Problems · by component

2000 Kia Sportage electrical system problems

30 owner complaints to NHTSA about the 2000 Kia Sportage cite electrical system, 10% of all 304 complaints for this model year. NHTSA also lists 1 recall on this component.

Complaints
30
10% of all complaints
Crashes
1
Reported by owners
Fires
3
Reported by owners
Injuries
0
Reported by owners
01 —Owner reports

What owners say about the electrical system

Verbatim from NHTSA complaints, newest first
“MY KIA BEGAN HAVING ELECTRICAL PROBLEMS ABOUT 3 YEARS AGO. LONG STORY MADE SHORT: THE DEALER WANTED ME TO PAY $3000 PLUS FOR IT HAD ALL ITS ELECTRICAL SYSTEM MELTED DOWN. I FOUND A RECALL AND AFTER A BATTLE WITH THE DEALER AND MANUFACTURER I GOT IT FIXED WHEN I FOUND OUT THERE WAS A RECALL. NEXT NIGHTMARE: JULY 2008 NO ONE DIED LUCKILY. I LEND MY CAR TO A FRIEND AND HE IS DRIVING HIS 2 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER AND THE CAR FALLS TO THE GROUND. AXLE BROKE DOWN, WHEELS SPUN INWARDS AND KIA IS NOT WORKING AGAIN. LUCKILY THESE FRIENDS WERE GOING AT 20 MILES AN HOUR OTHERWISE THEY WOULD NOT HAVE TOLD THE STORY. GOT IT FIXED COST ME $$ APPARENTLY IT WAS A DEFECTIVE KIA PART CENTER LINK REPLACED. HAVE THE PART STILL IN MY CAR AS A NICE MEMORY. FINAL NIGHTMARE: APRIL 2009 I WAS THE MAIN CHARACTER: AGAIN THE AXLE FEELS WEIRD AND CLICKS WHEN I TURN. PROBLEM: TIE ROD IS BROKEN. DIFFERENT THAN THE PREVIOUS TIME BUT RELATED TO THE PREVIOUS PROBLEM. LUCKILY WAS NOT ON THE FREEWAY AT HIGH SPEED OTHERWISE WOULD NOT BE TELLING THIS STORY. IN SHORT: THIS IS A SAFETY HAZARD! KIA NEEDS TO RECALL THIS DEFECT URGENTLY. MY FRIEND AND KID AND I COULD HAVE GOT KILLED IN AN ACCIDENT LITERALLY.…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Apr 22, 2009Suspension, Power train, Electrical systemODI 10266338
“TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 2000 KIA SPORTAGE. SINCE PURCHASING THE VEHICLE, THE CONTACT HAS PAID FOR NUMEROUS REPAIRS. BEFORE DRIVING THE VEHICLE OFF THE LOT, SHE NOTICED A LARGE PUDDLE OF OIL UNDERNEATH THE VEHICLE. THE DEALER REPAIRED THE FAILURE. THE FOLLOWING WEEK, WHILE DRIVING 55 MPH, THE VEHICLE BEGAN TO SHAKE SEVERELY. THE DEALER ROTATED THE TIRES, BUT THE SHAKING PERSISTED. THIRDLY, A TIRE BLEW OUT AND HAD TO BE CHANGED. IN ADDITION, THE VEHICLE BEGAN LEAKING TRANSMISSION FLUID AND A NEW TRANSMISSION LINE WAS INSTALLED. LASTLY, THE WINDSHIELD WIPER MOTOR STOPPED WORKING AND THE ENTIRE DRIVER'S SIDE GLASS CAVED IN ON THE CONTACT, BUT DID NOT BREAK. THERE WERE NO INJURIES. CURRENTLY, THE GLASS WILL NOT ROLL UP OR DOWN. THE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 86,000. UPDATED 1/5/09 *CN THE GAS TANK WAS FALLING APART. A SHIELD WAS NEEDED TO RECTIFY THE PROBLEM. THE DRIVERS WINDOW WAS INOPERATIVE. THE RADIATOR WAS LEAKING. THE VEHICLE WAS OUT OF ALIGNMENT. THE VEHICLE WOULD NOT START. THE CONSUMER DISCOVERED THE CABLE HAD MELTED. UPDATED 01/09/09*JB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 10, 2008Suspension, Engine and engine cooling, Power train, Electrical system, Visibility, TiresODI 10248252
“TL*THE CONTACT HAD A 2000 KIA SPORTAGE. WHILE DRIVING 45 MPH, THE VEHICLE SHUT OFF WITHOUT WARNING. THE VEHICLE HAD NOT BEEN TAKEN TO A MECHANIC. THE CONTACT BELIEVED THAT THE VEHICLE SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN NHTSA CAMPAIGN ID NUMBER 99V325000 (ELECTRICAL SYSTEM:WIRING) BECAUSE THE SYMPTOMS WERE IDENTICAL, HOWEVER, KIA STATED THAT THE VIN WAS EXCLUDED FROM THE RECALL. THE CONTACT HAS SINCE SOLD THE VEHICLE. THE CURRENT AND FAILURE MILEAGES WERE 49,150.”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Sep 11, 2007Electrical systemODI 10202531
