Recalls ·2020 Kia Sportage FWD

2020 Kia Sportage FWD recalls and complaints

NHTSA lists 2 recalls for the 2020 Kia Sportage FWD; the most frequently affected component is trailer hitches. Owners filed 160 complaints, most often about engine. 2 recalls carry a do-not-drive or park-outside warning. Among the 12 model years of this model in the database, 2020 ranks #8 for number of recalls.

Recalls2
Complaints160
Do-not-drive / park-outside2
Crashes reported1in stored complaints
Fires reported1in stored complaints

Check your own vehicle by VIN at NHTSA →

Recalls (2)

Trailer hitchesCampaign 22V703000 · 19 Sep 2022

Park outside — fire risk

Problem: Kia America, Inc. (Kia) is recalling certain 2016-2022 Sorento, 2021-2022 Sorento Hybrid (HEV), 2022-2023 Sorento Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV), and 2017-2022 Sportage vehicles equipped with a tow hitch harness installed as original equipment, or purchased as an accessory through a Kia dealership. Debris and moisture accumulation on the tow hitch harness module printed circuit board (PCB) may cause an electrical short, which can result in a fire.

Risk: A fire while parked or driving can increase the risk of injury.

Remedy: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures until the recall repair is complete. Dealers will inspect the vehicle, and, as necessary, replace the fuse and/or tow hitch harness module, free of charge. Owner notification letters were mailed August 11, 2023. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC249.

Service brakes, hydraulic — Control unit/moduleCampaign 21V137000 · 04 Mar 2021

Park outside — fire risk

Problem: Kia Motors America (Kia) is recalling certain 2017-2021 Sportage and Cadenza vehicles. The electrical circuit in the Hydraulic Electronic Control Unit (HECU) may short-circuit, which can cause a fire in the engine compartment.

Risk: An engine compartment fire can increase the risk of injury.

Remedy: Owners are advised to park outside and away from structures as a precaution until the recall repair is complete. Kia will notify owners, and dealers will replace certain fuses in the electrical junction box. Vehicles equipped with an electronic parking brake (EPB) will also receive a HECU software update. Repairs will be performed free of charge. The recall began on April 30, 2021. Owners may contact Kia customer service at 1-800-333-4542. Kia's number for this recall is SC206.

What owners complain about

Share of the 40 most recent complaints stored for this model year, by component. Owners can list more than one component.

Engine27 · 68%
Engine and engine cooling4 · 10%
Electrical system4 · 10%
Steering2 · 5%
Forward collision avoidance2 · 5%
Unknown or other2 · 5%
Power train2 · 5%
Fuel/propulsion system2 · 5%

When complaints were filed

202511
202629

From owner complaints

Vehicle has excessive wandering, that is intermittent, during traffic, surrounding traffic on freeways and on slight wind and rain. The vehicle exhibits behavior that is very very unstable.. I’ve had the vehicle for about three years and it’s been doing this for about two years now intermittently I recently took it…

Steering · Dec 2025 · NHTSA complaint record

We only have 58,000 on our car . We had extremely low oil and light never came on it blinked randomly. We still had 2,000 miles left before oil change was due . Car was almost bone dry if we did not check we would have been in big trouble.We were told these cars are known to burn oil and we should come in every 3/4…

Exterior lighting · Dec 2025 · NHTSA complaint record

I own a 2020 Kia Sportage that is currently within the 100,000-mile powertrain warranty. The vehicle has been experiencing EXCESSIVE oil consumption, requiring oil to be added between scheduled oil changes, despite no visible leaks or warning indicators. I have consistently maintained the vehicle according to Kia's…

Engine · Dec 2025 · NHTSA complaint record

The contact owns a 2020 Kia Sportage. The contact stated that the vehicle was consuming an excessive amount of engine oil. The engine oil light was flashing and turning on and off. The vehicle was taken to the local dealer, who confirmed that an oil consumption test was needed. The vehicle was not diagnosed or…

Engine and engine cooling · Dec 2025 · NHTSA complaint record

How this year compares

Recalls per model year for this model.

Related pages

Source

Recall and complaint records from the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). A recall listed here may not apply to every vehicle of this model year — always check your VIN with NHTSA or a dealer.