10.0

really awful
Crashes / Fires:
0 / 0
Injuries / Deaths:
4 / 0
Average Mileage:
60,000 miles

About These NHTSA Complaints:

This data is from the NHTSA — the US gov't agency tasked with vehicle safety. Complaints are spread across multiple & redundant categories, & are not organized by problem.

So how do you find out what problems are occurring? For this NHTSA complaint data, the only way is to read through the comments below. Any duplicates or errors? It's not us.

1998 Kia Sportage fuel system problems

fuel system problem

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1998 Kia Sportage Owner Comments

problem #2

May 302013

Sportage

  • 60,000 miles

A D V E R T I S E M E N T S

This is a repeat of confirmation no. 10514519, but with "was there an injury or fatality? marked "yes" above. Driver and passenger scalded with boiling radiator fluid with foot on pedal, had to keep foot on petal to get off road. On May 30, 2013, at approx. 4:30pm edt, I was driving my 1998 Kia Sportage on the garden state parkway North, just after entering the highway at exit 98 in wall, NJ. The air conditioner had not been working well. The local temperature was in the high 90S, near 100 degrees. I had a passenger in the front passenger seat. Suddenly, anti-freeze smoke came out of the dashboard vents, then, hot scalding anti-freeze began falling on my right foot as it was on the accelerator pedal. At the same time, the front-seat passenger was also getting scalded. In my case, I sustained a 1st to 2nd degree burn on my right small (pinky) toe, which was blistered. It was fortunate that I was able to get off at the monmouth service area at milepost 100 of the garden state parkway in wall, NJ. My view is that this is a serious safety issue caused by design oversight, not merely a maintenance issue on a old car. For example, if a heater core breaks and does not heat, that is a maintenance problem. However, if it breaks and an unexpected driver gets hurt, and compounded, loses control of the vehicle, and moreover, has to put his foot back onto the accelerator pedal to control the car in a hot-liquid stream, this is an unacceptable safety condition due to failure to safely contain hot liquids.

- Howell, NJ, USA

problem #1

May 302013

Sportage 4-cyl

  • 60,000 miles
Driver and passenger scalded with boiling radiator fluid with foot on pedal, had to keep foot on petal to get off road on May 30, 2013, at approx. 4:30 pm edt, I was driving my 1998 Kia Sportage on the garden state parkway North, just after entering the highway at exit 98 in wall, NJ. The air conditioner had not been working well. The local temperature was in the high 90S, near 100 degrees. I had a passenger in the front passenger seat. Suddenly, anti-freeze smoke came out of the dashboard vents, then, hot scalding anti-freeze began falling on my right foot as it was on the accelerator pedal. At the same time, the front-seat passenger was also getting scalded. In my case, I sustained a 1st to 2nd degree burn on my right small (pinky) toe, which was blistered. It was fortunate that I was able to get off at the monmouth service area at milepost 100 in wall, NJ. My view is that this is a serious safety issue caused by design oversight, not merely a maintenance issue on a old car. For example, if a heater core breaks and does not heat, that is a maintenance problem. However, if it breaks and an unexpected driver gets hurt, and compounded, loses control of the vehicle, and moreover, has to put his foot back onto the accelerator pedal to control the car in a hot-liquid stream, this is an unacceptable safety condition due to failure to safely contain hot liquids.

- Howell, NJ, USA

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