“ROTORS WERE BAD UPON PURCHASE, DEALER REPLACED THEM FOR FREE ONLY BECAUSE THE SERVICE REP. KNEW MY DECEASED HUSBAND. I WAS DRIVING ON THE FREEWAY AT A SPEED OF ABOUT 65 MPH, WHEN THE TRUCK DIED AT 87,000 MILES. I WAS ALMOST HIT SEVERAL TIMES. THE TIMING BELT BROKE-SOMETHING THAT WAS REPLACED A COUPLE MONTHS PRIOR BY THE DEALER. MY WATER PUMP AND PULLEYS AND BELT WERE REPLACED FOR ABOUT 700 DOLLARS LESS THEN DEALER ORIGINALLY CHARGED ME. THE DEALER SINCE HAS REPAID FOR THEIR INCORRECT BELT SIZE--BELT WAS INCORRECT FOR MY TRUCK. DEALER INSTALLED STRUTS BROKE AFTER ABOUT 25 MILES OF USAGE--DEALER CLAIMED THAT I DROVE MY TRUCK OVER SPEED BUMPS ROUGH--HAHAHA. THAN, I GUESS IS SUCH A BAD CA SMOG LAW, THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT FOR 2 YEARS PLUS STILL WILL NOT GO OFF. I PASSED ALL EMISSIONS FOR MY SMOG CHECK, BUT THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT KEEPS FAILING ME. I HAD THE HEAT PLATE REMOVED AND THE EXHAUST MANIFOLD WAS CRACKED AND IT FROZE MY UPPER O2 SENSOR--REPAIR DONE BY PERSONAL MECHANIC WITH PARTS THAT I PURCHASED ONLINE FOR ABOUT 1/3 THE PRICE OF THE DEALER PARTS AND WORK DONE. OK, I THOUGHT THE LIGHT WOULD COME OFF..IT DIDN'T. I HAVE TO CHANGE THE OTHER O2 SENSOR. ALSO MY…”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Nov 2, 2006Service brakes, hydraulic, Engine and engine cooling, Electrical system, Tires, EquipmentODI 10172452
“I HAVE HAD REPEATED PROBLEMS WITH FUEL SYSTEM ON MY KIA SPORTAGE. I HAVE HAD THE FUEL INJECTORS, FUEL FILTERS (3 NOW), LINE CLEANED ETC. MECHANIC HAS NOW HAD TO REMOVE TANK AND CLEAN IT ALONG WITH REST OF SYSTEM. GASKETS WON'T SEAL WHILE TRYING TO FINISH THE REPAIR WORK. THIS HAS BEEN AN ON-GOING PROBLEM FOR THE PAST YEAR. I ALSO HAD TO HAVE THE COMPLETE WIRING HARNESS DONE LAST YEAR. IT KEPT SHORTING OUT RELAYS ALL THROUGH THE VEHICLE. *JB”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Jul 7, 2006Fuel system, gasoline, Electrical systemODI 10161836
“DT: THE C OWNS A 2000 KIA SPORADIC. ON 10-14-05 THEIR CAR CAUGHT ON FIRE WHILE DRIVING 35 MPH. THE CONTACT SAW WHITE SMOKE COMING FROM THE VENTS, AND THEN SHE SAW BLACK SMOKE COMING FROM UNDERNEATH THE DASH. THE FIRE DEPARTMENT WAS NOT CALLED. ONCE SHE TURNED THE IGNITION OFF THE CAR FINISHED SMOKING FOR A WHILE, AND WHEN IT QUIT SMOKING THE CONTACT TRIED TO START THE CAR AND IT WOULD NOT START. SHE WAS NOT YET SURE OF THE DAMAGE DONE BECAUSE THE INSURANCE COMPANY HAS NOT LOOKED AT IT. . SHE REPORTED HAVING NO PROBLEMS AT ALL WITH THE CAR PRIOR TO THIS INCIDENT. THE INCIDENT HAS BEEN REPORTED TO THE INSURANCE COMPANY. HER HUSBAND THOUGHT IT WAS OF ELECTRICAL NATURE. THE CONTACT CONTACTED ,A KIA DEALER AND THEY WERE NOT VERY HELPFUL. THEY REFERRED HER TO THE INSURANCE COMPANY. SHE HAS NOT SPOKEN TO THE MANUFACTURER.*AK”
Owner complaint to NHTSAFiled Oct 17, 2005Electrical systemFire reportedODI 10139840

Showing 6 of 30 reports. Read every report on NHTSA.gov.

Data from NHTSA Complaints API (owner reports, unverified) · synced Oct 28, 2026NHTSA vehicle page
02 —Related recalls

1 recall on this component

Electrical system

Free remedy

VEHICLE DESCRIPTION: SPORT UTILITY VEHICLE. THESE VEHICLES WERE DISTRIBUTED WITH OWNERS MANUALS WITH AN INCORRECT JUMP START DIAGRAM. THE WRITTEN INSTRUCTIONS FOR JUMP STARTING ARE ACCURATE. HOWEVER, THE DIAGRAM DEPICTS THE JUMPER CABLES ATTACHED TO THE WRONG POLARITY TERMINALS. IF THE DIAGRAM WERE FOLLOWED WITHOUT REFERENCE TO THE INSTRUCTIONS, THE RESULTING IMPROPER CONNECTIONS COULD CAUSE THE BATTERY TO RUPTURE AGGRESSIVELY DUE TO INCREASED INTERNAL PRESSURES.

Electrical systemReported Jul 27, 2000NHTSA 00V205000
Data from NHTSA Recalls API · synced Oct 28, 2026

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