2008 Kia Sportage Reliability Data: Problems & Recalls
Caution The 2008 Kia Sportage has a Complaint Index of 35 and ranks 14th out of 21 model years, earning a Caution verdict capped because of a park-outside fire recall. Electrical system problems, mainly HECU-related fires, dominate the 98 complaints filed.
Based on NHTSA complaints per model-year, not a reliability rating. Methodology
YearToAvoid Scorecard
- Complaint Index
- 35/100
- #14 of 21 Sportage years
- Verdict
- Caution
- vs. other years of this model
- Complaints
- 98
- unique NHTSA reports
- Recalls
- 3
- 1 Park Outside
- Crashes
- 2
- reported in complaints
- Fires
- 24
- Injuries
- 5
- Top issue
- Electrical System
- NHTSA overall rating
- Not rated
- EPA combined MPG
- 21
- 19 city / 24 hwy
- Injuries / deaths
- 5 / 0
Top 2008 Kia Sportage problems
Share of this year’s NHTSA complaints by component group. Groups with 15+ complaints have their own page.
- Electrical System33 (34%)
- Brakes28 (29%)
- Engine22 (22%)
- Structure & Body15 (15%)
- Transmission & Powertrain12 (12%)
- Suspension, Wheels & Tires7 (7%)
- Airbags5 (5%)
- Other3 (3%)
- Fuel System2 (2%)
- Visibility & Wipers2 (2%)
A complaint can list more than one component, so shares add up to more than 100%. Shares are % of complaints.
What owners report
- Owners report sparks and burning smells coming from tail light wiring while driving around 35 mph.
- Vehicles have caught fire in the engine compartment near the ABS pump or Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit, sometimes while parked and not running.
- Some fires started hours after the car was parked in a driveway or parking lot, with smoke coming from under the hood.
- Dash warning lights for ABS, ESC, traction control, and brakes came on together, sometimes linked to a wheel speed sensor code.
- Airbags did not deploy in at least one reported side-impact crash that totaled the vehicle.
2008 Kia Sportage recalls
3 NHTSA recall campaigns list this model year.
- NHTSA 22V800000Oct 24, 2022Brakes71,704 vehiclesPark Outside
Service brakes, hydraulic:antilock/traction control/electronic limited slip:control unit/module
Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2008-2009 Sportage vehicles previously recalled under recall 16V-815. An engine compartment fire originating from around the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) may occur while parked or driving.
Risk: A fire increases the risk of injury.
Remedy: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures and other vehicles until the recall repair has been performed. Dealers will inspect and replace the HECU, its wiring harness, and its fuses, as necessary, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed December 22, 2022. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC253.
- NHTSA 16V815000Nov 10, 2016Electrical System71,704 vehicles
Electrical system:wiring
Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain model year 2008-2009 Kia Sportage vehicles manufactured August 9, 2007, to May 13, 2009. The wire harness cover on the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) may be improperly sealed allowing water to get onto the HECU circuit board. If the water is contaminated with salt, such as could occur from melted snow, the wire harness connector pins may corrode and the circuit board may short circuit.
Risk: If the HECU short circuits, there is an increased risk of an engine compartment fire.
Remedy: Kia will notify owners, and dealers will inspect the connector pins for corrosion, if no corrosion is found, the connector cover will be replaced. If corrosion is present, the dealer will replace the HECU assembly and the connector cover, free of charge. The recall began on November 28, 2016. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC138.
- 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.
2008 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.
2008 compared with other Sportage years
Frequently asked questions
- Is the 2008 Kia Sportage reliable?
- Based on NHTSA owner complaints and recalls, the 2008 Sportage has a Complaint Index of 35 and ranks 14th out of 21 model years, a Caution rating relative to other Sportage years.
- Does the 2008 Kia Sportage have a recall for fires?
- Yes. NHTSA recall 22V800000 covers a park-outside warning for engine compartment fires linked to the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit, following an earlier 2016 recall (16V815000) for the same component.
- What is the top complaint area for the 2008 Kia Sportage?
- Electrical System complaints lead with 33 complaints, 34% of the total, and 16 reported fires, with a median failure mileage of 86,000 miles.
- How does the 2008 Sportage compare to other years?
- Its complaint index of 35 is worse than 2005, 2006, and 2007 (indexes of 0, 10, and 15) but better than 2012, 2013, 2017, 2020, 2023, and 2025, which all carry Avoid verdicts.