2002 Kia Sportage from North America - Comments

Axle broke on the highway.

Lost considerable amount of power within one month of ownership.

I wanted to buy something small, foreign, and reliable, but still have room for a dog and some luggage for road trips. I thought a kia would be a good choice, knowing they had their 100000 mile warranty deals and all.

I drove it on one long trip from Ohio to Kansas for christmas and after I came back to Ohio things started happening. I took extreme care of the car and always drove it safely, It was my new baby so I wanted it to stay nice like you always do the first few months of owning a car. The engine started sounding rough, pickup speed got weaker, and overall ride was getting rough.

One last major trip I took there were horrible noises coming from underneath the kia and all the sudden it quit moving down the highway. The axle just wore out. After getting it back to the dealer and dealing with days of ordering some strange part of the axle that the mechanic says is just a cheap part I finally got my kia back. But it was never the same so I immediately got rid of the thing.

I am suspicious of all kias anymore and am afraid that they are made with too many cheap parts. I should have kept my big American GMC Jimmy. It never failed.

I to have a kia sportage 2002, yes I have a 100,000 mile warranty, but me and my child do not come with one of those. I drive my family in this vehicle and I have had nothing, but problems with it. I have had the car for three years it has a squeak from a fan belt that is not covered under warranty, the fan has shredded inside of the vehicle. I was driving on the expressway one day and the door locks began to go up and down like the car was possessed. A couple of months ago I noticed a faint noise and I had it taken in, come to find out the mechanic said I was lucky that if I waited much longer the back end of the vehicle would have went. Now to top it off the car is in the shop again for a smell of gasoline or exhaust that is filling the car, not all the time, but sometimes, they can't figure the problem out and I am frustrated and afraid of driving this vehicle. I've called Kia and they won't even authorize a rental for me from all these problems. They may have it figured out how to make a good sound reliable vehicle now, but they do not adhere to there mistakes of previous vehicles and that is why I will never buy another Kia.

I also have a sportage 2002 and just from what I have read on the internet the smell of gas is from a loose hose. I am having the same problem and since the kia dealership here in Chicago sucks I am taking it to my mechanic and have him check it out for me. As for the squeaky noise I have that as well when I turn on the heater. I took it in 3 times to the dealer and they have no idea what is causing it.

I just bought a 2002 kia sportage of a lot and paid 6700 cash of the lot. Its the most I ever spent on a car. But two days into driving a belt squeeled so I took it to the dealer. They tightend the belt for me, but on my way home the car filled with gas fumes. I took it back on they said I needed hoses rings and gaskets. I was in shock when the bill was 500. But the manager was very nice to his customers and repaired the car for free. I think the kia sportage is a real nice looking vehicle and I even have a few more honeys looking at me. But honestly I'm a bit worried about what might go wrong next.

Just as an update I finally got a chance to take the car to the dealer after complaining to Kia Corporate and I got them to check out the car. It turns out that there is a leaking fuel line that caused the issue in my case. If you have the smelling gas coming from inside the vent the leaking gas line might be your problem.

My dad bought a 2000 Kia Sportage, it looked nice, reasonably priced, so I too went out and bought a 2001 Kia Sportage. He has had nothing, but problems with it, one problem being a squealing heater that, as he was driving, began to smoke and fill up the car. He immediately opened the windows and shut off the heat. I too am now experiencing the squealing of the heater and the loud humming noise of the fan. I am quite nervous to drive it now as I await a part in the middle of a cold north winter.

We bought an 2002 Sportage in May of 2003 that had 8955 mileage and were told that we had the full warranty that came with the car. Today we took it to our local garage for an oil change and upon the routine inspection he found a leakage at the wheel cylinder and since the mileage is so low he said it should still be under warranty because we only have 21,164 mileage on it. Upon calling our local KIA dealer they said it was NOT under warranty any more. We have taken the car to KIA numerous times for a different problem which was never really fully reconciled.

I received a 2002 KIA Sportage as a gift for graduation in 2004. It is still under 100,000 miles and I have had nothing, but problems with it. In the first year of having it I had to have the exhaust system fixed, there is a constant rattling noise under the car that sounds like two metal pieces hitting each other (the mechanics cannot find the cause), the rear axle fell off the back of the car and I was stuck on the highway, and the air/conditioner has a crunchy noise when you turn it on. I do not suggest that anyone purchase this vehicle.

I have a 2002 Kia Sportage that I purchased new in August 2002. I have several "little" things go wrong in the first year or so, but had no problem having them repaired at my local Kia dealer at no charge. One big problem in that first year was that all my wheels (hub caps) started to turn black. I contacted Kia and within a couple of weeks all of my wheels were replaced and have been fine since. My complaint about this automobile is the squeaking belt. I was told it was a design problem and that was one of the reasons they stopped making it after 2002. Of course no one told me that when I was purchasing the car. If the belt is replaced it is OK for a couple of hundred miles. But then it starts to squeal again. You can hear me coming miles down the road. Although I have not had any MAJOR problems and it now has 90,000 miles on it I will probably never buy another Kia.