2001 Kia Sportage Recalls
No NHTSA recalls on record for the 2001 Kia Sportage. That means NHTSA has no open safety campaign for this vehicle — it does not guarantee the absence of problems. Owners have filed 354 complaints with NHTSA, most often about the fuel system, gasoline. Last updated July 5, 2026.
Complaints by component
What owners report
Verbatim reports filed with NHTSA, lightly edited for readability and with personal information removed.
“I bought the car 2 weeks after I left dealer started noticing a smell of gas though was. Because just put gas in .then when turned on heat smell would get worse ! A few days ago went to fill gas and a lot gas over.filled onto ground not able to figure out why the smell gas so strong inside car…”
“I bought the car 2 weeks after I left dealer started noticing a smell of gas though was. Because just put gas in .then when turned on heat smell would get worse ! A few days ago went to fill gas and a lot gas over.filled onto ground not able to figure out why the smell gas so strong inside car…”
“Bought this vehicle with only 11k miles from an elderly couple that hardly drove it. Now at 21k miles, there is a gas smell coming inside the vehicle and also outside of the vehicle. Has a rough idle and gas spews out of tank while I'm pumping gas. The front passenger tire sounds like it's about…”
“Bought this vehicle with only 11k miles from an elderly couple that hardly drove it. Now at 21k miles, there is a gas smell coming inside the vehicle and also outside of the vehicle. Has a rough idle and gas spews out of tank while I'm pumping gas. The front passenger tire sounds like it's about…”
“Bought this vehicle with only 11k miles from an elderly couple that hardly drove it. Now at 21k miles, there is a gas smell coming inside the vehicle and also outside of the vehicle. Has a rough idle and gas spews out of tank while I'm pumping gas. The front passenger tire sounds like it's about…”
“Tl* the contact owns a 2001 kia sportage. While driving at approximately 20 mph, the vehicle begin to shake, the brake warning indicator illuminated, and the brakes failed. The vehicle was towed to an independent mechanic where it was diagnosed that the frame was corroded and needed to be…”
“Just purchased this car for my teen...when filling gas tank it begins to spew out onto him . Are the person filling the tank.also a bad smell of fumes inside of car,,,,please help the problem....*js”
“The rear part of the frame just behind the rear suspension rusts from water thrown up by the tires. While this might not normally be a danger unless you were towing, on this model it's where the frame connects to the wheels below to stabilize the frame over the suspension, without this support it…”
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…
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…
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…
SEAT BELT BUCKLE FALSE LATCH/MALFUNCTION
INFORMATION RECEIVED AND ANALYZED DURING THIS RQ DISCLOSED THAT MY 1999 AND 2000 KIA SEPHIA AND SPORTAGE VEHICLES WERE EQUIPPED WITH MODIFIED VERSIONS OF THE SAME SAFETY BELT LATCH ASSEMBLY AS THOSE RECALLED IN CAMPAIGN NO. 02V-216.THESE LATCH ASSEMBLIES WERE IDENTIFIED AS TYPE A97. ODI ANALYSES INDICATE A CONTINUING…
Recall, complaint, and investigation records from official NHTSA datasets (FLAT_RCL, FLAT_CMPL, FLAT_INV), synced weekly. Counts reflect NHTSA records for the 2001 Kia Sportage as of July 5, 2026. Complaint narratives are consumer-submitted and unverified. This page contains ads and affiliate links. Full methodology.