Sportage years

Complaint Index by model year (0 = fewest issues, 100 = most)0255075100’05’06’07’08’09’10’11’12’13’14’15’16’17’18’19’20’21’22’23’24’25
Complaint Index: 0 = fewest issues, 100 = most, relative to other years of this model. Avoid Caution Good Best
YearVerdictIndexComplaintsRecallsMPG
2005Best068321
2006Best10111121
2007Best1577221
2008Good3598321
2009Good4580321

All Kia Sportage years: best and worst →

Frequently asked questions

Is the 2007 Kia Sportage a reliable year?
Judged by NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2007 Kia Sportage ranks #18 of 21 among Sportage model years (Complaint Index 15/100, verdict: Best). It has 77 complaints and 2 recalls on file. This reflects reported safety-related problems, not an overall reliability rating.
What are the most common problems with the 2007 Kia Sportage?
The most reported problem areas are electrical system (25 complaints), brakes (18 complaints), and engine (17 complaints). The median mileage at the time of failure in complaints that report it is 69,000 miles.
Does the 2007 Kia Sportage have any recalls?
Yes — NHTSA lists 2 recall campaigns for the 2007 Kia Sportage, most recently reported 2013, covering electrical system.
What is the fuel economy of the 2007 Kia Sportage?
EPA rates the 2007 Kia Sportage at 21 MPG combined (19 city / 24 highway), with an estimated annual fuel cost of $3,100. Where several configurations exist, the median is shown.

Sources: NHTSA Office of Defects Investigation complaint and recall databases; U.S. EPA fuel economy data; NHTSA 5-Star Safety Ratings. Complaints are unverified owner reports.

Data updated Sep 24, 2026. Read the methodology and data sources. The Complaint Index is based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls; it is not a reliability rating.