Problems · by component

1997 Kia Sportage engine and engine cooling problems

52 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 1997 Kia Sportage cite engine and engine cooling, 28% of all 187 complaints for this model year.

Complaints
52
28% of all complaints
Crashes
0
Reported by owners
Fires
1
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the engine and engine cooling

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“TL* - THE CONTACT OWNS A 1997 KIA SPORTAGE. THE VEHICLE WAS OVERHEATING. THE CONTACT SAID THAT THE USED CAR DEALER REPLACED THE RADIATOR AND THE MAIN HOSE. THE VEHICLE CONTINUED TO OVERHEAT, AND WHEN DIAGNOSED ,THE CONTACT WAS TOLD THE OVERHEATING WAS DUE TO THE CLUTCH OVERHEATING AND THE FAN STICKING. THE CONTACT DIDN'T THINK THAT TRANSMISSION OIL WAS CIRCULATING THROUGHOUT THE VEHICLE PROPERLY. THERE WERE NO WARNING INDICATOR LIGHTS. THE VEHICLE CURRENTLY WILL NOT START. THE DEALER WAS NO LONGER IN BUSINESS. *AK”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 9, 2007Engine and engine cooling, Power trainODI 10178267
“KIA REFUSES TO INCLUDE MY 1997 SPORTAGE EX 4WD IN RECALL FOR 1997 KIA SPORTAGES EX 4WD. RECALL 1CMP005 TO REPLACE THE ENGINE CONTROL MODULE (ECM) HAS NEVER BEEN PERFORMED. ALSO NOT SURE THAT RECALL 2CMP014 ON WIRING HAS BEEN PERFORMED. MY MAIN CONCERN AND THE REFUSAL FROM KIA IS ON THE ECM. *JB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 12, 2005Engine and engine coolingODI 10144954
“NHTSA CAMPAIGN 99V325000; KIA ISSUED AN ENGINE STALLING RECALL. THIS VEHICLE WAS NOT INCLUDED IN THE RECALL DUE TO VIN. HOWEVER, THE ENGINE STALLED, AND CHECK ENGINE LIGHT REMAINED ON. *AK”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Dec 30, 2004Engine and engine coolingODI 10105570
“THIS CAR IS ABSOLUTELY UNSAFE TO DRIVE; AT ANY MOMENT IT MAY STALL DUE TO THE FAULTY ELECTRICAL SYSTEM. I HAVE HAD THIS CAR IN FOR SERVICE NUMEROUS TIMES AND I HAVE NEVER GOTTEN THE PROBLEM RESOLVED. I HAVE SIMPLY HAD ENOUGH AND WOULD LIKE SOME HELP.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 15, 2004Engine and engine cooling, Fuel system, gasoline, Seat belts, EquipmentODI 10069561
“ON 4/23/01 I TOOK MY CAR TO WESTCOTT KIA MOTORS, I HAD A CONCERN REGUARDING MY TRANSMISSION, THEY INSPECTED AND SAID THEYFOUND SWITCH STOP LAMP WASNT WORKING AT WHICH TIME THEY REPLACED IT , IT WAS UNDER WARRANTY, THEY ALSO REPLACED AN EGR VALVE THAT WAS UNDER WARRANTY, STILL TO NO AVAIL OF HAVING MY TRANSMISSION CONCERNES RESOLVED WITH THIS DEALER (AFTER ALL THESE REPAIRS , MY CAR STILL HAD THE SAME PROBLEM I BROUGHT IT IN FOR) I FILED A COMPLAINT WITH KIA CONSUMER AFFAIRS. I WAITED A COUPLE OF MONTHS AND DECIDED TO TRY MY LUCK AT ANOTHER DEALER IN THE AREA SO I WENT TO EL CAJON KIA ON 11/19/01 AN ALLOWED THEM TO WORK ON MY CAR AT WHICH TIME THEY ORDERED A TRANSFER CASE TO BE INSTALLED ON 12/05/01, THEY REPLACED THE TRANSFER CASE AND IT BROKE WHILE I WAS ON THE FREEWAY 12/07/01 AT WHICH TIME I HAD THE VEHICLE TOWED TO THEIR SHOP, THEY REPAIRED THE TRANSFER CASE AGAIN AND STILL THE CLUNKING NOISE I HAD BROUGHT IT IN FOR WAS STILL THERE IN MY CAR, I DROVE MY CAR FOR A FEW MORE DAYS UNTILL IT STARTED TO HESITATE ON ME AND THE ENGINE LIGHT CAME ON, I HAD MY CAR TOWED BACK TO EL CAJON KIA AND THE TECHNICIAN TOOK A TEST DRIVE WITH ME AND STATED WHILE WE WERE DRIVING…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Mar 7, 2002Engine and engine cooling, Power train, Exterior lightingODI 759076
“KIA HAS ISSUED A VOLUNTARY RECALL OF ITS 1998 SPORTAGE SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES TO REPLACE THE MANIFOLD CATALYTIC CONVERTER. THIS SAME PROBLEM HAS ALSO HAPPENED TO MY 1997 SPORTAGE. A FRIEND OF MINE HAS THE SAME MODEL AND YEAR AS MY SPORTAGE AND THE PROBLEM HAS HAPPENED TO HER VEHICLE ALSO. I THINK THIS RECALL NEEDS TO BE EXTENDED TO THE 1997 SPORTAGES ALSO. THE CAR WILL NOT PASS EMMISIONS INSPECTIONS AND I DONT THINK I SHOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR A PROBLEM THAT WAS CAUSED BY THE MANUFACTURER.*AK”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jan 16, 2002Engine and engine coolingODI 756920

Showing 6 of 52 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 29, 2026NHTSA vehicle page

Complaints are unverified owner reports to NHTSA and are not normalized for sales volume. One complaint can cite several components.

Other 1997 Sportage problem areas