Kia Sportage Years to SKIP - and the Years That Last Forever!

Some Kia Sportage years are going to last forever, while others are worth skipping at any price. Shopping for a used Sportage, the wrong year can hand you a $6,000 engine bill. Cheap Sportages look like smart buys, but those years are hiding the worst engines of all. Let's start with the years that are going to test your patience and drain your wallet. 3. 2012 Kia Sportage Picture merging onto a busy highway when the engine suddenly goes silent. No power, no warning, and traffic closing in behind you. That exact scenario is sitting at the top of the 2012 complaint list. Car Complaints is ranking this as the worst Sportage model year on its entire site. The records are showing 491 complaints, 5 recalls, and 40 engine problem entries. The leading issue? The engine stopping while driving. The financial damage is just as harsh. Owners are reporting an average repair bill of about $5,600 for that stalling problem. It's typically arriving at around 88,000 miles. That's exactly where most used buyers are going to find these SUVs. Excessive engine noise is adding another $5,200 repair to the list. The root of the trouble is the Theta II engine family. Kia's recall covered certain 2011-2013 Sportage models with inspections and full engine replacements. Later, Kia added its knock sensor detection system to catch connecting rod bearing wear early. A low sticker price is going to make the 2012 tempting. But that price is hiding a risk that can erase every dollar you're saving. Therefore, any 2012 is going to need a VIN recall check and full service records. Proof of engine work is going to matter just as much. The 2012 is at least showing its flaws in plain sight. But the next year is hiding a similar danger behind a genuinely enjoyable drive. 2. 2017 Kia Sportage Few things are more disappointing than loving a vehicle on the test drive. Then, a few months later, it starts burning oil. That's the trap the 2017 Sportage is setting. On the surface, this SUV is winning people over. Owners keep praising its sharp styling, comfortable cabin, and responsive handling. Testers were also applauding its conventional automatic transmission. But under the hood, a very different story is unfolding. This is the model year with most complaints, 577 and 4 recalls for 2017. That's the highest total of any year in this video. Another NHTSA-based dataset is ranking it as the highest complaint Sportage year as well. The two biggest problems are excessive oil consumption and outright engine failure. The first one is averaging around $5,800 to fix. The second one is climbing to roughly $6,000. Topping off oil every few hundred miles is going to get old fast. Worse, it's usually a warning that something bigger is coming. Therefore, a bargain 2017 can quickly become one of the costliest compact SUVs you'll ever own. Still found one that feels right? Then, the paperwork is going to matter more than the drive. Look for oil consumption testing, documented engine work, completed recalls, and regular oil changes. Without that proof, the smart move is walking away. The 2017 is easy to flag once you know its numbers. But our number one pick is looking like the fix, not the problem. 1. 2013 Kia Sportage Many shoppers are going to assume a second model year is always safer. The early bugs are supposedly gone, and the kinks are supposedly ironed out. But the 2013 Sportage is proving that logic wrong. This year is carrying 466 complaints, 23 engine problem entries, and three recalls. Its complaint count is lower than 2012 and 2017. But its failures are just as severe. The top reports are dying while driving in blown engines. That's not a squeaky dashboard or a glitchy screen. That's a vehicle losing power at the worst possible moment. The same Theta 2 engine campaign is covering the 2013 Model 2. Therefore, the most important question isn't about paint or mileage. It's about which engine is sitting under the hood, and it's about whether that engine was already replaced. That's exactly what makes the 2013 so dangerous. It's looking cleaner than the 2012 and cheaper than the 2017. Therefore, it's easy to talk yourself into one. But newer models are selling at fair prices. So this gamble is simply not going to pay off. Those three years are costing owners thousands. But Kia clearly learned from them, which brings us to the years worth your money. Now, let's switch gears to the Sportage years that are going to keep running for decades. 3. 2019 Kia Sportage Most used SUV shoppers are stuck between two frustrations. Newer models are costing too much while older ones are carrying too many unknowns. The 2019 Sportage is landing right between those two problems. It's offering the fourth-generation Sportage experience without the premium of a nearly new SUV. It's also sitting deep enough into its generation to come with years of real owner feedback. That means fewer surprises after you drive it home. The complaint count is showing 74 entries, with engine issues making up an important share. But compared to the hundreds piling up for 2012, 2013, and 2017, this number is dramatically lower. There's one condition, though. The 2019 is carrying two recalls, covering a potential engine compartment fire risk and a tow hitch electrical problem. One of those campaigns is affecting a large number of Kia vehicles. Therefore, a VIN check is going to be non-negotiable. Ask for a proper pre-purchase inspection. Low oil between changes is often the first sign of trouble. Therefore, checking the dipstick is going to tell you more than any sales pitch. Watch for warning lights and review the maintenance history, too. A pristine, well-documented 2019 is going to beat a neglected newer Sportage every single time. The 2019 is delivering strong value, but it's still carrying a fair share of complaints. If you want fewer, the next year is cutting them by more than half. 2. 2021 Kia Sportage Buying a five-year-old SUV usually means one uncomfortable choice. You're either overpaying for something newer or gambling on something older. The 2021 Sportage is removing a big part of that gamble. By 2021, the mechanical package was already well-established. Therefore, buyers are avoiding the classic risk of a first-year, all-new model. In return, they're getting a relaxed driving experience and useful passenger space. They're also getting strong equipment for the price. Like the 2019, it's carrying two recalls tied to engine compartment fire risk and a tow hitch electrical issue. But a recall is not a verdict. It's simply a reason to confirm the work was completed. The sweet spot? A well-maintained 2021 priced meaningfully below a comparable 2022. At this age, service records are going to be worth far more than a lower sticker price. The 2021 is quite unaffordable, but it's still one step short of the top. That spot is going to the year that closed the generation. 1. 2022 Kia Sportage Nobody wants to be the test subject for a brand-new design. First-year models often arrive with problems engineers haven't found yet. The 2022 Sportage is sidestepping that risk completely. As the final year of its generation, it's benefiting from years of real-world refinement. Kia and its dealers had plenty of time to spot recurring issues and fix them. Therefore, this SUV is arriving with a proven mechanical package, not an experiment. The numbers are backing that up. NHTSA-derived data is showing roughly 46 complaints, while Consumer Reports is listing just one recall. That's a sharp contrast with the hundreds of complaints stacking up for the problem years. Snowy driveways and rain-soaked backroads are going to feel far less stressful here. That's thanks to available all-wheel drive. You're also getting a modern interior and a conventional automatic transmission on gasoline versions. But it's not flawless. Some owners are reporting infotainment screens freezing or going blank. Therefore, testing the electronics, air conditioning, and power accessories is going to be time well spent. Find one with clean oil change records, no accident history, and completed recalls. At that point, you're going to be looking at the strongest-used Sportage on the market. The pattern is impossible to ignore. The 2012 is stalling on the road and topping car complaints' worst-year ranking. The 2017 is hiding oil consumption and engine failure behind a great driving experience. The 2013 is sharing the same Theta 2 risks, making it the most deceptive choice of all. But the tide is turning later in the generation. The 2019 is delivering strong value with a manageable recall history. The 2021 is keeping complaints remarkably low at a friendlier price. And the 2022 is closing the generation as the most refined Sportage of the group. Whichever year you choose, a VIN check and an independent inspection are going to protect you most. With the right model year choice, the Sportage is clearly one of the better options on the market, considering the price and everything it gives in return. But the used market has a few more very good alternatives. Starting with the Mazda CX-5, you can check out in our next video. It's stylish, upscale, and fun to drive, but it's very important to pick the right year to enjoy the full experience of this engaging SUV.