Faults:

Cooling fan blade broke apart after 40 thousand mile.

Driver's side seat belt stopped retracting.

Passenger side sun-visor clip broke off.

General Comments:

I use this car on my job and I put well over 100 miles a day on it. It has only had one failure in 60000 miles which required a visit to the shop; a broken cooling fan. I have experienced no other mechanical problems.

It has a bit less power than what I would expect from such a light car, but it is sufficient and not less than what the dealership led me to believe.

My mileage is within the specifications posted on the retail sticker, which is about 18 miles per gallon (city/highway driving averaged).

Faults:

The windshield wipers fall off if there is ice on the windshield.

The heater sucks up whatever is on the car (snow, leaves etc.) and blows it inside the car.

The front rotors have warped three times.

I've had to have the locks changed twice because the one in the back door keeps locking up.

The front seats were obviously built for someone who stands about five feet tall. Very uncomfortable! I'm 6'1" and the lumbar support sticks out right about tail bone level.

The cup holders break if you breath on them too heavily. They also put the front cup holder right in front of the clock and air vents.

Faults:

What things have not gone wrong with my car?

New Transmission at less than 5,000 miles.

2 New Rear shift differentials replaced less than a year apart.

4+ fuses blown to my power windows. (which I paid for instead of driving 30 miles to the nearest dealer to have to sit and wait over a hour to replace a piece that takes less than a minute)

Windows stopped working due to a wire being "pinched" in door.

A scraping noise when you first start driving the vehicle which is "normal".

A popping noise that is "normal" when you're on an incline and shifting.

My gas gauge dropped down to "Empty" while I was driving 70 MPH on the interstate and slowly started to rise after slowing down when exiting the interstate.

The cup holder is at the worst possible place. In front of the air vents sets the cup holders which heats your cold drinks in the winter and blocks the clock and the climate controls when ever the cup holder is out.

The vehicle has NO power what so ever!! I can walk faster up a hill then what my Sportage can do.

General Comments:

I would not recommend a Kia product to my worst enemy. I have had nothing, but problems since day 1. The dealership I have dealt with did not seem to be educated in the Kia product. The Kia company does not stand behind their product like other car companies do. I hired a lawyer and proceed to file a Lemon Law through the BBB, however, I would have taken a huge loss... I should have done it considering the loss I am at now. If you ever try to buy a new vehicle, your Kia would have to be pretty much paid off or else you will take a major loss. I am still kicking my self to this day for buying that 2002 Kia Sportage!

Faults:

Rear power window stopped working. Seems to be a known issue with Kias. Fixed under warranty.

General Comments:

Is a great "moving truck." Can hold a lot of stuff once the rear seats are folded down.

4x4 feature is an asset. Has been used many times off-road.

Rear-mounted tire rack makes changing flats easier compared to SUV's with the spare mounted underneath.

Truck has been reliable. I have traveled cross country a couple of times without a problem.

Maintenance with a 4x4 is more extensive than with a car-based SUV. For example, the differential and transfer case fluid must be changed as per the maintenance schedule. Also, the U-joints must be lubed. Those not experienced with 4x4 trucks may not even know that these parts of the truck exist. Thus, the Sportage is a little more maintenance intensive. For those who do not do their own maintenance (or don't want to pay a lot for maintenance items), this may not be the type of SUV for you.